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The Great 19th Century Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball
David Nemec Manufacturer: Dutton Adult ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 1556115008 |
Amazon.com
For the true baseball fan, the past is never just the past; it's always prologue. This comprehensive and engaging volume performs a valiant CPR on professional baseball's infancy and early childhood, returning the Dark Ages from 1871-1900 to vivid life. Unlike most sports encyclopedias, it goes way beyond statistics, though there are, of course, pages of those. It's the prose that truly covers the bases here. Meticulously researched, with a grandstand full of enlightening anecdotes, its clear history brings the distant past into the present by showing how closely related--and far afield--the era of Anson and Spalding and Keeler is to that of Griffey and Maddux and Gwynn.Customer Reviews:
Unique book on an underappreciated topic.......2003-05-06
While those are certainly convenient benchmarks, they arbitrarily overlook what came before as somehow "irrelevant" or not "modern". David Nemec's book proves that baseball is a story of gradual evolution, rather than an overnight coming of age. It can be argued that modern baseball began in 1871, the year that the first professional baseball (or Base Ball) league began play. The National Association of Base Ball Players officially recognized baseball as a business -- even if the Supreme Court still refuses to do so. Players were openly paid to play what many had argued was an amateur sport of gentlemen, clubs, exercise, and grand feasts. The NA had its share of problems -- gambling, contract-jumping, rowdiness, and organizational chaos. Teams came and went -- Philadelphia had three separate teams in 1875. One team, the Boston Red Stockings, was dominant in a field of teams with questionable talent. All a team needed to do was pay a $10 fee and they were in the association. Hence teams from Chicago and Boston were forced to play squads from Middletown (Connecticut), Fort Wayne (Indiana) and Keokuk (Iowa).
The National League of 1876 changed all of that. Unlike its predecessor, it centered around teams, not players. It instituted reforms such as the hated reserve clause and territorial rights and market threshholds. Gambling was not tolerated. Nor were Sunday games or beer at the park.
Baseball evolved over the following decades into the "modern" game that historians pick up from 1900. Batters were no longer out if their hits were caught after one bounce. Three strikes -- not four -- resulted in an out, while four balls -- instead of nine -- lead to a walk. Home plate became five-sided, and the pitcher's box was replaced by the familiar mound. This compensated for the move of the pitcher from 45 to 60 feet, 6 inches from the plate.
Nineteenth-century baseball also had its share of heros and characters. Cap Anson, who became the first player to amass 3,000 hits, was the primary figure behind the drawing of the racial color line to haunt the game for decades. Other greats included Dan Brouthers, Cal McVey, "King" Kelly, Wilbert Robinson, and so on.
Nemec's book captures the development of the game quite well through his season-by-season accounts from 1871 to 1900, showing the evolution of the rules of the game and the major events of each season. The book is liberally peppered with rare team and player photographs. Most importantly, the book is a virtual clearinghouse of statistics for nineteeth-century players.
Now for a few criticisms. While Nemec's style is chatty, with plenty of sidebars detailing unusual characters and trivia about nineteeth-century episodes, the text clearly reflects Nemec's passion for statistics. Some episodes revolve around debates over batting averages or pitching numbers that occured over a century after the fact. Nemec focuses on his personal disputes with accepted statistics, which is fine to a point, but he gets carried away with his "findings".
Also, while he spends a good deal of time on the changing nature of the rules of the game from year to year -- which is quite eye-opening -- he spends little time on some of the other, more subtle changes off the record books that were equally important. No mention is made of the development of modern equipment, such as masks or gloves, or how this affected the game or led to the changing of the rules. No discussions involved the way in which ballparks evolved, how baseball coverage changed, or how baseball became a truly modern business with expanding numbers and types of fans.
Having said all this, this is the most comprehensive and systematic treatment of nineteenth-century baseball yet compiled. If nothing else, this book's significance may lie in forging the path for other books to follow and expand upon its scope.
