Summer of '49Summer of '49
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1949 the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fought one of the greatest pennant races in baseball history, decided only in the last two games of the season. David Halberstam tells it through the players, among them Joe DiMaggio with his painful heel and Ted Williams at his peak, and through a postwar America that still listened to baseball on the radio.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It's a nostalgic, absorbing piece of sports history.
You'll love it if you liked
The Boys of Summer
The Book of Basketball
The Best and the BrightestGood to know
It's more about character and era than statistics.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller16 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #174 of the 198 history books we rank
- #546 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1907 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by David Halberstam
If you like this, read next
Gone with the Wind
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of Time
MausExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Summer of '49 worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #1,907 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Summer of '49 about?
In 1949 the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fought one of the greatest pennant races in baseball history, decided only in the last two games of the season. David Halberstam tells it through the players, among them Joe DiMaggio with his painful heel and Ted Williams at his peak, and through a postwar America that still listened to baseball on the radio.
How long does it take to read Summer of '49?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Summer of '49?
If you liked it, try The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn, The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons or The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam.