Plot Summary

The Boys of Summer

Roger Kahn
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The Boys of Summer

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1972

Book Brief

Roger Kahn

The Boys of Summer

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1972
Book Details
Pages

560

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

Brooklyn, New York • 1950s

Publication Year

1972

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn is a non-fiction baseball book that blends a memoir of Kahn’s childhood and career as a sports reporter with a detailed history of the 1952-1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. The book's latter part examines the post-baseball lives of Dodgers stars like Jackie Robinson, reflecting on time and aging. The book details historical racism faced by African-American players and includes discussions on decline and loss.

Nostalgic

Informative

Contemplative

Emotional

Reviews & Readership

4.4

13,285 ratings

79%

Loved it

15%

Mixed feelings

6%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Roger Kahn's The Boys of Summer is praised for its emotional depth and vivid portrayal of the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers. Readers appreciate Kahn's nostalgic narrative and detailed character sketches. However, some criticize it for occasional sentimentality and uneven pacing. Overall, it remains an engaging, heartfelt reflection on baseball and its broader cultural impact.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Boys of Summer?

Readers who relish richly detailed narratives about sports history and personal triumphs will enjoy The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn. Fans of David Halberstam’s Summer of ’49 or Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Wait Till Next Year will appreciate Kahn's heartfelt recounting of the Brooklyn Dodgers' golden era and the poignant stories of its players' later lives.

4.4

13,285 ratings

79%

Loved it

15%

Mixed feelings

6%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

560

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

Brooklyn, New York • 1950s

Publication Year

1972

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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