{"product_id":"the-presidents-and-the-pastime-9780803288096","title":"The Presidents and the Pastime","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDraws on Curt Smith's extensive background as a former White House presidential speechwriter to chronicle the historic relationship between baseball, the \"\"most American\"\" sport, and the US presidency.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Curt Smith, a former White House speechwriter, delves into the considerable relationship presidents have had with baseball, perhaps the most American of sports.\"—Ed Sherman, \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Presidents and the Pastime\u003c\/i\u003e is smartly written. . . . Smith writes in a conversational tone that sports fans and historians can appreciate. . . . Smith has produced a balanced view of the presidents' interaction with baseball that is easy to digest.\"—Bob D'Angelo, \u003ci\u003eSport in American History\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"As a former presidential speechwriter and the author of \u003ci\u003eVoices of the Game,\u003c\/i\u003e the classic history of baseball broadcasting, Smith is the ideal person to unearth a rich vein of anecdotal material.\"—Ross Atkin, \u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Presidents and the Pastime\u003c\/i\u003e is a sunny book and a perfect summer read. While acknowledging faults, Smith focuses on the good in baseball, and the presidents covered regardless of party.\"—Mark Lardas, \u003ci\u003eGalveston County Daily News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Presidents and the Pastime\u003c\/i\u003e draws on Curt Smith's extensive background as a former White House presidential speechwriter to chronicle the historic relationship between baseball, the \"most American\" sport, and the U.S. presidency.\"—\u003ci\u003eBill Martinez Live\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Smith's book makes clear baseball's indelible mark on our national life and the president's own role in baseball's annual cycle. This comes through most clearly in his account of FDR—the president who more than any of his predecessors forged a personal bond with the American people, primarily through their radios but also through baseball.\"—Adam J. White, \u003ci\u003eWeekly Standard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Filled with anecdotes galore the result of intensive research, this terrific tome tantalizingly teases us with a new awareness of the subject matter.\"—Harvey Frommer, \u003ci\u003eBaseball Reflections\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[\u003ci\u003eThe Presidents and the Pastime\u003c\/i\u003e] is chock-full of interesting anecdotes that get to the heart of this long-standing relationship between the White House and the emerald diamond. We learn that the popularity of our national pastime among presidents may actually predate the presidency. Before becoming \"the father of our country,\" George Washington found relief from the stresses of the Revolutionary War by playing the British game of rounders, an antecedent to baseball.\"—Scott Pitoniak, \u003ci\u003eRochester Business Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Two of the most American of institutions are the Presidency and the game of baseball. They have been intertwined together for over a century—from Abraham Lincoln playing \"town ball\" to Barack Obama writing \"Go Sox!\" in the visitor book at the Baseball Hall of Fame, there are many stories of what the game has meant to Presidents. They are captured in this wonderful book. . . . Baseball fans, history buffs and political junkies will all love this book.\"—\u003ci\u003eGuy Who Reviews Sports Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Presidents and the Pastime\u003c\/i\u003e is ultimately very satisfying, on the one hand a primer—or reminder—of the notable events (and sometimes scandals) of each administration, and on the other an examination of the changes in the game throughout the last 110 years, in particular. From Reagan's game recreations on Des Moines radio to Nixon's \"Dream Team\" selections to Taft's first pitch and inadvertent original \"seventh inning stretch,\" Smith details it all in a book The Gipper would surely be proud of.\"—Jerry Milani, \u003ci\u003eGotham Baseball\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49405285761367,"sku":"9780803288096","price":27.9,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780803288096.jpg?v=1730489493","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-presidents-and-the-pastime-9780803288096","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}