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Sandy Koufax (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,830 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
“The incomparable and mysterious Sandy Koufax is revealed…. This is an absorbing book, beautifully written.” —Wall Street Journal
“Leavy has hit it out of the park…A lot more than a biography. It’s a consideration of how we create our heroes, and how this hero’s self perception distinguishes him from nearly every other great athlete in living memory… a remarkably rich portrait.” — Time
The instant New York Times bestseller about the baseball legend and famously reclusive Dodgers’ pitcher Sandy Koufax, from award-winning former Washington Post sportswriter Jane Leavy. Sandy Koufax reveals, for the first time, what drove the three-time Cy Young award winner to the pinnacle of baseball and then—just as quickly—into self-imposed exile.
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"Sandy Koufax' story does not rank with Jackie Robinson's but the Koufax story is important nonetheless. Robinson was breaking a color barrier. Koufax was breaking a religious barrier. Minnesotans remember: Sandy Koufax refused to put his left arm into action for the opening game of the 1965 World Series because the opener fell on Yom Kippur. (Alas, Sandy won the seventh game of the Series; Minnesota lost 2-0.)"
— Raymond (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Leavy has written a very good and meaningful book about baseball. She knows the game and she is acute in placing it in its social context. She writes gracefully and with feeling.”
— Los Angeles Times Book Review -
“An exhaustively researched study that paints an intriguing portrait of the famously reclusive Dodger pitcher.”
— Sports Illustrated -
“A rich baseball pastiche and an engaging look at the game’s more innocent period…An honest and exquisitely detailed examination of a complex man.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“The author’s extensive research and interviews with Koufax’s friends and former ballplayers are extraordinary…Highly recommended…Hard to imagine it being any better written.”
— VOYA -
“Comments from contemporaries in baseball as well as from others Koufax touched and continues to touch today make this audio absolutely inspiring…Very highly recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“A very convincing portrait…Leavy reveals also a man of dignity, honesty, and courtesy…Well-conceived and sharply drawn, a thinking fan’s biography.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
Sandy Koufax Listener Reviews
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" I took this book with me once to my parents' house. My father asked me about it and expressed mild interest. A few months after I finished it he received it from his boss and then he told me all about this new book I should read entitled "Sandy Koufax." "
— Brandon, 2/18/2014 -
" Story about the greatest player from the only team that matters. "
— West, 2/16/2014 -
" A great book about a great pitcher and a good guy. Koufax was so much better than anyone else in the league there's only ever been one pitcher that has approximated his success over a shot time period. Well written in a clever format. If you like baseball, and like the Koufax era, you'll enjoy this book. "
— Phillip, 2/13/2014 -
" This book switches back and forth between Koufax's life story and his Sept 9 1965 perfect game. This aspect makes for a fun read. Being Jewish and growing up in New York in the 40s and 50s is what you learn about here. Being that Koufax was my Dad's athletic hero, I felt very close to him the 2 times I read this book. This book would make a great Bar Mitzvah gift :-) "
— Rob, 2/2/2014 -
" This is a fabulous biography. Left arm of God indeed. "
— noisy, 1/26/2014 -
" A well-told biography about a truly legendary player at a pivotal time in the history of the sport. "
— HBalikov, 1/25/2014 -
" Sandy has always fascinated me, probably one of the best lefties of all time. This is a very good book. "
— Brian123, 1/12/2014 -
" There's been nobody great better. Great story of Sandy and the times in which he pitched. "
— Rick, 1/4/2014 -
" Now I understand why he is considered one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all-time. "
— Mike, 1/4/2014 -
" Baseball books are usually written with an elegance and romanticism that invites skepticism. Because Sandy Koufax has such an aura about him, this book's eloquence came from unraveling his mysterious persona through the stories of those who admired him. Great stuff. "
— Steve, 12/20/2013 -
" This book juxtaposes Koufax's life and baseball life between each inning of his perfect game. "
— Caitlin, 11/26/2013 -
" If you like baseball, read this book. "
— Matt, 11/9/2013 -
