Reviews
"The book, documenting Mays' rise from Negro leagues star to major league icon, also serves as a history lesson."-- USA Today, âDoes a better job than any book before of getting at what it means to be Willie Mays.â Sports Illustrated, "Willie Mays is one of the most captivating figures in baseball history. Play after play, year after year, he thrilled us with his unmatched combination of speed and power, skill, and daring. Hirsch tells us Willie's compelling story, from his humblest of upbringings in Alabama; to his rise, in the face of immense prejudice, to become one of Major League Baseball's early African-American players; to his becoming an enduring American icon as the ?Say Hey Kid.' I love Willie Mays because he played his game and lives his life with more than talent--he has the mind and heart of a champion."--President Bill Clinton, "Tautly written . . . Mr. Hirsch captures Willieâs greatness on the field.â-- Wall Street Journal, 'Does a better job than any book before of getting at what it means to be Willie Mays.' Sports Illustrated, "Tautly Written . . . Mr. Hirsch Captures Willie's Greatness on the Field."-- Wall Street Journal, "James S. Hirsch compellingly recounts Mays' career . . . giving even Mays' iconic moments, such as 'The Catch' in the 1954 World Series, a sense of tension as if they were unfolding anew. . . . Great baseball reading, by an accomplished writer . . . about a wondrous ballplayer and man with gifts beyond the diamond."--Associated Press, "You can make a strong case for Willie Mays as the most complete player in baseball history. And now, at long last, here is the complete and definitive biography of the ?Say Hey Kid.'"--Bob Costas, Broadcaster, NBC Sports and Major League Baseball Network, "The book, documenting Maysâ rise from Negro leagues star to major league icon, also serves as a history lesson."-- USA Today, "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, "Hirsch has produced a masterful biography that has the same freshness and excitement that Mays generated as a player. All the highlights are there in shining, solid detail. It's a must-read for any baseball fan."--Tampa Bay Online, "Tautly Written . . . Mr. Hirsch Captures Willie's Greatness on the Field."--Wall Street Journal, "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, "It's really a pleasure to read the true facts about the life and career of the greatest center fielder of all time."-- KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, "Willie Mays is one of the most captivating figures in baseball history. Play after play, year after year, he thrilled us with his unmatched combination of speed and power, skill and daring. Hirsch tells us Willie's compelling story, from his humblest of upbringings in Alabama to his rise, in the face of immense prejudice, to become one of Major League Baseball's early African American players to his becoming an enduring American icon as the 'Say Hey Kid.' I love Willie Mays because he played his game and lives his life with more than talent -- he has the mind and heart of a champion."-- President BILL CLINTON, "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
