Mickey and Willie: Mantle and Mays,
the Parallel Lives of Baseball’s Golden Age,
By Allen Barra
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Acclaimed sportswriter Allen Barra exposes the uncanny parallels–and lifelong friendship–between two of the greatest baseball players ever to take the field.
Culturally, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were light-years apart. Yet they were nearly the same age and almost the same size, and they came to New York at the same time. They possessed virtually the same talents and played the same position. They were both products of generations of baseball-playing families, for whom the game was the only escape from a lifetime of brutal manual labor. Both were nearly crushed by the weight of the outsized expectations placed on them, first by their families and later by America. Both lived secret lives far different from those their fans knew. What their fans also didn’t know was that the two men shared a close personal friendship–and that each was the only man who could truly understand the other’s experience.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
I guess this is a book that you either love it or you don’t. For me, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about two of the very best and most famous Baseball players of all times. My love of baseball drew me to this book. Barra takes the lead as he compares the lives of these two men, their personal lives, as well as their professional lives. If you already know a lot about Mickey and Willie, you may not be as enthused as I was, but it was neat to read about how two men, one black and one white, grew up close to each other, both having a history of baseball playing in their families, turned out to be the most amazing men and players of baseball in history. And it is clear that Barra is an avid fan of both Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays and thought of them as his idols throughout his life!
I loved this book, and I think it would be an awesome addition of your library if you enjoy Baseball, or if you enjoy reading about hero’s of our time. I’m very glad I had the opportunity to read this book honoring these two men, and I encourage you to pick up a copy to read for you!
I received this book from Blogging for Books to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55.
splashesofjoy 