Rating:  Summary: A pictorial and historical masterpiece! Review: Harvey and and his son Frederic Frommer's have written a pictorial and historical masterpiece! This book does the impossible. It heightens and intensifies a rivalry which is already the greatest in all of sports. My late mother who was a Hall of Fame Red Sox Fan would have laughed, cried, and been struck wide-eyed after readng this book. I especially loved the commentary by the fans and players. After reading the March of Rivalry Timeline in the book my only regret is that I could not travel back to 1918 and stop Harry Frazee from not only selling the Babe to the other world but dismanteling a Red Sox dynasty that may have rivaled what that other team now has.
Rating:  Summary: The up to date history of the rivalry spawned by "The Curse" Review: How up to date is "Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry"? Well, not only does it devote the second chapter to the dramatic seven game series between the two teams in the 2003 playoffs, which was ended by Aaron "Bleeping" Boone's homerun, but the book's opening chronology ends with the Yankees' signing of Gary Sheffield on December 17. Granted, authors Harvey Frommer and Frederick J. Frommer miss out on the whole Alex Rodriguez bit (and you can imagine their cries of lamentation over such an omission), but then the idea was probably to have this book available by the time Boston and New York play each other home and away in the month of April. What is now the most famous rivlary in sports is covered in ten chapters: I. March of Rivalry of Time accounts for almost every year from the birth of Babe Ruth in 1895 to the Sheffield trade last December, although technically the first game between the Red Sox and the Yankees was not played until 1912. II. 2003 Playoffs: The Curse Lives On provides a detailed look at the seven game series that provide it ain't over until its over between the Red Sox and the Yankees until the Yankees win. III. Collision recalls the 1978 season when the Yankees came back from 14 games down to win the AL East in a one game playoff with the infamous home run by Bucky "Bleeping" Dent over the Green Monster. If the 2003 playoffs had not been equally dramatic, Frommer and Frommer had this as the opening salvo in their history. IV. Past as Prologue looks at the rivalry in historical perspective, without really dwelling on the sale of Babe Ruth, a.k.a. "Harry Frazee's crime." V. The Mood, The Culture compares the Red Sox Nation vs. the Yankee Mystique behind the oldest and strongest rivalry in American sports history. There is also an interesting item about how Boston passed on a trade when the Yankees offered Lou Gehrig for Phil Todt, that amply represents the sort of details you will find throughout this volume. VI. Ballparks: Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park celebrates the two storied ballparks, where ironically enough, the two teams played each other in the first games. VII. The Yankee Clipper and Teddy Ballgame looks at the glory days when DiMaggio and Williams symbolized the two franchises every since the magical season of 1941. VIII. The Marker Games from the first Boston-New York match up and the first games at Fenway and Yankee Stadium, the final weekend of the 1949 season and the massacres of 1977 and 1978, to the Williams making the final out of Allie Reynold's no-hitter in 1951, Dave Righetti's 4th of July no-hitter and Mike Mussina's near-perfect game. IX. Talkin' Rivalry covers some of the things that everybody from owners and players to ordinary fans who have had to endure all this insanity. There are even lyrics to a couple of songs including "Babe Ruth's Cure I." X. For the Record is a collection of odds and ends, from notable artifacts for both teams in the Hall of Fame and retired numbers to season-by-season records and opening day salaries for the 2003 teams (notice that most of the players on these two teams made more in that one season than Babe Ruth in his entire career). "Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry" provides exactly what you want in this sort of a book, a walk along the familiar territory of memory lane (Fisk vs. Munson in 1973) and some new information and stories for even the most die-hard fans of these two stories franchises. You would think there would be a chapter devoted to all the players who have played and for both teams, or managed them both, because the Babe is just the name at the top of that list, which has seven Hall of Famers on it. The volume is amply illustrated, not only with historic photographs but also some baseball cards from the 1970s. Is the book balanced? Well, the cover shot has Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio sitting side by side, with the partially torn. But then the picture inside the front cover is of Fenway Park and while you would expect the photograph inside the back cover to be Yankee Stadium it is Fenway Park again. Then the one add that appears in the back of the book is for "Boston Baseball" magazine, which probably explains why those words appear in large print on the back cover. So I was a bit suspicious. But then there are the stats that show how the Boston Red Sox won five World Championships through 1918 while the New York Yankees have won 26 since the most famous fire sale by an owner in baseball history shifted the balance of power in the American League down the Atlantic coast.
