Baseball's Shining Season - by Martin W Sandler & Craig Sandler (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From National Book Award winner Martin W. Sandler and his son, a fascinating look at the intersection of baseball and society in America on the eve of World War II.

In 1941, as America stood on the brink of World War II, the country was in sore need of a diversion at home. They found exactly that on the baseball diamond, where the rivalry between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees captivated fans as superstars Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio went head to head, breaking every record imaginable.

But the pastime known as "America's game" wasn't really a game that welcomed everyone: Black citizens were segregated into the widely dismissed Negro Leagues, and though women had played baseball for years, they struggled for acceptance and to establish a professional league of their own. As the country reached a turning point, so, too, did the sport of baseball--and after 1941, neither would ever be the same.

Through extensive archival photographs and thrilling accounts of the game and the country that became obsessed with it, Martin W. Sandler and Craig Sandler vividly portray the season that would change baseball forever.

Review Quotes

"* Skillfully interweaving sports history with critical social and political context, this nonfiction work is an invaluable resource for students interested in American history, Civil Rights, and the -enduring power of sports. A must-have -addition for school libraries." --School Library Journal, starred review

"[An] impressive and highly readable look at an important inflection point in history." --Horn Book on Race through the Skies

"Fascinating, eminently entertaining." --Kirkus Reviews on Race through the Skies

"The firsthand accounts-including descriptions of competing aviators, their planes, and their performances, as well as the media reaction-will enthrall young aviation enthusiasts." --Publishers Weekly on Race through the Skies

About the Author

Martin W. Sandler is the National Book Award-winning author of more than sixty books, including 1919: The Year That Changed America, Imprisoned, Lincoln Through the Lens, The Dust Bowl Through the Lens, and Kennedy Through the Lens. Sandler has taught American history and American Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and at Smith College, and lives in Massachusetts.

Craig Sandler is a journalist with 35 years' experience writing about Massachusetts politics. He owns and runs the State House News Service in Boston and the News Service of Florida in Tallahassee. He's trained and edited dozens of young reporters over the years, and authors the annual Massachusetts Political Almanac.