National Pastime

From its modest beginnings in rural America to its current status as an entertainment industry in postindustrial America enjoyed worldwide by millions each season, the linkages between baseballs evolution and our nations history are undeniable. Through war, depression, times of tumultuous upheaval and of great prosperity baseball has been held up as our national pastime: the single greatest expression of Americas values and ideals. Combining a comprehensive history of the game with broader analyses of Americas historical and cultural developments, National Pastime encapsulates the values that have allowed it to endure: hope, tradition, escape, revolution. While nostalgia, scandal, malaise and triumph are contained within the study of any American historical moment, we see in this book that the tensions and developments within the game of baseball afford the best window into a deeper understanding of Americas past, its purpose, and its principles.