Library Journal says Fifty-nine in ’84 is “hugely appealing” and “reads like a novel”
Edward Achorn’s Fifty-nine in ’84 is “hugely appealing for baseball die-hards,” Library Journal declares in a glowing new review.
Still, the book “is not just a recitation of bare-handed baseball and old-time brawling, but a story that, with its larger-than-life protagonist, numerous exploits, and a love interest, reads like a novel.”
Library Journal notes that the book wonderfully explores one of the greatest feats in baseball history.
“A team winning streak of 20 games is always notable, but what if one pitcher accounted for 18 of the wins? What if he pitched 73 complete games in one season, on his way to 59 wins?” it asks.
“We would hail this pitcher as the greatest ever, and Achorn (deputy editorial pages editor, Providence Journal) makes a convincing case that Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn should be so honored for his 1884 season with the National League’s Providence Grays.”
