Memorial Day honors U.S. military service members who died while serving the country.
Historians Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith, co-authors of "War Fever: Boston, Baseball, and America in the Shadow of the Great War," examine a period when war reshaped American life.
Their book focuses on the fall of 1918, when Americans faced the overlapping forces of World War I, a deadly influenza pandemic and sweeping social change. Through stories that range from baseball to politics and public life, the authors argue that those events helped redefine the country.
In 1918, America found itself at a transformative crossroads. As World War I reached its climax, a deadly influenza pandemic swept across the country and a young pitcher named Babe Ruth began changing baseball.
Roberts and Smith describe the period as a "braided narrative" of personal stories that reflect the American experience.
At the center was Ruth's transition from standout left-handed pitcher to one of baseball's biggest stars. With rosters depleted by the military draft, Ruth had more opportunities to hit, helping change the way the game was played.
“Writers portrayed him as a symbol of American manpower," Smith said. "They made these connections between Ruth's power at the plate and the manpower on the Western Front that was going to win this war.”
Yet while Ruth's reputation grew, others fell under the weight of what the authors describe as "war fever."
Karl Muck, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, became a target of anti-German sentiment and government scrutiny. Despite no evidence of espionage, he was eventually sent to an internment camp.
Charles Whittlesey, leader of the "Lost Battalion," also became caught up in the era's intense nationalism. Though celebrated as a war hero, Roberts said the attention and pressure that followed ultimately took a heavy toll.
Roberts said dissent during the war often carried consequences.
"If you opposed the war, you were in trouble," he said. "If it was believed you opposed the war, you were in trouble."
As the 1918 World Series unfolded in Boston, a more deadly wave of influenza spread through the city.
The convergence of war, disease and social change helped shape a new American identity during a turbulent period in the nation's history.
Guests
- Randy Roberts, historian and co-author of "War Fever"
- Johnny Smith, historian and co-author of "War Fever"
