Nolan, Tim Brown
Nolan, Tim Brown
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

Nolan
The Singular Life of an American Original

Author: Tim Brown

Narrator: Jim Seybert

Unabridged: 11 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/19/2026


Synopsis

The definitive biography of Nolan Ryan, arguably the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball, from New York Times bestselling sportswriter Tim Brown. 

Nolan Ryan was the hero to two of America’s biggest institutions: Texas and baseball. Nolan is an exploration of God, family, baseball, and America—and a tribute to one of the greatest pitchers to ever step on the mound. He grew up in the small, hard town of Alvin, Texas, was graced with a fastball, and fell in love with a woman named Ruth, then honored all three in his pursuit of hardball perfection. 

Alongside Nolan’s personal story, renowned sportswriter Tim Brown offers a thoughtful, deeply researched history of baseball in the Lone Star State, and an unforgettable account of three glorious decades in the Major Leagues.   

Nolan Ryan’s story is about dominating on the field, then growing old in the game, then just plain growing old. It's about the man who has become a symbol of the game at its best, the way it used to be. It’s about deeds over words. About cattle matching the hat. About fastballs over all else.   

Nolan makes the case that there has never been another like him. And there won’t be again.

About Tim Brown

Tim Brown is one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play in the National Football League. Notre Dame's Heisman Trophy winner in 1987, and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, Tim played  sixteen seasons for the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders, earning nine Pro Bowl selections and setting numerous team and league records. He has served as a television analyst for Fox Sports, NBC, ESPN, and Sirius XM Satellite radio, and devotes his time and efforts to numerous charitable causes.
 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Bookreporter.com on May 24, 2026

Being able to watch videos of the baseball heroes of my youth from the 1960s and ’70s makes it hard for me to reconcile that they are now old men, and, by extension, so am I. Some, like 90-year-old Sandy Koufax, look like they still could sneak one by the hitter. But unlike Koufax, who retired at th......more

Goodreads review by Ryan on March 05, 2026

Nolan: The Singular Life of an American Original Tim Brown Advanced Reader copy from Net Galley. Thanks Grand Central Publishing I absolutely loved this deep dive into the man, the myth, the legend: Nolan Ryan. What you see is what you get with Nolan. A fierce competitor, a student of the game of bas......more

Goodreads review by Sue on May 17, 2026

This is a good biography of pitching legend, Nolan Ryan. The author is a gifted writer, and he delves into Ryan’s character and the people and places that either shaped that character or demonstrates it. While it is filled with baseball statistics and stories, it also gives a strong sense of who the......more

Goodreads review by John on May 20, 2026

A baseball biography the way it should be written... rather than a season-by-season recitation of Nolan Ryan's career, it's an effort to understand the lasting impact of one of the most unique talents in the sport's history. There is an effort to offer Ryan up as one of those manly men from a time w......more


Quotes

PRAISE FOR THE TAO OF THE BACKUP CATCHER

"If God is in the details, then what Tim Brown has done with the story of Eric Kratz is divine"—Mark Kriegel, author of Pistol

“Lend Tim Brown’s inimitable voice to a sporting subculture overflowing with personality, mix in Erik Kratz’s tale of perseverance and what blossoms is magic. This isn’t just a story about baseball. It’s about life and the beauty of knowing and accepting who you are.”—Jeff Passan, ESPN

"Tim Brown and Erik Kratz have my everlasting gratitude for this exquisite reminder of what baseball—and baseball writing—was like before velo, and rpms, and launch angles and barrels, and $43.3 million dollar annual salaries changed the conversation and the game became a discussion about everything other than people. This ode to the backup catcher with grit beneath his fingernails and grit within his soul is a must read."—Jane Leavy, author of national bestsellers The Last Boy and The Big Fella

"A refreshing and inspiring baseball story that will resonate with the 99 percent who never make it big. It will likely enlighten and inspire baseball players and non-athletes alike into learning that greater joy can come from serving others instead of just being served.”—Library Journal, starred review