Games Books

I enjoyed the historical,and the new.
We find we make things up to add laughs
to the day.

The book is a delight not just of finches but of information and finches. The service was great. Thanks

Prompted by a discussion with my son about collective nouns, saw and purchased a copy for each of us. More than pleased with the service, and with the content of the book.In fact , there's more than either of us bargained for....its certainly comprehensive and really easy to browse for information.

Frankly, it's not a very readable book. But it's fascinating in that it does list so many group names of animals. It's quite humorous in part, too.

Every member of 'a browse of readers' should have access to this book.

This is considered by many to be the authoritative collection of collective nouns.

From an 'aarmory of aardvarks' to a 'consumption of yuppies', there is something for everyone.

A highly recommended addition to your library of books.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is one superb book! It took me weeks to find an affordable copy. Mig Jimenez is another of those modellers who took things to a whole 'nother level. His books are as good as the modelling products he sells. Formally trained and an art school graduate, his insights into the model building hobby are nothing less than phenominal. No matter what level of modeller you are, this book is worth having. It is packed full of advice from visualizing what you want to do, to how to organize your thoughts about your subject. Techniques, materials, and tools, are discussed in detail throughout supplemented with lots of, clear, detailed pictures. I saw some used copies of this magnificent work going for over $100 a copy. If you see it at a decent price, buy it! It is worth every penny!

I would consider myself a intermediate level model builder and I have had this book for 7 months now. After working with it awhile I can honestly say that this book has improved my model building. As most reviewers have noted it is the type of book that is right next to you on the workbench and you will find yourself constantly referring it to for "how-to's". While I agree on the point mentioned by other reviewers that further text for each picture would have been helpful, it did not hinder the process of seeing how Mig does different techniques. The book has an excellent table of contents that breaks down techniques logically so you can quickly scan it and find the right page for what you are trying to do. The book covers a wide range of levels, from basic to advanced, and there is plenty of in-between techniques. I would not go as far as to say this is the only book you would need, but I will say it is a must have for your collection. You will use it constantly and wonder why you did not get it sooner.

... as this books shows a miriad of useful tricks you can use to make your AFV models much more realistic.

Despite of this, some more advanced modellers can be a little frustrated as, once you've completed a dozen or so of kits, mostly of what is said in this book can be considered "obvious" for you.

Anyway, pictures that ilustrate the step-by-step painting processes are of great quality and a pleasure for you eyes!

Regarding to this, it seems to me that almost 30% of the book is auto-promotion. At least, that's how I feel when almost one third of the book is dedicated to pictures of finished models by Miguel Jiménez.

Best regards from Spain

José Carlos

Great book, I doubt anyone who bought it ended up seriously disappointed.

Here's what's inside:
30 pages of introductions
15 pages of intro to techniques
15 pages on construction techniques
100 pages on painting
20 pages on groundwork and misc.
70 pages of model photos (gallery)

Book follows Internet FAQ format - series of questions and answers. Answers typically comprise of very short text (2-3 sentences) and number of clear color photos (typically 3-4, sometimes more). Each question deals with a particular technique, showing how to achieve very specific effect.

As you can see, the book deals with painting, and nothing else. The "15 pages on construction techniques" describe creating proper texture (cast metal parts) and battle damage - not actual kit construction.

Format makes the book not very accessible to beginners. There is very little step by step explanation, readers are largely left to choose which techniques to use,and understand it's nuances. It's much easier for intermediate / advanced modelers, who will know which techniques they want to incorporate into their process. Not all is lost however, as there is a "question" in the book, describing suggested workflow for particular camo type. For example, when making a model of "single tone green tank", we're to perform these steps:
* green base color
* filters
* fading
* washes
* running rusty chips
* pre-dusting
* watermarks
* dry mud
* spilled fuel
* crew footprints
Each of these steps is described in a separate "question", so it's a matter of applying these.

Although the book feels heavy, and is packed with nice color photos, I've found that when it comes to learning particular technique, reader is left with few lines of text and few photos. In some cases it's enough, in others I wished for more. You should therefore count on having to stare at the photos, think about the technique and try it on scrap plastic, before attempting to use it on the model.

