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Book - Product Information
Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig
Jonathan Eig
Rating: 5.0/5 Stars
Rank: 53216
Lou Gehrig started his professional baseball career at a time when players
began to be seen as national celebrities.
Though this suited charismatic
men such as Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio, Gehrig avoided the spotlight and
preferred to speak with his bat. Best known for playing in 2,130
consecutive games as well as his courage in battling amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (a disease that now bears his name), the Iron Horse that emerges
from this book is surprisingly naïve and insecure.
He would cry in the
clubhouse after disappointing performances, was painfully shy around women
(much to the amusement of some of his teammates), and particularly devoted
to his German-immigrant mother all his life.
Even after earning the league
MVP award he still feared the Yankees would let him go. Against the advice
of Ruth and others, he refused to negotiate aggressively and so earned less
than he deserved for many seasons.
Honest, humble, and notoriously frugal,
his only vices were chewing gum and the occasional cigarette. And despite
becoming one of the finest first basemen of all time, Jonathan Eig shows
how Gehrig never seemed to conquer his self-doubt, only to manage it
better. Jonathan Eig's Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou
Gehrig offers a fascinating and well-rounded portrait of Gehrig, from
his dugout rituals and historic games to his relationships with his
mother, wife, coaches, and teammates.
His complex friendship with Ruth,
who was the polar opposite to Gehrig in nearly every respect, is given
particularly vivid attention.
Take this revealing description of how the
two men began a barnstorming tour together following their 1927 World
Series victory: "Ruth tipped the call girls and sent them on their way. Gehrig kissed his mother goodbye." Eig also shares some previously unknown
details regarding his consecutive games streak and how he dealt with ALS
during the final years of his life.
Rich in anecdotes and based on
hundreds of interviews and 200 pages of recently discovered letters, the
book effectively shows why the Iron Horse remains an American icon to this
day. --Shawn Carkonen--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Editorials
Sample 3 of 9
Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig
Jonathan Eig
![]() | | | Review | | "As my consecutive games streak grew, my curiosity about Lou Gehrig also
grew and I wanted to learn more about him and what kind of person he was.
Jonathan Eig's book, Luckiest Man, really helped me put all of the
pieces... read full editorial |
![]() | | | Review | | "The ancient maxim 'Never get to know your heroes' does not apply to Lou
Gehrig, the tragic Yankee whose life is so deftly and thoroughly examined
by Jonathan Eig in this superb biography."-- Fay Vincent,... read full editorial |
![]() | | | Dan McGrath, Chicago Tribune | | "Admirably thorough, richly detailed and nicely written....LUCKIEST MAN is
a compelling and haunting read."--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition. |
Customer Reviews
Sample 3 of 28
Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig
Jonathan Eig
![]() | | | A Great Read! | | (Chicago, IL) May 2, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars | | Paints an informed and vivid picture of a complicated man with an inspiring
and unbelievable work ethic. Great for baseball fans, but also great for
anyone seeking inspiration in the face of adversity. Often when... read full review |
![]() | | | A True Role Model | | (Chicago, IL) May 19, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars | | Reading this book made me wonder, "Are there any men of this caliber of
character in MLB today?" My immediate answer would be, "No." Who in
today's big leagues would feel almost embarassed to get a raise? Who
would play... read full review |
![]() | | | The Reason Gutenberg Invented Movable Type! | | (Brooklyn, NY, USA) June 10, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars | | The whole history of printing has been leading to this ultimate achievement
in publishing. "Luckiest Man" is a masterpiece for the ages. This book
makes me understand just how fortunate we are that Gutenberg... read full review |
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