Synopses & Reviews
"Radio is purely the announcer's medium. Accordingly, most of the best sports broadcasting has been done not on television, but on radio. David Halberstam writes from the knowledgeable and nuanced perspective of one who practices, respects, and understands the craft and its history." --Bob Costas NBC Sports "Some of my friends and associates do not believe there was civilization before television, but I assure them that listening to Red Barber on radio from Ebbets Field or to Marty Glickman from Madison Square Garden was better than watching television. It was magic. Sports on New York Radio brings back memories of that magic. Reading about the many gifted radio voices who covered the Dodgers, Yankees, Giants, Rangers, Jets, the fights, and so much more reinforces my early conviction that I would never be a broadcaster. How I made it to even the brink of such company still baffles me." --Dick Schaap ABC News The Sports Reporters, ESPN "I grew up with Red Barber, Mel Allen, and Marty Glickman. They were warm, friendly, great voices. Through the radio they brilliantly linked the fan with the game. David Halberstam captures the colorful history and many great memories of sports on the radio." --Robert Merrill #1-1/2 New York Yankees New York Metropolitan Opera "The next best thing to sports on radio is reading about the perfect marriage of sports and radio. Halberstam takes us there. The information is riveting, the anecdotes hilarious. Radio lives in these pages." --Vic Ziegel Columnist New York Daily News "Sports radio in New York has spawned many broadcast legends, and David Halberstam has captured them in his thoughtful book." --David W. Checketts President and CEO Madison Square Garden
Synopsis
In the 1920s something called radio began to change the way sports fans could track their teams. Previously, newspapers had been their only source of information. As radio caught on several far-sighted entrepreneurs, recognizing its power and potential, helped it become the sports fan's medium. Sports on New York Radio: A Play-by-Play History gives readers a look at the beginnings of New York radio and how the city's broadcasters shaped the face of radio throughout the nation. The play-by-play announcer, from Graham McNamee in the 1920s through Mel Allen, Phil Rizzuto, and Red Barber, to today's top voices, have touched millions of listeners for generations. The stories behind the broadcasts and the men whose voices brought them to life are covered in this provocative and hugely entertaining history.