Despite the "Q&A" format, I'd recommend reading the book front to back initially. The less familiar you are with armor modeling, the more important it is. Some advice is simply buried in places that might not be very obvious, and reading the whole book first helps.

From what I wrote above it might seem that the book is not perfect, and that is certainly true. Format has its advantages, but can also be confusing. I decided that the book is well worth 5 stars however, despite its shortcomings.

Miguel Jimenez, while taking his modeling skills to the next level in realism, has defined and described a number of ground-breaking techniques. English-speaking reader can learn most of them at Rarities World section of ML, but in this book they're explained in a more visual way.

There is also no other book that describes modern approach to armor modeling. At least not to my knowledge.

My recommendation - buy it. I don't know of any other book on the market that will teach you painting techniques described in this one.

After having been away from the armor modelling hobby for three decades, I recently returned to find there has been an explosion of after-market tools, upgrades, paints, pigments, filters, washes and other techniques for making models more realistic. One of the big changes is pigments, and the guru of them is Mig Jimenez. His book outlines all the major ways of weathering and aging plastic kits, as well as some minor techniques.

The book is filled with great illustrations that really show the materials, processes and results, and is very easy to follow. My one quibble would be the accompanying text, which often leaves out the physical steps, requiring the reader to draw their own conclusions about how the magic is performed. My recommendation would be to supplement the book with Mig's DVD (so far only available in PAL format and therefore watchable only on a personal computer or European-formatted DVD player). The DVD shows how these techniques are accomplished in a step-by-step manner.

As the old saying goes, "if you buy only one modelling technique book, this is the one to buy."

Fantastic book! What a joy! I agree with some of the other reviews that this is perhaps, not a book for novice sculptors. However, if you are working in clay; already been creating sculptures; and are looking for a way to increase the size of your work, this is the book for you. It will be a timeless treasure for me. Just seeing how other sculptors are currently working gets my juices flowing.

Pay particular attention to the "gallery" at the end of each section. After being blown away by the featured artists work, you get into their heads a little more by seeing examples they have chosen of other sculptors work. Good stuff!

If you are a beginner, don't be put off by the lack of basic information. Go take a class in clay--whether it's on the wheel or hand-building--get inspired and keep this book to remind you of what could be in your future.

Better than expected. Some novel and interesting techniques as well as anatomical knowledge put to use in unique visions makes for a very useful book for beginner and advanced sculptors. There is just enough personal and aesthetic information to make me want more. And, the focus on individual artists who then select other admired artists offers a sense of network and insight.

I am fairly new to building in clay, and I found this book a treasure trove of ideas and techniques by masters of the art. The book is beautifully illustrated, and each of the artists describes their personal vision with regards to their work and then gives a detailed description of the process and techniques used in creating a piece along with formulas for their clay bodies, glazes and firing techniques. I found this book very helpful and inspiring.

I've been wanting to get into ceramics for a while and this book was just the thing to get my creative juices flowing. It has many (500 actually) beautiful pieces to admire, with such a wide selection of styles. I love that it has a both beautiful and grotesque figures revealing so many artistic view points. It's definitely not a "how to" book, with just enough info to get a basic idea of how each piece was created but the beautiful photographs and wide variety of sculptures makes it well worth purchasing.

A rich and exciting collection of wonderful artists and a never ending wealth of inspiration. My favorite book of contemporary ceramic art

This book is amazing! Very challenging for kids and adults as well. Worth every penny!

I loved dot-to-dot puzzles as a kid, so I was really looking forward to these puzzles. The completed pictures range from okay to very impressive. The reason for my giving the book one less star is that I was always impressed with a dot-to-dot puzzle that was one continuous line. Many puzzles in this collection have continuous lines for large portions, but only one "No Dot" puzzle is continuous and it is of a less impressive completed picture. I also would have preferred omitting certain styles of puzzle (Field of Dots, Compass, Arrows).

David Kalvitis did a great job - just understand what the book contains. It is probably the best dot-to-dot book that you will find.

I loved these as a kid now they are done for adults. I got them all and when I was laid up with foot surgery has fun with them. they varried by numbers. number sequences, symbols, letters, not for little kids..a big kid toy.

