When the Boys Came Back

Baseball in 1946

By: Frederick Turner

Narrated by: Brian Emerson

In the aftermath of the global conflict of World War II, few events in the United States were as eagerly awaited as baseball's spring training. But the national pastime was as unsettled as the rest of the country. Had some of the stars seen their careers ended by their service? How would wartime players fare against returning veterans?

Those questions would be answered as the season unfolded, a dramatic season that included challenges to baseball's traditional status from the rival Mexican league; Jackie Robinson's signing by the Brooklyn Dodgers; a pennant race in the National League that ended in the first tie in history; and a World Series culminated in the seventh game by Enos Slaughter's legendary dash from first to home.

©1996 Frederick Turner (P)1998 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Each player who went away to the service endured personal battles in returning to baseball, and this book puts those battles on record as never before. Every baseball historian, fan, and player should read it." (Lou Brissie of the Philadelphia A's)

Great Book for a long trip

I listened this this book on a recent 6 hour car trip . Great book not only is its good baseball book but a good history book I thought I knew all about World War II but I learned a lot.

These guys were definite our "Greatest Generation"

Baseball at its Best!

If you love baseball you will love this story of players who fought unselfishly for our country and returned to the game. It takes you back to a time when we were'nt so distracted with 200 cable channels, cellphones and the internet. I loved it!

A fan of baseball lore should love this book

This is a great book for baseball readers who enjoy the lore of the game. As in any good sports writing, it builds on tales of individual players, in this case those who went off to World War II. The first half of the book, the most engaging part, tells these great personal stories, which then become background for the remaining half. The rest of the book takes the listener month-by-month through the 1946 season. It connects the players' wartime experiences with the unfolding of that season and follows the contending teams through key games, series, and events, concluding of course with the World Series.

As I listened, I was prepared to give this book five stars, which I rarely do. But that changed at about mid-season. I began finding it difficult to keep track of all the players on the many teams and equally difficult to follow condensed descriptions of individual games. I was having great difficulty visualizing some of the play. Perhaps this is just my own "disability" or perhaps the author's game narratives would be easier to follow in writing. Either way, my own reading experience fell a little short of five stars. But it is still a great baseball book.