George VecseyRecensioni

New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey’s Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game (Modern Library, 2008) is a concise and idiosyncratic history of the game of professional baseball. His brief survey avoids the nine-ending cliché of many introductory baseball history books in favor of a more topical analysis of professional baseball’s pasttime. Vecsey gives us a breezy twenty-chapter background narrative of the game and a crisp vision of America’s go-getting spirit.

Vescey surveys the pre-Civil War roots of the game (pondering its ancient origins) to its development under determined immigrants (such as Henry Chadwick who transplanted cricket and rounders into American culture). His study leads all the way to to the revitalization of the game during the 1998 Major League Homerun chase between first baseman Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and right fielder Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs. The chase resulted in both players breaking Roger Maris’s long-standing and highly sought-after record of 61 home runs and the renewed faith of fans in Major League Baseball. Along the way Vecsey manages to not only trace the struggle for racial integration in baseball and how the color barrier was finally broken by the legendary Jackie Robinson but manages to devote an entire chapter to the globalization of the game (focusing particularly on Japan and Latin America).

Vecsey’s examination of our American past time does not stray away from the dark periods of the game, however. The pages that examined a host of baseball scandals and other dark moments highlighted the paradoxical nature of a game that is too often associated with puritanical American ideals. We often fail to realize that our baseball gods may possess an Achilles' heel. For instance, Babe Ruth was a beloved herculean athlete with a big heart yet he lived a rather flamboyant and unhealthy lifestyle. Vescey does not shy from retelling these tragic and dark moments and how our heroes failed themselves and ultimately their fans. And he does so with a journalist’s eye for candid detail. The pages that revisited the host of baseball scandals and other dark moments, such as recreational drugs, labor disputes, gambling, segregation, the 1919 White Sox scandal, and the former wagering hit king Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds (the honor of hit king now goes to Ichiro Suzuki of the Miami Marlins) were perhaps the most riveting. And yes, heartbreakingly, Vescey investigates our recent disenchantment with McGuire, Bonds, and the steroid-era. As a young fan who lived through the steroid-era, I can personally tell you how hard it was to hear that one of my heroes (McGurie) was taking performance-enhancing drugs. Perhaps we idealize our heroes too much? Or maybe they are too much like us?

Throughout Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game, Vescey stresses the continuities of the game emphasizing the importance of the game as a living history. Vescey’s survey might be breezy but it has plenty of action and colorful commentary. Vivid and engaging, with the occasional old-fashioned opinion thrown in for good measure (which may be indicative of age), Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game is a short, yet far-reaching introductory to the magic of America’s past time.

Reread: April 2021. This is a great book to help get me in the mood for Spring and baseball season.

I loved the movie. The book was a little hard to read in 2020. Written in the 1970s the book has some seriously outdated ideas and was a little (a lot) cringe-worthy.

Married at 14 to an older man, 4 children by the age of 18, 8th grade education. And she went on to be one of the most successful artists in country music.

Still love Loretta Lynn, still love the movie, glad to get this book off my TBR pile.

Here is a review. One two three four five six seven eight nine ten. One two three four five six seven eight nine ten. One two three four five six seven eight nine ten. One two three four five six seven eight nine ten.½

About 15 chapters too long. Movie definitely better than the book. Read the first half, and then last 2 chapters.

This book is a reprint of the 1976 original autobiography of Loretta Lynn. There is additional new information at the back of the book. It also shows that there were a lot of differences between the movie (at least what I can remember of it) and what indeed occurred.

I must admit that I didn't really know anything about this artist until I watched the movie back in the 1980's. I have always love "Coal Miner's Daughter" and the movie, so I took a chance with this book. I'm so glad I did because it shows a deeper side of Loretta, her music, and her relationship with Doolittle. I can't always s get behind Loretta's outlook on marriage, but then again, I'm not an 88-year-old woman who was born before the depression and married at 13!

I love looking at the lives of the people in the hollers, how they survived, and how they Loretta dealt with them as she rose in the record industry.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves that intense country music, who wants to learn more about the industry at that time, or wants to know more about some other artists that Loretta adored...or even liked the movie!

*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and NetGalley. Thank you.

