Bob Feller: Ace of the Greatest Generation (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "About 15 miles west of Des Moines, Iowa, in the floodplain of the Raccoon River, lies the town of Van Meter..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bob Feller, Bill Feller, Van Meter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Baseball is woven into American culture and history to the point where myth and reality blend, making it difficult at best to distinguish between the two. Rarely is this more apparent than in the life and times of Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game.

From his childhood during the Great Depression in rural Iowa, Feller lived storybook experiences that seemed to foretell his unparalleled ascent to big league stardom. His father structured everything to help young Bob realize his potential as a baseball player, including building a farmland "field of dreams" expressly for young Bob’s diamond education.

But Feller’s professional life in baseball was far from the near-mythic quality of his childhood. Feller became a controversial figure from the moment he signed his first professional contract. Battling with owners, the press, and fellow play-ers, Feller alienated and charmed them by turns, reflecting the complex motiva-tions of a man aware of his own prodigious talent and opportunities. Feller was both an unabashed patriot who enlisted in the Navy the day after Pearl Harbor and a remarkably successful businessman who organized lucrative winter barn-storming tours. His unquestioned position as one of the first players to advocate integrating the game was complicated by his combative relationship with Jackie Robinson. As a result, Feller’s contribution to the game has been the subject of both positive and negative interpretation. John Sickels has produced the first balanced, historical portrait of this controversial player whose commitment and talent inspired his teammates, and whose outspoken opinons just as frequently exasperated them.

From the Publisher

Phenom, star pitcher, patriot, barnstormer, union man, crak, hero?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.; 1 edition (January 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574884417
• ISBN-13: 978-1574884418
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #588,485 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great read - very entertaining!, February 9, 2004

By A Customer

while i am not an avid baseball fan, i thought the book told a very fascinating story for the ages about a baseball legend. honestly, i had never heard of Bob Feller until i found this book. now that i know of his tale and his conflicts with his peers, i would like to learn more about him.

Sickels starts the book out solidly, beginning with his life on the farm. as Feller continues through life, historical facts and social norms are juxtaposed against Feller's comments, choices, and career. i found this aspect of the book the most enjoyable.

there actually are tons of stats spread all over the book, but they act as punctuation to the story, never overwhelming the plot. also, Sickels mostly remains an invisible narrarator - he rarely makes judgement calls and keeps the spotlight focused on Feller.

Sickels kind of storytelling is the type i'd love to see made into a movie - maybe a Costner or Crystal flick. Sickels does a great job moving from statistician to historian.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent biography, December 10, 2004

By	Robert Boynton - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the best baseball biographies that I have ever read -- balanced, throroughly resaearched, very well written.

I am of Feller's generation, was a Cleveland Indians fan throughout his career, and therefore knew a great deal about him. I have read Feller's autobiographies.
Yet I learned a great deal from Sickels books and found it fascinating reading -- hard to put down. Some of it was a very pleaseant trip down memory lane.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly surprised, February 23, 2005

By	Karey A. Chester - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was given this book as a gift from a good friend. I thought it might be full of baseball statistics - I found it to be not only informative but entertaining. Many times during my reading I had a smile on my face or was laughing about a comment Mr. Sickels made. It was very enjoyable reading.