Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.357640977311
EAN: 9780618595006
ISBN: 0618595007
Label: Houghton Mifflin
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 480
Publication Date: 2007-10-01
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Studio: Houghton Mifflin

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Editorial Reviews:

The definitive narrative history of the Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have won the hearts of generations of fans, even if they haven't always won those pivotal games. They were America's most successful baseball club at the turn of the twentieth century, but by the turn of the twenty-first, things had changed. The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, and the last time they clinched the National League Pennant was in 1945. Yet the Cubs have some of the most devoted fans in all of sport. As Glenn Stout writes in the introduction, "They are the game's last unsolved mystery, the final conundrum, a historical enigma, baseball's oldest story, with an ending that has yet to be written."
The Cubs chronicles the long, rich, counterintuitive history of this team in all its depth, nuance, and color. We catch a rare glimpse of the early days of Chicago baseball in the 1860s and 1870s and witness the magical 1906 season, with its 116 wins, still the most in major league history. Ernie Banks's legendary career is covered in detail, as are decisive seasons, such as 1969's heartbreaking loss to the Amazin' Mets. Sammy Sosa's sixty-plus home runs are here too — together with later allegations regarding corked bats and steroids. The authors cast an analytical eye on the tumultuous reign of chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley and his son Philip, as well as the Tribune Company's planned sale of the Cubs. And we hear the true story behind the "Curse of the Billy Goat" — what has really "cursed" the Cubs all these years.
A must-have for Cubs fans past and present, The Cubs tells the complete story in a single narrative for the first time since 1945.

Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: Good, but many facts are wrong
Comment: Overall, I thought this was a good book. It gives a good history of the team and the pictures that are used throughout the book are fantastic. Unfortunately, there are quite a few minor factual errors that were made that take away from the experience.

For example, when talking about the Cubs' collapse at the end of the 2004 season, they said Ryan Dempster blew a 3-0 ninth inning lead against the Mets in a game that kick started the collapse. While the blown game and the way in which it was lost is correct, it was LaTroy Hawkins who blew the game, NOT Dempster. In fact, they even said Hawkins had the day off and that was why he was not pitching.

Another example is just one page later when they are describing the Cubs' off-season moves before the 2007 season. They said that the Cubs "re-signed" Mark DeRosa. The problem with that is that DeRosa didn't play for the Cubs in 2006, so they didn't re-sign him, they just signed him as a free agent.

There are other errors like these throughout the book. While they aren't huge errors and don't take away from the overall feel of the book, they are simple factual errors that should not have been made when giving a history of the Cubs, especially considering the relative ease in which the correct facts could be found. If not for these mistakes, I most likely would have given the book five stars.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Very happy!
Comment: I ordered this book as a gift for my boss, who is a HUGE Cubs fan. He said it was an awesome read. He was very happy with his gift.

Customer Rating:

Summary: New standard of quality for baseball books
Comment: Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson "misaccustomed" their readers yet... Their fabulous baseball books set a new standard of quality and "The Cubs" is no exception to that rule.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Among the top of more than 125 Cubs books
Comment: I have more than 125 books on the Cubs, and this certainly ranks among the top three or four. Not only is it an informative and detailed history, but it's readable as well. The pictures alone are just fascinating to browse through and pore over, and it's obvious that a skilled editor oversaw the entire project. A must-have book for any Cubs fan.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great Gift Idea for Every Cubs Fan
Comment: If you are looking for a great gift for a Sports Fan and better yet Cubs Fan then this is the best book! I bought this for my boyfriend and he loved it! The book contains great history and facts that even I didn't mind reading. The book also looks great on a coffee table and was way cheaper than at Barnes and Noble!

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