Book Description
From his humble beginnings as a journeyman reporter for the South Bend Times in Indiana, to the height of his popularity when his work was syndicated in more than 115 newspapers with a readership of more than eight million, Ring Lardner was the undisputed master of sports journalism and fiction. In his stories, readers found the authentic lives of their heroes and idols, their hopes and fears, and the vernacular of the diamond in all its bawdy and athletic glory. Here then for the baseball fan, in one comprehensive volume, are Lardner's finest writings about baseball during its golden age.
Out of a column written for The Saturday Evening Post evolved his most famous work, You Know Me, Al, which introduced the world to the bush-league pitcher Jack Keefe. Lardner's skills as the finest American humorist since Mark Twain are on full display in the stories "My Roomy," "Horseshoes," "Alibi Ike," and "The Yellow Kid." Also included are his outstanding journalistic pieces about the Chicago Black Sox World Series scandal of 1919 that chronicle his struggle to come to grips with a national betrayal, the memory of which still scars the sport to this day.
LARDNER ON BASEBALL is a full, diverse, and exciting collection of works from a legendary writer who transformed a simple game into the stuff of great literature.
From the Back Cover
From his humble beginnings as a journeyman reporter for the South Bend Times in Indiana, to the height of his popularity when his work was syndicated in more than 115 newspapers with a readership of more than eight million, Ring Lardner was the undisputed master of sports journalism and fiction. In his stories, readers found the authentic lives of their heroes and idols, their hopes and fears, and the vernacular of the diamond in all its bawdy and athletic glory. Here then for the baseball fan, in one comprehensive volume, are Lardner's finest writings about baseball during its golden age.
Out of a column written for The Saturday Evening Post evolved his most famous work, You Know Me, Al, which introduced the world to the bush-league pitcher Jack Keefe. Lardner's skills as the finest American humorist since Mark Twain are on full display in these stories. Also included are his outstanding journalistic pieces about the Chicago Black Sox World Series scandal of 1919 that chronicle his struggle to come to grips with a national betrayal, the memory of which scars the sport to this day.
Lardner on Baseball is a full, diverse, and exciting collection of works from a legendary writer who transformed a simple game into the stuff of great literature.
About the Author
RING LARDNER is considered the greatest writer of all time on the sport of baseball. His works include You Know Me, Al, Gullible's Travels, Treat 'Em Rough, The Real Dope, Own Your Own Home, The Big Town, and many others. He died in 1933, at the age of forty-eight.
JEFF SILVERMAN, a former columnist for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, has written for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and several national magazines. He is also editor of The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told (page 206), Classic Baseball Stories (page 14), The Greatest Golf Stories Ever Told (page 169), Classic Golf Stories (page 170), Bernard Darwin on Golf (page 21), and The Greatest Boxing Stories Ever Told (page 206). He lives with his family in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Lardner on Baseball FROM THE PUBLISHER
From his humble beginnings as a journeyman reporter for the South Bend Times in Indiana, to the height of his popularity when his work was syndicated in more than 115 newspapers with a readership of more than eight million, Ring Lardner was the undisputed master of sports journalism and fiction. In his stories, readers found the authentic lives of their heroes and idols, their hopes and fears, and the vernacular of the diamond in all its bawdy and athletic glory. Here then for the baseball fan, in one comprehensive volume, are Lardner's finest writings about baseball during its golden age.
Out of a column written for The Saturday Evening Post evolved his most famous work, You Know Me, Al, which introduced the world to the bush-league pitcher Jack Keefe. Lardner's skills as the finest American humorist since Mark Twain are on full display in these stories. Also included are his outstanding journalistic pieces about the Chicago Black Sox World Series scandal of 1919 that chronicle his struggle to come to grips with a national betrayal, the memory of which scars the sport to this day.
Lardner on Baseball is a full, diverse, and exciting collection of works from a legendary writer who transformed a simple game into the stuff of great literature.
SYNOPSIS
A collection of stories and essays on America's favorite pastime, from the most popular writer ever on baseball.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Ring Lardner was to baseball writing what Ty Cobb was to baseball playing in the first quarter of the 20th century. In these vintage short stories, he presents the national pastime as it was in that era-a rough-and-tumble sport whose participants tended not to dabble in art and yachting on the side. We meet Jack Keefe, of Lardner's famous "You Know Me, Al" series, strong of arm, weak of mind and self-awareness; Frank X. Farrell, otherwise known as "Alibi Ike," a pathological liar; and numerous other such characters. It is debatable whether the ESPN generation will appreciate Lardner's folksy, colloquial style or the subtle satire that lies just beneath the surface in much of his work. Yet Shakespeare isn't the most fun read for many of us today either, and much can still be gained from sampling him. With the caveat that little of a strictly journalistic nature is included here and that a number of these stories appear in Lardner's Selected Stories and You Know Me, Al, this collection will be a valuable addition to larger sports collections.-Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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