Whispers of the Gods
Tales from Baseball’s Golden Age, Told by the Men Who Played It
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4.5 • 6 Ratings
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
"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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In his illustrious career, Peter Golenbock has produced some of baseball’s most seminal literature. Drawing on the countless hours of interviews he conducted for books like Bums and Dynasty, Golenbock brings us yet another treasured oral history. Opening his vault, he releases firsthand remembrances from a cross-section of baseball notables. Hall of Famers like Ted Williams and Roy Campanella are here, but so are lesser-known figures like Kirby Higbe and Rex Barney. Golenbock lets the echoes of the past speak for themselves, only chiming in to offer the littlest bit of historical context where it’s needed. It’s particularly fascinating to read the passages culled from his interviews with Jim Bouton and Jim Brosnan, two former players more famous for writing their own books. Whispers of the Gods is a treasure trove of stories from players who witnessed baseball’s history firsthand.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sportswriter Golenbock (Dynasty) 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.
