Description:
From National Book Award winner Martin W. Sandler and his son, a fascinating look at the intersection of baseball and society in America on the eve of World War II.
In 1941, as America stood on the brink of World War II, the country was in sore need of a diversion at home. They found exactly that on the baseball diamond, where the rivalry between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees captivated fans as superstars Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio went head to head, breaking every record imaginable. But the pastime known as "America's game" wasn't really a game that welcomed everyone: Black citizens were segregated into the widely dismissed Negro Leagues, and though women had played baseball for years, they struggled for acceptance and to establish a professional league of their own. As the country reached a turning point, so, too, did the sport of baseball--and after 1941, neither would ever be the same. Through extensive archival photographs and thrilling accounts of the game and the country that became obsessed with it, Martin W. Sandler and Craig Sandler vividly portray the season that would change baseball forever.Brief description: Martin W. Sandler is the author of Imprisoned, Lincoln Through the Lens, The Dust Bowl Through the Lens, and Kennedy Through the Lens. He has won five Emmy Awards for his writing for television and is the author of more than sixty books, two of which have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Among Sandler's other books are the six volumes in his award-winning Library of Congress American History Series for Young People, a series which has sold more than 500,000 copies. Other books by Mr. Sandler include: Island of Hope: The Story of Ellis Island, Trapped in Ice, The Story of American Photography, The Vaqueros, America: A Celebration, and This Was America. Mr. Sandler has taught American history and American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and at Smith College, and lives in Massachusetts.
Review Quotes:
"Skillfully interweaving sports history with critical social and political context, this nonfiction work is an invaluable resource for students interested in American history, Civil Rights, and the -enduring power of sports. A must-have -addition for school libraries." --School Library Journal, starred review
"With enormous scope, laser focus, and curatorial accuracy, the authors draw readers into the world of WWII baseball. . . . For history buffs, baseball fans, and anyone in between-this one knocks it out of the park." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "The rich, detailed text is complemented by a plethora of historical photographs and colorful pull quotes, and the [authors'] love of the game shines through every anecdote and statistic. . . . [The Sandlers knock] it out of the park with [their] latest, which belongs in both sports and history collections." --Booklist, starred review "A thorough survey of baseball in 1941, and the Sandlers scrupulously describe the political and historical context of the exceptional season, illustrating its influence on people in the United States and around the world. . . . [The Sandlers] hit it out of the park with this stunning piece of upper middle-grade nonfiction; it's an all-around winner." --Shelf Awareness, starred review "Thoroughly researched chapters cover the larger cultural context that surrounded the games for history buffs while also offering playing field details for baseball fans." --BCCB "The Sandlers have admirably covered a lot of territory in this wide-ranging book." --Horn Book "[An] impressive and highly readable look at an important inflection point in history." --Horn Book on Race through the Skies "Fascinating, eminently entertaining." --Kirkus Reviews on Race through the Skies "The firsthand accounts-including descriptions of competing aviators, their planes, and their performances, as well as the media reaction-will enthrall young aviation enthusiasts." --Publishers Weekly on Race through the Skies