New Releases by Peter Golenbock

“With its personal feel and near-mystical quality, this highly recommended work will mesmerize baseball lovers and casual fans.” Library Journal, Starred Review A behind-the-scenes look at baseball history, as told through timeless interviews with major leaguers For fifty years, bestselling author Peter Golenbock has been interviewing some of the most fascinating figures in baseball. Their conversations are a journey back in time to the days of Ruth and Gehrig, Gehringer and Greenberg, Robinson and Reese, and Howard and Mantle, as they reflect on the sport’s greatest moments and biggest issues. In Baseball Heaven, Golenbock brings together for the first time the most historic and captivating of these conversations. The stories range from Elden Auker remembering the day Lou Gehrig told him he was sick to Albert Happy Chandler reflecting on his decision to allow Jackie Robinson into the big leagues, from Ralph Branca discussing the home run he gave up that cost the Dodgers the pennant to Del Webb talking about why he hired Casey Stengel and why he fired him. Baseball Heaven is baseball history at its very best. It pulls back the curtain on the major leagues to reveal inside stories, intimate reminiscences, and the friendships and rivalries that make baseball America’s Game.

"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.

A frank and often hilarious account of the baseball life from one of the game’s great iconoclasts. “…the most entertaining baseball book of the year!” —Baseball Almanac From his first year in Rookie ball, when Tommy Lasorda ordered him to send a letter to the Dodgers’ starting shortstop informing him that he should retire early to make way for the young phenom, to appearing in disguise in the Mets’ dugout following an ejection, Bobby Valentine was a lightning rod for mischievous controversy, grabbing headlines wherever he went. Mavericks are seldom welcomed to upset the status quo, and Major League Baseball was no exception. In astonishing detail, Bobby Valentine reflects on the many remarkable moments that comprised his playing and managerial careers. From his wild times as a player in the early seventies, to his transition to coaching with the Mets after a catastrophic injury derailed his playing days; from managing the Texas Rangers in 1985, where he employed sabermetrics and witnessed the beginning of the steroid era, to his iconic stretch at Shea Stadium, when he led the Mets to the 2000 World Series while battling a dysfunctional front office and ownership; from his beloved time in Japan managing the Chiba Lotte Marines, who won the Japan Series, to the absolute disaster of a season in Boston, where he was greeted by a toxic clubhouse and fractured organization. Readers will be intrigued by his off-the-field exploits as well, from his early years as an international ballroom dancing champion to his post-playing days where he may have invented the wrap sandwich and the modern sports bar. Valentine has consistently overcome adversity and reinvented himself, regardless of the playing field. Along the way, he shares stories and insights on memorable moments and iconic personalities, including Nolan Ryan, Ichiro Suzuki, Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, Tom Seaver, Joe Torre, George Steinbrenner, Dustin Pedroia, and David Ortiz. Valentine’s Way is a riveting look back on forty years of baseball, written with a novelist’s mind and a journalist’s memory, and in collaboration with legendary baseball author Peter Golenbock. A once-in-a-generation book that leaves no great story untold, this is an invaluable document for anyone wondering what it’s really like to play and work in the rarified world of Major League Baseball.

Donald Trump is eroding the rule of law! We''ve heard it said many times, and we can feel it in our guts. But what does "rule of law" really mean? And what happens when it breaks down? From Richard Painter, a senate candidate and law professor who served as White House chief ethics counsel under President George W. Bush, and New York Times bestselling author Peter Golenbock, American Nero is an in-depth exploration the rule of law—the legal bedrock on which this country was founded. Painter and Golenbock present a clear description of rule of law—arguably the single most important principle underlying our civilization. They also describe the abuses of power that have occurred throughout our nation''s history. Beginning in Puritan New England with the infamous Salem Witch Trials, American Nero makes vivid stops at The Red Scare of the 1920s, Japanese-American internment, the McCarthy Era, and, much more recently, President Trump''s attempt to violate the First Amendment by banning Muslims from entering the US. While Trump is not the first offender, he is arguably the most blatant, and this unflinchingly honest and insightful work presents in devastating detail the ways in which our current president has trampled the rule of law with his attacks on the freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary, and the autonomy of the justice department. This is not a book about right vs. left —instead, it is about the rule of law, a principle that transcends partisan politics, and how vital it is to the survival of our country. This book serves as a call-to-action, looking ahead to a brighter future for our country, one where citizens and officials alike protect our rights and honor their responsibilities. Timely and revealing, American Nero shares the lessons of history and lays the framework for returning to a society that respects the rule of law—an America that is consistent with our Founding Fathers'' vision of a genuinely free nation.