I had always been looking for a dot to dot book with hundreds of numbers and this is the best! If you like a challenge and enjoy doing dot to dot pictures, this is definitely for you (There is one picture that has 1300+ numbers - it reminded me of building a large puzzle, working on section by section). This is definitely fun for the adult!

I got this book for my mom. She was looking for dot-to-dots and recalled how she liked doing them as a child. I couldn't find any in the store. I saw one of the reviews on here that said something about it being a good thing to take your mind off of adult things. Anyways, the print looked small to me, so I was a little worried... BUT... my mom thought it was great. She really likes the book. I'll probably end up getting more from the series.

Austen Andrews is the master of dialogue. Really. He writes some really fantastic dialogue. His character are also extremely likeable. This was another page turner book for me. I finished it in a couple days as well.

If any of you are familiar with the Ultima games or Ultima Online then you'd know where this book comes from. This book is actually a novelization of what Ultima Online 2 was supposed to be before it was canceled. Even though I hate MMORPGs reading this book makes me wish that UO2 had seen the light of day.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Very nice dialogue, fantastic characters, engaging storyline.

I have just the distinct pleasure of finishing this masterfully written novel. I have been an Ultima fan for over 15 years; ever since I could understand the words on the computer screen, I could never get enough. Richard Garriott (Ultima's founder) is a true inspiration for me. Now I have found another...Austen Andrews. Like other Ultima fans, I was disappointed to hear about the disbanding of the "Ultima: Origin" design team and the cancellation of the game, but here we have the first in a trilogy of books that will turn both fans and newcomers toward the love for Ultima and keep the torch ablaze after two decades.

I cannot express through words how immersing and thought provoking this book was. Andrews has mastered the use of descriptive language and lavish descriptions to bring alive a "pre-Avatar" Sosaria. Although I could easily pick up on some of his minor errors, (Britannia Bay instead of Brittany Bay and the geographical location of the dun-geon Despise) his writing brought back a great feeling of nostalgia that "Ultima Online" simply does not bring.

When reading this tale, readers will become particularly enraptured in the char-acter development. Some of the most remarkable characters I will never forget and look forward to learning more about are the endearing, but elegant Way Master Thulann, the gruff but lovable Gabriel Montenegro, and the mysterious "Techo-Prophet," Lord Blackthorn, who in this tale seems to have made his way out of the Ethereal Void after being banished by Lord British.

This is a story of political strife, manipulation of cultural diversity, and divisive team players that turn out to be anything but. I cannot express how I loved this work. I rank Andrews among some of the classic sci-fi and fantasy writers including Heinlein, Tolkien, and Lewis. I look forward to the next installment with utter anticipation and commend Andrews for keeping the Ultima torch lit even after the authorities at Origin have faltered!

It might not be fair to review a book I haven't even finished. But I can't help but share what I think already. Andrews creates a very real world with very real characters who each in turn want something. This is cleverly weaved into a plot driven by greed, political warfare and power.

The language is beautiful. And Andrews shows great skill in presenting the story very clearly, yet, without patronizing the readers.

Though his attempts (to make references to what Ultima gamers would be familiar with) hardly qualifies it as "based on the bestselling computer game", The Technocrat War already has me looking forward to a compelling trilogy which I will read over and over again.

This book is exciting, entertaining, and suprisingly well written. I have been a science fiction/fantasy fan since I was a kid and try to support new authors. Austen Andrews was a name that I was not familiar with, so I picked up the book. What a delightful suprise: Great characters and a solid story line packed with excitement. I have placed Andrews on my list of "must read" authors, and look forward to his next offering.

Incredible read .. well written and will come to life again when the new release of Ultima online comes out in 2002 (blackthornes Revenge) . Gripping story and for those of us that played UO online was a very realistic look at what the Role playing and style of game is to feel. Well Done! look forward to more.

As a first grade teacher I used this book as an intervention tool with my ELL students last year. It helped with voacbulary as well as phonics. The activities are hands on and we were able to create several games using the lessons as well. I recommend this book to anyone in the primary grades. It is great as an intervention tool, large group activity or as a center.

This book is great! There are many word activities to choose from, which I find very helpful and a time saver!

