Description
About the Author
Charles Fountain teaches at Northeastern University's School of Journalism. He is the author of several books, including Under the March Sun: The Story of Spring Training.
Reviews
"Someone, or a few someones, conceived of fixing the 1919 World Series. That much we know. Charles Fountain says no one knows for certain just who, or which White Sox players laid down and how often. So this is a larger story, leading to a cover-up, featuring a fascinating cast of characters, including Swede Risberg's girlfriend and the mysterious 'Operative 11.' What we learn is that, given the climate of the times, a fix like this was inevitable. We also learn that Mr. Fountain has stitched together a great, and necessary, read for all baseball fans."--Bob Ryan, The Boston Globe, ESPN "With masterful investigative reporting skills and a sportswriter's eye for the bon mot, Charles Fountain has given us in The Betrayal incredible insights into one of the most extraordinary scandals in professional sports history. Not only does Fountain uncover bountiful new details about what happened and why but also he makes clear why Major League Baseball in the 21st century remains an exclusive club of wealthy owners still ruled by an all-powerful commissioner determined to maintain the status quo. A tour-de-force in every way."--William D. Cohan, author of The Price of Silence: The Duke Lacrosse Scandal, the Power of the Elite, and the Corruption of Our Great Universities "Mr. Fountain's book is a gripping story, populated by unforgettable characters deftly drawn for modern readers."--Wall Street Journal "What Fountain does so well is provide the surrounding circumstances - the background to the sport, the gambling, the owners' greed, the timorous baseball front office, the shafting of the players, all the temptations that coax players to do wrong to gain an edge and make more money - at once shedding light on what is known but especially what has been ignored or underappreciated. The game-fixing routines - which date back to the Civil War - are stories in themselves, and Fountain reports it all...The scandal was a game-shattering event and cleansed baseball for a moment. Fountain writes of it with professional elan, which means letting the facts not speak but sing."--Kirkus "This latest work by Fountain puts an interesting spin on a well-trodden topic...compelling narrative..."--Library Journal
Book Information
ISBN 9780199795130
Author Charles Fountain
Format Hardback
Page Count 296
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 568g
Dimensions(mm) 242mm * 171mm * 27mm