The Chicago Cubs

Story of a Curse

By: Rich Cohen

Narrated by: Adam Grupper

A captivating blend of reportage and memoir exploring the history of the Chicago Cubs

For Rich Cohen and millions of other fans, the Chicago Cubs have always been more than a team: they've been the protagonists of a King Arthur epic, in search of the Holy Grail that is winning the World Series. A chronicle of the last few miraculous seasons as experienced through the prism of Cubs history, The Chicago Cubs tracks the famous curse, which was placed on the team in 1945 by the infamous owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, who was ejected from Wrigley Field when he tried to bring his goat into the grandstand for the fifth game of the World Series. He vowed the team would never get back to the championship. And they haven't - until now.

Cohen follows the Cubs' early days as the first powerhouse baseball team, winners of the 1907 and 1908 World Series; their storied players, such as Billy Sunday, the second baseman who became the most popular preacher in America; their old stadiums; their owners, from chewing gum magnate William Wrigley to Thomas Ricketts, CEO of Ameritrade; and their time between the two World Wars; all of it leading up to the momentous last World Series appearance and the breaking of the famed curse.

A captivating blend of reportage and memoir, drawing on Cohen's extensive interviews and travels with recent Cubs players, owners, and coaching staff, The Chicago Cubs is a portrait not only of a team, but also of a city, of a game, and of what it means to be a perpetually disappointed fan who is finally rewarded.

©2017 Rich Cohen (P)2017 Recorded Books

If you love the Cubs, you will love this book

I am a die hard Cubs fan. This book gave a history of the cubs, telling many stories that I had not heard before. The book brought the stories to life. I have recommended this to many of my friends- all Cubs fans. This is the first audible book that I listened to. The performance was top notch. Go Cubs!

What an incredible, incredible book!

This book turned out to be SO much better than I could have hoped. I've been listening to (and reading) baseball books for a long time now, and this one is immediately going on the Top Shelf. I ordered the actual book as well, just because I want to be able to pick it up and revisit favorite parts.

Learned so much about the history of the Cubs. And the writing is magnificent. One of the best baseball writers I've found. (And superb narration on Audible.)

Highest recommendation whether you're a diehard Cubs fan or not!

Cubs fans can relate and maybe learn a little something too

The writing of this book is excellent. Cohen is a fan turned sports writer, living the dream so many of us have had when the dream of being on the field turned out to not be for us. But in this dream, he remains relatable to the rest of us, the people who hope to someday have a press credential or sit down with Theo Epstein and figure out what makes the man tick. He teaches Cub history, baseball history, American history. And he nails the emotional state of so many Cubs fans throughout our lives, up to and including the near mythical world series of 2016 and what it means to our world. Very well done.

The narration, while soothing and easy to listen to, was the only shortcoming of this book. It's nitpicky, I know, but when you mispronounce players names it really breaks the spell of believing I'm hearing an intimate portrayal of a die hard fan. Anybody who knew the Cubs in 2003 knows very well who Moises Alou is and how to pronounce his name. And when talking about Bartman, it's a name that comes up frequently. So hearing it wrong just really kills the vibe. There were a couple other things like that where the narrator didn't read with the true voice of the author or any other actual Cubs fan in mind. Inflection when talking about the L, connotation of the feeling that happens in the 8th inning, etc. He has an excellent voice, but was clearly not familiar with the subject matter.

Extraordinary tale of the Chicago Cubs

Coming from a Pirates fan, this is one of the best baseball books out there. Not only does it cover the history of the Cubs, it also highlights other legendary players who helped shaped the game such as Babe Ruth. Recommends read to any baseball fan, especially fans of the Cubs! Rich Cohen, the author, also weaves an entertaining personal story of his life as a fan of the Cubs.

Great read but narrator doesn't know baseball

The narrator mispronounces at least 5 names and multiple baseball terms. It's a great read but why on Earth would the editors or author not make the narrator go back and redo the passages where he botches names and terms? Power alley is not a difficult term but he screws it up. Moises Alou's last name suddenly has 3 syllables? It definitely hurt the otherwise great experience of listening.