All Those Mornings . . . At the Post: The 20th Century in Sports from Famed Washington Post:  Columnist Shirley Povich
Povich,Washington Postsports columnist for 75 years (until his 1998 death) and Baseball Hall of Famer, had a reputation for fairness and honesty. This posthumously published work reflects his knowledge, loyalty, integrity and love of athletics through sample articles as well as tributes by such admirers as his son Maury, the talk show host, andPostcolumnists Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser. Povich's columns and essays are divided into eight decades, from the 1920s through the '90s, and demonstrate Povich's evolution from excitable youth ("I could scarcely wait for the morning paper to see my name in print") to assured professional. Povich describes the "evil Olympics" of 1936, castigating Nazi prejudice but also condemning an American track coach for withholding participation by two Jewish athletes. Shoeless Joe Jackson receives sympathetic treatment, unlike George Preston Marshall, founder of the Washington Redskins, whom Povich criticizes for forcing injured athletes to stay in a train's no-frills coach and baggage section, rather than nicer Pullman cars. Povich brings alive the colorful personalities of golfers Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis and tennis ace Bill Tilden. This enlightening work provides an indispensable overview of American sports in the 20th century. Photos.(Apr.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.