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Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, and Assassination during the 1934 Tour of Japan
In November 1934 as the United States and Japan drifted toward war, a team of American League all-stars that included Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, future secret agent Moe Berg, and Connie Mack barnstormed across the Land of the Rising Sun. Hundreds of thousands of fans, many waving Japanese and American flags, welcomed the team with shouts of “Banzai! Banzai, Babe Ruth!” The all-stars stayed for a month, playing 18 games, spawning professional baseball in Japan, and spreading goodwill. Politicians on both sides of the Pacific hoped that the amity generated by the tour—and the two nations’ shared love of the game—could help heal their growing political differences. But the Babe and baseball could not overcome Japan’s growing nationalism, as a bloody coup d’état by young army officers and an assassination attempt by the ultranationalist War Gods Society jeopardized the tour’s success. A tale of international intrigue, espionage, attempted murder, and, of course, baseball, Banzai Babe Ruth is the first detailed account of the doomed attempt to reconcile the United States and Japan through the 1934 All American baseball tour. Robert K. Fitts provides a wonderful story about baseball, nationalism, and American and Japanese cultural history.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 24, 2012
This is a fascinating book that I enjoyed much more than I expected to when I started reading it.
I have been a baseball fan for 65 years or more, and I lived in Japan (and followed Japanese baseball) for 38 years. This book tied in my love of baseball and interest in Japan in meaningful ways.
As a result of reading this book, I am now signed up to do a Rotary program on the history of baseball in Japan, and I hope I will have the opportunity to present it at more than one venue.
One of the key statements is by Babe Ruth and made shortly before his death in 1948. In reflecting on his most enjoyable tour of Japan in 1934 and the tragedy of the War (with the U.S.) that started just seven years later, Ruth remarked that this is "another example of how a crackpot government can lead a friendly people to war" (p. 257).
Most of the Japanese people I know would likely agree wholeheartedly with Ruth.
I heartily recommend this book to any baseball fan who also is interested in Japan.
I have been a baseball fan for 65 years or more, and I lived in Japan (and followed Japanese baseball) for 38 years. This book tied in my love of baseball and interest in Japan in meaningful ways.
As a result of reading this book, I am now signed up to do a Rotary program on the history of baseball in Japan, and I hope I will have the opportunity to present it at more than one venue.
One of the key statements is by Babe Ruth and made shortly before his death in 1948. In reflecting on his most enjoyable tour of Japan in 1934 and the tragedy of the War (with the U.S.) that started just seven years later, Ruth remarked that this is "another example of how a crackpot government can lead a friendly people to war" (p. 257).
Most of the Japanese people I know would likely agree wholeheartedly with Ruth.
I heartily recommend this book to any baseball fan who also is interested in Japan.
Read
February 22, 20213.5 star
Very cool to learn about this piece of history that I didn't know anything about beforehand. It feels like this trip took place in a strange transition time between historical periods. I picked up the book, because I have been getting more interested in Japanese culture and I was curious about early Japanese professional baseball. The story told here is a lot stranger and deeper than I expected.
Moe Berg spied on Japanese places of military/strategic interest. Babe Ruth hit 13 home runs in 18 games. The best pitcher for the Japanese team would grow to despise America, get involved in the Rape of Nanking, and eventually die to an American submarine.
Reading this 80+ years later, its interesting to see how so much hope was placed on this trip as a means to maintain peace. Baseball and the nature of sport can do a lot, but clearly not that much.
Very cool to learn about this piece of history that I didn't know anything about beforehand. It feels like this trip took place in a strange transition time between historical periods. I picked up the book, because I have been getting more interested in Japanese culture and I was curious about early Japanese professional baseball. The story told here is a lot stranger and deeper than I expected.
Moe Berg spied on Japanese places of military/strategic interest. Babe Ruth hit 13 home runs in 18 games. The best pitcher for the Japanese team would grow to despise America, get involved in the Rape of Nanking, and eventually die to an American submarine.
Reading this 80+ years later, its interesting to see how so much hope was placed on this trip as a means to maintain peace. Baseball and the nature of sport can do a lot, but clearly not that much.
