Games We Used to Play: A Lover's Quarrel with the World of Sport

Games We Used to Play collects Roger Kahn's sports journalism and essays spanning five decades, from the 1950s through the 1990s. The book features profiles of sports figures, personal reflections, and commentary on baseball, boxing, and American athletics. Kahn's writing moves between firsthand accounts of major sporting events and intimate portraits of athletes like Joe DiMaggio, Jack Dempsey, and Pete Rose. The pieces incorporate historical context about mid-century American sports culture while maintaining focus on the human experiences and personalities involved. These essays blend sports reporting with memoir, as Kahn weaves his own experiences as both fan and journalist into the narratives. The writing captures key moments in American sports history through direct observation and conversations with the central figures. The collection speaks to larger themes about how athletics reflect social change, the mythological status of sports heroes, and the evolving relationship between journalists and the games they cover. Through this lens, the book becomes an examination of how sports mirror broader American cultural shifts.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Roger Kahn's overall work: Readers celebrate Kahn's intimate, detailed storytelling in "The Boys of Summer," with many noting his ability to follow players' lives beyond their baseball careers. Comments frequently mention his lyrical writing style and personal connection to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Readers appreciate: - Deep research and firsthand accounts - Balance of baseball analysis with human stories - Cultural and historical context of 1950s Brooklyn Common criticisms: - Some find his writing self-indulgent - Too much focus on his own experiences - Occasional meandering narratives Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (8,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (450+ reviews) One reader noted: "Kahn goes beyond box scores to show us the men behind the uniforms." Another commented: "Sometimes gets lost in his own nostalgia." His other books receive less attention, with "Good Enough to Dream" averaging 3.9/5 on Goodreads (400+ ratings) and readers noting its more straightforward reporting style.

The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn Chronicles the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s through personal relationships between the players and the writer.

Ball Four by Jim Bouton A pitcher's diary reveals the unvarnished reality of baseball life in the 1960s through clubhouse stories and player interactions.

A Season on the Brink by John Feinstein Documents one year inside Indiana University's basketball program under coach Bob Knight with behind-the-scenes access.

The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling Captures boxing culture of the 1950s through stories of fighters, trainers, and matches from a ringside perspective.

Paper Lion by George Plimpton Details a writer's experience joining the Detroit Lions training camp to understand professional football from the inside.

🏆 Roger Kahn is best known for "The Boys of Summer" (1972), considered one of the greatest sports books ever written, chronicling the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s. ⚾ In "Games We Used to Play," Kahn examines how modern commercialization has changed sports from the pure games he remembers from his youth in Brooklyn. 📝 The book's title is a nod to Robert Frost's poem "A Lover's Quarrel with the World," reflecting Kahn's complex relationship with modern sports. 🎯 Kahn spent over 50 years covering sports as a journalist, including working for the New York Herald Tribune when he was just 20 years old. 🏟️ The author weaves personal memories throughout the book, including accounts of watching baseball at Ebbets Field and playing stickball in Brooklyn streets during the 1940s.