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Douglas Peterson

“Award Winning Novel: The Death and Resurrection of Baseball: Echoes from a Distant Past. What if baseball died from a second civil war?”

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About Me

William R. Douglas is a first-time novelist. After obtaining a Journalism Degree in 1980, his career took a turn down the road of Information Technology, working for well-known companies: Mindscape Software, Moore Business Forms, EDS (Electronic Data Systems), IBM, Sears, Walgreens, DELL, and currently The Boeing Company.

In his career, he was still able to enjoy writing, no matter if it was technical documentation, websites, newsletters, or other material. He lives an hour northwest of the City of Chicago in the City of McHenry, Illinois (population 27 thousand), with his wife Laurie and cat Peaches. 

They enjoy spending time with 6 kids and 8 grandkids and are very active in their local church.

In the fall of 2020, I finished writing my debut novel, The Death and Resurrection of Baseball. It was published in May of 2022.

The Death and Resurrection of Baseball: Echoes from a Distant Past, is getting great reviews for its unique Sports Fictionstoryline, and what-ifs:

  • What if a Second Civil War is the endpoint in the current trajectory of America's divisiveness?
  • What if early warning signs of baseball's popularity continue downward?
  • What if among the personal and cultural casualties of a Civil War IIbaseball was to die as a sport?

The Death and Resurrection of Baseball take those what-if propositions and transports the reader 140 years from now into the futuristic United States of America to the year 2166. A United States that is far from our current recognition.

In the year 2166, a post-Second Civil War United States of America is finally back on its feet. Among the countless personal and cultural casualties of the war, the sport of baseball has been dead for over a hundred years.12-year-old Joe Scott lives in the northern Illinois city of McHenry and goes exploring in the woods one day in a no man's land that a hundred years earlier was the site of the bloodiest battle of the Second Civil War. While there, he discovers a relic from the distant past, from before the war. It sparks a search for its meaning. Little does he know that the wheels of Providence have been unwittingly set in motion, leading to a stunning discovery in Dyersville, Iowa. This second discovery has a direct connection with the relic found in McHenry. As events unfold, Joe finds himself at the center of the rediscovery of the sport of baseball, long lost and forgotten by the ravages of time and the lingering aftereffects of the Second Civil War. With no living person having any first-hand knowledge of the game, can he figure out the pieces of the puzzle to resurrect the game of baseball? Will his friends take to the game? What will the adults think? The Death and Resurrection of Baseball will take you back to the happy days of your youth and your coming of age. The story will thrill you, move you, and make you think long and hard about where The United States of America is currently at, and where we could be headed. Baseball has always been a metaphor for America and has always brought Americans together. In The Death and Resurrection of Baseball, you will find its greatest strength, hope!

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Book review of The Death and Resurrection of Baseball

The Death and Resurrection of Baseball: Echoes From A Distant Past is a work of fiction in the sports and futuristic fiction subgenres. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author William R Douglas. We find ourselves in the year 2166, the not-too-distant future, but in a world far from our current recognition. A divisive America has suffered a deadly and severely bloody Second Civil War, which has resulted in many casualties, both in terms of people and in terms of culture. One such relic is the sport of baseball, now lost to history, until a discovery by a young boy that will spark echoes of a long-past time, and perhaps light a brighter path for the country’s future. Author William R Douglas uses the camaraderie, tradition, excitement, and enthusiasm around the sport of baseball to create an excellent metaphor in this novel, which seeks to heal a broken and divided country. One of the things I especially enjoyed about the work was its dialogue and narrative quality, which is evocative of a very different future world, but also harks back in the right places to nostalgic moments and the parlance of days gone by. Connecting the past and this imagining of the future gives readers insight into the major problems of the present world, whilst also delivering a classic story with suspense, action, intrigue, and, perhaps most importantly, hope. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend The Death and Resurrection of Baseball to fans of fascinating fiction everywhere.

The Death and Resurrection of Baseball

Buy on AMAZON! https://www.amazon.com/DEATH-RESURRECTION-BASEBALL-ECHOES-DISTANT/dp/B09YLN3LXF/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1661570780&sr=8-1Buy a...

The Death and Resurrection of Baseball - 2023 - Finalist

"A gentler than typical entry in the post-apocalyptic canon, Douglas' novel opens with a classic cinematic set-up. It's one straight out of Spielberg's oeuvre..." - gagaoverbooks.com In the year 2166, baseball is just a distant memory, lost to history in the aftermath of a devastating second American Civil War a hundred years earlier. But, when Joe Scott, a curious 12-year-old boy stumbles upon a relic from the distant past, from before the war, it sparks a search for its meaning. Little does he know that the wheels of Providence have been unwittingly set in motion that leads him on an epic quest of adventure and discovery. Full of heart, and a deep love of the game, The Death and Resurrection of Baseball is a thrilling tale of perseverance and triumph against all odds. Join Joe Scott, his family, and friends on their journey to rediscover the magic of baseball and prove that some traditions are worth preserving, no matter how far out into the future we go. Order your copy now! What others are saying: "Connecting the past and this imagining of the future gives readers insight into the major problems of the present world, whilst also delivering a classic story with suspense, action, intrigue, and, perhaps most importantly, hope" - K.C. Finn, Readers Favorite (Five-Star Review) "The epicness of this tale, and the sheer creativity of Douglas, is enough to make you overlook the fact that every character is nearly flawless and awash in politeness. But maybe that's part of what makes this feel-good story work." - Michael Popke, Award-Winning Journalist. "This was my first Kindle book, and I picked an excellent book to start Kindle reading with. I liked it so well I got it for a Christmas gift for one of my nephews." - Don Wardlow, Retired Baseball Radio Broadcaster" "The last chapters gave me some of the most intense “goosebumps” feelings’s I’ve had....the book may give some, some of the highest levels of hope that any of us Americans have had in recent

The Death and Resurrection of Baseball;

Author website for William R. Douglas and his groundbreaking debut novel.

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