| |  | Author: Lawrence S. Ritter
Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Company
Category: Book
List Price: $8.95
Buy Used: $1.14
You Save: $7.81 (87%)
Used (9) Collectible (4) from $1.14
Avg. Customer Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 2397913
Media: Paperback
Pages: 320
ISBN: 0020963505
EAN: 9780020963509
ASIN: 0020963505
Publication Date: June 1971
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Spine is creased and torn along edges. Cover is lightly stained and detached from text, yet remains secure. A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust jacket may be missing). Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives through the power of work. The organization offers a wide range of employment and training programs free of charge to assist those with disabilities and other barriers to employment.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A Missed Opportunity July 9, 2002
3 out of 10 found this review helpful
While Ritter has deservedly received a great deal of credit for this groundbreaking book, being the first person to committ ballplayers from the early part of this century to tape and then present transcripts of those conversations, the great tragedy of this book in its various incarnations are the questions and topics that didn't get asked and were left unexplored. Had Ritter only known more about the history of the game and the careers of individual players at the time, he had an umatched opportunity to get right to the heart of the matter on any number of issues. But he spoke to them as a fan, and it shows. In the end the book teeters more toward nostalgia than hard core history. While it gives a wonderful sense of the times and of the personality of the players interviewed, one is left wishing for more and mourning the lost opportunity as most of these men have since passed on.
"All these were honored in their generation" June 6, 2002
27 out of 27 found this review helpful
This is one of the greatest books I've ever read and may well be the best non-fiction book I ever read. The book is actually a collection of reminiscences of old-time baseball players compiled by their interviewer, Lawrence Ritter. The original book was written in 1966 with additional chapters added for the revised 1984 version that I read. What comes across first and foremost in all the recollections is the joy and dedication of the long-retired players. At a time when labor strikes, hold-outs and escalating salaries are standard sports stories, this book takes Baseball nostalgia to a new level. It isn't just about the joy of the game, however. This book brings to light a lot of forgotten Baseball history. I fancied myself a bit of a Baseball historian but there were a number of major events in Baseball's early history that I had never heard of before. I think the most memorable was Fred Merkle's "bonehead" play that cost the Giants the pennant in 1907. That was a situation where he forgot to touch second base and thereby cost the Giants the winning run. It is told (and referred to often) with better embelishment than I just gave it but, then, that's the point of my praise; the whole book is a poetic look backwards at the game we sometimes take for granted these days. It's no accident that the best parts of the book are the earliest recollections. You can almost see the corrupting effects of popularity creep up on the game in the 1920's. The stories that these veterans tell and the details that they give make you feel like you've been there yourself. If you're a Baseball fan, you'll love this book. If you're not a Baseball fan, reading this book might just make you one.
I reread this book every spring March 17, 2002
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Right around when pitchers and catchers report, I dust off my well-worn, oft-borrowed copy of Glory of Their Times. I've probably read it a dozen times all the way through and each time I'm charmed all over again. The beauty and genius of Glory is in the fact that Ritter had the sense not to interfere with the players' stories. You get a feel for their voices and personalities, and how their experiences helped shape them as individuals. In its own way, the book is a vivid and important portrait of American life at the beginning of the twentieth century. And it's a dang good baseball book.
The Men Who Made The Game of Baseball November 29, 2001
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I had the pleasure of first listening to the Cds during a car ride summer of 2001. We were heading for the AAABA National Baseball Tournament in Johnstown, PA. and was amazed that these existed and I did not know of them. I got myself a set and then came across the 1984 New and expanded book. I had met several of the gentlemen at different times at Old Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC. I remember going home in the late 50's and telling my Dad I had met an old ballplayer at the stadium who said he was "Big Poison". My Dad laughed and said, "Old Paul Waner, he wasn't very big but he could sure play Baseball." I now know the full story of Paul Waner and wish I did then. You are able to hear and read stories of the greatest players of their generation and players that are still known today. If you have a budding ballplayer or a budding baseball fan, do them a favor and get them this book as soon as possible. In a review on the back cover of my edition, Ted Williams summed it up for me as well when he said, "Warm, happy, exciting - what a great feeling I got as I read it. The day I finished it I started reading it all over again."
Absolutely Wonderful! November 21, 2001
To be able listen to the actual players as they were interviewed by the author is flat out fantastic! I listened to the CD's and was spellbound. I can't recall any baseball item that I've enjoyed more and would highly recommend these CD's to anyone that enjoys the "inside" views of baseball history.
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