3.75 stars

Originally published in 1976, this is country music star Loretta Lynn’s autobiography.

She’s pretty old-fashioned, but of course that could also just be that she’s a product of her time. I loved her “storytelling” style – it read like chatting with a friend as she tells stories of her life. I was not as interested in the other celebrity stories, and was more interested in her home life. Some interesting celebrity tidbits, though: I didn’t know Chrystal Gayle was her sister; she and Patsy Cline were friends; she felt badly for Olivia Newton John when people were “against” her winning country music awards because she wasn’t from Nashville.

I liked the first half of the book much better, as it focused more on her home life – growing up poor, her father working in a coal mine; marrying at 14-years old... Sissy Spacek was perfect to narrate the audio! So, overall, I’m rating it good (3.5 stars) with an extra quarter star for Sissy Spacek.

Book on CD narrated by Sissy Spacek
3.5***

This autobiography takes the reader from Loretta’s birth (sometime when FDR was president – she refuses to reveal how old she really is) to stardom.

I found this very interesting. She tells her story in a forthright and honest manner, relating both the good and the bad. She doesn’t apologize for her life or her choices (she married at age thirteen and was a grandmother by the time she was 29), but allows that she may not have had the education or life experience to do things differently at the time.

There were times when I winced at her ignorance but there’s no denying her talent and hard work. This memoir was first published in 1976. I had to keep reminding myself how different life was then. The audiobook I listened to was for the 30-year anniversary edition and included a forward with some additional information.

Sissy Spacek does a marvelous job narrating the audio. She was Lynn’s hand-picked choice to portray her in the movie, and has Lynn’s voice down pat. Most of the time I completely forgot it was Spacek performing it. I have never seen the movie, but having listened to Spacek’s performance on the audio, I know want to. Brava!½

In 1970, country music legend Loretta Lynn released "Coal Miner's Daughter," a song that tells the story of her life. I read the book a number of years ago but kept hearing good things about the audiobook version, narrated by Cissy Spacek. Loretta tells us the story of her upbringing in the coal mining town of Butcher “Holler” Kentucky where she grew up dirt poor. She married at a young age and had four children by the time she was twenty. Her husband, Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn bought her a cheap guitar and she taught herself how to play. Eventually she broke into the country music business where she became a role model for every other woman who wanted to become a country music star.

I found this audiobook to be quite compelling. I read that Loretta wanted the writing to sound just like she does, so if you're looking for a book where the pronunciation is always correct and the editing is pristine, you might not enjoy this book. She wrote songs dealing with cheating husbands and persistent mistresses, inspired by issues she faced in her marriage. I was surprised to find out that many of Loretta's early songs were banned by country music stations like “The Pill” (birth control) and “One's On the Way” (repeated childbirth).

I thought this book was a fascinating story of her life, family, poverty stricken childhood and of course, her famously tumultuous marriage. The style of writing, an oral history, might be difficult for some to read but Cissy Spacek does a wonderful job of narrating. I think I'll see if I can find the movie now and see how the two compare.

I have to admit, I knew next to nothing about Loretta Lynn before reading this book. I was aware she was a famous country music singer, but I couldn’t have named any of her songs off the top of my head or even give a general description of what she looks like. However, after reading this book and watching the film based upon it, I have to say I really admire the woman. Loretta grew up in a very poor mining town, pretty much cut off from and ignorant of the greater world. She married very young and her (abusive) husband drove her to become a star. She still retains a lot of her youthful naiveté as well as her rather folksy delivery; she has not been corrupted by the wide world and being a Famous Person. She stays true to her (abusive) husband and stands strong in her beliefs, and really doesn’t give a crap who knows it. She tries to be nice to people, but will fight like a wildcat if someone close to her is mistreated. She’s really a remarkable woman, and I look forward to reading her second memoir, published more than 25 years later.

