A strong and well-constructed biography of one of the first black men integrated into the majors in early 1950s America, and more importantly to the man himself, one of the best players and nicest guys ever to play the game.
Willie Mays: The Life, the Legend encompasses a great deal of this monumental and yet utterly humble man's life as well as the times he lived it in prose that is at times lyrical - especially when it comes to describing baseball - but which is at all times throughout the book yeoman-like in its adherence and diligence to the true story and timeline of Mays' entire life...well almost his entire life, because he's still busy living it! As a fan of baseball I was surprised at how little I knew about Mays (especially that he was still alive) and Hirsch's book went a long way in shoring up my shortcomings in that area. Whether or not it would do much for those who are learned in 50s/60s baseball, that I can not say.