" A fabulous biography! Brought back huge childhood memories! I have tremendous respect for the man, and understand now why he stepped out of baseball at only the age of 30. "
— Jim, 8/30/2013 -
" Very good baseball read. Part of me wishes I was alive when this guy was in his prime because for those years he sounds like he was out of this world with those two pitches (fast and faster). Leavy does a good job trying to define his persona now outside of baseball, too. "
— Robert, 7/28/2013 -
" Sandy was a good book, but I was expecting leavy to make it a real page turner. Instead it was enjoyable and worth reading. Recommended for the subject material even if the writing was only mediocre. "
— Franklin, 10/2/2012 -
" One of the most glowing biographies I've ever read. "
— Riley, 9/6/2012 -
" Jame Leavy is a great sportswriter. For this effort she chose one of the most enigmatic ballplayers of all time. Koufax added nothing to the book personally yet Leavy does a masterful job of painting the complete pictures by research by those close to the lefty. Very nice read. "
— Mike, 8/1/2012 -
" Pedro was better. "
— Adam, 6/6/2012 -
" Sandy Koufax was before my time, but even with a little knowledge of baseball, one knows that he was a pitcher to be reckoned with. I found this book intriguing as to how good he really was and what the other players thought of him and his ability to pitch. "
— Michael, 11/19/2011 -
" Very well written book about a great baseball player and even more fascinating man, I recommend it to anyone who likes baseball "
— Robert, 9/29/2011 -
" A well-written book that reminds us - in this era of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens - that ballplayers can lead lives of integrity on and off the field. "
— Tommy, 8/10/2011 -
" Great retelling of Koufax' career built around the drama of his perfect game. Well pitched. "
— Mark, 4/25/2011 -
" i READ THIS BIOGRAPHY OF SANDY KOUFAX WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I DO LOVE MY SPORTS BIOGRAPHIES. KOUFAX IN MY OPINION WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST PITCHERS OF ALL TIME "
— Dave, 4/22/2011 -
" great bio of a great pitcher. Learned a lot about Dodger and baseball history "
— Brian, 1/14/2011 -
" going to pass it on to you soon sarah!!! "
— Sasha, 1/12/2011 -
" Made me a huge fan. Great look into the history of the man and a great interpretation of his perfect game against the cubs. Great stuff. "
— Brandon, 12/21/2010 -
" An essential book for any Dodgers fan. It's also interesting for the backstory of how Leavy drew out her very reticent subject and win his cooperation. I just bought her biography of Mickey Mantle and am looking forward to it as well. "
— Louis, 12/1/2010 -
" I really liked this book. It was a good representations of one of the best pitchers in baseball history. The author really engages the reader and is very effective at communicating un-tangible things like anti-semitism or other discriminatory factors. "
— Ben, 11/20/2010 -
" This is probably a very good book, but I think I was looking for more about Sandy, the man----my error. "
— Ellie, 8/18/2010 -
" I understand that not everyone is into sports or baseball. But this is really a fantastic bio of one of the greatest left-handed pitchers to ever throw a ball. I heart lefties. "
— Leslie, 2/4/2010 -
" Well, he is my favorite baseball player of all time. "
— Olivia, 8/14/2009 -
" Never quite finished it...I found it interesting, but hard to read at night when I was reading it. The writing style is complex and you have to pay attention throughout. "
— Stacey, 7/18/2009
About Jane Leavy
Jane Leavy is an award-winning former sportswriter and feature writer for the Washington Post. She is the author of Sandy Koufax and the comic novel Squeeze Play, called “the best novel ever written about baseball” by Entertainment Weekly.
About Jane Leavy
Robert Pinsky was born and raised in Long Branch, New Jersey. He went to college at Rutgers and then to graduate studies at Stanford, where he held a Stegner Fellowship. Among his collections of poetry are Gulf Music, Jersey Rain, The Want Bone, and The Figured Wheel: New and Collected Poems 1966-1996. His bestselling translation The Inferno of Dante received both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award. His prose books include The Life of David, The Situation of Poetry, and The Sounds of Poetry. Among his awards and honors are the William Carlos Williams Prize, the Harold Washington Award from the City of Chicago, the Italian Premio Capri, the PEN-Volcker Award, and the Korean Manhae Prize. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the PEN American Center. Robert Pinsky founded The Favorite Poem Project, including the videos that can be seen at www.favoritepoem.org, while serving an unprecedented three terms as United States Poet Laureate.