Three Nights in August, by Buzz Bissinger is easily the most in depth and technical look into baseball that I have ever read. Bissinger, the author of Friday Night Lights gives us full access into the clubhouse of the Saint Louis Cardinals for the 2003 season, and then highlights a three game series against the Chicago Cubs. We don’t see the series from the standard perspective of a fan, instead we see it through the mind of Tony LaRussa, one of the best, if not the best, managers in Major League Baseball.

I always thought I knew a pretty good deal about baseball strategy and how the mind of a manager works. Just off this simple look that I’m sure doesn’t even begin to describe every detail LaRussa thinks about, I know that I know next to nothing. The strategy I think of is simplified to almost a first grade level. LaRussa’s expertise is great to help me realize my lack of knowledge.

The book sometimes gets slightly confusing because of the depth of decisions that LaRussa has to make. It allows readers to see the differences in the way to treat rookies and veterans. How to treat players who are sulking because of lack of playing time, and how to deal with players who seem like they simply don’t care. All of these minor details that most averages fans don’t pay attention to have to be addressed by LaRussa.

Because Bissinger had unrestricted access to every part of the Cardinals organization throughout the year, he was able to tell us what really happens. He followed up most of LaRussa’s decisions with anecdotes, which provided further explanation as to why LaRussa was doing what he was doing. Taken individually these stories didn’t mean much, but LaRussa pieces them all together as the logic behind his actions.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is a big baseball fan and is looking to further their knowledge. If someone who was just an avid fan of the game picked this up, it would probably overwhelm them. It requires a respect of the game, of LaRussa, of the players, and of the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry to truly understand this book. Even then, there are still a lot of things that are hard to grasp. The book is an insight into one of the best minds in baseball, a mind that learned from even better, the likes of Sparky Anderson and Bill Veeck, along with countless other baseball greats. 3 Nights in August is the best baseball book I have ever read, and would be a great read for all other baseball fans looking to gain further understanding into our national past time.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5