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Whispers of the Gods: Tales from Baseball’s Golden Age, Told by the Men Who Played It Spiral-Bound | March 15, 2022

Peter Golenbock, John Thorne (Foreword by)

★★★★☆+ from 101 to 500 ratings

$40.59 - Free Shipping
"Anyone who has love for the game of baseball will enjoy this remarkable book." Library Journal, Starred Review. Like the classic The Glory of Their Times, this book is based on 100s of hours of interviews with the likes of Roy Campanella, Ted Williams, Phil Rizzuto, Jim Bouton, Stan Musial, and more baseball greats from the 1940s, '50s, and '60s.

"Anyone who has love for the game of baseball will enjoy this remarkable book." Library Journal, Starred Review In Whispers of the Gods, bestselling author Peter Golenbock brings to life baseball greats from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s through timeless stories told straight from the players themselves. Like the enduring classic The Glory of Their Times, this book features the reminiscences of baseball legends, pulled from hundreds of hours of taped interviews with the author. Roy Campanella talks about life in the Negro Leagues before coming up to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ted Williams recounts why he believes Shoeless Joe Jackson belongs in the Hall of Fame. Tom Sturdivant provides vivid memories of Casey Stengel, Mickey Mantle, and other Yankee icons. Other voices include Phil Rizzuto, Jim Bouton, Monte Irvin, Stan Musial, Ron Santo, Rex Barney, Ellis Clary, Roger Maris, Ed Froelich, Marty Marion, Jim Brosnan, Gene Conley, and Kirby Higbe. The players interviewed were All-Stars, Hall of Famers, and heroes to many, and their impact on the national pastime is still seen to this day. Baseball history comes alive through the stories shared in Whispers of the Gods, offering a fascinating account of the golden age of baseball.
Publisher: National Book Network
Original Binding: Hardcover with dust jacket
Pages: 216 pages
ISBN-10: 1538154870
Item Weight: 0.9 lbs
Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.8 x 9.3 inches
Customer Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars 101 to 500 ratings
Sportswriter Golenbock delivers a fascinating oral history of Major League Baseball in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, as witnessed by legendary players. Drawing on intimate interviews with stars such as Stan Musial—and others whom, like Roger Maris, spoke about their experiences for the first time—Golenbock pieces together an on-the-field look into historic developments that unfolded over those three decades. Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier in 1947 is related from the vantage point of former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Rex Barney, who speaks of the outrage the Black infielder faced by both teammates and opponents (“A lot of players on other teams wanted to strike”). The late Boston Red Sox player Ted Williams offers a maverick take on Shoeless Joe Jackson’s role in the Black Sox scandal, arguing that Jackson’s part in throwing the 1919 World Series wasn’t so simple, and that his achievements still warrant an inclusion in the Hall of Fame. Equally engrossing are the rags-to-riches tales of such players as late Hall of Famer Roy Campanella, who rose from his impoverished childhood to become “one of the greatest catchers in the history of the game.” Sports fans will be captivated. -Publishers Weekly
Peter Golenbock has written more than sixty books, including ten New York Times best sellers. His best-selling books on baseball include Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964;The Bronx Zoo (with Sparky Lyle); Bums: An Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers; Balls (with Graig Nettles); Amazin’: The Miraculous History of New York’s Most Beloved Baseball Team; and Idiot: Beating “The Curse” and Enjoying the Game of Life (with Johnny Damon). He resides in St. Petersburg, FL.