Bestselling sportswriter Peter Golenbock knew Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Jim Bouton, Joe Pepitone, and many of Mantle’s friends, family, and teammates. While Mickey was a good person at heart, he had a dark side that went far beyond his well-known alcoholism and infidelities. In this fictional portrait, Mickey--now in heaven--realizes that he’s carrying a huge weight on his shoulders, as he did throughout his life. He needs to unburden himself of all the horrible things he did and understand for himself why he did them. He wants to make amends to the people he hurt, especially those dear to him; the fans he ignored and alienated; and the public who made him into a hero. Mickey never felt he deserved the adulation, could never live up to it, and tried his damnedest to prove it to everyone. The fact that he was human made the public love him that much more. Through the recounting of his exploits on and off the field, some of them side-splittingly hilarious, some disturbing, and others that will make your head shake in sympathy, Mickey comes clean in this novel in the way he never could in real life. 7: The Mickey Mantle Novel puts you inside the locker room and bedroom with an American Icon every bit as flawed and human as we are.

Revised edition of: Fenway. New York: G.P. Putnam''s Sons, c1992.

The Chairman, a Shakespearean tale of friendship and betrayal that rivals that of Hamlet, is the harrowing story of Jim Greer, a man loyal to a fault to Florida Governor Charlie Crist, his benefactor. Greer trusts Crist to protect him from the onslaught of the Tea Party wing of the party, only to watch as Crist stabs him in the back and helps send him to prison in order to try to save his own political career. It’s also a political tell-all, the truth about how wealth begets power in Republican-led state politics. The book details the secret deals, the dirty pool, the payoffs. It’s also very personal, an inside look at the brotherly relationship between Greer and Crist, the ruthlessness of potential Presidential candidate Marco Rubio and attorney general Bill McCollum, as well as at every turn political treachery.

Baseball, addiction, and recovery are chronicled in this story of a gifted athlete who almost had it all.

The incredible memoir from the man voted one of the “Best Umpires of All Time” by the Society of American Baseball Research—filled with more than three decades of fascinating baseball stories. In the pageantry of baseball, one select group is virtually unknown in the outside world, derided by fans, faced with split-second choices that spell victory or defeat. These men are up-close observers of the action, privy to inside jokes, blood feuds, benches-clearing brawls, and managers’ expletive-filled tirades. In this wonderful memoir, Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey takes us within baseball as you’ve never seen it, with unforgettable inside stories of baseball greats such as Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, and Whitey Herzog. Doug Harvey was a California farm boy, a high school athlete who nevertheless knew that what he really wanted was to become an unsung hero—a major league umpire. Working his way through the minor leagues, earning three hundred dollars a month, he survived just about everything, even riots in stadiums in Puerto Rico. And while players and other umps hit the bars at night, Harvey memorized the rule book. In 1962, he broke into the bigs and was soon listening to rookie Pete Rose worrying that he would be cut by the Reds and laying down the law with managers such as Tommy Lasorda and Joe Torre. This colorful memoir takes the reader behind the plate for some of baseball’s most memorable moments, including: · Roberto Clemente’s three thousandth and final hit · The “I don’t believe what I just saw” heroic three-and-two pinch-hit home run by Kirk Gibson in the ’88 World Series · The nail-biting excitement of the close-fought ’68 World Series, when Doug called St. Louis Cardinal Lou Brock out at home plate and turned the trajectory of the series But beyond the drama, Harvey turned umpiring into an art. He was a man so respected, whose calls were so feared and infallible, that the players called him God. And through it all, he lived by three rules: never take anything from a player, never back down from a call, and never carry a grudge. A book for anyone who loves baseball, They Called Me God is a funny and fascinating tale of on- and off-the-field action, peopled by unforgettable characters from Bob Gibson to Nolan Ryan, and a treatise on good umpiring techniques. In a memoir that transcends sport, Doug Harvey tells a gripping story of responsibility, fairness, and honesty.

