Celebrate the Fall Classic and “America’s favorite pastime” in the Donohue Rare Book Room with a special program on the history of baseball. On October 7th the Gleeson Library will welcome University of San Francisco Professor of Politics, Robert Elias, who will give an illustrated lecture entitled “The Empire Strikes Out: How Baseball Sold U.S. Foreign Policy & Promoted the American Way Abroad.” His talk, with copious illustrations, will be 
drawn from his recent book of the same title published by The New Press. Roger Kahn, author of The Boys of Summer, writes “The Empire Strikes Out is a rare and wonderful combination of splendid scholarship and lively writing. Robert Elias’s affection for baseball illuminates its pages even when he is unearthing episodes of organized baseball’s racism, jingoism, unbridled militarism, and insensitivity to other cultures. A truly fine work.”
The program will take place at noon on Thursday, October 7 in the Donohue Rare Book Room. Light refreshments will be served and books will be available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend. For further information, please call (415) 422-2036.
John Hawk
Head Librarian, Donohue Rare Book Room
I read an article in the NY Times recently on the “rediscovered” reel of the final game of the Pirates/Yankees 1960 World Series. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/sports/baseball/24crosby.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=baseball&st=cse) The reverence for the game is fascinating, as is its almost intrinsic connection with American culture — looking forward to this lecture.