Fenway Park: A Salute to the Coolest, Cruelest, Longest-Running Major League Baseball Stadium in America

More than just a sports fan's coffee-table book, this is a paean to what many consider the quintessential American ballpark. Fenway Park has been the home of the Boston Red Sox since 1912, and has played host to myriad firsts, lasts, highs, and lows, including Babe Ruth's first pitch and the final address of FDR's campaign. While providing an exhaustive centennial history of the home of the Green Monster, long-time fans Powers and Driscoll (current and former writers for the Boston Globe, respectively) supply plenty of personal passion and verve, and their love of the game and the park comes across beautifully in the excellent writing and numerous photos. The authors profile players, coaches, and even fans in the recurring "People of the Park" feature, while taking readers through the rich play-by-play of the stadium's timeline. From the park's construction, to the debut of night baseball in 1947, the club's lull in the '60s, their World Series win in 2004 that finally broke the "Curse of the Bambino," and up to today, this tribute has it all. Even Yankees fans will likely appreciate this impressive homage to America's favorite pastime and America's oldest ballpark. Illus. (Mar.)