Red Sox Nation: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox

I've been a Red Sox fan since the early 1960's - around the time that Carl Yastzemski, my all time favorite player, came up - and in common with all Red Sox fans, have suffered through some of the most heart-breaking losses imagineable.. And, unfortunately, this book does not pull any punches or try to sugar coat the losses. It's all there - the loss to the Cardinals in 1967 after Yaz almost single-handedly carried the Red Sox to the Impossible Dream and took the Cards and the brilliant Bob Gibson to a 7th game. Or the 1975 World Series against the Big Red Machine - the Cincinnati Reds. Again, the Sox went the distance only to lose in Game 7. But they gave us a win in Game 6 which, in my opinion, was the greatest game ever played in the best series ever played. But it also brings back the heartbreak of the 1978 season when they blew a huge lead in August and ending up losing to the Yankees after Bucky F*****ing Dent's homerun. Or the 1986 World Series against the Mets when they lost Game 6 after being just 1 strike away from winning. Thanks Bill Buckner / Calvin Schiraldi and Bob Stanley. And let's not forget the 2003 "Cowboy Up" season..!! You know, I never bought the "curse of the Bambino" nonsense and this book only confirmed what I always suspected / knew. The ONLY thing that the Red Sox were cursed with were Managers who, at times, were clearly brain dead - they were simply in over their heads and couldn't do the little things that separate the great coaches from the merely good or "mortal" ones. For example, Don Zimmer sticking with Mike Torrez late in the one game playoff with the NY Yankees back in 1978 when he should have gone with Bill Lee's fresh arm. Unfortunately, Zimmer thought "Spaceman" Lee was a flake and so he decided to keep him on the bench. Between this bonehead play - and Zimmer's decision to get rid of one of the greatest pinch hitters around (remember Bernie Carbo's heroics in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series..??), is it any wonder that the player's couldn't get the job done..?? Or in 1986, John McNamara elected to keep a gimpy kneed Bill Buckner at first instead of pulling him for a healthier, better fielding replacement. And we all know what happened..!! And, of course, we can't forget Grady Little staying with Pedro Martinez late in the game in the 2003 ALCS when every Red Sox fan - alive and dead - was screaming at Grady through their TV to "pull this guy and get a fresh, strong arm in there..!!!??. After giving up a bunch of hits, Little pulled Martinez, but by then the damage was done..! And when Boone hit that home run, it was deja vu all over again..! No - there never was a "curse" - just some of the most incredibly inept and stupid managing in the history of this great game. Some day, Zimmer and Little and McNamara should all get together and compare notes on who the biggest bonehead is..! But enough of the negative stuff. I loved the commentary from the players /fans / reporters etc that are sprinkled

A long time Red Sox fan, I've been let down countless times. The biggest being in 1985. But, after the 2004 season, all my anguish and woe as a Sox fan diminished after they swept the Cardinals in the World Series. When this book came out, I immediately picked it up and read it as fast as I could. From the first page on, the book just grabbed me and I couldn't let it go. The pictures are well taken and well represented in the book. After the 1970s, I could remember these moments in Sox history. Then I read about the 1990s, about Pedro and D-Lowe. Then the forgettable 2003 ALCS. Then the greatest pages of all, the 2004 season, with the book ending on a high note, for once! All the Red Sox books I've read, all of them have ended badly, this one though, ended great! Read this book, you won't regret it. As they say in the book "And when Red Sox fans in the future travel to stadiums around the country, they "1918" caps and taunts of "Bucky Dent" or "Bill Buckner" will ring hollow. Bucky who? Who cares? Bill who? Doesn't matter. "History starts today" became the battle cry. The Red Sox had done it. Red Sox fans, like Humphrey Bogart, will always have Paris." - Red Sox Nation: An Unexpurgated History Of The Red Sox

When I finished "Red Sox Century" of Glenn Stout, I felt that no book could match that strong, accurate telling. But... "Red Sox Nation" could do it. And add to it a "happy end". Highly recommended.

This is one of those books that you take with you to the beach or the pool. Before you know it, five hours have passed and you're sunburned and sore. A great, fun book that every Red Sox fan should read.

My daughter gave me this book for my birthday-I am a 50 year old lifelong Sox Fan who has suffered a lot during my life. This book tells the history of the team without pulling any punches, and really explains a lot of why they have been a troubled franchise through the years. Yes, the Curse is finally over, but the stories about how the franchise started, why they really got rid of Babe Ruth, why they didn't sign Jackie Robinson or Willie Mays, well, it all makes sense.