Rating: 
Summary: Historical and entertaining look at the Red Sox
Review: To all the members of "Red Sox Nation" who've given this book such a bitter review, I say "lighten up!" You're only helping to prove Shaughnessy's sub-theme of the dark and cynical New Englander. To say that Shaughnessy hates baseball and hates the Sox is completely erroneous; he's obviously a big baseball fan, and his love for the Sox can be proven not only by the other books he's written about them, but also by the replica of the Fenway scoreboard painted on his backyard fence in Newton. Lighten up. Shaughnessy's book is one part Red Sox history and one part entertainment. The whole "curse theory" falls into the latter category. It's not the author's intent to get everyone to "believe" in the curse theory; he's only writing about it because it is entertaining to think about. Face it... there ARE a lot of strange coincidences between the Red Sox failures and Babe Ruth. It's eerie fun to ponder them. That's all Shaughnessy intended. As Clark Booth wrote, "to deny the mystical angle in the Red Sox story is to deny yourself a lot of fun." I think all of the negative reviewers here, all of these too-serious New Englanders, are denying themselves the fun. The Curse of the Bambino is not the be-all and end-all explanation for the failures of the Boston nine. As other reviewers have noted, there are many less-supernatural explanations which are more easy to believe. What's being ignored by the other reviewers is the fact that Shaughnessy allows for all of these other explanations, including "just plain old bad luck." And outside of the "curse theory" theme, Shaughnessy peppers the book with tons of Red Sox history. From the sale of Ruth after the 1919 season to the World Series of 1946, 1967, 1975, and 1986. Pesky defends his so-called "hesitation throw" in 1946. Buckner defends his missed grounder in 1986. Ted Williams's awful batting record in the 1946 Series is discussed, and without a Ruth-related connection. Shaughnessy illustrates the misfortune of Boston facing two of the strongest teams in baseball history in 1967 and 1975. Details of the WS games are given... for example, Darryl Strawberry's (seemingly) hourlong trot around the bases after his Game 7 homer in 1986. And there are other details of Sox lore... like Yaz Bread, the Margo Adams scandal, and Oil Can Boyd's "Can's Film Festival," wherein the Sox pitcher got into some trouble after renting porno films. I liked this book and have re-read it a few times. It's an accurate history of the Red Sox ballclub, from its inception to today. And the "curse of the Bambino" angle is entertaining reading.
Rating:
Summary: pretty good
Review: This is one of those books that at times you wanna put it down and cry because of the memories!! It is a good book with detailes of Red Sox failures and how they relate to the Babe
Rating:
Summary: Sports Semi-Dark Humor
Review: ...This book is actually a very enjoyable yet sad overview of the frustrating history of the Boston Red Sox since 1918. It recounts all of the teams failures and their missed opportunities, especially in the 1940s and again in the 1970s when they had the most talented team in baseball with such players as Ted Williams, Bobby Doer, Jimmy Foxx, Carl Yazstrezmski, Jim Rice, Calton Fisk et al. Yet despite this abundance of talent, the Red Sox have proven to be perhaps the most underachieving team in baseball since World War 1, unable to win a single World Series. The author combines a fast moving but well written narrative with anecdotes and personality profiles, making it an enjoyable read. In my opinion, this is also a tonque-in-cheek book with the so called "Curse of the Bambino" providing a humorous theme which the author probably does not take seriously. Thus any resentment by readers dealing with this issue is unfounded.
Rating: 
Summary: 2001, it's happened again..
Review: if you are a die hard sox fan and have just watched them collapse again this year, you need to read this book and see for yourself if there is a higher authority that keeps disappointing us. it is full of dates, facts, quotes, and heartbreaking scenarios. fom pesky's hold, to dent's homer to buckner's blunder, this book haunts but also entertains. i'm only 31, but reading this book makes the anticipation of a world title to boston even greater. most new englanders will sleep well, then.