Complete 19th century baseball information.......2001-11-24
simply outstanding.......2000-05-30
A Historical Fans Bible.......2000-04-04
A historical and statistical must! END
Triple-Crown job.......1999-09-04
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Great American Women of the 19th Century: A Biographical Encyclopedia
Manufacturer: Humanity Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 1591022118 |
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Pressed Glass in America: Encyclopedia of the First Hundred Years, 1825-1925
John Welker , and Elizabeth Welker Manufacturer: Antique Acres Pr ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 0961586109 |
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The Encyclopedia of Civil War Usage: An Illustrated Compendium of the Everyday Language of Soldiers and Civilians
Webb B. Garrison , and Cheryl Garrison Manufacturer: Cumberland House Publishing ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 1581821867 |
Book Description
NOW IN PAPERBACK! There are few systematic guides to the language used by the generation that fought the American Civil War. In the 150 years since the great conflict, our language has changed, and as meanings have become obscure or lost, links with this vibrant past have dissolved and much of that which had meaning to our forefathers no longer has the same meaning to us.What did it mean to cross the bar? What did it mean to see the elephant or to go South? Why did the armies have so-called ninety-day men and hundred-day men? What were soldiers supposed to do when their commander shouted, Let her go, Gallagher? How did one pay tribute to Neptune? What was a picket pin? Could one make a passable meal of possum beer and secession bread? How did one vibrate the lines, and why would anyone want to attempt such a maneuver?
To address this need, Webb Garrison has pored over his notes from more than thirty years of research and study to produce this dictionary and encyclopedia of words and phrases (including nicknames and slang) commonly used during the war. Where appropriate, examples and anecdotes are included to illustrate meanings. Often overlooked naval terms and esoteric formal and informal military expressions are addressed as well as short descriptions of oceangoing vessels and river craft.
More than 2,500 entries and 250 illustrations cover the terms, equipment, and organization of the three million soldiers who fought in the war. HISTORY; CIVIL WAR
ILLUSTRATED; PHOTOGRAPHS
7 X 9, 288 PAGES
Customer Reviews:
Civil War Usage.......2006-09-08
CW Encyclopedia.......2006-03-22
The Encyclopedia of Civil War usage.......2006-02-24
The supreme reference tool for the American Civil War.......2005-05-19
Give'm the bulge! Bully for Garrison!.......2002-09-21
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Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Civil War
Catherine Clinton Manufacturer: Scholastic ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0590372270 |
Book Description
This year-by-year account of the nations bloodiest conflict makes history come alive through eyewitness accounts, profiles of people famous and ordinary, period art, and point-of-view sidebars that highlight the differences between North and South.Customer Reviews:
It's a really helpful book!.......2000-10-12
Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Civil War.......2000-02-19
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Encyclopedia of Stagecoach Robbery in Arizona
R. Michael Wilson Manufacturer: RaMa Press (NV) ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items: ASIN: 0966592530 |
Customer Reviews:
Well Done.......2004-12-12
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Encyclopedia of Western Lawmen & Outlaws
Jay Robert Nash Manufacturer: Da Capo Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 030680591X |
Customer Reviews:
Not up to the hype.......2007-05-02
this has to be UNDISPUTABLY the best resource on famous Wild West Characters.......2006-07-14
A fantastic book....must read!.......2002-09-12
Quantity Beats Quality.......2000-05-30
The old west comes to life!.......2000-02-14
With over a 1000 entries and well over 300 photos, this book goes beyond Jesse and Frank James, The Cole-Younger gang, Billy the Kidd, Pat Garrett, Bat Masterson and The Earps. You'll read about judges, Sheriffs, outlaws and so much more.
I spent over four hours reading this book form cover to cover and every page has something new and fascinating. Facts and myths, legends and tales, it's all here and waiting for you to explore. You'll ride along with the Texas Rangers and help out the Pinkertons, and never have get dirty.
I have seen books on lawmen of the old west, and also books on outlaws of the west, for the first time you have a reference book that gives you both and at a price that makes it a great gift for anyone.
