The Giants: Master of Spies

by Bruce Chadwick

Book Overview

Whether in New York or San Francisco the Giants have never ceased to dazzle. Bobby Thompson's "shot heard 'round the world" and "the catch" by Willie Mays will forever be on highlight reels and the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558593799
• ISBN13: 9781558593794
• Release Date: February 1993
• Publisher: Abbeville Press
• Length: 156 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 9.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Glory in New York; fools gold in San Francisco

I bought this book, after it came out in 1993, from a terrific "retro" collectible shop in the Century City shopping center called "Raffia", which tragically exists no longer. I don't remember why, but for some reason, I decided at the time that I would not actually open up the book and read it until after the Giants won a World Series. Eleven years and a lifetime of heartbreak later, I realize that the Giants will win a World Series on the day after the Messiah comes riding into Jerusalem on a white donkey, blowing his shofar. I recently found the book again and realized that I would never get to read it if I actually waited as long as I had originally intended so I just finished it. One of the reasons why it's an interesting read is because it's written at the dawn of a new age in Giants history - on the heels of the aborted sale and move of the franchise to Tampa Bay, Florida and the subsequent purchase of the contractual services of one Barry Lamar Bonds. So you can probably take almost all of the franchise batting records that are listed at the back of the book and throw them to the wind. And speaking of the wind, the book also predates by a few years the relocation of home field from Candlestick Park - termed by Bruce Jenkins as "the great wind machine" - to Pacific Bell Park in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Candlestick Park was much maligned as a baseball field in its time, but it looks quite magnificent in the photographs that the authors include in the text. And as they point out, it held up to the 1989 Series earthquake. Fans and reporters who diss Candlestick today are weather wimps and ingrates. The book is a retrospective of Giants history starting in 1885 from their magnificent beginning as the New York Gothams ("My big fellow! My Giants!", owner Jim Mutrie is supposed to have triumphantly exclaimed, according to legend, after one particularly satisfying victory) to the glory days in the first 30 years of the 20th century under Manager John McGraw, King Carl Hubbell, Bill Terry, and Mel Ott to the lean years of the 1940's when the war depleted their roster to rebirth and redemption in the 1950's - courtesy (in large part) of Leo Durocher, Bobby Thomson, and Willie Mays - even as economic considerations were moving both the Giants and their historical rivals, the Dodgers, inexorably away from New York and toward the West Coast. The 1950's might have even been more glorious on the field if the Korean War hadn't exacted two years of military obligation from Willie Mays and if Monte Irvin hadn't broken his leg in a pre-season 1952 exhibition game. The book also captures the empty glory of the Giants San Francisco history - a lot of great teams; a lot of great players; a lot of close calls and nothing left at the end of any season but a collapsed one-horse shay. The authors perfectly summarize the history of the 1960's Giants with the observation, "It may be that no team has ever had so much talent and worked so hard

NOSTALGIA AT IT'S BEST

THIS BOOK IS GREAT FOR ANY BASEBALL FAN. THE PHOTOS AND OTHER MATERIAL USED TO SHOW THE HISTORY OF THE GIANTS IS OUTSTANDING. I THINK THIS ONE OF THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ FOR MEMORIES AND HISTORY OF THE BELOVED GIANTS. READ IT YOU WON'T BE SORRY

Inquiry

This book is a must read for any fan of the greatest team in baseball, the San Francisco GIANTS! Beautifully orchestrated, full-blown color photos and fantastic stories of the Giants rich history dating back to Coogan's Bluff. If anybody knows how to contact Bruce Chadwick or David M. Spindel then please forward their contact info. right away. (650.988.9290) or ryan@altoscan.com

WONDERFUL BOOK FOR BASEBALL ENTHUSIASTS!

This is a great book if you're into Baseball history. Instead of illustrations, the stories are accompanied by photos of actual artifacts from this great game! A must for any baseball fan!