Before the curse : the Chicago Cubs' glory years, 1870-1945 /

Before they became the "lovable losers" the Cubs were seen as a perennial powerhouse hosting a slew of players destined for the Hall of Fame, from Grover Cleveland Alexander to Gabby Hartnett. As one of the oldest baseball franchises, the Cubs also provide a real baseball history lesson. Roberts (history, Purdue Univ.; Joe Louis: Hard Times Man) and Cunningham (history, DePaul Univ.) select popular newspaper and magazine accounts from the post-Civil War through the World War II years that bring the different eras to life. Each selection is insightfully introduced and put in historical context. Readers will enjoy the apt illustrations, such as one from 1931 showing Cub great Gabby Hartnett chatting it up with Al Capone at a charity game! This book delights because it brings a collection of primary journalism to the baseball history buff and Cubs fans in easy bite sizes.-P.K. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.