This concept keeps kids interested. They want to figure out the little words and the big words created by the letters, so it's an excellent one for phonics. If you already use Open Court, it would be a good supplement. There is some prep time involved in writing and cutting the letters, unless you're smarter than me and use die-cut letters from a bulletin board!!

This book is wonderful for primary grades as well as ESL classes. It's interactive and the kids love it. We use it every morning when we enter the "Wonderful World of Words." There is also a Making Big Words for intermediate grades! I definitely recommend it!

This is the best spelling book I have seen. I am a homeschooling mom of 2 boys (9 & 8) and this is the easiest method and they enjoy it too!

I love Jim Corbett, I don't know if any author is better at transporting you back in time & making you feel like you were there. A warning though, once you start reading a Jim Corbett book you will need to find more of his books they are addicting. Also you will be hard pressed to find stories as exciting. This book wasn't as good as Maneater's of Kumaon. If you haven't read any of his books start with that one.

Corbett is a natural writer and combines his knowledge of the jungle with uncanny hunting skills to give us one of the best Indian adventures ever written.

Reading his books is not just following a maneater with a gun - it is a journey into the days of the British Raj where you will be transported into the remote jungles of Northern India, read about the simple people and their unsophisticated lifestyle. There are no villians, no suspicious characters lurking around and nobody to provide humour. You just have village folk trying to eke out a living which is sometimes interrupted by a feline with a taste for humans.

This particular book is about one leopard which terrorised a large region for many years and claimed about 420 lives. To understand what these people must have felt, it must be noted that in those days there were no high security fences, no guns or any kind of technology to track the leopard. Yet the people had to enter the forest to earn their daily bread. There is an unforgettable chapter in the book titled 'Terror' which starts something like this:

'During the day, people went about their lives as usual. Trade and commerce, transport and all other transactions went about their normal way. But as evening approached, there was a marked change in their behaviour. Pilgrims rushed towards their night shelters, businessmen closed shops abruptly and people scurried towards their homes for relative safety. No curfew was more strictly imposed. No orders to remain indoors were observed as faithfully.'

This is one of the books which shows that for writing adventure you don't need weapons or FBI investigations. All you need is a writer with a big heart who loves what he is doing and knows what he is talking about.

If you like adventure literature, you should find this piece really wonderful. I read it while I was alone at home for a week and I started to "feel" leopards all aronud the house at night. Very well writen, hard to stop reading.

This book is available from the Oxford University Press website: http://www.oup.com/

I just purchased a new copy for 12.49 British pounds including shipping to the USA which is just over $21 USD (December, 2003) I don't know why the new/used books advertised on Amazon by private sellers are so expensive.

If it's anything like Corbett's "Man-eaters of Kumaon" it is a masterpiece.

Another excellent book from the corbett library. Its true that fact can be stranger than fiction. And no where is it more evident than in the story of the maneater of rudraprayag.

Corbett is out to kill this very clever and wily old leopard in the second half of the 1920's. The leopard is believed to have made its debut as a man-killer following the influenze outbreak of 1918. Corbett hunts this killer over two years. In an intense battle of nerves between the best shikari that ever was and the wily leopardus, corbett's life hangs by a thread many times. On one dark stormy night, robbed of his defenses, he makes his way back to the village after a failed attempt in an experience that he terms his scariest. Another time the leopard snatches a goat right under his nose and gives him a run for his money! All and many illustrations of man's utter helplessness when a clever maneater turns against him.

In the end, corbett suceeds in putting a bullet where it truly belongs - in the maneater - to end its career. In true corbett fashion he has a soft spot for the old dead leopard, which gave him such a sporty fight. I am sure they both met again in the happy hunting grounds!

A wonderful book by a wonderful man.

Michael Konik writes about golf as Emily Dickinson might have: with terse tenderness, through a quill of pliant steel. She would have noted the beetle scrambling out of the cup before her ball rattled in. She would have seen, in a five iron flying from the hands of the angry golfer on the south fairway, a metaphor of death in life or triumph in defeat. She would have asked if winning were "the only thing" decades before Red Sanders uttered the words or Vince Lombardi borrowed them, but without ever asking the question itself except through implication and indirection. She would have noted everything noteworthy in the only nine holes she ever played, and then reduced it to a phrase that floated up like monarch butterflies on a June thermal. She would have seen how one fine game--or one bad one--played with an old friend is a mirror held up to the world.