"In Their Own Words" - first person stories of early aviation.
Twenty-nine pioneer aviators discuss their experiences in the early days of flying. Allan Loughead, Arthur Schreiber, Bert Acosta, Cal Rodgers, Charles Lindbergh, Clarence Chamberlin, Claude Ryan, Glenn Curtiss, John Moisant, Lincoln Beachey Lindbergh, Stadlman, Wright Bros.

very good and is a funny read

In 1970, country music legend Loretta Lynn released "Coal Miner's Daughter," a song that tells the story of her life. I read the book a number of years ago but kept hearing good things about the audiobook version, narrated by Cissy Spacek. Loretta tells us the story of her upbringing in the coal mining town of Butcher “Holler” Kentucky where she grew up dirt poor. She married at a young age and had four children by the time she was twenty. Her husband, Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn bought her a cheap guitar and she taught herself how to play. Eventually she broke into the country music business where she became a role model for every other woman who wanted to become a country music star.

I found this audiobook to be quite compelling. I read that Loretta wanted the writing to sound just like she does, so if you're looking for a book where the pronunciation is always correct and the editing is pristine, you might not enjoy this book. She wrote songs dealing with cheating husbands and persistent mistresses, inspired by issues she faced in her marriage. I was surprised to find out that many of Loretta's early songs were banned by country music stations like “The Pill” (birth control) and “One's On the Way” (repeated childbirth).

I thought this book was a fascinating story of her life, family, poverty stricken childhood and of course, her famously tumultuous marriage. The style of writing, an oral history, might be difficult for some to read but Cissy Spacek does a wonderful job of narrating. I think I'll see if I can find the movie now and see how the two compare.

I remember watching the movie made from this book when I was a kid, so I had to read it. It was interesting, though I find some of her views a bit odd.

I remember watching the movie made from this book when I was a kid, so I had to read it. It was interesting, though I find some of her views a bit odd.

This book may not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am newly getting back into being a soccer fan after having been introduced to this sport by my then boyfriend in the 1970's. I remember learning that Americans cannot play soccer and additionally remember sandlot soccer games between ethnicities such as Iranians versus Greeks. I attended NASL games of the Washington Diplomats. Does anyone remember them? Then my interest in this sport lapsed. Until...the 2014 World Cup. I found that watching the international games on high definition television and into which advertisements could not be inserted was great fun. I loved the rivalries between players of different nations. I called Germany as the best team (and they won that year), but I was proud of how well the USA team did. Sufficiently proud to continue following soccer and wishing to learn more about it.

A friend brought me this book to place in my Little Free Library, but I had to scan through it first. Then I had to read few pages. Then I had to read a few chapters. I was intrigued...so I had to finish the book completely!

I love that this book was written by a sports writer so that I could get an unbiased look at the various teams that have played in World Cup competition. I really enjoyed learning names of outstanding players and even recognizing some. I was also intrigued by things that I didn't know...such as the brutality of the game is not "unsportsmanlike conduct", but a true facet of how the game is played by the best of players. I was also interested in learning how we came to have Jürgen Klinsmann as the coach of the U.S. team.

For me, this was a fascinating read. Thank you to my friend for sharing this book with me. I now hope to share it with others.

It was a pleasant read, but quite forgettable. I have an interest in sports writing, and not too much historical knowledge of soccer, so I had expected to find it a bit more interesting.

It was all good, but honestly got less interesting after she got rich and famous. The real meat was her early days.½

Vecsey, a sportswriter for The New York Times, writes a series of essays and memories of international soccer dating back to the 1982 World Cup in Spain, tying it in with his own love of the game back to his childhood. The title is a misnomer, because Vecsey writes about Women's World Cups and Olympic games among other competitions, but the eight men's World Cup finals he attends from 1982 to 2010 are the core of the book. In addition to some lovely writing describing the games and controversies of the each World Cup, Vecsey gives a sense of the host nation where he and his wife generally set a up a home base for a month. He writes about the great players of each era from Diego Maradona to Zinedine Zidane. A major focus is the rise of the United States men's team from a non-entity to one that regular qualifies for the World Cup and is competitive. Vecsey also explores the seamy underside of FIFA and CONFACAF with the greed and corruption that runs alongside the beautiful game. All in all, this is a nice American take on World Cup football from a personal perspective.

I made it to the end, but only just. I guess the sense of history that you get from this book probably justifies the reading of it; Germany's consistency, Italy tortuous but never to be ruled out, Spain almost always failing to live up to its potential, and of course Brazil's joyful game. However, this was written for an American audience and there is an awful lot about the American team that I could not care less about, and a lot of match scores and reports ditto.

