Baseball fans that enjoy looking back at the early years of the game will appreciate the history and the warm nostalgia of the collection of photographs from the early 20th century that comprise this worthwhile book in Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of Baseball” series. It’s fascinating to see the little details and subtle changes of the structure of the Polo Grounds over those early years, as well as the players, uniforms, equipment, fans, etc. Author Chris Epting augments the photos with cogent captions that add context and historical perspective. The Polo Grounds was home to the New York Giants (as well as the Yankees for a brief period), and among the notables in the photos are Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, Jim Thorpe, and Babe Ruth.

An added bonus is Arnold Hano’s poignant and evocative foreword, in which he describes how he “grew up” at the Polo Grounds. I can’t say that I grew up there, but I was fortunate to see a Met game at the Polo Grounds at the tail end of the stadium’s existence in 1963, so I feel a modest link to it, and from that game grew my lifelong love of baseball. ( )