Dickinson was that good when the winds stirred the grass behind her home in Amherst, Massachusetts. Konik is that good when he totes a golf bag, heavy as a side of beef, for Jack Nicklaus, and then puzzles out nuanced truths of the experience for those of us who will never meet Nicklaus, or any of the golfing greats, except through a television screen.

I don't golf. It is a game of multiple demanding skills and attributes, of which I have none. "Nice Shot, Mr. Nicklaus" is, at least in part, a book for non golfers, such as the man with the physique of the skeleton hanging from a hook in the university's gross-anatomy class. I have that: the apparent lack of muscle, tendon, ligament or properly soldered nerves. My golf swing, as unpredictable as dice thrown on a fieldstone floor, makes dogs howl and Presbyterian caddies cross themselves. When my Titleist balls slice off the tee, men dive for the bunkers. As a teenager, I threw a driver through a plate glass window. I wasn't angry. I just didn't understand the grip. "Nice Shot" is for non golfers what Jon Krakauer's books on Mt. Everest are for flatlanders. Konik takes you there, be it a glorious course in Scotland or a cow-pie laden field in Wyoming. He stands behind you and wraps his arms around you and corrects your grip, stance, and balance. Mostly, though, he corrects your attitude. He whispers, "This is a lordly game, for ladies and gents. Be here now in body and soul. Smell the air and feel the smack at the end of the stick reverberate throughout the universe. Set an example of decorum for your children, and thereby teach them the essence of championship. Play in the Zen Master's Open, for it is open to all. Embrace your opponent whether you win or lose, as if they were the same event." And he spends much of the book explaining how they very nearly are. And the thing is, you come to believe it might even be true.

Konik has the ability to make a non golfer--and maybe even a golfer--believe he could actually discuss with Greg Norman, over a pint of Fosters lager, the advantages of graphite over steel. He worms his way into the hearts of those he interviews, and he permits a reader to imagine that his own heart might be shaped from the same warm clay. And be this the truth or merely the grand illusion of an extraordinarily deft writer really doesn't matter when you finally set the book on the nightstand, turn off the light, and dream of the skies over Augusta.

This is the man that flew to South Africa on the same plane as Bill Clinton, plays golf with the world's best players, was runner up in the world putting championships.... and .... took my money at Sun City.

Great book Michael... must be due another one soon? PW

What a fun book to read and what great little insights into the game and some of the people involved. The author did a great job in his "little stories" of some of the unusual things of golf - from the cow pasture open in Montana to golf in the Arctic Circle. This book is a keeper (as if I didn't have enough golf books).

Particularly nice is that the book it can be read story by story, so that you can enjoy each one separately from the rest. It's like a tapas lunch: accompanied by a nice glass of white wine, you can sip and enjoy the full flavor of each course. Get this book and enjoy.

Michael Konik weaves humor, insight, golf trivia, travel adventure and philosophy into a wonderful set of short stories. You don't have to play or even like golf to enjoy this collection of clever and witty observations about the game of golf and the people who play it. The "hero" of each story might be a world class pro, or a caddie. Konik's ability to capture the moment makes this book a joy to read.

Thanks Mike. Waiting for more.

Very enjoyable to read one chapter at a time. Like one nice golf hole after another. Funny, touching, educational. Any golfer you know will love this book. Looking forward to more.

This is a very helpfull read. In fact I have purchased three additional copies as presents for my playing partners. One has already told me it has straightened out his thinking on the game. I love it because of its straight up no bull dust approach. It is the best of my lavish collection of how to play or not to golf.

My pro told me he met Mr J. Flick during his stay in the U.S. and was immediately a fan of him. So if he thinks he's a wonderful teacher, why should I doubt?

