"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.
