Willie Mays, James S. Hirsch
Willie Mays, James S. Hirsch
1 Rating(s)
List: $39.99 | Sale: $28.00
Club: $19.99

Willie Mays

Author: James S. Hirsch

Narrator: Adam Grupper

Unabridged: 27 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/08/2011


Synopsis

The New York Times bestselling, authorized, “enormously entertaining and wide-ranging” (The Seattle Times) biography of the late, great Willie Mays.

Willie Mays (1931–2024) was arguably the greatest player in baseball history, revered for the passion he brought to the game. He began as a teenager in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was the headliner in Major League Baseball’s bold expansion to California. He was a blend of power, speed, and stylistic bravado that enraptured fans for more than two decades. Author James Hirsch reveals the man behind the player.

Mays was a transcendent figure who received standing ovations in enemy stadiums and who, during the turbulent civil rights era, urged understanding and reconciliation. More than his records, his legacy is defined by the pure joy that he brought to fans and the loving memories that have been passed to future generations so they might know the magic and beauty of the game. With meticulous research and drawing on interviews with Mays himself as well as with close friends, family, and teammates, Hirsch presents a brilliant portrait of one of America’s most significant cultural icons.

About James S. Hirsch

James S. Hirsch is former reporter for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of four nonfiction books, including the New York Times bestseller. Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter, which was the basis for the film of the same name starring Denzel Washington. Hirsch is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has a master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. He lives in the Boston area with his wife, Sheryl, and their children, Amanda and Garrett. Born and raised in St. Louis, he remains a diehard Cardinal fan.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brian on January 26, 2018

I was even more impressed on my second read through. Hirsch seems to understand the contours of the character of Willie Mays as they carry him through different phases of his life. Hirsch also displays a particularly adept understanding of the times Willie Mays lived through and the ways in which hi......more

Goodreads review by HR-ML on March 06, 2024

I read this hardback while I had a home bout with COVID-19. I had to stop reading at some points, b/c of 'brain fog' & a reduced appetite. But I started reading again. The author interviewed 130 people who knew Willie, read newspaper/ magazine articles & saw document- aries about Willie. I gave this......more

Goodreads review by Barnabas on July 23, 2017

It's closer to 4.5 stars - a really excellent biography. Hirsch does a wonderful job balancing Mays the legendary ballplayer and Mays the enigmatic man. I never knew about the tensions Mays experienced throughout the civil rights era, and Hirsch lays out that story wonderfully as well. Mays always c......more

Goodreads review by Mary on May 30, 2013

I have always felt extremely lucky that I grew up during what is probably certain to be baseball's "golden age" - after World War II, but before television was widely available in most homes. In the summers, we played baseball all day in our neighborhood - boys and girls together - and then listened......more

Goodreads review by Dan on January 31, 2015

I’m of two minds concerning this book. The first is that it’s great and makes me a little sad. James Hirsch’s biography on Willie Mays captures the magic of mid 20th Century baseball. Pitchers pitched whole games, nobody had heard of steroids and games were an action packed two hours. People mostly h......more