The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series

The World Series is the championship with the most history in the United States, by a big margin. Almost 50 years of distance to the next closest major championship (bar golf), with the history woven into American history itself. The Grandest Stage chronicles various aspects of the Series - from people who got a chance to play in it, to managers, to specific moments.

Not much to say on the actual content - it is all about the World Series. There are interviews, historical deep dives, recaps, and the like. If you aren’t interested in baseball, this probably isn’t the book for you. The quality is amazing I think, but if you aren’t interested in the subject matter, it’s just going to be like pulling teeth. So, fair warning.

As for the writing, I think each chapter is distinct enough to warrant the time and space it’s given. When it comes to the game, there are major differences between a manager and 3rd basemen. The flow in the chapters themselves is also impressive, going from moment to moment seamlessly, usually by matching moments from different Series’ together as a transition point.

As for specific content - a warning that there is a LOT of Yankees talk since they dominate the early years of Baseball, but I think a lot of other teams get their shine as well. It’s just, the Old School Yankees are such a part of history that they’re hard to ignore, so they end up in there a lot.

Overall, this is a great book of baseball history, focusing on the biggest games. If you’re interested in baseball, definitely give it a read.