February 6, 2025
I always thought the pro baseball players' diplomatic tours of Japan pre-WWII were fluff, about little more than spreading the love of the game beyond borders. And this book reinforces that , but not in the way I'd expect! Apparently they were supposed to be as much about brotherhood and diplomacy and two countries celebrating their friendship... except that the author's point is that the baseball "ambassadors" were kept in a bubble the whole time and didn't realize just how dangerously ominous the Japanese government had become (sort of like if a celebrity visited Russia to promote some sort of entertainment in 2021 and didn't realize that behind closed doors Putin was drawing out plans to invade Ukraine). So this book ends up half 1930s unsuspecting tourist travel log, half political/military conspiracy history. And maybe that's why it didn't get five stars for me -- the history of Japan is complicated, and the general audience of this book likely picked it up for the baseball with little knowledge or expertise of the events or parties leading up to the war in the Pacific. So trying to explain that much history and jargon and the players involved is overwhelming, and keeping it short and simple made it hard to understand who was who. But it did make me want to learn more, because this is the part of the war you're not taught in school. So yeah, wow. I also enjoyed "revisiting" Japan having just been there, and learning that a lot of the sights and scenes from 1934 still felt very familiar 90 years later. 4****1/2
May 12, 2012
More of a 3.5 but I'll round up because I found the subject matter so interesting.
I enjoyed reading this book. It's a bit dry, especially in the beginning. But when he starts talking about the baseball games he seems more comfortable and adept, the writing flows better.
There are numerous typos and grammatical errors in this book, again, mostly in the beginning (or else I stopped noticing them after a while). This is published by a university press so maybe they don't have the best editors. *shrug* I don't know.
The title is also a little misleading. Linking Koji Muranaka and Asaichi Isobe and their coup attempts with the 1934 baseball tour is a stretch. Planned espionage by the Americans is doubtful and the author admits that. But I guess including the words assassination and espionage in your title makes the book seem really interesting and I don't begrudge them trying to garner attention and get people to read the book. And, really, I appreciate the fact that the author gave information on the atmosphere and nature of international and national politics in Japan at the time.
So, to sum up, good book, I recommend it!
I enjoyed reading this book. It's a bit dry, especially in the beginning. But when he starts talking about the baseball games he seems more comfortable and adept, the writing flows better.
There are numerous typos and grammatical errors in this book, again, mostly in the beginning (or else I stopped noticing them after a while). This is published by a university press so maybe they don't have the best editors. *shrug* I don't know.
The title is also a little misleading. Linking Koji Muranaka and Asaichi Isobe and their coup attempts with the 1934 baseball tour is a stretch. Planned espionage by the Americans is doubtful and the author admits that. But I guess including the words assassination and espionage in your title makes the book seem really interesting and I don't begrudge them trying to garner attention and get people to read the book. And, really, I appreciate the fact that the author gave information on the atmosphere and nature of international and national politics in Japan at the time.
So, to sum up, good book, I recommend it!
June 12, 2017
Book 28/ 2017
A long book, but one that really gives depth to the importance of the 1934 Baseball Allstar tour of Japan, as well as giving a face to an enemy that is often shown as more of a group force.
The retelling/ box scores of the games are maybe not needed in such detail, and the title and some of the writing suggests that a player was a spy, only to refute that idea near the end... not really needed.
But a great book for anyone who likes baseball, history, or Japan.
A long book, but one that really gives depth to the importance of the 1934 Baseball Allstar tour of Japan, as well as giving a face to an enemy that is often shown as more of a group force.
The retelling/ box scores of the games are maybe not needed in such detail, and the title and some of the writing suggests that a player was a spy, only to refute that idea near the end... not really needed.
But a great book for anyone who likes baseball, history, or Japan.
November 12, 2020
The subtitle of the book way oversells it. There is not a lot of assassination or espionage or intrigue even. There is plenty of baseball though: most of the book details the travels of the 1934 all-star American League baseball team and the action and box scores of the games palyed against the Japanese (and a few other national teams) This is not uninteresting (though it did get tedious) but also not what I was expecting or hoping for.
To be honest, the book felt like a long-form magazine article that got stretched into a book, with the breakdown of the games inserted to provide the fat for the bones of the book.
That said, Fitts provides good context for the history of baseball in Japan, as well as the growth of the militaristic and nationalistic ideas that contributed to the tensions between Japan and the US (and eventually leading to the war). There are no doubt better sources for these histories, but the context of the US and Japan teams playing baseball helped to concretize both.
The last few chapters were the most interesting. Fitts reports the reactions of the players on both sides of the Pacific to the war. He discusses how the outbreak of the war affected some of the stars of each team personally: some went to war, others helped with their countries’ war efforts on the home front. There is a particular focus on Moe Berg—though ultimately that too falls short of the intrigue and espionage promised by the book. Fitts also discusses how, after the war ended, baseball and the connections made from the 1934 tour were used to helped rebuild the Japanese national morale and to some extent the social institutions. Baseball was used to help reconnect Japan to it is pre-war past and its post-war future.
To be honest, the book felt like a long-form magazine article that got stretched into a book, with the breakdown of the games inserted to provide the fat for the bones of the book.
That said, Fitts provides good context for the history of baseball in Japan, as well as the growth of the militaristic and nationalistic ideas that contributed to the tensions between Japan and the US (and eventually leading to the war). There are no doubt better sources for these histories, but the context of the US and Japan teams playing baseball helped to concretize both.
The last few chapters were the most interesting. Fitts reports the reactions of the players on both sides of the Pacific to the war. He discusses how the outbreak of the war affected some of the stars of each team personally: some went to war, others helped with their countries’ war efforts on the home front. There is a particular focus on Moe Berg—though ultimately that too falls short of the intrigue and espionage promised by the book. Fitts also discusses how, after the war ended, baseball and the connections made from the 1934 tour were used to helped rebuild the Japanese national morale and to some extent the social institutions. Baseball was used to help reconnect Japan to it is pre-war past and its post-war future.
October 18, 2017
*Audiobook review*
I was very intrigued about the story of Babe Ruth and the Americans going on a tour to play in Japan. Japanese baseball is very different from the American style, and the cultural differences help to explain why.
There were excessive recaps of games that became repetitive. There was also Japanese war history that I lost track of while listening. My favorite part was about the establishment of professional baseball in Japan and the interactions American players had with Japanese locals. The author also mentions Moe Berg and his "spying" throughout the book, but does so in a way where you are waiting for the next Moe Berg update.
The length of the book is a bit long, but the details are worthwhile. Less game recaps and play-by-play and I would have given it 4 stars.
I was very intrigued about the story of Babe Ruth and the Americans going on a tour to play in Japan. Japanese baseball is very different from the American style, and the cultural differences help to explain why.
There were excessive recaps of games that became repetitive. There was also Japanese war history that I lost track of while listening. My favorite part was about the establishment of professional baseball in Japan and the interactions American players had with Japanese locals. The author also mentions Moe Berg and his "spying" throughout the book, but does so in a way where you are waiting for the next Moe Berg update.
The length of the book is a bit long, but the details are worthwhile. Less game recaps and play-by-play and I would have given it 4 stars.
February 27, 2020
Never knew about this episode in pre-WWII American/Japanese relations until a friend gave me a copy of Robert Fitts's book. It details the motivation, organization and impact of a two-month tour of American League all-stars in Japan during 1934. The author heavily researched the tour from multiple angles as it was a distinctly bilateral effort on both sides of the Pacific. The effort needed to birth the tour was significant. The reaction the Japanese people had for Ruth and the other Americans was heart-warming. However, a little-known backup catcher from the Cleveland Indians--Moe Berg--may just have been the most interesting character in the entire tour. I admit I struggled with the abundance of Japanese names, but did gain a deeper insight to Nippon culture. Should be a must read for baseball fans who appreciate history.
November 18, 2024
My family has a unique perspective on the 1934 Japan tour. My great-grand uncle was one of the members of the US Team. A relief pitcher hailing from the Cleveland Indians, Clint Brown. Potentially not chosen for talent, but likely chosen for being a good ambassador and a friendly supplier of barrel-aged hard cider fresh from his family's Black Ash, PA farm to his teammates during the Prohibition. Growing up I had the fortunate experience of learning about the tour through his preserved memories in the form of 2 commemorative albums and a series of guides and photographs given to my grandmother upon his death in 1955. The tour was always fascinating and helped me to "win" show and tell at Cochranton Elementary School one year, but I didn't really go out of my way to learn more about the surrounding story until much later in life.
