The Roger Kahn Reader: Six Decades of Sportswriting

Most famous for his classic work The Boys of Summer, Roger Kahn is widely regarded as one of the greatest sportswriters of our time. The Roger Kahn Reader is a rich collection of his stories and articles that originally appeared in publications such as Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, Esquire, and the Nation. Kahn’s pieces, published between 1952 and today, present a vivid, turbulent, and intimate picture of more than half a century in American sport. His standout writings bring us close to entrepreneurs and hustlers (Walter O'Malley and Don King), athletes of Olympian gifts (Ted Williams, Stan Musial, “Le Demon Blond” Guy Lefleur), and sundry compelling issues of money, muscle, and myth. We witness Roger Maris’s ordeal by fame; Bob Gibson’s blazing competitive fire; and Red Smith, now white-haired and renowned, contemplating his beginnings and his future. Also included is a new and original chapter, “Clem,” about the author’s compelling lifelong friendship with former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Clem Labine.  Written across six decades, this volume shows Kahn’s ability to describe the athletes he profiled as they truly were in a manner neither compromised nor cruel but always authentic and up close.

Table of Contents:
Preface by Roger Kahn Introduction by Bill Dwyre Part 1. An American Tragedy 1. A Death Without Sunlight: Jackie Robinson Jr. Esquire, November 1971 Part 2. When Eisenhower Reigned 2. Joe Black’s Odyssey New York Herald Tribune, June 8, 1952 3. What White Big Leaguers Really Think of Negro Players Our Sports, June 1953 4. The Twilight of the Gods Sports Illustrated, September 20, 1954 5. Baseball 1954 Sports Illustrated, October 4, 1954 6. Here’s Tap Day Sports Illustrated, November 22, 1954 7. Forget Something, Boys? Sports Illustrated, December 20, 1954 8. New York Proudly Presents Sports Illustrated, September 27, 1954 9. 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . & Bingo Sports Illustrated, October 11, 1954 10. Glory Day in Columbus Sports Illustrated, November 29, 1954 11. Alonzo, Alonzo Sports Illustrated, January 10, 1955 12. Big Newk and His Psyche Sport, August 1955 13. Early Wynn: The Story of a Hard Loser Sport, March 1956 14. The Boswells of Baseball The Nation, September 7, 1957 15. Stan Musial Is Baseball’s No. 1 Citizen Sport, February 1958 16. Little Nellie’s a Man Now Sport, April 1958 17. Rookie of the Year [Fiction] Cosmopolitan, June 1958 18. How the Other Half Lives Sport, October 1958 19. The Crucial Part Fear Plays in Sport Sport, August 1959 Part 3. Changing Times 20. The Benching of a Legend Sports Illustrated, September 12, 1960 21. Success and Ned Irish Sports Illustrated, March 27, 1961 22. Baseball’s Secret Weapon: Terror Sports Illustrated, July 10, 1961 23. Pursuit of No. 60: The Ordeal of Roger Maris Sports Illustrated, October 2, 1961 24. Robert Frost: A Reminiscence The Nation, February 9, 1963 25. The Time of the Hustler Show Magazine, October 1963 Part 4. Getting Closer 26. Writing Sports Esquire, August 1970 27. The Life and Hard Times of Jim Bouton Esquire, December 1970 28. The Mick Esquire, May 1971 29. Roy Emerson Esquire, June 1971 30. Bob Gibson Esquire, July 1971 31. Scuba Diving Esquire, January 1974 32. A Shrine in Brooklyn Sports Illustrated, August 5, 1974 33. Cheer, Cheer for Old Ezra Pound Esquire, November 1974 34. The Good and Bad Times of Don King Esquire, November 1975 35. George Foreman Is Down but Not Out Esquire, May 1976 36. Aspects of the Game Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1976 37. A Baseball Sketchbook Sports Illustrated, August 23, 1976 38. Golden Triumphs, Tarnished Dreams Sports Illustrated, August 30, 1976 39. Walter O’Malley in the Sunshine New York Times, January 9, 1978 40. Some Modest Proposals New York Times, February 13, 1978 41. The Joy of Bill Veeck New York Times, April 3, 1978 42. Public Relations New York Times, July 31, 1978 43. Jim Lonborg at Thirty-Seven New York Times, April 2, 1979 44. A Visit with Red Smith Notre Dame Magazine, December 1979 45. My Movie Option: Eight Years of Strikeouts New York Times, May 4, 1980 46. Lafleur (the Flower of Canada) Sport, December 1981 47. Dodger Verities Span the Seasons New York Times, October 6, 1985 Part 5. A New Millennium 48. Joe Black, 1924–2002: Hard Thrower, Soft Heart Los Angeles Times, May 18, 2002 49. Scorecard: Mind Over Batter Sports Illustrated, December 8, 2003 50. A Few Moments with TSW Boston Red Sox Magazine, June 2007 51. Clem An Original Story

About the Author :
Roger Kahn (1927–2020) has been called the dean of American sportswriters and is the author of the best-selling classic The Boys of Summer. The author of eighteen nonfiction books and two novels, his books Memories of Summer: When Baseball Was an Art, and Writing about It a Game; The Era, 1947–1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World; A Season in the Sun; and Good Enough to Dream are all available from the University of Nebraska Press. Bill Dwyre was sports editor of the Los Angeles Times for twenty-five years and a columnist for nine years until he retired in 2015. He won the 1996 Red Smith Award for contributions to sports journalism, the AP Sports Editors’ highest honor.  

Review :
Praise for Roger Kahn’s work:   “Kahn is the best baseball writer in the business.”-The New York Review of Books   “[Kahn writes] with an elegant authority that-without false sentiment or excessive nostalgia-puts certain elements of the diamond game’s good old days in clear and compelling perspective.”-Kirkus Reviews   “Kahn weaves such personal information into his rich descriptions of thrilling regular-season, playoff and World Series games. And in doing so he endows the players, managers and owners with more dynamic dimensions than any baseball writer of his generation.”-Chicago Tribune