A fascinating look at the birth of the national pastime. It is paticularly interesting in the way the author finds the roots of the game in the in the growth of (a la Weber) leisure time among the growing middle class during the mid to late 19th century. The volume also does a terrific job in giving the reader a sense of what was expected of terms of players, fans, and umpires in the early days of the professional game. I have just purchased the second volume and look foprward to the third voulme as well. A must for any hardcore Baseball historians!

During the past 30 years, Voigt has established himself as perhaps the most prolific authority on the evolution of baseball. In addition to his seminal three volume history, Voigt has penned nearly a score of other books and articles for scholarly journals. When published originally in 1987, this book was the best single-volume history of the National Pastime. Baseball: An Illustrated History is a wonderful, if slightly dated, history of the Summer Game. Voigt, a sociology professor at Albright College, traces the sport from the stick-and-ball games played by Englishmen and American colonists, to the multi-billion dollar commercial enterprise of modern major league baseball. More than 400 black-and-white photographs, many seldom-seen, help illuminate Voigt's text. Some of the singular pictures include a turn-of-the-century photograph from the files of the U.S. Surgeon General's Office displaying a ball player's disfigured hands, and one of lighting engineers placing "measuring targets" in the Polo Grounds to prepare for the installation of 836 lights and night baseball. In sum, the book is balanced and concise, yet still comprehensive in its treatment of the significance of the game in American society. Voigt's text is alternately detailed, and then provides perceptive analysis. The evolution of the game's equipment (e.g. balls, gloves, uniforms and safety gear) receives close study. The changing venues for the game, from fields to parks to stadiums and finally to domes, are also discussed in detail The annual accomplishments of the game's superstars are placed in historical context. Voigt also pays special attention to changing financial status of the game, frequently citing player's salaries and annual league attendance. But Voigt does not bog the reader down in minutiae. He has keen insights into the far-reaching impact of Babe Ruth, Branch Rickey, Judge Landis, Jackie Robinson and the game itself on American society as a whole. The major disappointment with the book is that there is nothing new. This paperback volume was published 7 years after the original edition, and it suffers for not being made current. At the conclusion of the book Voigt identifies player drug-abuse as the most visible issue facing the game; today, few fans would agree with that assessment. Consider all that has transpired since Mookie Wilson's nubber went through Bill Buckner's wickets: the dismissal of Commissioner Fay Vincent, the rebirth of minor league baseball, Pete Rose, the construction of classic-revival ballparks, the 1994-1995 player's strike, Cal Ripkin, and three divisions with expanded playoffs. At best, the lack of new material is frustrating. At worst, not updating the book impinges the credibility of its conclusions. In the book's first sentence Voigt proclaims "America's passion for baseball hasŠendured [for 140 years], and there are no signs of diminishing ardor." In the wake of the game's recent troubles, ominous doubt's about major league baseball's future persist. Make no mistake, however; this remains a wonderful book. Baseball: An Illustrated History remains an invaluable starting place for baseball history novices, and is equally satisfying for experienced scholars.

In this volume David Voigt, author of the standard three-volume history AMERICAN BASEBALL, turns his attention to the period from 1892 to 1900, when the National League stood alone.

The era opened with the NL absorbing four clubs from the now-defunct American Association to create a single, 12-team league. With no competition from other major leagues or other major team sports, the NL nonetheless ran itself almost into the ground within eight years.

Voigt nicely describes the action both on and off the field. More than half of the book deals with the era's leading players and pennant races; the rest focuses on managers, fans, owners, umpires, sportswriters and the rest of the baseball world. The tale culminates with the rise of the well-managed American League from an obscure minor league to the equal, if not superior, of the NL. Recommended!