Review of "Play Ball!"

This book contained much more than just stories about soldiers playing baseball during the Great War - it was a nice lesson on just how much the doughboys loved the game.  Here is my review of "Play Ball!"

Title/Author:

“Play Ball! Doughboys and Baseball During the Great War” by Alexander F. Barnes, Peter L. Belmonte and Samuel O. Barnes

 

Tags:
Baseball, history, amateur

Publish date:

March 28, 2019

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The popularity of baseball as a participant sport in the United States as well as a spectator sport was very high during the time of World War I.  No matter where troops were stationed during the Great War, it was very likely that one could find a baseball game. This is illustrated in this book about the soldiers and their love of the game.

 

The authors performed a great deal of research, including items such as newspaper articles, cards and photos of soldiers, or “doughboys” as they were called during World War I, playing baseball.  Box scores and stories from soldiers give the book not only an air of authenticity, but also a personal touch as well.

 

It didn’t matter where these soldiers were stationed.  There were games between units on training bases, on the fields in France and also in Germany. These games were often played for diversion from the horrors of war and also for the morale of the troops.  A nice touch by the authors was to include women in this book as there were teams made up of women as well, mostly from the nursing corps. One other noteworthy item is that there were many desegregated games played by these men and women, unlike the professional leagues back in the United States.

 

The writing and narration is crisp and easy to read, nicely complementing the pictures and other items noted earlier.  Any reader who wants to learn more about the baseball games that the doughboys played during the Great War will want to pick a copy of this book. It is an excellent addition to anyone interested in the connection between World War I and the national pastime.

 

I wish to thank Schiffer Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Book Format Read:
E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Play-Ball-Doughboys-Baseball-during/dp/076435678X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1548867244&sr=1-1&keywords=Play+Ball%21+doughboys