Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig

Additional Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig Information

Lou Gehrig is regarded as the greatest first baseman in baseball history. A muscular but clumsy athlete, he grew up in New York City, the sole survivor among four siblings. He idolized his hardworking mother and remained devoted to her all his life. Shy and socially awkward, especially around women, Gehrig was a misfit on a Yankee team that included drinkers and hell-raisers, most notably Babe Ruth. Gehrig's wife, Eleanor, was an ambitious young woman who pursued him and persuaded him to embrace his growing stardom. For years, rumors have persisted that she and Ruth had an affair, and that this was the event that ended the friendship between the two ballplayers.

Gehrig and Ruth formed the greatest slugging tandem in baseball history. They were the heart of the first great Yankee dynasty. After Ruth's retirement, Gehrig and a young Joe DiMaggio would begin a new era of Yankee dominance. But Luckiest Man reveals that Gehrig was afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) much sooner than anyone believed, as early as the spring of 1938. Despite the illness, he didn't miss a game that year, keeping intact his astonishing consecutive-games streak, which stood for more than half a century.

After he was diagnosed, Gehrig's doctors allowed him to believe he had a fifty-fifty chance of surviving what they knew to be a fatal illness. The same doctor who wrote him encouraging letters secretly wrote Eleanor Gehrig to tell her the terrible truth. But even as his body deteriorated and Gehrig realized he was dying, he never despaired. In his final months Gehrig proved himself truly to be the Iron Horse. The man who spoke spontaneously from the heart when he gave his great speech at his farewell in Yankee Stadium continued to sound the same themes: that he'd led a good life and had much to be thankful for.

In Luckiest Man Jonathan Eig brings to life a figure whose shyness and insecurity obscured his greatness during his lifetime. Gehrig emerges on these pages as more human and heroic than ever.

What Customers Say About Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig:

If you like Lou Gehrig or just want to find out about his life, this is a great read.

For baseball fans, Luckiest Man provides a deeper understanding of the colorful characters and events that shaped the game in the `20s and `30s. Luckiest Man chronicles Gehrig's transformation from a shy and awkward son of immigrants to the Yankees' legendary first baseman and power hitter, and then through his decline from the illness that now bears his name. Using skills honed as a reporter for several of the nation's leading newspapers, author Jonathan Eig weaves threads of previously unpublished information from Gehrig's personal correspondence -- along with a mountain of newsprint and newsreel footage from the period -- to bring the hall-of-famer to life. Readers less familiar with America's favorite pastime will find themselves entranced by how Gehrig's work ethic enabled him to quietly rack up record after record, even as the flamboyant Babe Ruth dominated the headlines. Then, as the narrative begins to describe Gehrig's diagnosis and rapid decline, all readers will be moved by his heroic struggle.Luckiest Man is a thoroughly researched and well-rounded portrait that chips away at the myths surrounding Gehrig and exposes a humble man with tremendous athletic gifts, who lived his life with conviction and bravery.

This book is a very good read for baseball fans. The end of Lou's career, as it is not a secret, was very sad. As a fan of the history of baseball, I enjoyed this book for several reasons.First of all, Lou Gehrig was a great person and great baseball player. This book covered his life adequately. The way he hung on and lived everyday of his life to the fullest was inspiring.Second, Eig gives great insight into the daily and yearly responsibilities of a major league baseball player in the late 1920's and 1930's. That was unexpected on my end, but very enjoyable.

service was excellent. and i am so gladi have this book. price exceptional.go to Cooperstown and compare price.this was a bargain. and i received itquickly.thanks.

I read this book while in middle school and it inspired me. Yes even a Red Sox fan enjoyed this book. This is not a book about a Yankee or baseball but a story about an amazing person.