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Playing With the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War, and a Field of Broken Dreams Audiobook
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(3.20) - 191 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In 1940, at just 15 years old, small-town baseball star Gene Moore was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who saw in him the potential to become one of the great catchers of all time. Before that could happen, though, WWII intervened. Gene's story, a surprising paean to the power and humanity of a game, is told here by his son, a first-time author who exhibits the confidence and pacing of a pro. His gripping material certainly helps: after several years overseas in the Navy's touring baseball team, Gene was brought back to Louisiana and assigned to guard secret German POWs, whose U-boat was captured just days before the storming of Normandy. There, Gene teaches his German captives how to play baseball, with a number of unintended and life-altering consequences. When Gene's finally able to return home to Sesser, Ill., he's "on crutches, depressed and embarrassed," holing up in the local bar and prompting one bartender to lament, "he's become one of us, when we were hoping he would make us like him." Gene's journey from promise to despair and back again, set against a long war and an even longer post-war recovery, retains every bit of its vitality and relevance, a 20th-century epic that demonstrates how, sometimes, letting go of a dream is the only way to discover one's great fortune.
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"This was a heart wrenching true story told by a son that had no idea about what his father went through and his god given abilities to play baseball. I first heard about this book when the author was interviewed on the radio the story sounded intriguing. The book is well written and the story is not just about baseball but the things that we have in common."
— Rick (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Gene’s story, a surprising paean to the power and humanity of a game, is told here by his son, a first-time author who exhibits the confidence and pacing of a pro.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Fascinating…a moving profile of one nearly unknown member of the Greatest Generation.”
— Booklist -
“A true story of one man’s reaching out to the enemy during a very dark time in our history. Gene Moore and his fellow sailors teach all of us that compassion and tolerance exist, especially when the bridge builder happens to be that great American pastime: baseball. History and baseball buffs alike will revel in this episode of man’s ability to reach out, even during a time of war.”
— Gerald R. Molen, Academy Award–winning producer of Schindler’s List -
“Playing with the Enemy is a story of the American Dream—the power, the pain, the sacrifice, the triumph, and most of all, the heart. It’s about making peace with your enemies and, in Gene Moore’s case, the story of a man learning to make pace with himself. A great read.”
— James Riordan, New York Times bestselling author of Break on Through: The Life & Death of Jim Morrison -
“Gary Moore’s touching book about his father’s baseball career reminds us that life is all about second chances and people inspiring each other to chase their dreams…I loved Playing with the Enemy. You will, too.”
— Jim Morris, former pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Playing With the Enemy Listener Reviews
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" I did some research into some of the characters in the book and unfortunately could not find much about them. Someone did some detailed research and questions a fair bit as to the accuracy of what was written. Nevertheless it does speak to vanquished dreams and overcoming the hand that life deals you all in the context of baseball. "
— Gary, 2/8/2014 -
" Didn't think I would like this book because I had to read it for school but I really got into this book! "
— Muffintop, 2/7/2014 -
" Awesome baseball and WW II, could not put it down, true story, loved it. Starts in Illinois! "
— Penny, 2/4/2014 -
" Interesting and quick read, love those kind of books! "
— Marie, 1/25/2014 -
" I think this was supposed to be an inspiring book but the word I would use is "tragic." I am so glad Heinrich came and put things into perspective for Gene. It was an extremely interesting story though, I really like it. Nice recommendation Spence. "
— Dan, 1/21/2014 -
" RFL 2013 I found Gene Moore's story very interesting. I found the writing to be sentimental (and why wouldn't it be as it was written by his son and not a professional writer?). Having read Unbroken this past year, it's just hard to read another WWII narrative without comparison and this just isn't the same league of writing. However, I will recommend this to students who like baseball and/or history as the story is different and sometimes it's good for kids to read about people whose dreams aren't quite fulfilled in the way they had hoped. "
