In the three decades between 1920 and 1950, the Detroit Tigers won four American League pennants, the first world championship in team history in 1935, and a second world crown ten years later. Star players of this era―including Ty Cobb, Harry Heilmann, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg, Mickey Cochrane, George Kell, and Hal Newhouser―represent the majority of Tigers players inducted into the Hall of Fame. Sports writers followed the team feverishly, and fans packed Navin Field (later Briggs Stadium) to cheer on the high-flying Tigers, with the first record season attendance of one million recorded in 1924 and surpassed eight more times before 1950. In The Glory Years of the Detroit Tigers: 1920–1950, author William M. Anderson combines historical narrative and photographs of these years to argue that these years were the greatest in the history of the franchise. Anderson presents over 350 unique and lively images, mostly culled from the remarkable Detroit News archive, that showcase players' personalities as well as their exploits on the field. For their meticulous coverage and colorful style, Anderson consults Tigers reporting from the three daily Detroit newspapers of the era (the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, and Detroit Times) and the Sporting News, which was known then as the "Baseball Bible." Some especially compelling columns are reproduced intact to give readers a feel for the exciting and careful reporting of these years. Anderson combines historical text with photos in six topical chapters: "Spring Training: When Dreams are Entertained," "Franchise Stars," "The Supporting Cast," "Moments of Glory and Notable Games," "The War Years," and "The Old Ballpark: Where Legends and Memories Were Made." Anderson presents sketches of many fine players who have been overlooked in other histories and visits characters who often acted in strange ways: Dizzy Trout, Gee Walker, Elwood "Boots" "The Baron" Poffenbeger, and Louis "Bobo" "Buck" Newsom. Tigers fans and anyone interested in local sports culture will enjoy this comprehensive and compelling look into the glory years of Tigers history. " The Glory Years of the Detroit Tigers draws on an impressive collection of interviews, photographs, and personal and professional documents to explore the development of the storied franchise in the early to mid-twentieth century. . . Anderson includes an entire chapter on Tiger Stadium, and it is here that his collection of photographs takes center stage. Combined with the words of players, managers, executives, and fans, these images reveal a team and city that was changing rapidly under new social and cultural forces. However, Glory Years is first and foremost a book about baseball, and the stories held within reveal new and exciting information about a team that continues to hold the state's loyalty."―Dale Moler, Michigan Historical Review "Not only did Anderson select more than 350 unique black-and-white images, mostly from the News, but he also combed back issues of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit Times and The Sporting News to help trace the history behind the players of that era for his colorful and in-depth narrative."―Mark Opfermann, MLive.com " The Glory Years of the Detroit Tigers: 1920-1950 provides a fascinating look at three exciting and memorable decades of the popular baseball team. . . The exceptional use of large, clear photographs make the entire time period vividly come to life; Anderson also added crisp images from his personal collection."―Ray Walsh, Lansing State Journal "As rich as the history of the Detroit Tigers has been, there have been few great books written on their history. The Glory Years of the Detroit Tigers: 1920-1950 deserves to join Richard Bak's Cobb Would Have Caught It and The Detroit Tigers Reader by Tom Stanton among the best written on the subject. . . The book is more than 440 pages long and includes more than 120 photos, many of them probably not seen by even the most ardent Tigers fan."―Dan Holmes, Detroit Athletic Club Blog "While the biographies of Mickey Cochrane, Goose Goslinand Hank Greenberg are sure to educate and entertain, the best part of this book is the photographic presentation of days gone by. More than three hundred photos, many coming from the archives of Detroit News , take the reader back to the black-and-white era when the game was simpler, undefiled by wild cards and steroid scandals. Images of Dizzy Trout goofing around with a camera on top of a car, Greenberg connecting for a home run at Crosley Field in the 1940 World Series, Schoolboy Rowe in his Navy duds, and several shots of the stadium inside and out make this book worthy of a spot on any baseball fan's bookshelf."―JT, The Writer's Journey Blog "In addition to its authoritative historical narrative (Anderson is the retired founding director of the Michigan Department of History, Arts, and Libraries), the book is enlivened by 300 images. Even fans with only a passi