Written in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Peter Golenbock, Larry Lawton''s true-life story is a Hollywood producer''s dream. Larry and Peter show the world a life of a straightforward, no excuses man who refused to let a broken system keep him down. Think Goodfellas, only better. Gangster Redemption tracks Larry''s life growing up in the Bronx, his connection to organized crime, and how he went on to steal over 15 million dollars in jewels, ultimately landing himself in one of America''s most brutal maximum-security prisons where he was exposed to unbelievable torture. Through reading this book, readers will discover: a vivid account of Larry''s crimes and how he managed to evade law enforcement and the FBI for nearly six years a secret life of corruption the truth about prison life, what is lost, how to avoid and dissolve bad associations, and how to turn ones life around how Larry developed the #1 program in the country designed to steer teens away from a life of crime Lawton''s Reality Check Program is nationally recognized and used by judges, law enforcement, government officials, attorneys, and parents all over the country. It has kept thousands of teens and young adults from going to prison. His success rate is incredible and well documented. So is Larry Lawton''s story.

America''s favorite pasttime from A to Z. From young to old, new to tried-and-true, here is the baseball book for every fan. With one or more baseball-related terms for each letter arranged in alphabetic order, accompanied by a stirring illustration, this gorgeous compendium celebrates America''s game. Large paintings of scenes alternate with scrapbook-style pages. Facts, figures, faces, lists, and other information comprise an additional resource in the back of the book. As contemporary as today''s sports page and as nostalgic as an old baseball card, this is an alphabet book for kids, their parents and grandparents that can be used all through the year.

No metropolis in America has more pure baseball spirit than St. Louis, Missouri. It''s a love affair that began in 1874, when a band of local boosters raised $20,000 to start a professional ball club, and the honeymoon still isn''t over. Now Peter Golenbock, the bestselling author and master of baseball oral history, has written another remarkable saga enriched by extensive and incomparable remembrances from the scores of players, managers, and executives who lived it. These pages capture the voices of Branch Rickey on George Sisler. Rogers Hornsby and his creation of the farm system. Hornsby on Grover Cleveland Alexander -- and Alexander on Hornsby. Dizzy Dean on -- who else? -- Dizzy Dean. And so many others including "The Man" himself, Stan Musial; Eldon Auker, Ellis Clary, Denny Galehouse, and Don Gutteridge on the 1940s Browns; Brooks Lawrence, the second man to cross the Cardinals'' color line; Jim Bronsnan, the first man to break the players'' "code of silence"; Tommy Herr, Darrell Porter, and Joe McGrane on Whitey Herzog''s Cardinals; and Cardinal owner Bill DeWitt, Jr., on the team today.

Baseball has a rich history-and a treasure trove of books, magazines, and newspaper accounts celebrating (or lamenting) what went down on the diamond. And some of the most amazing games happened when fall arrived and the boys of summer played for the championship. During those two weeks in October (now November), time stood still. Nothing else mattered. This anthology captures the best of times and the worst of times as teams battled for the glory-and will bring back memories to all who cherish Americas national sport. On these pages, youll find: o Casey Stengels inside-the-park home run 1923-Robert W. Creamer o Babe Ruths Called Shot 1932-Leigh Montville o The Catch: Willie Mays and Vic Wertz 1954-Arnold Hano o Dustys Moment, 1954 World Series-Stephen Jay Gould o Jackie Robinson Steals Home 1955-Carl Erskine o Dodgers Win 1955 (Sandy Amoros catch)-Tom Oliphant o Don Larsens Perfect Game 1956-Don Larsen o Mazeroskis Home Run Yankees vs. Pirates 1960-Lester J. Biederman o 1986 Mets vs. Red Sox-Roger Angell o St. Louis Cardinals 1964-David Halberstam o World Series cancelled 1994-Jack Curry o Cleveland/Atlanta series 1995-Tom Verducci

From the earliest days of the sport, when Humpy often used his fists to keep order, to NASCAR''s transition to a multi-billion-dollar business, Humpy''s life has paralleled American stock car racing.

In this definitive history, bestselling journalist Golenbock focuses on a particularly dominant period of the Yankees'' past, when the Bronx Bombers won nine World Series titles on the strengths of such Hall of Famers as DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, and Ford. Includes interviews of players and coaches, vintage photos, and a new introduction.

Dear Baseball Fan: I know what you’re thinking: Couldn’t he have come up with a better title? My mother agrees with you, but unfortunately Genius just doesn’t have the same ring. Let’s get something straight right away. I may be an idiot, but I’ve tried to do more in this book than just revisit the Red Sox’s Miracle Season. I want to give you a sense of what it’s like to grow up with baseball dreams, to spend long years climbing the ladder, and then over the course of three years to see the building blocks of those dreams fall into place. In this book, you’ll be reading about the son of an Army staff sergeant—a thrill-seeking Orlando kid who at age thirteen was gifted with a man’s body, including rare speed and reflexes. It was some straight talk from my brother that kept me from abandoning that talent, which led to my eventually catching on with the Kansas City Royals and later the Oakland A’s. Starting in 2002 with the Red Sox, I got to see what can happen when a determined front office decides to roll the dice and acquire players who, like me, leave the thinking out of it—who trust their instincts and play team baseball. Forget what you’ve read about the posse of long-haired rebels who eventually made up the 2004 Red Sox. I''ll give you the straight dope, including who''s got the biggest mouth (hint: his first name is Kevin); what Pedro Martinez was doing all those times when you couldn’t find him on the bench; what game David Ortiz should never play; and why I sometimes question Curt Schilling’s sanity. Memo to Curt: the statue of you is being erected. What’s it like being responsible for the hopes of millions? In the fall of 2004 my teammates and I got to find out. What I’ve tried to do in these pages is bring you inside, show you the black humor that erupted when it seemed we could do nothing right, and the immense joy that followed when 25 guys took turns picking each other up, and by sheer force of will reached baseball’s summit. Red Sox Nation (both natives and new arrivals), this one’s for you. —Johnny Damon, #18

It''s been over 50 years since they moved to Los Angeles, but the Brooklyn Dodgers remain ingrained in the fabric of our national pastime. Golenbock''s oral history of these "lovable losers" tells the team''s tale through the words of Pee Wee Reese, Leo Durocher, Duke Snider, and other Brooklyn greats.

The biography of one of the most controversial figures in sports: New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner For 34 years, he berated his players and tormented Yankees managers and employees. He played fast and loose with the rules, and twice could have gone to jail. He was banned from baseball for life—but was allowed back in the game. Yet George Steinbrenner also built the New York Yankees from a mediocre team into the greatest sports franchise in America. The Yankees won ten pennants and six World Series during his tenure. Now acclaimed sportswriter and New York Times bestselling author Peter Golenbock tells the fascinating story of "The Boss," from his Midwestern childhood through his decades-long ownership of the Yankees–the longest in the team''s history. Draws on more than a hundred interviews with those who have known George Steinbrenner throughout his life to tell the complete story of "The Boss" and his long tenure as owner of the New York Yankees Gets inside Steinbrenner’s countless manager hirings and firings, from Billy Martin to Joe Torre; the legendary feuds and hard feelings involving famous figures such as Yogi Berra and Dave Winfield; and the ever-spiraling players'' salaries Covers the astute business deals that transformed the Yankees from a $10 million franchise into a powerhouse worth over $1 billion today Written by Peter Golenbock, one of the nation''s best-known sports authors and the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including Number 1 with Billy Martin and The Bronx Zoo with Sparky Lyle Packed with drama, insight, and fascinating front-office details, George is essential reading for baseball fans and anyone who loves a terrific story well told.

One of every seven people in the United States can trace their family back to Brooklyn, New York—all seventy-one square miles of it; home to millions of people from every corner of the globe over the last 150 years. Now Peter Golenbock, the author of the acclaimed book Bums: An Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers, returns to Kings County to collect the firsthand stories of the life and times of the people of Brooklyn—and how they changed the world. The nostalgic myth that is Brooklyn is all about egg creams and stickball, and, of course, the Dodgers. The Dodgers left fifty years ago, but Brooklyn is still here—transformed by waves of suburban flight, new immigrants, urban homesteaders, and gentrification. Deep down, Brooklyn has always been about new ideas—freedom and tolerance paramount among them—that have changed the world, all the way back to Lady Deborah Moody, who escaped religious persecution in both Old and New England, and founded Coney Island and the town of Gravesend in the 1600s. So why was Jackie Robinson embraced by Brooklynites of all colors, and so despised everywhere else? Why was Brooklyn one of the first urban areas to decay into slums—and one of the first to be reborn? And what was it that made Brooklynites fight for their rights, for their country, for their ideas—sometimes to the detriment of their own well-being? In the Country of Brooklyn, filled with rare photos, is history at its very best—engaging, personal, fascinating—a social history and a history of social justice; an oral history of a land and its people spanning the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; a microcosm of how Americans there faced and defeated discrimination, oppression, and unjust laws, and fought for what was right. And the voices and stories are as amazing as they are varied. Meet: Daily Worker sportswriter Lester Rodney • rock and roll DJ "Cousin Brucie" Morrow • labor leader Henry Foner • Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa • journalist and author Pete Hamill • Black Panther–turned-politician Charles Barron • Hall of Fame baseball player Monte Irvin • Spanish Civil War veteran Abe Smorodin • borough president Marty Markowitz • real estate developer Joseph Sitt • jujitsu world champion Robert Crosson • songwriter Neil Sedaka • NYPD officer John Mackie • ACLU president Ira Glasser • and many others! It''s Brooklyn as we''ve never seen it before, a place of social activism, political energy, and creative thinking—a place whose vitality has spread around the world for more than 350 years. And a place where you can still get a decent egg cream.

Sparing no detail, no name, and no ego, Curtis pens the true record of his life with humor and grace. Some like it hot, and they will not be disappointed.

For celebrated sportswriter Peter Golenbock,Wrigleyville is a symbol of America''s fidelity to its greatest sport. As he did with classics of sports literature, Bums (a history of the Brooklyn Dodgers) and Dynasty (a history of the New York Yankees), Golenbock turns to a team that has won and broken the hearts of generations of fans; the Chicago Cubs. Utilizing dozens of personal interviews with players, coaches, fans, sportswriters, and clubhouse personnel, as well as out-of-print memoirs by nineteenth-century players, Peter Golenbock has created a perfect gift for every baseball fan: a book that entertains, warms the heart, and touches the soul. This updated edition includes material on Harry Caray''s death, the magical seasons of Sammy Sosa and Kerry Wood, and the Cubs'' 1998 playoff dive.

Presents an overview of the history of the NFL''s Dallas Cowboy football team under coach Tom Landry, providing interviews and first-hand accounts from players, coaches, and front-office personal who created the Cowboy''s legacy.

A biography of the Hall of Fame baseball player who broke Babe Ruth''s career home run record.

The heart and soul of NASCAR is bared in this collection of stories from people intimately involved in stock car racing. Best-selling author Peter Golenbock interviewed a wide range of known and not-so-well-known players in the NASCAR game, ranging from the feisty female racer from the 1950s, Louise Smith, to the legendary champion Fred Lorenzen and announcer Benny Parsons. Golenbock draws incredible stories from these people, and has assembled a collection of stories that tells the tale of not only NASCAR''s transformation from a regional backwater sport to an empire, but also brings to light new twists on the most dramatic stories of the sport. Golenbock''s interviews pull out the human side of the men and women of racing, offering an intimate glimpse of life on and off the track.

Examines one of baseball''s most interesting and frustrating franchises, the New York Mets, drawing on interviews with players, coaches, sportswriters, fans, and others to chronicle the history of the team from 1962 to the present.

The life story of Phil Esposito, Hall of Fame hockey player who was leader of the 1972 Team Canada team, and later founded the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey club.

Go Gators! takes the reader through every milestone of this legendary team, from their humble origins through their gradual rise to perennial New Years Day bowl-game contestants. Widely considered to be one of the dean of sportswriters, Peter Golenbock has authored six New York Times bestsellers including The Bronx Zoo, Personal Fouls, and Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes. 30 black-and-white photos and first-time interviews with over 60 Gators who played between 1946 and 2001 are offered.

With five bestsellers to his name, Peter Golenbock has earned a reputation as one of America''s best and most successful sports authors. In American Zoom he presents an oral history of stock car racing, as told by great drivers, mechanics, promoters, and others. "A lively, literate, and loving look at the magic of stock car racing".--The Chicago Tribune