I would recommend this book, not only to fans of the beautiful game, but also to fans of beautiful writing, even if you have little interest in soccer. George Vecsey recalls his experiences at each of the prior eight FIFA World Cup Finals in wonderful detail. Recounting his experiences both inside the stadiums and as he traveled around the host nations. As a younger soccer fan, it was fantastic to read about past stars from someone who saw them play. Along the way he also describes the inner workings and controversies of FIFA and includes the story of the growth of soccer in America, including the metamorphosis of the USA men's national team. This is easily one of the best sports books I've ever read.½

A must read for any football (i.e. soccer) fan. New York Times sportswriter George Vecsey looks back on his 20 years covering football and the eight World Cups he covered. The book is part football history book, part travel guide as the author takes us to the places he traveled and talks about the sights, sounds and foods of the many far flung places and the many sausages eaten!

You do not need to be a football fan to enjoy this book and I recommend it to any sports fan! Only question I have is I wonder if the author will add an addendum to final version of the book. It basically ends with the US qualifying for the 2014 World Cup and would like to see the author acknowledge that once again the gods of FIFA conspired to punish the US as they were once again drawn into "the Group of Death", I am sure Mr. Vecsey had something to say when that happened!

In Eight World Cups, New York Times sportswriter George Vecsey reflects upon over twenty years of covering soccer's biggest event. Vecsey has spent over four decades writing for The Grey Lady and wrote the "Sports of the Times" column from 1982 through 2011, which largely focused on the broader off-field impacts and aspects of athletics. His new book offers a very personal account of covering the World Cup and his experiences following legendary teams and players such as Diego Maradona and Socrates. It is an intelligently-written recent history of the World Cup and while it is likely to tread upon some familiar territory for most readers, it is still a worthwhile pickup for soccer fans and those interested in the international phenomenon of the event.

Eight World Cups is largely structured chronologically with Vecsey describing highlights from the 1982 World Cup onwards. The book is largely a personal recounting of Vecsey's experiences at various World Cups rather than a broad overview of the events. Due to some fundamental laws of physics, he wasn't able to be at every game and he had to be selective in what games he attended. I found this "limitation" to help prevent the book from becoming a collection of basic summaries of each World Cup. He often becomes attached to certain teams and cities and tries to catch as many of their games as possible. Additionally, he generally chooses well (i.e. interesting/good teams with interesting/good players) and its not like the reader is ever mired in absurdly detailed descriptions of the rather inept Greece team in 1994 or something. Vecsey shares personal encounters with English hooligans and other fans, interviews with players and referees and anecdotes about the culture and quirks of the hosting countries. He strikes a very nice balance between describing the games themselves as well as off-field issues such as refereeing, the treatment of players, and the murky internal politics of FIFA. Writing for an American newspaper, Vecsey pays a good bit of attention to the American squads as well. He also weaves the history of the U.S. National Men's and Women's teams between the World Cup chapters and their remarkable evolution since he started covering the sport.

Vecsey is a gifted writer who describes the matches with lyrical and detailed prose that showcases his knowledge and passion for the sport. I especially enjoyed the chapters on the earlier World Cups that I was much less familiar with. His recollections of more recent events contained fewer new insights as they covered events I was already pretty familiar due to the humongous amount of press coverage and scrutiny garnered by the World Cup. I still enjoyed these portions, just not as much as those that preceded them.

In Sum
A recommended read for soccer fans looking for a fun read with some intellectual heft. Die-hard soccer fans well-versed in the history of the sport may not find that many new insights, but casual fans and those just interested in the spectacle of the World Cup should pick up Eight World Cups.

7/10

Vecsey sketches out the past eight World Cups, from Spain (1982) to the first held on the African continent (South Africa 2010), filling in his outline with personal vignettes as journalist and budding football fan; thumbnail histories of the principal rivalries within and across specific Cups; and displaying an abiding interest in the evolution of the U.S. National Team (primarily Men's, but there are meaty bits on the Women's teams, focusing on the 1996 Olympic and 1999 World Cup champion squads).

