Review by Choice Review
This interesting, well-referenced volume is the latest in the "Sport and Society" series. Nathan (American studies, Skidmore College) presents a unique interdisciplinary cultural history of the 1919 Black Sox scandal by examining how the scandal has been presented and represented over time by print and electronic media, journalists, historians, novelists, filmmakers, and, of course, fans. Offering insights into what different cultural narratives, including oral transmission, reveal about their creators and the eras in which they were produced, Nathan examines cultural values, memory, and the ways people construct meaning. The scandal itself is well researched over various time periods, from the beginning in 1920, when the story broke, to the recent sale of Joe Jackson's famous bat, Black Betsy, on e-Bay. The author provides astute reflections on novels such as Bernard Malamud's The Natural (1952) and Eliot Asinof's Eight Men Out (1963) and sheds light on the way cultural and historical meaning is generated in various case- and time-specific situations. Nathan does a fine job in connecting other baseball-centered events such as the 1994-95 major league baseball strike with the infamous scandal. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Students and scholars of sports studies, all levels; baseball enthusiasts. M. L. Krotee North Carolina State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review