Robinson—who's established himself as the literary equivalent of a .270 hitter with a string of solid but unmemorable baseball books (Iron Horse, 1990, etc.)—maintains his average with this bio of pitching great Christy Mathewson (1880-1925). ``Big Six,'' the sportswriters called him, for reasons lost in time—perhaps the only mysterious thing about Mathewson. Otherwise, he was the epitome of American openness, charm, and ingenuity, ``the first authentic sports hero,'' the incarnation of pulp- fiction ideal Frank Merriwell. Before Mathewson, baseball fans cheered the likes of the ``paranoid'' Ty Cobb or Cap Anson, a loudmouthed bigot. Then came Mathewson, handsome, blue-eyed, college-educated, generous—and America found an icon to worship. The pitcher hailed from a family of farming Baptists and, for a while, weighed pulpit against diamond as a career. Baseball won, to everyone's satisfaction. Soon he blitzed the Majors with his notorious ``fadeaway'' pitch (a primitive screwball); a no-hitter in his rookie year; four years of 30-plus wins; 373 total victories; and perhaps the best control of any pitcher in history. Mathewson joined forces with manager John McGraw (``an aggrieved bantam cock'') to revitalize the New York Giants and snare a World Series, during which Mathewson threw three shutouts in six days. Other triumphs followed, placed by Robinson within the context of a nation enjoying the new century with its social liberality and economic clout. Mathewson, however, remains singularly uninteresting here, apart from his amazing feats in uniform. Robinson tries to add color (``there were times when Matty spoke harshly about his teammates''), but it's like noticing the freckles on Shirley Temple. Disaster struck only after retirement, when Mathewson inhaled poison gas during a WW I training exercise and later contracted TB, leading to his death at age 45. A salutary but dull story, in these days of I-me-mine players, about a time of golden boys and Golden Years.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-19-507629-X
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1993
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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