Watching Baseball Smarter, by Zack Hample

Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks by Zack Hample
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pretty good, some good background and nuggets of info, in an enjoyable prose style. But I found myself having to flip back and forth between the glossary - not easy in an eBook - in order to understand the main text. I also had to drop into Wikipedia for tagging up and sac flies, for example, which sort of defeated the point of a book like this, especially for such a key part of the game.
Talking of online resources, there are probably better, free ones available that can teach you the game, which is a shame for this book, however I would just about recommend it.

Read from May 01 to June 06, 2015

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Grovel!, by David Tossell

Grovel!: The Story & Legacy of the Summer of 1976 by David Tossell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable read of a series nearly 40 years old now! Mixes nostalgia, humor and the nitty gritty of test cricket in an easy to read style. The descriptions of the games are excellent, but even better are the side stories of the people involved.

Read from March 05 to May 01, 2015

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The Civil Wars, by Appian

The Civil Wars by Appian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The brutality of 'civilisation' and progress, then as now, laid bare through epic struggles 2000 years ago. The people, the politicking, the armies, wars and slaughter, all detailed as Rome sets itself as master of the known world and becomes the foundation of today's Western world. Forget all those other 'must reads', this, and similar original sources, truly are.

Read from January 16 to March 05, 2015

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