In 2017 I started traveling to Japan semi-annually for my career. After a few visits there I started to research what pieces of the expo still existed. A movie about Moe Berg was released "The Catcher was a Spy" and this amplified my interest in the Expo and I picked up a copy of this book and dug around in our old chest of photos for what remained of Clint's time at the expo in a series of photographs and postcards. The book confirmed a few of my grandmother's stories - much of the team was wildly seasick the first leg of the journey on the Pacific, her uncle enjoyed playing shuffleboard on deck, and there was a considerable amount of drama between Gehrig and Ruth.
The book provides a fascinating look into the organization of the event and the relative difficulty of gaining support and funding for it to even occur and attract the names that it did - as in, it almost didn't happen. Travel to Japan is common now, but in 1934? It was much more of a rarity and difficult for the average person. Not only due to the cost (this was the depression, after all) but the dangerous shift in political climate to military autocracy.
I wish there was more focus on Berg, no offense to Ruth or Gehrig, but Berg is genuinely more interesting in regards to his role as a spy. The catcher was indeed a spy. Was my uncle aware of this? Or was he just the fellow pitcher to the (strange) catcher on the Indians? Can't exactly ask him at this point.
If you are into baseball history or baseball culture in Japan, this is a must read. I keep it as a reference on the shelf and have tried to visit as many existing places in Tokyo that the team would have visited. In many ways the expo left a lasting legacy. Both of our nations love a good game of baseball.
In 2017 I started traveling to Japan semi-annually for my career. After a few visits there I started to research what pieces of the expo still existed. A movie about Moe Berg was released "The Catcher was a Spy" and this amplified my interest in the Expo and I picked up a copy of this book and dug around in our old chest of photos for what remained of Clint's time at the expo in a series of photographs and postcards. The book confirmed a few of my grandmother's stories - much of the team was wildly seasick the first leg of the journey on the Pacific, her uncle enjoyed playing shuffleboard on deck, and there was a considerable amount of drama between Gehrig and Ruth.
The book provides a fascinating look into the organization of the event and the relative difficulty of gaining support and funding for it to even occur and attract the names that it did - as in, it almost didn't happen. Travel to Japan is common now, but in 1934? It was much more of a rarity and difficult for the average person. Not only due to the cost (this was the depression, after all) but the dangerous shift in political climate to military autocracy.
I wish there was more focus on Berg, no offense to Ruth or Gehrig, but Berg is genuinely more interesting in regards to his role as a spy. The catcher was indeed a spy. Was my uncle aware of this? Or was he just the fellow pitcher to the (strange) catcher on the Indians? Can't exactly ask him at this point.
If you are into baseball history or baseball culture in Japan, this is a must read. I keep it as a reference on the shelf and have tried to visit as many existing places in Tokyo that the team would have visited. In many ways the expo left a lasting legacy. Both of our nations love a good game of baseball.
December 28, 2022
I enjoyed Babe's trip to Japan. The book was more about Japan and spies than about the Babe, but that's okay. Babe is 39, he left the Yankees. Lou Gehrig and Connie Mack and Moe Berg are on the tour. They play 18 games in 12 cities. It took a few years to get Ruth to agree to the trip. You'll see what Japan was like then, anti-US, famine, girls sold into prostitution. The players were followed everywhere they went. There were 40 in the group including Babe's wife Claire and daughter Julia. You'll learn more about others, the Japanese, the culture war, was Moe a spy then? (unlikely).
May 31, 2017
I had such hopes from the intro, but alas this was much more a book about baseball than it was a book about history. The focus of the book seemed to be just getting the 1934 tour off the ground. The tour itself is maybe a chapter or two. Instead it is a hundred pages of "will Babe Ruth join the tour or not." I liked the recap of Japan's historic affinity for US baseball, but that is just a few pages out of the whole.
December 16, 2017
All it was cracked up to be, and more. Not only was it absolutely 100% fascinating, but it was also informative, concise, precise (or so it seems), and extremely well written. Background stories about the introduction of baseball to Japan, the backgrounds (and futures) of some of the key players in the story, and the historical (and dark) events surrounding the tour were weaved in perfectly.
