In this book, the bestselling author of The Boys of Summer shares stories of his Depression-era Brooklyn childhood, his career during a golden era of sports, and his personal acquaintances with a wide range of great ballplayers. His father had a passion for the Dodgers; his mother's passion was for poetry. Young Roger managed to blend both loves in a career that encompassed writing about sports for the New York Herald Tribune, Sports Illustrated, the Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, and Time. Kahn recalls the great personalities-Leo Durocher, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, Red Smith, Dick Young, and many more-and recollects the wittiest lines from forty years in dugouts, press boxes, and newsrooms.
"A master at evoking a sense of the past... A pleasing potpourri of autobiography, professional memoir, and anecdotal baseball history... Of special note to journalism buffs is Kahn's account of his role in the inception of Sports Illustrated."
Booklist
"As a kid, I loved sports first and writing second, and loved everything Roger Kahn wrote. As an adult, I love writing first and sports second, and love Roger Kahn even more."
David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize–winning author
"Roger Kahn is the best baseball writer in the business."
