George Will on baseball. Perfect. Los Angeles Times
In A Nice Little Place on the North Side, leading columnist George Will returns to baseball with a deeply personal look
at his hapless Chicago Cubs and their often beatified home, Wrigley Field, as it turns one hundred years old. Baseball,
Will argues, is full of metaphors for life, religion, and happiness, and Wrigley is considered one of its sacred spaces.
But what is its true, hyperbole-free history?
Winding beautifully like Wrigley s iconic ivy, Will s meditation on The Friendly Confines examines both the
unforgettable stories that forged the field s legend and the larger-than-life characters from Wrigley and Ruth to Veeck,
Durocher, and Banks who brought it glory, heartbreak, and scandal. Drawing upon his trademark knowledge and inimitable
sense of humor, Will also explores his childhood connections to the team, the Cubs future, and what keeps long-suffering
fans rooting for the home team after so many years of futility.
In the end, A Nice Little Place on the North Side is more than just the history of a ballpark. It is the story of
Chicago, of baseball, and of America itself."