A Tale of Three Cities - by Steven Travers (Hardcover)

About the Book

Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants battle it out

Book Synopsis

Nineteen sixty-two--it's been called "the end of innocence," as America witnessed the Cuban Missile Crisis and the following year saw the Kennedy assassination and the early stirrings of Vietnam.In baseball, 1962 was a thrilling season. Five years prior the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants had migrated west to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively, leaving New York to the Yankees. In 1962, those same Giants and Dodgers faced off to see who would advance to the World Series. Waiting to do battle were the Yankees, who were also battling for allegiance in New York with the Mets' debut. The old Subway Series had gone cross-country.Just as it was the end of innocence, it was an end of an era for the Yankees. Winners of eleven World Series titles in twenty years, they would go fifteen years-- a record for the modern-era Bombers at the time--until their next championship. They appeared in the next two World Series, but by the end of the decade it was those upstart Mets amazin' fans. The Dodgers would break through the following year and again in 1965 while the Giants--convinced they'd be back many times-- have yet to win a title on the West Coast. Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford, Willie Mays and Willie McCovey, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, Casey Stengel. Steven Travers details Hollywood's adoration of the Dodgers, San Francisco's battle between inferiority and superiority, and New York, rulers of sport and society, experiencing the beginnings of a changing of the guard. Three cities, five teams, and one great year are all here in A Tale of Three Cities.

Review Quotes

"Another bull's-eye by Steven Travers. He has captured the love, laughter, and largesse of the 1962 baseball season, maybe the most entertaining season of all time, especially in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Yes, he can. And did."--Maury Allen, author of Yankees World Series Memories-- (1/28/2009 12:00:00 AM)

"ESPN Voice Jon Miller dubs the 1962 baseball season his 'coming of age as a baseball fan.' Steven Travers relives that season in this engaging and lively work. A book utterly worthy of an unforgettable year."--Curt Smith, author of Voices of The Game and Pull Up a Chair: The Vin Scully Story

"Steve Travers does a really fine job of capturing not only the highlights and sidelights of those memorable days in the early 1960s, but he also focuses on some of the legends of that golden period, including Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Maury Wills, Orlando Cepeda, Don Drysdale, Whitey Ford, and so many more. Entertaining, informative, and a great read for the hardcore and the casual fan."--Bruce Macgowan, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area

"Travers paints a beautiful picture of baseball in its golden age, a time that should be remembered fondly. All of the characters with their required personas are there: the declining superstar Duke Snider, the partying Mickey Mantle, and the blossoming superstar in Willie Mays. Travers integrates these stories into his storytelling seamlessly. . . . A Tale of Three Cities shines a light on a good era of baseball."--athomeplate.com-- (6/3/2009 12:00:00 AM)