I'm glad I bought the book for I went to the golfcourse to do my best, even better if possible. But it went all wrong. I read a lot about the golfswing, practised a lot of techniques and my play went down a bit every round I played.
Mr. Flick made me look with different eyes: first of all, it is a game, so play! Enjoy the game. How you played yesterday is not relevant and tomorrow is still to come. Concentrate on the next shot, forget the previous and don't worry what might happen on the next hole.

Practice with mechanics, do you exercises at the practiceground. Engrain you technique there. Let your body, muscles and mind experience how to move, to act and to react.
But on the playground you play by feel. Be yourself. Be your own driver and don't let someone else take the driver's seat of your mind. If you are wrong you will learn to do it better next time. If you are right, the great feeling is yours.

This book is not written as a teaching method. Of course there are hints, tips on how to practice. But not under pressure. It is up to the reader to react if he/she wants to do what he/she thinks is relevant to improve his/her game.
Only a man with a lot of experience can write a book like this. It reads like a fairy-tale or a book about a great adventure. I found a lot of things I already knew, but told so explicitly made me feel more confident and improved my game.

Peter van Wijck
vanwijckpj@zeelandnet.nl
332 CHurchilll Av
4532 ME Terneuzen
Holland

This book by Jim Flick puts the whole attitude of golfing in the right context. It's not about the perfect swing based on fundemantals we've heard about, read about, and seen forever, but rather finding the perfect swing -- the one most comfortable -- for you. No pressure of finding your game, it's about having fun at it, and working through your stumbling blocks. His approach is quite good. I can honestly say the recommendations I've incorporated have improved my game.

As someone only just starting out in the game, I found Jim Flick's book to be full of the kind of practical tips that you don't find in your typical golf magazine. Written in an easy-to-read engaging style, the book will be helpful to both the beginning and advanced golfer. Instructions are easy to understand. My only criticisim is that at the start of the book, he goes on a bit about "feel" and it gets a bit repetitive. Other than that, it'll be one of the best books you can buy on the subject of golf.

The other reviewers are full of it when they say no mechanics are in here. They're in here, but they are presented simply, so you will understand them. The vast majority of golfers need to get their bodies to calm down so they're arms and hands can swing the club. Go to any driving range in the world and you will see that most people heave, twist, turn, and flop all over the place with there bodies. Except on the PGA tour driving range. There you see economy of effort and very easy looking golf swings. Jim gives great drills for getting the body to calm down and feeling great mechanics. DO THEM and you will get better.

Jeff Richardson

Author Mike Sowell does a masterful job in this dual biography of Cleveland star Ray Chapman, mound ace Carl Mays of the New York Yankees, their fateful meeting on August 16, 1920, in the Polo Grounds when the 29-year-old shortstop was killed by a pitch thrown submarine-style by the grizzled veteran, who threw a wickedly paced spitball, and the ramifications that reverberated through the game.

The build-up to that tragic moment is chilling and Sowell's description of Chapman at the plate places the reader in the stands, hoping that the inevitable can be averted. One mystery was solved after the publication of the book; a bronze plaque honoring Chapman that hung in League Park and Cleveland Municipal Stadium - and thought to be lost/destroyed - was found in February 2007 in storage room at Progressive Field, then named Jacobs Field. It was refurbished and hung in Heritage Park, an exhibit of Cleveland baseball history inside the stadium.

This is a chilling moment in professional baseball that is masterfully recreated by Sowell.

The Pitch That Killed was first published in 1989 and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. It's still in print almost 20 years later. Author Mike Sowell does of masterful job of telling the story of Ray Chapman, Carl Mays and the 1920 pennant race.

He provides the interesting backgrounds of Chapman and Mays, two players that probably couldn't have been more different. Everyone loved Chapman, while Mays had no friends and plenty of enemies. Both players are brought to life by Sowell's thorough research, his insight into their personalities and interesting observations.

Although the fatal beaning doesn't occur until page 173, Sowell keeps the reader totally engaged up to that point.

After Chapman's death, Cleveland manager Tris Speaker went into a deep depression and he called the incident, "the hardest battle I ever had in my life."

Even though the fatal beaning was ruled an accident, many players threatened to boycott games if Mays pitched for the Yankees, based on his past actions. Many felt that he had intentionally thrown at Chapman.