Rating:  Summary: The up to date history of the rivalry spawned by "The Curse" Review: How up to date is "Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry"? Well, not only does it devote the second chapter to the dramatic seven game series between the two teams in the 2003 playoffs, which was ended by Aaron "Bleeping" Boone's homerun, but the book's opening chronology ends with the Yankees' signing of Gary Sheffield on December 17. Granted, authors Harvey Frommer and Frederick J. Frommer miss out on the whole Alex Rodriguez bit (and you can imagine their cries of lamentation over such an omission), but then the idea was probably to have this book available by the time Boston and New York play each other home and away in the month of April. What is now the most famous rivlary in sports is covered in ten chapters: I. March of Rivalry of Time accounts for almost every year from the birth of Babe Ruth in 1895 to the Sheffield trade last December, although technically the first game between the Red Sox and the Yankees was not played until 1912. II. 2003 Playoffs: The Curse Lives On provides a detailed look at the seven game series that provide it ain't over until its over between the Red Sox and the Yankees until the Yankees win. III. Collision recalls the 1978 season when the Yankees came back from 14 games down to win the AL East in a one game playoff with the infamous home run by Bucky "Bleeping" Dent over the Green Monster. If the 2003 playoffs had not been equally dramatic, Frommer and Frommer had this as the opening salvo in their history. IV. Past as Prologue looks at the rivalry in historical perspective, without really dwelling on the sale of Babe Ruth, a.k.a. "Harry Frazee's crime." V. The Mood, The Culture compares the Red Sox Nation vs. the Yankee Mystique behind the oldest and strongest rivalry in American sports history. There is also an interesting item about how Boston passed on a trade when the Yankees offered Lou Gehrig for Phil Todt, that amply represents the sort of details you will find throughout this volume. VI. Ballparks: Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park celebrates the two storied ballparks, where ironically enough, the two teams played each other in the first games. VII. The Yankee Clipper and Teddy Ballgame looks at the glory days when DiMaggio and Williams symbolized the two franchises every since the magical season of 1941. VIII. The Marker Games from the first Boston-New York match up and the first games at Fenway and Yankee Stadium, the final weekend of the 1949 season and the massacres of 1977 and 1978, to the Williams making the final out of Allie Reynold's no-hitter in 1951, Dave Righetti's 4th of July no-hitter and Mike Mussina's near-perfect game. IX. Talkin' Rivalry covers some of the things that everybody from owners and players to ordinary fans who have had to endure all this insanity. There are even lyrics to a couple of songs including "Babe Ruth's Cure I." X. For the Record is a collection of odds and ends, from notable artifacts for both teams in the Hall of Fame and retired numbers to season-by-season records and opening day salaries for the 2003 teams (notice that most of the players on these two teams made more in that one season than Babe Ruth in his entire career). "Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry" provides exactly what you want in this sort of a book, a walk along the familiar territory of memory lane (Fisk vs. Munson in 1973) and some new information and stories for even the most die-hard fans of these two stories franchises. You would think there would be a chapter devoted to all the players who have played and for both teams, or managed them both, because the Babe is just the name at the top of that list, which has seven Hall of Famers on it. The volume is amply illustrated, not only with historic photographs but also some baseball cards from the 1970s. Is the book balanced? Well, the cover shot has Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio sitting side by side, with the partially torn. But then the picture inside the front cover is of Fenway Park and while you would expect the photograph inside the back cover to be Yankee Stadium it is Fenway Park again. Then the one add that appears in the back of the book is for "Boston Baseball" magazine, which probably explains why those words appear in large print on the back cover. So I was a bit suspicious. But then there are the stats that show how the Boston Red Sox won five World Championships through 1918 while the New York Yankees have won 26 since the most famous fire sale by an owner in baseball history shifted the balance of power in the American League down the Atlantic coast.
