HARVEY FROMMER ON SPORTS

   “Soldier Field” and “The Machine” 

        The words on the back cover are mine:

        “Soldier Field is a true page-turner. Liam T.A. Ford covers all the bases in this in-depth narrative on the history of one of America’s landmark sports stadiums.”

        I wrote those words after reading the manuscript and now there is this beautiful and carefully created book: “Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City (The University of Chicago Press, $30.00, 364 pages).

Not the mistake by the lake but an historic cathedral of sports, Soldier Field in its time has hosted so many events – sports and otherwise, that it is part of the fabric of the windy city. Not just the home of the Chicago Bears, but also a place of high drama for some and low moments for others, the story of Chicago’s stadium makes for terrific reading.

Way back at the beginning of my sports writing career I was there as a cub reporter in Chicago straight out of college writing for United Press International. I was struck by Soldier Field then and re-lived that time reading the pages of Ford’s masterwork.  Highly recommended.

The words on the back cover are mine:

“One of the most original and winning baseball books in recent years.”

I wrote that about Joe Posnanski and his book “The Soul of Baseball.”

Now there is Joe Posnanski’s “The Machine” (Morrow, $25.99, 302 pages). It is an up close and in depth treatment of the Big Red Machine, the 1975 World Series - - Cincy Reds vs. Boston Red Sox. It makes for just delightful reading as one comes into close contact with the Pete Roses, Joe Morgans, George Fosters, the Sparky Andersons and the rest of that special collection of characters. If you don’t have the time for the book now, buy it, and keep it for hot stove reading – you are going to love it and the way Posnanski writes.

“Satchel” by Larry Tye (Random House, $26.00,392 pages) is a well researched and intelligently assembled evocation of the life and times of Leroy “Satchel” Paige, one of the most colorful and talented pitchers in baseball history.

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Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." The prolific Frommer is at work on REMEMBERING FENWAY PARK (2010).

Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.

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