Wrigley Field: The Unauthorized Biography
by Stuart Shea
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stuart SheaEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-03-15
ISBN: 1574889419
Number of pages: 356
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
Book Reviews of Wrigley Field: The Unauthorized Biography
Book Review: A great read
Summary: 5 Stars
Stuart Shea does a fantastic job in this "unauthorized biography" of Wrigley Field of telling the entire story of the Lake View neighborhood, not just the ballpark. From the founding of the area in the mid-19th Century, to the area we know today as Wrigleyville.
Plus, it is filled with details of the Cubs on-field experiences as well. Yes, those wanting to know about how Wrigley went from a small grand-stand at Clark and Addison in 1914 housing a Federal League ball club to one of the most revered parks in the country; double-decked, and with the ivy covered walls, will not be disappointed. However, Shea also tells the story of the teams that played there as well. For, what is a ballpark without a ball club? (Bears fans should note that a chapter is dedicated to non-baseball related activities. There is also a note in this chapter about the Chicago Sting soccer club.)
I would agree that this book could have used more photographs. I'm not asking for a coffee table book (there are plenty of those already available) that takes away from what the book is trying to accomplish... Rather that, since the book is trying to point out (and at times refers to photos used researching the Wrigley renovations through the years), that additional historical photos would enhance the already deep wealth of information available in this book. This minor detail, however, is not enough to detract from a top recommendation for this excellent book on the Friendly Confines.
Summary of Wrigley Field: The Unauthorized Biography
Bathed in sun and suds, Wrigley Field is home to the perfect baseball viewing experience. The ultimate neighborhood ballpark serves as a sort of time capsule, transporting us to an era where every park felt like a day at Wrigley Field. But postcard memories aside, Wrigley?s modern cachet is a unique success story. From its construction in 1914 by the implausibly successful Charlie Weeghman (for a baseball team that was not the Chicago Cubs) to serving as the venue for George Halas?s Bears, Wrigley Field has hosted many different kinds of sporting events for America?s second city. Stuart Shea?s unparalleled history of Wrigley Field documents a park and its place within the surrounding community, its influence on who lives where in Chicago and why, and as a home to teams and events that have helped a city define itself.Beyond Wrigley?s status as both a living treasure and a historical artifact, Shea looks at the current plans to renovate the park; the combative relationship among the team?s owners, the city, and the neighborhood; and the strange blend of interdependence and mutual annoyance that have handicapped efforts to preserve, promote, and adapt the park to the twenty-first century. Unlike any other history of a ballpark, this ?unauthorized biography? chronicles the ballpark as a venue for women?s baseball, football, boxing, and soccer, among other sports. As Shea explains, the tension between past and present, memory and the future, or America as we imagine it and as it is, has rarely been so well captured in one place.
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