Blood Feud

Publisher's Press Release
Veteran baseball authors Bill Nowlin and Jim Prime first envisioned Blood Feud: the Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Struggle of Good versus Evil as an unbiased, even-handed survey of the historical circumstances that have fueled the long-standing Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees rivalry – a rivalry even more contentious now than it was a century ago.

While they remained true to the facts, the authors are lifelong Sox fans and found it difficult not to deviate from their goal of impartiality. When they finished, what stood before them was a wickedly skewed, satirically barbed book delivered firmly from the perspective of the underdog Boston Red Sox.

Blood Feud revels in the differences separating the Red Sox and the Yankees, including divergences in culture, geography, attitude, and personal grooming. Yet the authors also recognize the parallels and commonalities between the two ball clubs, which over the years have shared a surprising number of star players and coaches.

From the Curse of the Bambino to the Zen of Zimmer, Blood Feud dissects the pivotal personnel trades and transactions, the tangles, and the tirades that continue to add gasoline to the fire.

Drawing on historical research, original interviews with players from both sides, and discussions with fans of each team, Blood Feud: the Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Struggle of Good versus Evil is mixed with humor, philosophical musings, anecdotes, and innumerable enlightening factoids.

Though the Red Sox 2004 World Series triumph has altered the terms of engagement, Nowlin and Prime predict that the rivalry will only intensify as a result of a more level playing field. Now it’s the Yankees who have something to prove.

Make no mistake – this is war…

292 pages, Rounder Books (March 2005)
Available for purchase at Amazon.com

Blood Feud: the Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Struggle of Good versus Evil
Includes an introduction by Bill Lee, an afterword by Johnny Pesky, and a list of players who have played for both teams.

About the Authors
Jim Prime lives in New Minas, Nova Scotia. He is the author of several baseball books, including Ted Williams' Hit List, Tales From the Red Sox Dugout and The Little Red Sox Book.

Bill Nowlin was born in Boston and still lives close to Fenway, in Cambridge. This is his tenth Red Sox-related book, but the first one completed while the Red Sox are reigning World Champions. He's a co-founder of America's premier roots music label, Rounder Records. In 2004, Bill was elected VP of the Society for American Baseball Research.