Willie Mays (Abridged): The Life, The Legend Audiobook

" Finally -- a great biography about Willie Mays, that brings out his character as well as his prowess as the greatest ballplayer. I grew up in the same part of the City where Willie Mays lived. We lived below Monterey Blvd., he lived above it. We would drive by his house countless times on the way to somewhere (usually the hospital). We used to go to ball games often. We loved Fan Appreciation Day, when the Giants would give away cars. Best of all, we loved watching Willie Mays play out in centerfield. We saw the greatest. "

" Willie Mays has a new fan! I admire his style. He worked every angle to help his team win and did not just limit himself to his assigned position. Off the field he was exemplary as well. It was a long book but I enjoyed Willie's story! "

" The readers who seemed to appreciate Hirsch's biography the most were those who either had a personal connection to Mays's story or those who delight in baseball records and minutiae. The book is undoubtedly a must-read for anyone who is excited about an entire chapter devoted to the famous catch in the 1954 World Series (according to Mays himself, the catch was less impressive than the throw). But many reviewers felt the book dragged, either because of the vast detail or the digressions into contemporary American history. But all critics recognized Hirsch's achievement in producing a thorough biography of this major figure in sports history. This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine. "

" A superior biography of Willie Mays. It examines his life and puts it into the context of his times. Even though it is essentially told from Mays' point of view, it still comes across as extremely fair. Recommended for all fans of baseball and biography. "

" One of the best biographies --in any genre-- I've ever read. I wasn't certain that Hirsch's "what you see is what you get" thesis was going to hold up for 600 pages, but he gives us Mays's subtlety, intelligence and complexity in addition to some excellent social history. The chapter on the friction between Mays and Jackie Robinson during the civil rights struggle is especially thought-provoking. "

" Despite being a lifetime fan of Willie Mays, and seeing him play several times as a youngster, I never really knew who he was. James Hirsch does an excellent job telling the story of a man from a broken home in Alabama who rises to the heights of sports during the civil rights area. My respect for Mays and what he accomplished grew chapter by chapter. "

" A very thorough biography of Mays. Very detailed coverage of his childhood in Alabama and early days in the minors and with the Giants. The author does rush through the later part of Mays' career and there is very little on what he has been doing since he left baseball. Overall, very enjoyable with great detail behind the iconic moments of Mays' career - his rookie season of 1951, The Catch, and the Giants move to San Francisco. "

" One of the best biographies I ever read. Couldn't put it down. "

" Really liked this. Told me tons I didn't know about one of the best ball players of all time. I learned alot about baseball in the '50s, especially in New York, and a lot about characters I didn't know much about like Leo D. "

" Great biography on a great player. Learned a lot. "

" Great listen. If you are Willie Mays great book to listen to or read. Book discusses Willie Mays' life and baseball career. "

" A pro biography of one of the greatest. A compelling read. It did list the trials and tribulations of his life. One thing about the read - you could set it down for a few days and pick up where you left off. "

" Say Hey Kid "

" I truely wanted to like this biography of Willie Mays. I always loved him as a ball player and as a man. However, James Hirsch took all life out of the Say-Hey Kid. Boo "

" Loved reading about my childhood hero. I loved playing ball because of Willie Mays. I loved reading about his early days. "

" You never know about a person until. Good story. Glad I read about him. "

" I like but baseball-but to coninue to finish this book-you need to LOVE baseball. The book started off fine-but I could not finish it. Too many references to baseball players from the past and I couldn't take it. "

" Reads strangely like a bio of a person long gone, not someone still alive. You'd expect more personal stories from an authorized bio of a living person. But then the book would have been even more massive :-) "

" Willie Mays is the greatest baseball player of all time. At least, it's true in my universe. Anything I can read about him gets my utmost attention. "

" A good book that goes into a lot of detail about this great ball player. "

" Willie Mays was my boyhood hero, and after reading his biography he's still a hero. A great portrait of an amazing player and a humble and amazing man, the amazing Willie Mays! "

" Only for real baseball fans. A well-done bio. "

" He is/was a class act. I love this game. "

" Eh. Authorized biography - so it was limited. But, interesting read on the greatest baseball player who ever lived. "

" Willie Mays was my boyhood hero, and after reading his biography he's still a hero. A great portrait of an amazing player and a humble and amazing man, the amazing Willie Mays! "

" Everything you need to know about Mays. Fabulous ballplayer who played a few yrs too long. Controversy re civil rights. "

" Excellent and fascinating biography of perhaps the greatest ballplayer ever and his place in the history of baseball and the U.S. "

" It was a very interesting book. The first half is very educational about baseball and the game in the 40-50's. The last half of the book gets a little slow. "

" Reads strangely like a bio of a person long gone, not someone still alive. You'd expect more personal stories from an authorized bio of a living person. But then the book would have been even more massive :-) "

" Just a great book. I'm prejudiced because WM is my idol but just to read about his life and times was wonderful. After you read this there will be no doubt that he is the best ever. Hirsch is a skilled author and doesn't shy from exposing some of WM's warts. "