Despite their grief and the absence of Chapman, their starting shortstop, the Indians stayed in the thick of the pennant race. Light-hitting Harry Lunte filled in admirably for Chapman until he suffered a pulled muscle, forcing him out of the lineup and opening the way for rookie Joe Sewell.

The rise of Sewell, the exciting pennant race, what happened to Mays after the incident and what happened to Chapman's wife and daughter, make for an interesting final fourth of the book.

This book should be part of every baseball fan's library.

Since I was born and raised in Cleveland, I am well aware of the demise of Ray Chapman in a beaning by Carl Mays on August 20, 1920 in New York's Polo Grounds.
What Mr. Sowell has documented is a season of baseball which in itself stands as the most incredible epoch in Major League history. Consider these facts.
1. Babe Ruth set a remarkable record in the dead ball era of hitting 54 home runs.
2. The Black Sox were discovered and the fate of the game stood in the balance.
3. Ben Chapman was struck by a baseball to his head and died.
4. Carl Mays was a great pitcher who probably belongs in the Hall of Fame but was stigmatized by this one pitch.
5. Joe Sewell who replaced Ben Champman ends up in the Hall of Fame.
6. Tris Speaker the player manager of the Cleveland Indians, was totally devastated by Chapman's death, gathers himself and his team and leads them to a World Series triumph.
Not much has been talked about this World Series. In fact many books have been written of so called great games ie "The Shot Heard Round the World", or Kurt Gibson's "I don't believe what I just saw" home run. But take it from me, October 10, 1920 in game five of the World Series three incredible things happened in one game.
1. Jim Bagby became the first pitcher to hit a home run in the World Series.
2. Elmer Smith hit a grand slam home run which was also a World Series first.
3. Bill Wambsganss turned the only unassisted triple play in World Series history.
All this happened on the corner intersection of East 66th and Lexington the location of League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Sowell has gone beyond the basics to recreate a time of American History. This book is indeed an American Classic about baseball. This truly was the most incredible season.

To this day, Ray Chapman remains the only player to have died as a result of injuries sustained on a baseball field. While the intentions of pitcher Carl Mays may be open to debate, Mays threw the pitch which fractured Chapman's skull and ultimately caused his death. In his book, Mike Sowell documents the events that preceded and followed this catastrophe.

Ray Chapman was the sparkplug type of player that seems to will good teams to win. In marrying the mayor of Cleveland's daughter, he also seemed to be living a charmed life. Chapman's life came to a sudden end when one of Carl Mays' underhand style pitches struck him in the head and eventually killed him. While baseball seems to fade in importance in the shadow of the death of another human being, the Indians continued their successful drive to the pennant. It would seem a fortunate twist of fate for the Indians that a future hall of famer named Joe Sewell would replace Chapman in their successful run to becoming champions. It almost make the plot of the book seem surreal or a work of fiction.

Carl Mays, who was a disliked character even before the beaning incident, achieved further scorn after the incident including threats of a boycott against his playing and death threats. The 1921 and 1922 seasons would see Mays reach the World Series. But accusations after the seasons would invoke the shadow of the Black Sox when it was suggested that Mays took money to throw games. Despite favorable stats, Mays was bitter to never reach the hall of fame. It was suggested that the black cloud over his World Series performances affected his selection more than the beaning.

"The Pitch the Killed" is a tragedy, that keeps readers interested. Even knowing the winners in advance, readers may find themselves pulling for to the Indians as they read. The main plot is a piece of baseball history that fans of the game should discover. It is hopefully, one that fans will never have to relive.

Everything that the other reviewers have said is dead on. This is a fascinating story, simply on the surface, but Sowell digs deeper and finds so many more interesting storylines. Even if you're not an Indians fan, there's a lot to love in this book. The 1920 season is amazingly fertile ground.

The only reason I'm holding back that last star is more because of a technical issue. While the book is clearly a non-fiction story, there are moments that Sowell writes about as if they happened, when there's no way he could know that. There's a scene early in the book between Babe Ruth and Carl Mays that has to be fictionalized as there's no way Sowell could know what these two said to each other. It's just strange to read because it's laid out as fact, when it's clear it isn't.

That said, it's a minor point. The book is fantasic.