In that magic fall of 2004, the Boston Red Sox transformed themselves from an unruly band of self-proclaimed idiots into world champions for the first time in eighty-six years. Their unlikely triumph became known instantly as one of the most thrilling, nerve-racking, and ultimately inspiring sports stories ever. And it also changed the course of history for a franchise that had long been known more for its failures than for its successes.

In Red Sox Century, the best of the Sox sages (USA Today Baseball Weekly) chronicle the complete history of this enduring team with authority, insight, and high style. From the team's inception in 1901 and its early peak in 1918, when it won its fifth World Series, to the glory years, which saw the rise of such greats as Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Teddy Ballgame, and Yaz and the impossible dream, to the near misses in 1975, 1986, and 2003, and finally to the glorious World Series victory in 2004 -- it's all here, drawn from countless interviews and extensive research and illustrated with more than 225 photographs, many never seen before.

Now expanded and updated and featuring irresistible new keepsake pages where fans can record their own stories of the latest chapter in Red Sox lore -- replete with its fairy-tale ending -- Red Sox Century is a book no self-respecting fan should be without.

All that anyone would care to know about this accursed yet lovable franchise. -- Sports Illustrated

Glenn Stout has been the series editor of The Best American Sports Writing since its inception. Richard A. Johnson is the curator of the Sports Museum. Together they have written numerous critically acclaimed sports books, including Yankees Century: 100 Years of New York Yankees Baseball and The Dodgers: 120 Years of Dodgers Baseball. Widely regarded as first-rate baseball historians, the authors have appeared on NPR, ESPN, HBO, the History Channel, and numerous regional television and radio stations.

The ultimate gift for Red Sox fans. -- Publishers Weekly

A definitive look at Fenway's finest . . . Artistic, well researched, and elegant. -- Boston Globe

A grand slam. -- Boston Herald