Beyond the Boys of Summer

Yeah, it's a "Best Of" book, but when it's Roger Khan at the keyboard, it's never the same old slop. This guy can cook. And Beyond the Boys of Summer showcases Kahn at his sports writing best.

Inside this 400-page classic you'll find great character stories of sportsmen every Boomer brother will recognize. Kahn treats us to in-depth pieces on the revered (Mays, Robinson, Maris and Ruth) AND the sometimes reviled (Pete Rose). His story on Maris' and Mantle's 1961 chase for the homerun record should be required reading in every college journalism class.

Kahn doesn't wallow in nostalgia. As any Boomer will tell you, it ain't what it used to be. Instead, he always digs a little deeper, using his keyboard like a pick ax to mine the nuggets that make every story a classic. 

And while sports are the entre in the rich Kahn buffet, his articles on those around the periphery are a tasty delight. His story on Ring Lardner (Even Sportswriters Get Old) and the afternoon spent with poet Robert Frost (The Young Writer Meets the Aged Poet) provide insights to even the intellectual athletes.   

I've had the privilege of working with a lot of sports writers and been in plenty of press boxes. Trust me -- Kahn's book is the best inside look an outsider will ever get.

Beyond the Boys of Summer is pure magic with a sports insight that's as sharp and polished as Ty Cobb's spikes.        

Author: Roger Kahn

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Penned: November 2006

Time Out: The 400 pages feature some of the best sports writing you'll ever read. The stories about Mantle, Maris, Mays, Ruth, Rose, ad infinitum are packaged in bite-size chapters that make the book an easy read for even the busiest Boomer.

Beach Worthy: Sure, so long as you take your cleats.  

Available:  $16.95 from Amazon.com

Dust Jacket Bonus  

My mentor and friend, former ad agency owner and Fort Worth Press sports writer Jerre Todd, introduced me to a few Dallas-Fort Worth legends along the way. This photo shows him and some of his pals back when sports writers were really sports writers. Test your skill Dallas-Fort Worth Boomers and see how many of these newspaper bylines YOU can remember (answer below).