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Better Together
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In this long, rambling account of the national pastime, Smith (Voices of the Game) visits various ballparks, often repeatedly, and recounts the dimensions of each park, the stories behind its construction and the history of the team(s) that occupied it. Smith, a former presidential speechwriter, mixes in quotations and anecdotes, both from the baseball world and the world at large, relating them to the stadiums and to the teams. Even if it takes readers 150 pages to get used to Smith's prose replete with colons, long dashes and short, abrupt sentences they still have 450 more to enjoy. Not for beginners, the book is riddled with jargon and slang sure to please the cognoscenti: "Boston '16 edged Brooklyn, 2-1, in 14 innings. Joe Oeschger and Brooklyn's Leon Cadore pitched 26 in 1920: Darkness called the game, 1-1. Offense woke with '28's inner fence." The book, while overlong, feels cramped and at times rushed because Smith attempts to cover the entire history of baseball. Quotations are sometimes repeated, clogging up the narrative. Still, the anecdotal style is enjoyable and appropriate to the topic. Fans of Bob Costas, who writes a short, predictable introduction, will find Smith's angle on baseball history palatable. Despite the repetition and bulk, it ends up being an enjoyable, informative read. (Oct.)Forecast: Costas's endorsement and a playoff-season release should help sales, though the distracting writing style and imposing length will scare off many readers. But most sports fans, of baseball especially, eat up anything praising their sport in print.
From Library Journal
In this examination of major league ballparks, one-time presidential speechwriter Smith provides an iconoclastic look at the national pastime that baseball fans will likely enjoy. Not a standard history, Storied Stadiums covers nearly a century and a half and is replete with both the statistics baseball is known for and amusing and revelatory anecdotes. Sometimes difficult to follow, this encyclopedic book melds contemporary developments and some of baseball's most historic moments, thus delivering both more and less than his title suggests. Though intriguing tidbits and discussions of various pennant races are included, no systematic examination of major league stadiums is offered. Far more attention is paid proportionately to the game's last four decades, with the exploration of Candlestick Park among the book's highlights. Noteworthy photographs of classic stadiums are included, and a particularly useful appendix contains "franchise genealogy," attendance figures, chronology, and capacity sizes of various ballparks, along with "facts and fillips" of stadiums from the 1870s onward. A mixed bag; for general libraries. Robert Cottrell, California State Univ., Chico
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
In this long, rambling account of the national pastime, Smith (Voices of the Game) visits various ballparks, often repeatedly, and recounts the dimensions of each park, the stories behind its construction and the history of the team(s) that occupied it. Smith, a former presidential speechwriter, mixes in quotations and anecdotes, both from the baseball world and the world at large, relating them to the stadiums and to the teams. Even if it takes readers 150 pages to get used to Smith's prose replete with colons, long dashes and short, abrupt sentences they still have 450 more to enjoy. Not for beginners, the book is riddled with jargon and slang sure to please the cognoscenti: "Boston '16 edged Brooklyn, 2-1, in 14 innings. Joe Oeschger and Brooklyn's Leon Cadore pitched 26 in 1920: Darkness called the game, 1-1. Offense woke with '28's inner fence." The book, while overlong, feels cramped and at times rushed because Smith attempts to cover the entire history of baseball. Quotations are sometimes repeated, clogging up the narrative. Still, the anecdotal style is enjoyable and appropriate to the topic. Fans of Bob Costas, who writes a short, predictable introduction, will find Smith's angle on baseball history palatable. Despite the repetition and bulk, it ends up being an enjoyable, informative read. (Oct.)Forecast: Costas's endorsement and a playoff-season release should help sales, though the distracting writing style and imposing length will scare off many readers. But most sports fans, of baseball especially, eat up anything praising their sport in print.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In this examination of major league ballparks, one-time presidential speechwriter Smith provides an iconoclastic look at the national pastime that baseball fans will likely enjoy. Not a standard history, Storied Stadiums covers nearly a century and a half and is replete with both the statistics baseball is known for and amusing and revelatory anecdotes. Sometimes difficult to follow, this encyclopedic book melds contemporary developments and some of baseball's most historic moments, thus delivering both more and less than his title suggests. Though intriguing tidbits and discussions of various pennant races are included, no systematic examination of major league stadiums is offered. Far more attention is paid proportionately to the game's last four decades, with the exploration of Candlestick Park among the book's highlights. Noteworthy photographs of classic stadiums are included, and a particularly useful appendix contains "franchise genealogy," attendance figures, chronology, and capacity sizes of various ballparks, along with "facts and fillips" of stadiums from the 1870s onward. A mixed bag; for general libraries. Robert Cottrell, California State Univ., Chico
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
Product Details
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