A Nice Little Place on the North Side - George F. Will

A Nice Little Place on the North Side

Title: A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at One Hundred

Author: George F. Will

Publication Date: 3/25/14

Pages: 224

Genre: Historical / Nonfiction

How I Found It: Blogging for Books

Date Completed: 3/15/16

Summary: A look back at 100 years of Wrigley Field and Chicago Cubs history.

What I Thought: My husband is a huge Chicago Cubs fan. Though I grew up a Cleveland Indians fan, he is slowly winning me over to share his loyalty. It's hard not to have a soft spot for the team that just can't seem to win it all. Some call it a curse; regardless of the cause, the team hasn't won the World Series since 1908. They're just a little overdue.

No one seems to have considered that their home field, Wrigley Field (yep - named for the same family who makes the gum), could be the source of their bad luck. After all, the stadium was opened in 1914. That no one considered it a contributing factor only speaks to the place Wrigley has come to hold in baseball-loving hearts. It's a classic at this point. Even production on The Bachelor knows its value; they sent the lead and one of his lovely ladies on a date where they got to play and even eat dinner on the famous infield. Only Boston's Fenway Park rivals the iconic cultural status of Wrigley.

When I saw this book offered on the Blogging for Books website, I knew it would be a good fit. It served not only as a chance to learn more about one of Kevin's interests, but also a chance to read a George F. Will work. One of my high school English teachers was a big Will fan. Thus, I recognized the name and thought if I were to read anyone's look at Wrigley, I would most enjoy Will's.

The book delivers exactly what you would imagine. History, anecdotes, even some sentiment. Will talks about both the team and their home field. It's not a long book; he doesn't dig in so far that he stays on one section for too long or to reach the drier aspects which I'm sure exist. Instead, the book is light and relatively interesting. Will, of course, lends an air of dignity and polish.

I like baseball and I certainly would not have liked this book if I did not. However, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was a passionate baseball fan or, in particular, a passionate Cubs fan. I am anxious to see what Kevin thinks. If nothing else, it was a great meeting of America's pastime with one of its great modern writers.

Note: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. The free copy did not sway my opinion. I promise!

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Will I Re-Read: No, but I put it on my husband's nightstand so he could

A Reduced Review: An interesting look into the history of one of America's landmarks and the team that plays there.