Amazing Life Of Moe Berg, The [Library Binding]

Tricia Andryszewski (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up

Traces the life of a man who managed two successful careers, as a baseball player and as a secret agent during World War II.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8-Although few young people are likely to have heard of Berg, this 1920's and 30's baseball player was a fascinating and multidimensional man. Although never a superstar, he traveled with several all-star teams to baseball-obsessed Japan, where his ability to speak the language endeared him to the Japanese people. His baseball career ended with the outbreak of World War II. Partly because of his linguistic ability, Berg was recruited into a top-secret intelligence unit charged with disrupting Germany's efforts to make an atomic bomb and was involved in classic cloak-and-dagger stuff throughout the war. Andryszewski tells the story of this exceptionally bright and eccentric man in a straightforward manner. She lets Berg's life speak for itself, and intelligently separates fact from fiction. (No easy feat, given his ability to stretch the truth when recounting some of his tales.) Unfortunately, the last half of his life is given little attention and somehow seems incomplete. It seems that after the war, Berg mostly mooched off friends and relatives, reading a lot, but not doing much of anything else. This book may need some pushing, but readers who pick it up will be taken beyond the boundaries of the normal sports biography.?Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-9. Moe Berg may not be familiar to modern audiences, but they will be intrigued to learn about his life. The son of Jewish immigrants, Berg got himself to Princeton, but he never lost his love of baseball, and his career in the major leagues spanned 16 years. He was also a lawyer, a talented linguist, and a world traveler. Those skills brought him to the attention of the U.S. government, which decided Berg could help his country with some important missions during World War II. He spent the war culling information from European scientists about the nuclear bomb. Although his work as a spy was invaluable, Berg drifted after the war, never really holding a job or even having his own home again. The book is crisply written, and the subject will make an excellent alternative to the usual cast of characters on biography shelves. Despite problems she discusses in the introduction, Andryszewski does a good job of sourcing her material. Illustrated with black-and-white photos. Ilene Cooper

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Library Binding: 127 pages
• Publisher: Millbrook Press; 1St Edition edition (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562946102
• ISBN-13: 978-1562946104
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,081,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Man, loved Baseball and his country., September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Amazing Life Of Moe Berg, The (Library Binding)

This is super cool book. The whole time reading it, I wished they made it into a movie. Berg's father was well known doctor. He wanted Moe to be one also, like Moe's brother. But Moe loved baseball to much. He joked how he could speak all though languages, but couldn't hit in any of them. Let see, Moe goes on a spying mission for the government to Japan during a tour with Babe Ruth. He takes photographs atop a building which were used during bombing attacks. Moe goes on a mission to find out how close the Nazi's are to getting the bomb. He dresses up as a Nazi and spy in one of there plants. He is instructed to kill a professer if that professer's knowledge will assit the Nazi's. Berg may not have of brought victory to the Redsox,(who could?) but he was one of team USA's MVPs during the big one! I highly reccomend this book.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars People- get over., April 5, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amazing Life Of Moe Berg, The (Library Binding)

I read the original biography when I was in college(circa 1988). I can't even remember who wrote it. I checked it out of genaral stacks. It's a great story. Dude lived out a fantasy. Got paid to play baseball for 13 years. Hob nobbed with DC's elite. Served his country. What a great guy. Then I read these reviews. Who cares if he's a Jew. I'd forgotten (until you bookworms reminded me). I forgot becasue it wasn't important. Debate his contributuions? There's nothing to debate. He did what he wanted and when duty called, he laid it on the line. He's a hero. No need to discuss it's importance. I would have loved to have had a beer with him. Rest In Peace, Moe. Signed, Mike Twigg. Ordinary average guy who has a life and an occasional beer. PS-Moe briefly played for the Cleveland Indians. AKA "The Tribe". Don't even think of getting PC with me.