— MrsB, 1/20/2014 -
" Full of life lessons, a heartwarming book about universal human nature, even among those of different sides in a war. "
— Steven, 1/18/2014 -
" The author, Gary Moore, tells the story of his dad, a baseball prodigy and a WWII veteran. Gary finally heard his dad's story the night before he died. This is a very moving biography and in the end depicts what is really important in life. "
— Jackie, 1/13/2014 -
" This was one of the best books I've read in a while. It helps that I love baseball, but it was really a book about how to overcome disappointment, and it was a great true story. Fairly well-written too. "
— Jessica, 1/1/2014 -
" An absolute awesome read, could not put down! Also, I am not a sports or baseball fan, but this book is well worth taking a chance on! "
— Debra, 12/29/2013 -
" This will make a good movie. "
— Tracy, 12/27/2013 -
" Interesting story...but not the best writing. "
— Melanie, 12/19/2013 -
" Despite the fact that I am not "into" war or sports, I found this an excellent book to read. The story is true and told with compassion. It's a beautiful study of true humanity at a difficult time in history. "
— Barbara, 11/14/2013 -
" Great! A story that waited decades to be told... "
— Ron, 11/4/2013 -
" A timeless classic. Have Kleenex nearby. Seriously. "
— Tristram, 7/7/2013 -
" So informative about the baseball in the 40s and how one person comes to terms with a life altering injury. "
— Billy, 5/28/2013 -
" Learn about your family's life; something deadly could happen to anyone at any time. "
— Thomas, 2/27/2013 -
" I learned a lot about baseball (never knew a catcher was so important) and history in this true story of a baseball prodigy and why he never made it in the majors. He finally found his calling, but it was hard work. "
— Anne, 10/18/2012 -
" Very good book about baseball, fathers and sons, and brothers "
— Brent, 7/21/2012 -
" Great non-fiction book. Maybe one of the better books I've read. If you like baseball at all and WWII history this is a great book for you. Mild swearing but other then that, you could read this to your kids at bedtime (okay maybe not). "
— Spence, 7/18/2012 -
" A fun read. The story is lively. The book is well-, though not expertly-, written. My son bought this for me, hitting on two of my favorite book subjects: baseball and WWII. It is tough to go wrong with that combination. "
— Todd, 5/30/2012 -
" This is a true story about how helping someone help someone else is the best form of redemption. The best catching prospect signed by the Dodgers, then gets drafted into WWII. He returns from the war completely different "
— Kevin, 5/12/2012 -
" I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I never thought I would enjoy a book about baseball and WWII. Wonderful story about personal strength and friendship. Beautify crafted. A must read! "
— Juliann, 11/18/2011 -
" Very interesting book! Almost sounds like a novel, rather than a biography. "
— James, 9/9/2011 -
" This was a fun audiobook to go through. I liked the reading style, and the story was near. What a pleasant surprise that I had gone on a tour of the U-boat mentioned in the story. "
— Chris, 6/30/2011 -
" A fun read. The story is lively. The book is well-, though not expertly-, written. My son bought this for me, hitting on two of my favorite book subjects: baseball and WWII. It is tough to go wrong with that combination. "
— Todd, 3/30/2011 -
" I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I never thought I would enjoy a book about baseball and WWII. Wonderful story about personal strength and friendship. Beautify crafted. A must read! "
— Juliann, 2/18/2010 -
" Very good book about baseball, fathers and sons, and brothers "
— Brent, 9/27/2009 -
" Learn about your family's life; something deadly could happen to anyone at any time. "
— Thomas, 9/22/2009 -
" This will make a good movie. "
— Tracy, 9/2/2009 -
" Not particularly well written but it was a good baseball story. "
— D, 6/8/2009 -
" I learned a lot about baseball (never knew a catcher was so important) and history in this true story of a baseball prodigy and why he never made it in the majors. He finally found his calling, but it was hard work. "
— Anne, 5/27/2009 -
" The author, Gary Moore, tells the story of his dad, a baseball prodigy and a WWII veteran. Gary finally heard his dad's story the night before he died. This is a very moving biography and in the end depicts what is really important in life. "
— Jackie, 4/4/2009 -
" So informative about the baseball in the 40s and how one person comes to terms with a life altering injury. "
— Billy, 11/27/2008 -
" Despite the fact that I am not "into" war or sports, I found this an excellent book to read. The story is true and told with compassion. It's a beautiful study of true humanity at a difficult time in history. "
— Barbara, 11/10/2008