David Halberstam, who died on April 23, 2007 in an auto accident, was one of the most renowned authors ever, and baseball was one of his favorite subjects. A look at his three baseball books, which are considered classics in the genre:
1. Summer of '49 (1989)
Halberstam recreated the 1949 season, a season – not unlike one today – was a dramatic duel between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The Yankees, in one corner, had Joe DiMaggio and the makings of a team that would dominate the 1950s. The Red Sox had Ted Williams in his prime, who made a run for baseball’s Triple Crown.
2. October 1964 (1994)
Set against a backdrop of civil rights marches, the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War, the 1964 World Series featuring an aging New York Yankees team played the upstart St. Louis Cardinals in a memorable World Series.
3. The Teammates (2003)
As Ted Williams was dying, two of his former Red Sox teammates – Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio, made a pilgrimage to see their friend for the last time, while a fourth, Bobby Doerr, tended to his wife, who had suffered a stroke. The book weaves their experiences while recounting their journey.
