Willie Mays

The Life, The Legend

By: James S. Hirsch

Narrated by: Adam Grupper

Willie Mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still 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. Now. 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.

©2011 James S. Hirsch (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Willie Mays had everything--except a first-rate biography. That omission has now been addressed by James S. Hirsch, who has produced a piece of artistry worhty of Mays in center field." (Bloomberg.com)

"James Hirsch has written an enormously entertaining and wide-ranging biography - a fitting tribute to Mays... and a thoughtful account of the complex and often misunderstood man.... True baseball fans will delight in the author's edge-of-seat game reports and picture-perfect descriptions of Mays' superlative talents.... This is a superb baseball book, but it's also a riveting narrative of Mays' life and times." ( Seattle Times)

"A terrific new biography... [an] always engaging and enlightening book... A wonderful introduction to the magical life of one of the finest athletes ever." ( San Francisco Chronicle)

if you are a giants fan a must read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

only if they like baseball

Who was your favorite character and why?

Willie

Which scene was your favorite?

Polo grounds

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

yes

Any additional comments?

I grew up in the bay area so I am biased

even if you don’t like baseball...

... but if you do, this chock full of amazing tidbits, as well as a complete story of of one of the US great athletes. They sugar coat very little, and we get the inside baseball (pun intended) on stories you know.

Fascinating

Definitely worth the time to listen to the whole thing! He had his ups and downs, but he was a great man.

Great book

Loved every second of the story of my all time favorite. Made me love Willie more

I love the Willie Mays story!

Willie Mays is the greatest baseball player of all time! And not only that, but a good man too.

Ruined by terrible narration

It’s a good and solid retelling of the great May’s life., unfortunately it’s marred by a goofy narrator who, ostensibly, doesn’t know diddly about baseball and can’t pronounce famous players names like Marichal and Cepeda or, as he calls them - Jim BOOTIN and Tom HOLLER. It’s maddening and will make real fans nuts. Further, it’s publicized as having an interview with the ads Hey Kid but it’s not on this spoken version of the book. I wished I’d simply gotten the book and read it myself.

More than a baseball book

Hear about the Civil Rights movement and life lessons through the life of the greatest baseball player of all time, Willie Mays.

Willie Mays Review

Great audiobook. Willie was one of my baseball heroes. I learned a lot about him that I never knew before. Phenomenal ballpark AND human being. I saw him at an all-star game at D.C. Stadium a long time ago. A true gentleman.

If You Love Baseball... Learn about Willie

I have dedicated much of my time to listening to audible's great selection of baseball audiobooks. I have come to notice that when it comes to player biographies this is the style I enjoy the most. I know that sports writers do not like to post the players box scores in their books and want to go deeper, but Willie Mays has books written about him because he may be the greatest baseball player of all time. This book along with The Kid about Ted Williams finds a great balance of telling stories about the man and his life, and actually making you understand what the ballplayer did day in and day out. I love the detail, I love going season by season through Willie May's experience. I love getting to hear about the great World Series this Giant of the game played in. It is the next best thing to getting to watch Willie Mays play ball throughout his career which I did not have the opportunity to do. I also want to mention that with all the great game by game accounts, this book goes deep into the issues Willie went through in his personal life. The way he was perceived as a high profile African American man in a time when that was especially difficult. This is a well rounded book it fits the term comprehensive,and I am really glad I learned about Willie Mays.

G re eat baseball history about a great player

This is a well writen book about,one of the greatest player to put on a uniform