Author Jon Pessah captures the pulse of the New York Yankees during their championship dynasty as seen through the eyes of Yogi Berra and his teammates. What's more, the viewpoints of opponents, along with enlightening snippets of reports from that era (1940s-60s), illuminate the narrative. Readers relive key hits and incredible pitching feats along the way.
Yogi’s devotion to his family and commitment to excellence are highlighted again and again. All of these themes are inspiring and revealing, helping unpeel the layers of myth surrounding Berra’s persona.
The definitive biography of Yogi Berra, the New York Yankees icon, winner of 13 World Series championships, and the most-quoted player in baseball history
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is at once one of America's best-loved and least known heroes. The Yankees' Everyman to Joe DiMaggio's Royalty, he is famous for winning titles--13 World Series championships--his leadership, and the superlative play that put him in the Hall of Fame. And his paradoxical quotes are nothing less than national touchstones. He is the quintessential American success story: a first generation immigrant from a poor but determined family who went on to become…
Brooklyn in the 1930s and '40s comes to life in this pulsating memoir that sets the stage for author Stan Fischler's legendary career as a sports journalist, especially covering the National Hockey League, and author. A masterful storyteller, Fischler is hilarious and smart and has a great memory, recounting corner candy stores and subway rides, his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers, and eccentric relatives and pals.
Descriptions of stickball games and every nook and cranny of his neighborhood and a fondness for a Gotham Toy Company-manufactured hockey game grab your attention, as do tales from his adventures and misadventures as a drummer in the big-band era. This is a page-turning gem.
The depth and breadth of Gay Talese's sportswriting are showcased in this exceptional collection of columns, features, and essays. What's more, his inquisitive nature and keen skills as an observer and listener enrich his reportage on baseball icon Joe DiMaggio and former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, among others, including famous and lesser-known teams and athletes, in the 1960s.
Later in life, as an accomplished journalist and best-selling author, Talese travels to Cuba in 1996 and writes the engrossing "Ali in Havana" feature for Esquire magazine. It's a masterful long-form report highlighting the sights and sounds of Havana, along with interactions between Muhammad Ali and Fidel Castro, and the aura of Ali at this stage of his unforgettable life. It's a fascinating character study.
One of America's most acclaimed writers and journalists, Gay Talese has been fascinated by sports throughout his life. At age fifteen he became a sports reporter for his Ocean City High School newspaper; four years later, as sports editor of the University of Alabama's Crimson-White, he began to employ devices more common in fiction, such as establishing a "scene" with minute details-a technique that would later make him famous. Later, as a sports reporter for the New York Times, Talese was drawn to individuals at poignant and vulnerable moments rather than to the spectacle of sports. Boxing held special appeal,…
From the early 1950s to the present day, Jerry Izenberg has written about championship teams and Olympic icons, baseball and football superstars, and boxing legends. Along the way, he became one of the best American sports columnists.
Izenberg talks about his close friendship with Muhammad Ali, about meeting Nelson Mandela at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and the one question he always wanted to ask Cuban leader Fidel Castro. He shares tales about newspaper mentors and colleagues, including Red Smith, Shirley Povich, Jim Murray, and Stanley Woodward. He reflects on racism and race relations in the 20th century through the prism of sports. He brings horse races from the 1970s to life, reminiscing about Secretariat and Canonero II.