A must read for anyone who is interested in baseball, and Japanese, history.
A must read for anyone who is interested in baseball, and Japanese, history.
December 2, 2021
This book covered so much more than I expected; touching upon the dead all era of baseball, the differences in philosophy between Japan’s “yakyu” v USA’s baseball, Japan’s nationalist movements, Japan’s government’s appropriation of samurai cultural as propaganda/bushido for the masses. There’s so much here, all touched upon through the tour - and it’s a fun romp. Recommend to baseball fans and those with interest in Japan alike.
July 11, 2017
not your regular baseball history but a very interesting look at the 1934 tour or Japan.
March 6, 2022
While the book gives the reader a glimpse into the 1934 era of baseball, politics, US and Japanese culture and political negotiations, it also serves as a warning on how history repeats itself.
This can currently be seen with the militarization of sports such as American Football, where the NFL identifies closely with the military by changing team names (Washington Commanders), or wears military fatigue clothing, to identify the game as a combat action; there is no sportsmanship in war. Other historical similarities to current events are controversial trade negotiations over shipping lane disputes between China & Taiwan, or imperialistic actions like Russia’s war incursion into Ukraine.
This can currently be seen with the militarization of sports such as American Football, where the NFL identifies closely with the military by changing team names (Washington Commanders), or wears military fatigue clothing, to identify the game as a combat action; there is no sportsmanship in war. Other historical similarities to current events are controversial trade negotiations over shipping lane disputes between China & Taiwan, or imperialistic actions like Russia’s war incursion into Ukraine.
June 6, 2014
Banzai Babe Ruth sits at the intersection of baseball, Japan, WWII, and, of course, Babe Ruth. At its core, it is the story of the 1934 tour of Japan by the All Americans, a group of professional players from various teams. Packed around that story, however, are stories about: the players who played those games, both American and Japanese, the story of how the trip came together in the first place, how that tour lead, directly, to the formation of a professional baseball league in Japan, and speculation about which of the American players may actually have been a spy for the OSS and if said spy's work helped the U.S. plan the bombing of Tokyo.
If all that sounds a little dense, it is far less so in the telling. The stories are unfolded neatly, with obvious care and careful research from newspapers, magazines, and interviews from players and fans who were present during the time being presented. The wealth of stories connect and play through each other clearly and easily, leading the reader to an understanding of both the outcome of the games and the time in which they were played. In other words, it's a really good work of popular history.
Like all good history books, there is not a single chapter that does not leave the reader craving more information. Which is not to say that there is anything left unsaid, only that there is always, always far too much to ever be presented in a single volume. Rather, a comment on Babe Ruth's souvenirs from his Japan tour leads to a trip down the internet rabbit howl, looking to satisfy one's curiosity as to what, exactly, The Babe considered a worthy artifact of personal history.
My one criticism is with the reading (I listened to the version available on Audible.com). While a strong narrative presence, narrator Robin Bloodworth seems to have had very little idea how to pronounce many of the Japanese names and words that crop up naturally in a volume of Japanese history. That seems like the kind of thing to which more attention should have been paid. Aside from that nitpick, the audio book version of Banzai Babe Ruth is a lot of fun.
Recommended for those who love baseball but never knew that The Babe went to the far East.
If all that sounds a little dense, it is far less so in the telling. The stories are unfolded neatly, with obvious care and careful research from newspapers, magazines, and interviews from players and fans who were present during the time being presented. The wealth of stories connect and play through each other clearly and easily, leading the reader to an understanding of both the outcome of the games and the time in which they were played. In other words, it's a really good work of popular history.
Like all good history books, there is not a single chapter that does not leave the reader craving more information. Which is not to say that there is anything left unsaid, only that there is always, always far too much to ever be presented in a single volume. Rather, a comment on Babe Ruth's souvenirs from his Japan tour leads to a trip down the internet rabbit howl, looking to satisfy one's curiosity as to what, exactly, The Babe considered a worthy artifact of personal history.
