Double Play - Softcover

Parker, Robert B

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1842431676 ISBN 13: 9781842431672

Publisher: No Exit Press, 2005

Synopsis

It is 1947, the year Jackie Robinson breaks major league baseball's colour line and plays for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Joseph Burke is hired by the Dodgers to guard Robinson - and, thrust into the spotlight by Robinson's press attention, is forced in the process to face some hard truths of his own, in a world where the wrong associations can be fatal.

About this title

Review:

"Parker is a consummate writer of literary fiction."

Intelligent crime fiction. ("Washington Times") A deeply felt and intimately told memory tale. ("New York Times") Parker has written his finest novel. ("Associated Press") A refreshing change of pace. ("Entertainment Weekly")

Praise for Double Play

"A noirish take on the Jackie Robinson story...engrossing...a refreshing change of pace."--Entertainment Weekly

"Told with lean brilliance...The prose and dialogue are clipped, the images cold and dark as anything in 1940s noir, and yet between the lines beats a pulse of heart and hope. Finding out if they exist to be nurtured or snuffed is one reason these pages turn so quickly."--New York Daily News

"Gracefully written...Parker weaves an engaging, fast-paced tale."--USA Today

"Honest and vivid."--Sports Illustrated

"Intelligent crime fiction...A crisp and insistent story line that gets you to the finish in a hurry. Mr. Parker's tight prose style makes Hemingway seem almost blabby by comparison. It will probably help reinforce Mr. Parker's reputation as one of the best crime fiction writers around. And give lots of readers a few hours of pleasure."--The Washington Times

"Robert B. Parker hits a grand slam with his approach to the story of Jackie Robinson. This is a beautiful book, an important novel that helps us remember what it was like for those who fought the good fight in World War II, what racism was like in the bad old days, and a tale of the healing of a broken heart. The writing is like engraving the highest quality crystal; Parker guides the light to show us his levels of meaning."--The Miami Herald

"Superb...Parker, always a clean writer, has never written so spare and tight a book; this should be required reading for all aspiring storytellers. Parker fans will recognize with joy many of the author's lifelong themes (primarily, honor and the redemptive power of love), and in the Burke/Robinson dynamic, echoes of Spenser/Hawk (the PI's black colleague). Here they will treasure the very essence of Parker in a masterful recreation of a turbulent era that's not only a great and gripping crime novel but also one of the most evocative baseball novels ever written."--Publishers Weekly

Synopsis:

Every new Parker sells 150,000 hbs in the US and is a "NY Times" top 10 bestseller. This crossover novel will appeal to crime fiction, sports and historical fiction fans. It has an excellent new title and stock sales from all new Parker titles. It is 1947, the year Jackie Robinson breaks major-league baseball's colour barrier by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers - and changes the world. This is the story of that season, as told through the eyes of a difficult, brooding, and wounded man named Joseph Burke. Burke, a veteran of World War II and a survivor of Guadalcanal, is hired by Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Rickey to guard Robinson. While Burke shadows Robinson, a man of tremendous strength and character suddenly thrust into the media spotlight, the bodyguard must also face some hard truths of his own, in a world where the wrong associations can prove fatal. Parker fans will recognize many of the author's lifelong themes (honour and the redemptive power of love), and in Burke there are very real echoes of Parker's strongest character, Spenser.

Coupled with the historical background of Jackie Robinson Parker has produced not only a great and gripping crime novel but also one of the most evocative baseball novels ever written.

About this edition

• Publisher: No Exit Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1842431676
• ISBN 13: 9781842431672
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304