Review roundup, April 9

Michigan Live posted this review on John Rosengren’s new biography, Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes. Upshot: “Rosengren…lovingly describes the devotion of American Jews to a man who overcame harassment and flat feet to become not just a baseball star, but an inspiration to his people.”

Here’s something you don’t see everyday: a British book published in 1987 about America’s game, aka, The Book of Baseball by Derek Brandon and Jim Marooney, as reviewed by the BaseballGB blog. Upshot: “Overall…, this is an excellent book. The authors succeed in explaining the game to a British audience, imparting a great deal of relevant information without ever patronising the reader. There is a good balance between factual, descriptive writing and the various anecdotes that give a flavour of baseball culture. The game of cricket is sometimes used as a natural reference point, which is useful for Brits experiencing the game for the first time.”

Bleacher Report posted this review of Matthew Silverman’s latest title, Swinging ’73: Baseball’s Wildest Season. Upshot: “Swinging ’73 comes highly recommended to all baseball fans. Mets and A’s fans looking to recapture the glory days of those franchises will particularly enjoy leafing through its pages, but anyone who enjoys immersing themselves in the annals of baseball lore will find Swinging ’73 to be the perfect kind of read: a fastball right down the plate.”

The Charleston, SC Post and Courier ran this review of Filp Bondy’s Who’s on Worst?: The Lousiest Players, Biggest Cheaters, Saddest Goats and Other Antiheroes in Baseball History. Upshot: “Bondy provides a delightful, quick-read twist on the bests and firsts of baseball culture…. Who’s on Worst? is an authoritative romp, humorously spot on.”

The Cleveland Plain Dealer ran this roundup of five baseball titles.

Staying with Cleveland, the Let’s Go Tribe blog on SB Nation featured this piece on a collection of writings on baseball by Hall of Fame pitcher Addie Joss.