My one criticism is with the reading (I listened to the version available on Audible.com). While a strong narrative presence, narrator Robin Bloodworth seems to have had very little idea how to pronounce many of the Japanese names and words that crop up naturally in a volume of Japanese history. That seems like the kind of thing to which more attention should have been paid. Aside from that nitpick, the audio book version of Banzai Babe Ruth is a lot of fun.
Recommended for those who love baseball but never knew that The Babe went to the far East.
April 29, 2012
If you are deeply interested in baseball and/or a serious 20th century history buff, then this book is definitely for you. If your interest is a little more casual, this well-researched book (typical of books of this type published by university presses) is likely to feel like overkill, as it takes the reader game by game through Babe Ruth, Connie Mack, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, and company’s tour at a time when America and Japan were inching toward war. Still, the patient (or alternatively, compulsive) reader will find much of interest here.
I learned about the ideological currents and revolutionary intrigues in 1934 Japan that eventually led to a military government taking power that promoted fealty to the Emperor and military adventurism and confrontation with Western powers. Fitts also recounts the history of baseball in Japan, which goes back 125 years, to explain how baseball became such a popular sport in that country. Perhaps the most interesting part of the book was learning how Japanese baseball developed a romantic Samurai-infused spiritual ethos that emphasized exhaustive practice to the point of “drawing blood”. This attitude survives, in a watered-down form, even today. This explains why Japanese pitchers practice so exhaustively, to the point that American team officials are alarmed that they are wearing themselves out.
If you are nagged by the question of whether colorful journeyman catcher and Princeton grad Moe Berg was on the tour as an American spy, you will get the definitive answer here. Unquestionably, Berg served in the OSS during World War II, but on this tour he seems to have been on his own, taking motion pictures in forbidden areas, and apparently getting his first taste of the adventure of covert information gathering.
In the early 1930’s, sports and editorial writers suggested that perhaps the World Series would soon encompass teams competing from different countries. Now, 80 years later, we are once again inching toward that goal, and this book (which also describes the team’s stops in Shanghai and Manila) provides a foundation for understanding the Asian side of this trend.
I learned about the ideological currents and revolutionary intrigues in 1934 Japan that eventually led to a military government taking power that promoted fealty to the Emperor and military adventurism and confrontation with Western powers. Fitts also recounts the history of baseball in Japan, which goes back 125 years, to explain how baseball became such a popular sport in that country. Perhaps the most interesting part of the book was learning how Japanese baseball developed a romantic Samurai-infused spiritual ethos that emphasized exhaustive practice to the point of “drawing blood”. This attitude survives, in a watered-down form, even today. This explains why Japanese pitchers practice so exhaustively, to the point that American team officials are alarmed that they are wearing themselves out.
If you are nagged by the question of whether colorful journeyman catcher and Princeton grad Moe Berg was on the tour as an American spy, you will get the definitive answer here. Unquestionably, Berg served in the OSS during World War II, but on this tour he seems to have been on his own, taking motion pictures in forbidden areas, and apparently getting his first taste of the adventure of covert information gathering.
In the early 1930’s, sports and editorial writers suggested that perhaps the World Series would soon encompass teams competing from different countries. Now, 80 years later, we are once again inching toward that goal, and this book (which also describes the team’s stops in Shanghai and Manila) provides a foundation for understanding the Asian side of this trend.
May 17, 2012
On a weekend trip to Rhinebeck, NY we saw a sign in the local bookstore (Oblong Books & Music) for a reading that very night by the author of this book. As a baseball AND a book fan this seemed like a no-brainer. The writer, a former archealogist and expert of Japanese baseball, gave a fascinating talk about an odd confluence of history - a Japanese tour of US baseball all-stars including (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehirg, alleged spy Moe Berg, and Jimmy Foxx)coincided with a near overthrow of the Japanese government vowing by renegade military officers. The book captured the seeting very well and gave some interesting insights into Japanese history, both leading up to and after WWII. In addition to the political insights there was great analysis of the games themselves - interesting without being just a recitation of events. The writer really captured the players' personalities on both teams and like all great non-fiction, brought the reader into the setting itself.
Once again proving random events are sometimes the best!
Once again proving random events are sometimes the best!
