Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have never read a book by Roger Kahn that was less than five stars. This volume is a collection of Kahn's work from books and magazine articles from his illustrious career. Roger covered the Brooklyn Dodgers during the seasons of 1952 and 1953 which led to The Boys of Summer. The book is divided into sections with chapters devoted to athletes, mainly baseball players, that have been subjects of Kahn's work over the past several decades. The last chapter is a tribute to former Dodgers' outfielder Carl Furillo, The Reading Rifle. It is absolutely first rate. Some of the other sections of the book are devoted to New York's centerfielders of the 1950's, hitters and pitchers, fighters such as Dempsey and Ali, in addition to Billy vs. Reggie, and George M. Steinbrenner. A very touching section is entitled "Heroes Off the Field" in which chapters are devoted to Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ring Lardner, and Pee Wee Reese. Another memorable section is devoted to "On Getting Old" with chapters on Robert Frost, Stan Musial (old as a ballplayer), sportswriters, and the previously mentioned Carl Furillo. I did find one minor error in the Introduction written by Rob Miraldi when he said "he (Kahn) was sent to cover the crosstown Giants in the Bronx" after covering the Dodgers in 1952 and 1953. The Giants as Miraldi knows played in the Polo Grounds which was located on the island of Manhattan. If you have enjoyed Roger Kahn's previous books you won't want to miss this one, especially if you are a baseball fan. This isn't a book to be read by a speed reader. This is a book to be savored.
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Spanning half a century, the first comprehensive anthology of the great Roger Kahn's writing, for a new generation of sports fans
Roger Kahn, author of 19 books including the modern classic The Boys of Summer, is arguably America's greatest sportswriter. Now, for the first time, Beyond the Boys of Summer presents a showcase of 50 years worth of Kahn's celebrated work. From a 1955 article on the incomparable Jackie Robinson to excerpts from his recent bestselling book on the controversial '78 Yankees, this unprecedented anthology spans an entire career to show off the grace, wit, and elegance of Roger Kahn's most memorable writing on sports, as well as his reporting beyond the world of baseball diamonds and boxing rings.
Uniquely organized around life's stages, the book brings readers face to face with some of the greatest names in sport, including Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, Reggie Jackson, and Pete Rose. Through Kahn's fly-on-the-wall style, readers will see Duke Snider in the avocado fields of California, Mickey Mantle in Texas taverns, and Joe DiMaggio watching his famous wife, Marilyn Monroe, flirt for the movie cameras.
In the final segment, Kahn meets the 80-year-old poet Robert Frost, mourns the deaths of friends and heroes, and movingly writes about how sports stars--and even sportswriters--grow old, looking back on a long life well lived.
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