Classic Baseball: The Photographs of Walter Iooss Jr. (Hardcover)

~ Walter Iooss Jr. (Author), Dave Anderson (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The photographs of veteran baseball photographer Walter Iooss Jr. are collected in this handsome celebration of the national pastime. Iooss Jr., who started snapping baseball as a teen, went on to become a heralded photographer for Sports Illustrated before the age of 21, beginning his career with a most memorable assignment: capturing Roger Maris's record-breaking 61st home run in 1961. He was still shooting 37 years later, on hand to capture Mark McGwire's then-record 70th round-tripper in 1998. Such historical range is reflected in the book. Iooss's sharp eye for composition, on exhibit from the very beginning, shines from a shot taken in Havana in 1999 of children playing stickball. The book is divided into seven sections: faces, ballparks, pitchers, hitters, base runners, managers and celebrations and all the game's bright lights are on brilliant display, from Mantle to Ken Griffey Jr., from Philly's old Connie Mack stadium to Seattle's pristine new Safeco field. Fans will surely treasure the terrific shots of their idols Roberto Clemente's intense glare, Hank Aaron rounding the bases, a young, buzz-cut Pete Rose smiling for the cameras. Still, other, less glorious shots, perhaps, are equally appealing: Pittsburgh's Dave Parker having a smoke in the dugout in 1980; the old scoreboard at Wrigley field. New York Times columnist Dave Anderson adds his voice to set the stage, but the photos (70 in color, 160 in all) truly speak for themselves. Just when you think you you're about to be lulled to sleep, Iooss writes about the game he loves, something breathtaking happens. Luckily for fans, Iooss was there to capture many of these moments.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Joe Dimaggio, Sandy Koufax, Cal Ripken, Sammy Sosa: more than mere athletes, these men, with their superlative physical skills, grace under pressure, and all-too-human foibles, rank as classic American heroes. Here, world-famous photographer Walter Iooss Jr. presents equally classic images of baseball greats of the past 40 years. Combining nostalgic postwar-era portraits with action shots of today's most popular players, and enhanced by the commentary of Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Dave Anderson, Classic Baseball offers the definitive illustrated account of the sport since the 1960s.

Special features like a six-page gatefold, collages created by Iooss exclusively for the book, and several never-before-published images make this the natural follow-up to Abrams' top-selling Baseball's Golden Age.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 210 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 1st ed edition (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810942585
• ISBN-13: 978-0810942585
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 10.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #118,864 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baseball Show and Tell, January 9, 2007

By	D. Geier (Liberty, Missouri) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Classic Baseball (Hardcover)

This is an outstanding baseball book for all ages. Our son and his boys absolutely loved looking at the older players and stories to go along with the pictures. It is knowledgable and enjoyable.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baseball IS my youth - and so many memories, March 21, 2006

By	Timothy Landry (Montreal, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been following baseball since the 1954 World Series - Willie Mays' catch - Dusty Rhodes' hits - and this book brings it all back - all the sounds - the smells - it is fabulous. "A picture is worth 1000 words?" These are worth a million

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Photography From A Camera Artist, September 19, 2009

By	Winslow Bunny "Winslow_Bunny" (Rockledge, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

Walter Iooss is a tremendous photographer and has captured many different sports with his camera. That he has pointed his artistry in baseball's direction is a real joy for baseball fans. We see players in game action, at rest, at humorous moments, in frantic motion (such as the cover of the book) and in many ways that we don't get to normally see them. This pictures add life to the subjects that he portrays in his shots, and makes an excellent book of photographs for baseball fans.