Rating:
Summary: C'mon,we know it exists.
Review: There really isn't any other way to explain the ways that the Sox have lost the pennants,and,of course,Series,since 1918.It's not just because stupid Harry Frazee got rid of Ruth,he got rid of all of the best players of that 1918 team,most to to Yankees,for the cash,because his real interest was in Broadway musicals-because he took all that money,and put it into something totally outside of baseball.Tha's what angered thebaseball Gods,hence the curse. However,those that believe the Curse also lies in the Sox's "bigotry",(And,the sick theory that Babe Ruth was black,spare me)just because they were the last team to get a black player,I need only point out what happened to the Cleveland Indians.They were the first American League team to get black players,in 1948,and,they won the series that year.Why then,have they not won it since?Why were they at the bottom for so may decades?Not only that,they were the FIRST team to get a black manager,Frank Robinson.Did that bring them any more titles?No.Getting Willie Mays,or Jackie Robinson,would not have reversed the Curse.This is a ridiculous theory,designed by guilt-ridden,leftist whites,and racist blacks,as another,in an endless amount of excuses to bash Whites.
Rating:
Summary: Card Carrying Member of Red Sox Nation Since 1977
Review: I first read this masterpiece when it came out, but recently had to purchase another copy after mine disappeared in a move (coincidence? I think not). After all, what true Sox fan could be without it? The Red Sox, America's true star-crossed franchise, may someday erase the Curse of the Bambino, but until they can win it all, Shaughnessy's brilliant chronicle serves as a beacon to all long-suffering Sox fans to remind us all why we are here. I may be only 28 years old, but I died a thousand deaths that October night in 1986, and I died a thousand more when I read that chapter in "Curse." If you are a Sox fan, and haven't read it, remedy the situation now!
Rating:
Summary: As Ned Martin might say: "Mercy!'
Review: Dan Shaunessy is perhaps the best Red Sox beat writer currently working. He keeps the appropriate journalistic distance but his passion for the Old Towne Team is obvious. This book will cause emotional, out-loud reactions from diehards and misunderstanding snorts from everybody else, especially anyone from "greater (sic) New York" (or even some misguided soul from Cranston). A true Red Sox fan already has this in his library and has probably re-read it at least once. You know who you are: when Game Six is on ESPN Classic (again?), you can't help but watch and remember all over again who you were with, how you felt and what you did immediately after. A definite keeper.
Rating: 
Summary: From the bleachers.....
Review: Since I enjoy baseball so much, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the author's inserts of seemingly mysterious coincidences and voodoo. And it was definitely an education on the history of the Bosox. I found myself empathizing for all those Bean towners. But it's pretty naive of the author and his sources to think there are no baseball fanatics outside of New England. Even Peter Gammons has called St. Louis the best baseball town in the country. Sometimes a bit slow, but usually interesting and fun.
Rating:
Summary: It hurts it's so good
Review: Dan Shaughnessy's style mixes straight sportswriting with non-stop pop-culture referencing. Augmented by panged quotes from sources ranging from former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil to random fans from throughout "The Nation." Players from each era of Red Sox collapse - Johnny Pesky, Denny Galehouse, Bill Lee and yes, Bill Buckner - give their impressions of what it's like to serve the most terminally cynical sportsfan populace in the world. It even features text from interviews with the descendents of Harry Frazee - the Sox owner who dealt Babe Ruth in order to finance his play, "No, No, Nanette." This book is the Book of Revelation for citizens of Red Sox nation, in which the author coins that term, the now constantly referenced title. If you're a fan of baseball, it's a must read. If you're a Red Sox fan, you can recite it.
Rating:
Summary: Well researched, well written
Review: Simply put, this is a great book for anyone who wants to understand why we Red Sox fans are such optimistic pessimists. Or, for that matter, why the Yankees are such . . . well, I'll keep it civil. At any rate, this is a worthwhile read, and I highly recommend it.
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