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The Lewis and Clark Companion: An Encyclopedic Guide to the Voyage of Discovery
Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs , and Clay Jenkinson Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0805067264 |
Book Description
The years 2003-2006 mark the bicentennial of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's famous transcontinental journey between the Missouri and the Columbia River systems. They never did find the fabled Northwest Passage, but over twenty-eight months, the Corps of Discovery traveled more than eight thousand miles through eleven future states, named scores of places and rivers, met with many Native American tribes, and wrote the first descriptions of heretofore unknown plants and animals. By the end of their trip, Lewis and Clark had navigated and named two thirds of the American continent. They may have had undaunted courage, but the sheer volume of information related to their expedition can be more than a little daunting to the armchair historian. Written by two highly regarded Lewis and Clark experts, this book contains over five hundred lively and fascinating entries on everything from the members of the expedition and the places they went to the weapons and tools, trade goods, and medicines they carried, along with the food and amusements that sustained them. Highly readable and informative, it's the perfect introduction for the Lewis and Clark novice, and the comprehensive guide no buff will want to be without.Customer Reviews:
A Companion Book it Is : A Need for All L & C Books .......2005-01-24
a must have book for lewis and clark afficianados.......2003-11-03
Great for novices and aficionados alike.......2003-09-07
So, what is the average person with a small amount of budding interest to do? Even scholars and historians who "do" Lewis and Clark have a hard time keeping up with all of it, and most people don't want to invest endless money in accumulating a personal Lewis and Clark library.
Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs and Clay Straus Jenkinson have come up with a perfect solution to this dilemma. "The Lewis and Clark Companion - An Encyclopedic Guide to the Voyage of Discovery" is a wonderful reference book on many aspects of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Arranged in alphabetical order, from "air gun" to "York," each article provides just the right amount of information needed to understand each area. Each entry is written in a straightforward style, giving quotes from the journals of the Expedition where they would be enlightening. There is also an extensive bibliography, if you find yourself wanting to know more about any aspect.
Tubbs is a Montana historian and serves on the Lewis and Clark National Trail Interpretive Center?s Foundation Board and is the daughter of the late Stephen Ambrose. She has spent much of her life traveling the Trail. Jenkinson is a well-respected Jefferson and Lewis and Clark historian, and author of several books, including "The Character of Meriwether Lewis," and "Thomas Jefferson, Man of Light." He has traveled the Trail extensively and also does Chautauqua performances around the country as both Thomas Jefferson and Meriwether Lewis. They bring vast knowledge and lively and interesting writing style to this project.
It is the perfect reference work for Lewis and Clark aficionados, as well as those who are just beginning their journey of enchantment with this epic adventure.
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The Great Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Major League Baseball
David Nemec Manufacturer: University Alabama Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0817314997 |
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The Great Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Major League Baseball.......2006-09-03
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The New Encyclopedia of the American West
Manufacturer: Yale University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0300070888 |
Amazon.com
Did you know that when Annie Oakley was not performing her sharp-shooting skills, she preferred a quiet Quaker lifestyle and an embroidery needle to a rifle? That gunman John Wesley Hardin killed more people than either Jesse James or Billy the Kid? Or that Frederick Law Olmsted was once commissioned to manage the Yosemite Valley and was instrumental in the national-park movement? The New Encyclopedia of the American West is full of such interesting information. This weighty volume, compiled by Sterling Professor Emeritus of History at Yale University Howard R. Lamar, contains over 2,400 entries by more than 300 contributors on all aspects of the American West, from prehistory to the present. Types of entries include brief biographical sketches of important men and women, extensive descriptions of the physiogeography of the continent, pieces on art and literature of the West, and histories of the area's transportation systems. Over 600 illustrations and maps complement the text and help make this book a joy to read. Lamar provides a brief timeline of Western history to help put things in perspective, and the individual entries are extensively cross-referenced. A detailed index provides a comprehensive list of every person mentioned in the book, and most articles provide bibliographic citations to point the interested reader to further sources. The tone of the book is authoritative yet accessible--and refreshingly jargon-free. So whether you're interested in Sacajawea, Sasquatch, or Santa Fe, The New Encyclopedia of the American West will please scholar and casual reader alike. --C.B. DelaneyBook Description
This authoritative, comprehensive, and lavishly illustrated single-volume encyclopedia is a rich source of information about the many American Wests--real and imaginary, old and new, stretching from coast to coast and throughout the country`s history and culture. It discusses discoverers and mountain men, Native American tribes, politicians from Benjamin Franklin to Ronald Reagan, major cities and landmarks, conservation and wildlife issues, and many other topics central to America`s past and its future.Customer Reviews:
good content, small print.......2007-05-02
a very comprehensive history of the West.......1998-12-29
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