July 7, 2012
I love baseball books and this was very different. It includes politics, which I love and historical context. The 1934 tour of Japan by the All Americans was truly a unique cultural moment. When you consider the difficulties of traveling in those days, it's truly a remarkable feat to gather these players and their families together and head across the Pacific. Babe Ruth was the focal point for the tour and this book. It was toward the end of his career and the fact that he could maintain focus on his game while concerned about his next baseball job was amazing. The back story of the diplomatic relations between the US and Japan is also very interesting, as well as an aborted coup that would have occurred right in the middle of the tour. If you like baseball or history, pick this up. You wont' be disappointed.
August 6, 2014
An enjoyable read, and informative in depicting the political and social unrest in Japan leading to the advent of war. My copy (a history book club edition) was larded with typos, which were kind of distracting, and Fitts' awkward interpolation of an anecdote from the 1931 tour, of a game played in Sendai, had me wondering when Mickey Cochrane joined the 1934 tour (actually, it had me convinced that the copy editor was on drugs); in the game log at the back of the book, the game Fitts is describing in 1934 as having been played at Sendai is listed as having been played in Tokyo, so maybe Cochrane hopped into a TARDIS and hit that home run in 1934, at that.
Where the book really succeeds is in illustrating just how much Babe Ruth transcended baseball.
Where the book really succeeds is in illustrating just how much Babe Ruth transcended baseball.
November 3, 2014
Interesting look at Japanese culture and politics in the years that led up to WWII thru the prism of the Babe Ruth/Connie Mack-led baseball tour of Japan in 1934. The book took a little while to 'grab' my interest but once the American players arrive in Japan it becomes a pretty compelling read. There were many fascinating personalities involved (players in BOTH dugouts included) and I'd like to have seen some of them explored in more depth but Fitts may have done me a service just by piquing my interest in some of them.
There is enough depth, drama and personality here to make an interesting movie. Maybe one day we will see that come to pass.
There is enough depth, drama and personality here to make an interesting movie. Maybe one day we will see that come to pass.
February 23, 2013
First of all, you must really be a baseball enthusiast to read this book. Secondly, you must enjoy history, especially early 20th century history. This book was difficult to read in respect to keeping all of the names of the Japanese ballplayers straight as they were previously unfamiliar to me. However, the book was a fascinating look at Japanese culture pre-World War II. The seriousness with which they took the game of baseball was intriguing. Likewise, I found a new appreciation for the overwhelming worldwide fascination with Babe Ruth.
February 10, 2013
This is a book about the Major League All-Stars baseball team incl. Babe Ruth & their trip to play baseball in Japan in 1934. It was suppose to improve relations between the US & Japan. This is a book not only about baseball & its American & Japanese players but about Japan's history, economic & social life. Not knowing much about Japan & its history I found this book very interesting. I think anyone who is not only a baseball fan but a lover of history would enjoy this book.
September 28, 2012
Saw this at the library and had to pick it up based on my love of baseball history. The title is a bit misleading as you will find out if you read it. It's more about Babe's overseas trip to Japan as he was nearing the end of his career. The author does a good job with the historical aspects of both the Babe, baseball and Japanese culture and how they all fit together.
August 2, 2013
Anything that has something about Babe Ruth tends to be interesting because the man was, let's face it, a character for the ages. The true baseball fan will appreciate the insight into the development of baseball in Japan, along with the almost forgotten baseball "exchanges" the US and Japan conducted before the onset of WWII.
August 25, 2012
An interesting slice of history but rather dryly written. The Babe shines in every scene he appears in. Worth reading if you are interested in the history of baseball in Japan or the state of Japanese-American relations right before World War II.
November 3, 2013
Fitts' work Banzai Babe Ruth is a well written story which at times reads like a historical fiction. Fitts ambitiously covers the tale of the 1934 goodwill tour of American League all-stars to Japan. Character description and detail of the locations made the book a good read.
September 15, 2014
I am a fan of baseball history and Japanese history, so this book was perfect for me. It was an interesting angle from which to view the build up to World War II in Japan and the attempt of American Baseball to forestall the war.
February 29, 2012
Check out my review http://blogs.abouttown.us/books/2012/...
October 21, 2013
A true story offering a very interesting mix of history, diplomacy, politics, and baseball.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews