Willie Mays: The Life, the Legend by James S. Hirsch (2010, Abridged, Compact Disc)

Synopsis
In this authorized biography of one of baseball's most legendary stars, James S. Hirsch exhausts his store of laudatory phrases in describing the amazing athletic prowess of "The Say Hey Kid," Willie Mays. Though Hirsch visits upon Mays's childhood in the segregated South, his military service, and his life after baseball, the bulk of the narrative is devoted to Mays's superlative exploits on the baseball diamond. Mays's career numbers are staggering--660 home runs, 3200+ hits, 1900+ RBIs, 2000+ runs scored, 300+ stolen bases, 12 Golden Glove awards, 24 All-Star appearances--but Hirsch's eloquent descriptions of his finest on-field moments, including a stirring depiction of "The Catch" in the 1954 World Series, remind us that Mays's greatness is best captured by poetry, rather than statistics. Hirsch has done baseball fans a tremendous service with this terrific chronicle of the history and the ability of Willie Mays, who remains the consensus choice as the greatest all-around player of all-time. Selected by the New York Times Book Review as a Notable Book of 2010.

Key Details
Author:	James S. Hirsch
Language:	English
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Format:	Audio
ISBN-10:	0743599845
ISBN-13:	9780743599849

Additional Details
Narrated by:	Michael Boatman
Edition Description:	Abridged

Size
Thickness:	1.2 in
Weight:	8.8 oz

Publisher's Note
A biography authorized by the baseball great offers a gripping account of Willie Mays's life, drawn from interviews with the icon, as well as friends, family members and teammates.

Authorized by Willie Mays, the definitive biography of one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Industry Reviews
"Hirsch's well-researched and well-written biography vividly brings back those memories, and probably will do so for many other readers. For those too young to have seen Mays on the field, the book will make for a wonderful introduction to the magical life of one of the finest athletes ever."
(02/07/2010)

"[WILLIE MAYS is] a heavily researched book that is tautly written....Mr. Hirsch is good on baseball....[and he] captures Willie's greatness on the field..."
(02/06/2010)

"[F]ascinating....Hirsch has given us a book as valuable for the young as it is for the old. The young should know that there once was time when Willie Mays lived among the people who came to the ballpark....[T]he story of Willie Mays reminds us of a time when the only performance-enhancing drug was joy."
(02/28/2010)

"James S. Hirsch...has produced a piece of artistry worthy of Mays in center field. WILLIE MAYS is an authorized biography that doesn't possess the whiff of disinfectant such works generally carry.Indeed, Mays didn't change a sentence, according to Hirsch, which was a good call. The writing here matches the grace of the feats it chronicles."
(02/14/2010)

"[T]his book gives us a portrait of Mays as his own kind of pioneer, on the field and off. He played the game as well and as joyfully as it could be played, and he was a role model who disarmed the bigots with his discipline and infectious charm."
(02/09/2010)