Customer Reviews

The Red Sox Reader

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Red Sox Reader is a wonderful collaboration of the best articles written on the Sox. It includes stories from the most significant events in Sox history, ranging the Babe's move to the Yanks to the 1986 Series. It also includes an interview with Bill Lee, a couple of articles by the editor (who was an English teacher in my hometown for years), and perhaps the greatest article on a Boston event - "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu" by John Updike. I would recommend this book to any Boston fan who appreciates good writing.

Boston has been seated at the fortunate side of the sporting gods' table for many years. While the Pats are building a dynasty, the Celtics cemented theirs years ago and the Bruins, after a long absence finally raised Lord Stanley's Cup in 2011, the Red Sox were, until 2004 the little engine that couldn't. Oh, so close, but ever so heartbreakingly far away. Year after year after year.
Now the Sox are always in the playoff hunt, are a serious contender and threat to the New York Yankees for not only the AL East, but the Pennant, too.
That has made some of us who aren't Red Sox fans to curse those same gods for not spreading the wealth around. You can call it socialism. I'll call it whining. What balances the ever so fickle scales of baseball justice is this fabulous collection of articles, interviews and stories by the most talented group of authors to ever fall head over heals in love with a baseball team. Dan Riley has pulled the best of the best together with The Red Sox Reader. Bo-Sox fan-writers chosen for this tome include David Halberstam, Stephen King, Red Smith, Peter Gammons, and John Updike. There is also a short story by Riley himself called "How the Boston Red Sox Won the 1975 World Series: A Story, Alas" that is worth the price of the book all by itself.This updated version reprinted in 1999 will be a wonderful trip down memory lane for those who remember the not-so-good-old-days as well as reminding younger folks how fragile our hearts are when it comes to love and our hometown teams.
Now, if I can only get Riley to do The Philadelphia Phillies Reader, all will be right with the world.

The revised version of "The Red Sox Reader" is an improvement on a book that was already terrific (I have the mid-80s version and the 1999 revision). Great writing about the Sox, about their infamous ups and downs, and the triumphs along the way. Dan Riley has done an outstanding job editing this collection, as well as contributing tremendous pieces of his own. This is a must for any Red Sox fan and anyone who loves the great game of baseball. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This is a wonderful collection and I picked it up again on the night of 10/27/04. One of the many books I have about the Red Sox which are now, blissfully, out of date! This collection has such fine writing and it certainly captures that "old" feeling that this team was never going to get it all done, somehow. Hub fans bid curse adieu!