Baseball Americana: Treasures from the Library of Congress (Hardcover) Review
“Baseball Americana” has some of the best photos of any book on baseball I’ve ever seen—and I’ve been a fan for many decades. From panoramics of late-19th to early 20th-Century teams, crowds, ballparks, and individual players, to a series of superb photos from Look Magazine in the 1950’s and ’60’s—the book, indeed, boasts an impressive array of treasures. An assortment of early baseball cards, posters, and illustrations from magazines add an attractive dimension. Women’s and Negro Leagues are given good coverage, and there is a well written and researched section on the origin of the game.
What “Baseball Americana” is not, is a comprehensive, illustrated history of the sport, in spite of what it says on the blurb. Rather it is a very subjective selection of various aspects of the game over the years. For a true illustrated history, covering a lot more of the evolution of the game, and the major players over the decades, I would recommend Geoffrey Ward’s and Ken Burns’ “Baseball: An Illustrated History.” And of course the PBS series of which that book is a companion.
A couple of gripes. For one thing, the book is set up in such a way that one often has to skip over two or more pages of photos, in order to finish reading a paragraph or even a sentence. Why the publishers allowed this to occur is beyond me. More puzzling is the lack of in-depth knowledge of the game’s history, in particular the legendary stars of the various eras. One glaring example: after writing about Babe Ruth, the authors cite “the era’s other offensive star, the often overlooked Rogers Hornsby.” Hornsby, overlooked? And only one other “offensive star” of the 1920’s and early ’30s? Not Lou Gehrig? Or George Sisler, Paul Waner, or Al Simmons? Similarly, when they write about the dominance of the New York teams in the 1950’s, and rightly give credit to Mantle and Mays, they fail to even mention Duke Snider.
All in all, if you’re a devotee of the National Pastime, “Baseball Americana” is worth checking out of your local library. Just don’t expect it to be more than what it is: a memorable assortment of choice (and some rare) photos and illustrations that may give you a broader picture of baseball’s evolution, and its place in American history.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Baseball Americana: Treasures from the Library of Congress (Hardcover)
Product Description:
A lavishly illustrated history of America’s game, from the unparalleled collections of the Library of Congress
Baseball, the sport that helped reunify the country in the years after the Civil War, remains the National Pastime. The Library of Congress houses the world’s largest baseball collection, documenting the history of the game and providing a unique look at America since the late 1700s. Now Baseball Americana presents the best of the best from that treasure trove. From baseball’s biggest stars to street urchins, from its most newsworthy stories to sandlot and Little League games, the book examines baseball’s hardscrabble origins, rich cultural heritage, and uniquely American character.
The more than 350 fabulous illustrations-many never before published-featured first-generation, vintage photographic and chromolithographic baseball cards; photographs of famous players and ballparks; and newspaper clippings, cartoons, New Deal photographs, and baseball advertisements. Packed with images that will surprise and thrill even the most expert collector, Baseball Americana is a gift for every baseball fan.
Get 42% OFF