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Rating: 
Summary: Sorry, But I Was Disappointed
Review: Author Kalas has provided the reader with pretty much a game by game summary of the 1959 Chicago White Sox season. I went through the book in two sittings. The book contains too much game summaries with no real in depth information. Occasionally, he provides some nostalgic information from that period of time. I was in high school when the Pale Hose won their first flag in forty years so I am well aware of this time period and the players that were on each team's roster. The author concludes the book with a biographical summary of each player and mentions if they are now deceased. I guess I expected more. If you want to read a book on the 1959 White Sox I would suggest "'59: Summer of the Sox."
Rating:
Summary: Sorry, But I Was Disappointed
Review: Author Kalas has provided the reader with pretty much a game by game summary of the 1959 Chicago White Sox season. I went through the book in two sittings. The book contains too much game summaries with no real in depth information. Occasionally, he provides some nostalgic information from that period of time. I was in high school when the Pale Hose won their first flag in forty years so I am well aware of this time period and the players that were on each team's roster. The author concludes the book with a biographical summary of each player and mentions if they are now deceased. I guess I expected more. If you want to read a book on the 1959 White Sox I would suggest "'59: Summer of the Sox."
Rating: 
Summary: Strength Down the Middle
Review: I read this book for two reasons: I grew up in Chicago and I am a Sox fan. Mr. Kalas has captured the mood of the era in his reverent re-telling of the summer of 1959. The stories of his youth are interesting if you are a denizen of the era, but may induce yawns in younger readers. I also wish there was a little more dramatic punch to the descriptions of the games. It almost seems like he is just copying them from the box scores of the games. I guess the 1959 White Sox were just not as dynamic or glamorous as the Yankees or Red Sox, but they were my team, and I recommend this book to every White Sox fan.
Rating:
Summary: Another disappointment!
Review: I was expecting quite a bit more from this book. Essentially every game that the White Sox played in 1959 is summarized in a paragraph or two with both highlights and lowlights. What's lacking is current interviews by the author with the men who played the game. The few quotes mentioned are easily obtainable from other printed sources.Another thing that I found somewhat annoying was the author's nostalgic trips into his own childhood. If I was interested in his little league activities and visits to Comiskey Park with his dad I wouldn't be looking for a book titled "The Story of the 1959 White Sox". Enjoyed the extensive stats in the back of the book and the game chronologies but was left wondering, "Is that all there is?".
Rating:
Summary: Another disappointment!
Review: I was expecting quite a bit more from this book. Essentially every game that the White Sox played in 1959 is summarized in a paragraph or two with both highlights and lowlights. What's lacking is current interviews by the author with the men who played the game. The few quotes mentioned are easily obtainable from other printed sources. Another thing that I found somewhat annoying was the author's nostalgic trips into his own childhood. If I was interested in his little league activities and visits to Comiskey Park with his dad I wouldn't be looking for a book titled "The Story of the 1959 White Sox". Enjoyed the extensive stats in the back of the book and the game chronologies but was left wondering, "Is that all there is?".
Rating: 
Summary: Good glimpse of a very special year for the Sox.
Review: Summer 2004 Reading List - Mini Review I really enjoyed this book for many of the same reasons other reviewers were disappointed with it. I really like Larry Kalas's perspective on the 1959 series. Not having been born soon enough to experience the the ecstasy of a city in celebration of an AL Pennant, I feel like I lived that experience vicariously through this fine narrative. An enjoyable feature of Strength Down the Middle is the way the story segued from the exploits on the field to the showmanship of Bill Veeck to the childhood of the author to the major headlines of the season in the world of sports and beyond. Reading it in many ways, evokes the feelings of opening a time capsule 45 years after the 1959 season unfolded. I do not feel that this book is particularly well titled. This volume is a very personal history and should wear a title that communicates the nature of the narrative. I believe the tweaking of the subtitle could achieve this. Remembrances of the 1959 Chicago White Sox would have better suited the material contained within.
Rating:
Summary: Good glimpse of a very special year for the Sox.
Review: Summer 2004 Reading List - Mini Review I really enjoyed this book for many of the same reasons other reviewers were disappointed with it. I really like Larry Kalas's perspective on the 1959 series. Not having been born soon enough to experience the the ecstasy of a city in celebration of an AL Pennant, I feel like I lived that experience vicariously through this fine narrative. An enjoyable feature of Strength Down the Middle is the way the story segued from the exploits on the field to the showmanship of Bill Veeck to the childhood of the author to the major headlines of the season in the world of sports and beyond. Reading it in many ways, evokes the feelings of opening a time capsule 45 years after the 1959 season unfolded. I do not feel that this book is particularly well titled. This volume is a very personal history and should wear a title that communicates the nature of the narrative. I believe the tweaking of the subtitle could achieve this. Remembrances of the 1959 Chicago White Sox would have better suited the material contained within.
Rating:
Summary: Great way to learn about the past and connect
Review: This was a joy to read. My father had told me stories about the '59 White Sox and Mr. Kalas did a wonderful job of recreating the season. It helped me feel a little more connected with my dad. I especially like the bits of personal information he gave. I live close to where he grew up so I am familiar with the scenery he descibes. A great book for baseball lovers no matter what team you root for.
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