The Boys of Summer (book)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Boys of Summer is a book by Roger Kahn, recounting the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team up to their victory in the 1955 World Series, and tracking the lives of the players over the subsequent years as they aged. The book takes its name from a verse by Dylan Thomas. It was made into a video documentary dedicated to the memories of Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Billy Cox and Ebbets Field.
The first section describes the author's growing up in a remarkable Brooklyn family. and his life as a young reporter on The New York Herald Tribune. He then recounts covering the Dodgers through two exciting seasons, made bittersweet by the death of the authors father. The next section details the lives of the players from the glory days, but in middle age. Different chapters are devoted to different players (Clem Labine, George Shuba, Carl Erskine, Andy Pafko, Joe Black, Preacher Roe, Pee Wee Reese, Carl Furillo, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson and Billy Cox). James Michener described The Boys of Summer as "a work of high moral purpose and great lyric accomplishment. He added, "It is the finest American book on sports."
Since its publication in 1972, The Boys of Summer has been through numerous editions and at least 80 printings.