Rating:  Summary: THE HIGHLANDER - JUST TREMENDOUS READING Review: I loved it and read it in 2 days)Perfect for fans of the Bronx OR Beantown Bombers! Harvey and Fred Frommer have once again, done the impossible. Red Sox vs. Yankees "The Rivalry" may very well be the first (and last) book you will ever see on BOTH New York AND Boston fan's coffee tables. Written with the Frommer's usual attention to detail, "The Rivalry" covers virtually every aspect of this love-hate relationship with equal time given to both sides. A thorough history of both franchises clearly illustrates what makes these ball clubs so special and the testimonial section (featuring athletes, politicians and everyday fans from both cities) grants the reader passage into the psyche of their counterparts. We enjoyed everything about this book from Fred's introduction referencing a childhood trip to Fenway, to the wonderful photography from Harvey's private collection, to the closing side-by-side comparisons of the cities of Boston and New York. No fan should be without it.
Rating:  Summary: THE HIGHLANDER - JUST TREMENDOUS READING Review: I loved it and read it in 2 days)Perfect for fans of the Bronx OR Beantown Bombers! Harvey and Fred Frommer have once again, done the impossible. Red Sox vs. Yankees "The Rivalry" may very well be the first (and last) book you will ever see on BOTH New York AND Boston fan's coffee tables. Written with the Frommer's usual attention to detail, "The Rivalry" covers virtually every aspect of this love-hate relationship with equal time given to both sides. A thorough history of both franchises clearly illustrates what makes these ball clubs so special and the testimonial section (featuring athletes, politicians and everyday fans from both cities) grants the reader passage into the psyche of their counterparts. We enjoyed everything about this book from Fred's introduction referencing a childhood trip to Fenway, to the wonderful photography from Harvey's private collection, to the closing side-by-side comparisons of the cities of Boston and New York. No fan should be without it.
Rating:  Summary: A Riveting Rivalry Comes To Life Review: I loved reading this book and I'm a Mets fan! This must've been a labor of love for Harvey and Frederick Frommer, because it's overflowing with compelling stories, annecdotes, and photos. It's a book that reminds us why we love Baseball so much-- the great competition, the passion of the players and fans, and the expectation that something even more memorable may happen at any moment. Now the Mets also have a fierce rivalry with the Yankees, and have also had some historic clashes with the Red Sox. How about a sequel?
Rating:  Summary: disappointment to all but the most unknowledgeable fans Review: I was excited to get this book, but what a letdown. I have never read any of the other books by this author and his son, and certainly won't now. I found several typos and a slew of downright factual errors in the one hundred or so pages I read before I put it down. I am an avid Red Sox fan, so some of the mistakes won't bother a less interested fan, but they did bother me. And unbelievably, most of the pictures in this book are either reprints of baseball cards, or personal photos taken from the "Frommer Archives" (I guess he just hung out at the ballparks for a while. ridiculous). Spend your money on this book if you know little about the Sawks and Yanks and are interested in a broad overview. Otherwise buy "The Teammates" or something with a little more spice.
Rating:  Summary: Great Looking Book Really Captures the Rivalry Review: I was really impressed with this book. I've been a Sox fan for years (despite my geographic handicap). I loved Stephen Gould's line from the book about how being a Sox fan is the worst kind of pain like competing in a brutal obtacle course over and over and self-destructing at the finish line. The photos are really excellent throughout the book. It has made a great addition to my coffee table.
Rating:  Summary: Great Baseball Book! Review: I'm pleased with this book. It is very well written and the material is current. Most important of all, it is clearly the most topical book on the market, given everything that has transpired. Would be curious to know if the pictures were owned by the author or publisher as many were seen by me for the first time. Politics aside, if you want a book at your house that is destined to grow in popularity...this is it.
Rating:  Summary: "Terrific book" Review: It is a breath of spring time. The pictures are superb. I am a student of the game and have seen so many baseball books but there are so many photos here that I have seen for the first time. It is such a terrific book, with such great text, so much to read. I thought I knew most of the history of the Red Sox and Yankees, but I learned a lot reading it. The oral history component is special - from former New York City Mayor Rudy G thriough all the fans, players, managers, everyone has a lot to say. Harvey Frommer has written all those sports books - more than 30 - but this book with his son Fred as co-author may top all of them.
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