Colonial Project, National Game : A History of Baseball in Taiwan.

Yu Junwei published a detailed account of baseball in 2007 (Playing in Isolation, CH, Oct'08, 46-0968), and now Morris (history, California Polytechnic State Univ.) expands and updates that coverage by offering a cultural history that examines the role of baseball in the larger context of Taiwan's struggles. The author considers in particular baseball as a vestige of Japan's control of the island and how that role both helped and hurt the game's rise. He looks at why baseball is such a prominent part of society in Taiwan but not in China, and suggests that this is in part a reaction to the nationalist period from 1945 to 1967. In his conclusion, Morris sums up his intent in writing the book, which was to establish the place of baseball in Taiwan's last century. And when the president uses a baseball analogy in viewing Taiwan's future, he firmly establishes the importance of the game as part of the nation's identity. Morris provides ample notes and a useful glossary to help readers understand and further their own study. An appendix focuses on professional baseball in Taiwan since 1990. An excellent read and a must study for anyone wishing to understand baseball in a global setting. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. L. A. Heaphy Kent State University