Monthly Reading Review: July 2022
July was a hot and humid month. I mention this because it somehow found a way to impact my reading. We have A/C in our bedroom in Boston, but at some point, the temperature must rise to a level so high it gets, well, tired. I don’t know if that’s scientific reasoning, but it’s all I got. Anyways, I have been getting most of my reading in at night these days, and that has been the same time I’ve been tossing and turning—resulting in fits and starts of chapters and books. However, I did have what is currently a rare opportunity to get 6-hours of reading in on a solo flight from Boston to Seattle (Chanel and Jacqueline were already there). For my trip, I brought two books, Summer of ’49 by David Halberstam and Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara. I am still working on the latter—so this post will focus solely on the former.
Summer of ‘49 by David Halberstam (1989):
There’s an interview from the 1990s where David Halberstam sits down with Brian Lamb (of C-SPAN fame) to discuss books and writing. The journalist and historian Halberstam is joined by fellow writers Shelby Foote and Peggy Noonan. Together they sit in the rotunda of the Library of Congress (a place with a few books…) and chat about their love of literature. The two-hour segment is worth checking out (I’ll link it here). During this session, Halberstam explains his writing process. He highlights his books that sold well and others not so well. He brings up a particular book signing he attended where he only had a handful of readers in his line. But such events never deterred him from writing another book, and another, and so on. In short, Halberstam comes across as a true writer. One who pursued the art like a craftsman, and if commercial success followed, it’s a bonus. But whether or not his previous book made a bestseller list wasn’t going to dictate his beginning the next. That mindset is what got me interested in reading his work. I started with one of his more well-known pieces—Summer of ’49.
Summer of ’49, although written about four decades after the events took place, has a way of making the reader feel as if they’re experiencing the events in real-time. The sights and smells of the ballpark feel as real as if you’re in Fenway park watching the Red Sox take on the rival Yankees. Oh wait, I should mention that this book is about one of my favorite topics—baseball. If you’re familiar with Halberstam’s works, you already know about his passion for the game. A passion he has written about on numerous occasions. On this occasion, his subjects are the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. He leaves it up to the reader which of those subjects is the protagonist and which isn’t.
Why the summer of ’49? Well, in post-World War II America, the country was enjoying the simple pleasures that the summer game again. The ballplayer-soldiers were back, and for a country on a winning streak, there was nothing more enjoyable than watching two blue-chip clubs go at it.
The ’49 Yankees and Red Sox had a lot in common; both were east coast teams with money, both had (arguably) the best hitter in baseball, and interestingly enough, both had a DiMaggio on their respective rosters. But one big factor would separate them in the end—only one could win the pennant.
Even though the winner is public knowledge at this point, it in no way impacts Halberstam’s ability to suck the reader right into the action. Ultimately, this story is about how a simple game and a bitter rivalry created a riveting drama that is as interesting to unfold now as it was almost 75 years ago.