The result is an easy read hitting the conventional stories & providing agreeable descriptions of international stars (e.g. Maradona), yet with more than soundbite summaries (so, not just Hand of God or even the redemption goal later in the same match, but Maradona's history of questionable behaviour). While Vecsey doesn't shy away from extramural scandal, he focuses on a player's or team's onfield accomplishments. It makes for an easy reference, more fun than FIFA's official history pages or You Tube archives, and just as easy to dip into in an odd moment, or when prompted to relive a specific match.

//

Changes in World Cup play and rules, from expanding group play to 32 teams; overtime and penalty shoot-outs; use (or not) of sideline judges, and inconsistency in referees; and other seeming arcana which nevertheless had major influence over onfield play at various times. Key examples: FIFA's mind-boggling carelessness in scheduling final games of the first round on separate days, allowing collusion between Austria and Germany to eliminate Algeria (1982); awarding 3 points for a victory (1 for a tie) for the first time in 1994, finally removing the misaligned incentives for teams to focus on their standings rather than play their best football.

Vecsey pointed out for me the serious concerns for FIFA viewed as a business: lack of professionalism and increasingly, lack of business ethics both in its practices and seemingly a pervasive aspect of its culture. Keep an eye on Sepp Blatter and cronies (Joao Havelange, Jack Warner), both during Brazil 2014, and leading up to Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. Already cracks appear in the aftermath of some public airing of past laundry: Blatter reversing himself to support video review of goals in 2014; and hints at moving the schedule in 2022 to avoid the beastly heat of Qatar in August, the traditional World Cup schedule.

In Vecsey's view, the US Men's Team has hit stride under Juergen Klinsmann, and is poised for one of its better showings in 2014, despite drawing the Group of Death: Portugal, Germany, and nemesis Ghana. Interestingly, this effectively mirrors the party line of the US Soccer Federation ... though I have no reason to believe Vecsey presents anything than his own opinion. Certainly, it reads that way, and convincingly. But this is the taint that corruption leaves, whether FIFA's specifically or international football generally. To his credit, Vecsey consistently raises this question of corruption and questionable business practice in international football, and traces many developments over the course of his book.

"Over the years, I sought out the writing of Glanville and Gardner, Foer and Kuper, Galeano and Hornby." [13]

Comes without the photo insert or index, and there are the scattered typos typical of an ARC.

Eight World Cups is a timely and clear-eyed view of World Cup football. Vecsey is a veteran journalist who has been writing about soccer for the New York Times since the early 1980s. The title alludes to the number of cups he has covered. With that experience comes an expert world view of the game and the personalities involved. Vecsey provides a personal view of covering the cups – a bit of football travelogue – as well as writing about the games.

His observations are witty as well as astute. About the Italian team’s adherence to the “tradition of enforced celibacy” during the 1982 cup: “It isn’t the sex that weakens a footballer but rather the demand for tickets from old friends and relatives.” On the perceived lack of action in soccer that many Americans cling to: “Things happen. But you have to watch.” On the controversial and troubled Argentine striker Diego Maradona scoring a goal in the same 1986 game as his “Hand of God” goal-saving handball: “He had sinned and then sought absolution with the most developed part of his being, that is to say, his feet.”

As indicated in the subtitle, Vecsey doesn’t shy away from the difficult issues. He addresses the perceived corruption, cronyism and egotism of FIFA, the poor opinion of soccer in the U.S., and the “hamster wheel of soccer,” where players now rarely get a break between their leagues, cup competitions and national team duties for some.

Not only an excellent book to prepare for the World Cup about to be played in Brazil this summer, but a pleasure to read.

I really enjoyed this book. As the 2014 World Cup approaches, the book's relevance increases: it is a very good precis of the last few decades of the global tournament's history. For long-time fans there will be many familiar moments to savor again. For new fans it's easy to follow along with the author as his love for and knowledge of the game grows over time.

The writing style is agreeably casual. There aren't a numbing flood of statistics; some familiarity with the world game's major leagues and stars is useful, but the author makes sure to introduce them with some background.

I will recommend this book to fans of the game as well as sports-lovers, world travelers, and people looking for something new.½