A Nice Little Place on the North Side Audiobook By George Will cover art

A Nice Little Place on the North Side

Wrigley Field at One Hundred

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

A Nice Little Place on the North Side

By: George Will
Narrated by: Mark Deakins
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.50

Buy for $13.50

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

The New York Times best-selling history of America's most beloved baseball stadium, Wrigley Field, and the Cubs’ century-long search for World Series glory

In A Nice Little Place on the North Side, leading columnist George Will returns to baseball with a deeply personal look at his hapless Chicago Cubs and their often beatified home, Wrigley Field, as it enters its second century. Baseball, Will argues, is full of metaphors for life, religion, and happiness, and Wrigley is considered one of its sacred spaces. But what is its true, hyperbole-free history?

Winding beautifully like Wrigley’s iconic ivy, Will’s meditation on “The Friendly Confines” examines both the unforgettable stories that forged the field’s legend and the larger-than-life characters—from Wrigley and Ruth to Veeck, Durocher, and Banks—who brought it glory, heartbreak, and scandal. Drawing upon his trademark knowledge and inimitable sense of humor, Will also explores his childhood connections to the team, the Cubs’ future, and what keeps long-suffering fans rooting for the home team after so many years of futility.

In the end, A Nice Little Place on the North Side is more than just the history of a ballpark. It is the story of Chicago, of baseball, and of America itself.

©2014 George Will (P)2014 Random House Audio
Americas Baseball & Softball Biographies & Memoirs Chicago Witty
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

“Fond yet surprisingly hard-hitting…an intelligent, tough little book.” –USA Today

“George Will is as serious about baseball as he is about the Constitution or foreign policy…. A Nice Little Place on the North Side is replete with the amusing trivia that in baseball constitutes lore.”—Wall Street Journal

“America’s leading poet of baseball” –Chicago Tribune, Printers Row Journal

What listeners say about A Nice Little Place on the North Side

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    58
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    52
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great read by a Master Author and Story Teller

“A Nice Little Place on the North Side” is a very good read about Wrigley Field, Chicago and baseball. But for me the other aspects of this book, the “back stories” about people, places, architecture, history, and the human perspectives are the gems presented and articulated by a master author and story teller. I found all the “extra” baseball stories imbedded in the history of Wrigley Field fascinating and interesting. There is a wealth of knowledge, stories, and perspectives on our human condition and life. I highly recommend. Experienced as an Audio book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not Just for Cubs Fans, but for Baseball Fans

This one reads, or, in this case, is read, like a pleasant day in at a ballgame. This is great for anyone that has baseball in their blood, but those that may enjoy it a bit more are the ones that appreciate the history of the game itself. It may not be my first choice for a teen playing ball, but for a uncle who knows the game, why, they need to get it in their hands, or ears, to enjoy with their morning coffee. And, again, this isn't just for Cubs fans.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

If you love the Cubs, Wrigley or George Will

If you could sum up A Nice Little Place on the North Side in three words, what would they be?

Not a great book but a pleasant diversion for baseball fans especially those who have sacrificed a few brain cells for Heilemann-doused Cubs games. Will is always fun to read and his love of baseball (and Wrigley and the Cubs) is clear and dominant.

Any additional comments?

The narration was pretty good but the narrator doesn't know enough about baseball to know how to pronounce Sutter (he pronounced it how it looks) or Alou (whom he called "A-lo-oo").

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Ball, outside.

I really wanted to like this book. I really want to like George will. But both come across as condescending. And the point of the book, if there is one, is contradictory. He argues against sentimentality. And then he waxes sentimental. He puts down the writing of others. And then he quotes them. He argues against using baseball as a metaphor for religion or spirituality. And then he argues that it is transcendent. He is an intelligent man for all that can be seen. And he seems to want something more from life. But his reason will not allow him to see it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It's EEE-lia, not Ah-LEE-ah

George Will has written a pleasant little collection of ramblings about Wrigley Field and its longtime tenants, the Cubs. Its target audience is devoted fans like me. Why Mr. Will didn't take five minutes to consult with the narrator, Mark Deakins, on how to pronounce the names of Lee Elia, Moises Alou, Elvin Tappe and others is hard to fathom. The ignorance of the narrator kept getting in the way of my enjoyment of this book, and made certain sections, like the description of the Alou/Bartman incident just cringe-worthy. George Will, are you listening?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful