Audiobook4 hours
The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It
Written by Lawrence S. Ritter
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
"Oh, the game was very different in my day from what it's like today. I don't mean just that the fences were further back and the ball was deader and things like that. I mean it was more fun to play ball then." - Davy JonesFirst published in 1966, The Glory of Their Times is a universally hailed classic. A loving look back at the way baseball used to be, and the legends who played the game--immortals like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and many others--it's a delightfully evocative work full of fascinating characters and wonderful anecdotes.This is also the story of author Lawrence S. Ritter's six year quest to find the heroes of a bygone era. He interviewed more than two dozen players from the turn of the century and the decades shortly thereafter, including many now in the Baseball Hall of Fame, then let them tell their own stories, in their own words. The scorecard includes Rube Marquard, Chief Meyers, Goose Goslin, Smoky Joe Wood, Wahoo Sam Crawford, and many more. This new audio compilation of the original interviews is great news for baseball fans and anyone who loves old-time tales of America's national pastime.
Author
Lawrence S. Ritter
Lawrence S. Ritter (1922-2004) was chairman of the Department of Finance at the Graduate School of Business Administration of New York University. He collaborated with fellow baseball historian Donald Honig on The Image of Their Greatness and The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time but is best known for The Glory of Their Times, one of the most famous sports books ever published.
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Reviews for The Glory of Their Times
Rating: 4.647058823529412 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
17 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Right around when pitchers and catchers report, I dust off my well-worn, oft-borrowed copy of Glory of Their Times. I've probably read it a dozen times all the way through and each time I'm charmed all over again. The beauty and genius of Glory is in the fact that Ritter had the sense not to interfere with the players' stories. You get a feel for their voices and personalities, and how their experiences helped shape them as individuals. In its own way, the book is a vivid and important portrait of American life at the beginning of the twentieth century. And it's a dang good baseball book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The classic, hardly-to-be-bettered oral history of baseball, and a longtime favourite among lovers of the sport. Essential to have on your bookshelf if you do love baseball.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The author interviews players that were around when baseball was just beginning to become a professional sport. There weren't that many still alive, so the ones he interviews were lesser known players. They still share some fascinating stories.This is definitely a book for those who enjoy the deeply personal part of the early days of baseball. Not a lot of gossip or strategy. Just some stories of what men did to play the game they love, and what life was like on a ball team.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I've sat here for close to 10 minutes writing and rewriting things, trying to think of something new or interesting that I could possibly say about this book, and I just can't do it. If you have any interest in the early days of baseball at all, buy this book ASAP (it's not terribly expensive) and relive the stories through their eyes. This is considered canonical baseball literature for a reason.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lawrence Ritter made a career compiling oral histories from some of the 20th century's early baseball stars. The Glory of Their Times has interviews with Hall of Famers Sam Crawford, Goose Goslin, Stan Coveleski and a host of others. Honest, fascinating, a real insight into how the game was played. If you love the baseball as a historical and social phenomenon, read this book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After reading this and watching the Kevin Costner documentary "Fastball" I've been convinced of two things. First, that the very best of the early ballplayers could certainly play in the modern era, although they wouldn't be considered as unique now as they were back then. For example, Walter Johnson would be considered a hard thrower now, but one of several instead of the one and only. And second, seemingly everyone was in attendance or participated in the 1912 World Series between the Giants and Red Sox. When I get my DeLorean finished, that's the first place I'm headed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a collection of first person accounts from players who played from the turn of the twentieth century through its fourth decade. Their stories are riveting, endearing, and enlightening. This is a great book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I just finished this book and I am going to listen to it again right away. It is that special. Nothing better than listening to the old timers talk about the sport they love.