THE NEW YORK YANKEES - ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

The volume divides the history of the Yankees into five eras, each of which is defined by decades: (1) The Ruth Years (1903-1929), covered by George Vecsey, covers the most of the first three decades of the team, although Ruth was with the team from 1921 to 1935. This opening chapter sets up the first Yankee dynasty, with black & white photographs focusing on Ruth and the 1927 "Murder's Row" team as well as a collection of Yankee memorabilia by a long-time fan. My favorite shots are of Ruth in 1921, when he was in his physical prime, and Gehrig sitting on the dugout steps watching the team after he benches himself in 1939. (2) Gehrig-DiMaggio (1930s, 40s, 50s), written by Dave Anderson, really focuses primarily on the DiMaggio period, with the Iron Horse as the link between the Babe and Joltin' Joe. Again, the chronology does not quite fit because DiMaggio retired after 1951, but he is the dominant figure in this chapter, which has photographs of his personal life as well as his playing career.