Review of “Chasing the Great Gatsby”

No, the title of this book does not mean this will be a literary review. It’s not often a book on boxing, or any sport for that matter, will have a significant influence on a famous work of literature but this book makes one. Great book on a lightweight champion and a famous F. Scott Fitzgerald work. Here is my review:

Title/Author:

“Chasing the Great Gatsby: The Freddie Welsh Story” by Gene Pantalone

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: 

It’s not often any sport or athlete will have close connections with a literary masterpiece. This book by Gene Pantalone is not only a very good biography of lightweight boxing champion Freddie Welsh, but it also illustrates how Jay Gatsby, the protagonist in “The Great Gatsby”, could have been based on the life of Welsh. 

Pantalone shows circumstantial evidence that could prove Freddie was the inspiration of the Jay Gatsby character. This starts with a famous author who  both Welsh and F. Scott Fitzgerald could call a good friend, Ring Lardner. There are also many instances where events in Welsh’s life match those of Gatsby’s. There is one very prominent piece of evidence that would make a clear connection between Welsh and Gatsby, but this review will not give away that spoiler. If one does want to find this out before reading about the life of Welsh, Pantalone does reference readers to Chapter XVIII if they wish to find the connection right away. I decided not to do that and it turned out to be the correct decision. 

That is because Pantalone does a wonderful job of bringing the reader into Freddie Welsh’s world. From his upbringing in Wales (where his given name was Frederick Thomas) to his humble beginnings in boxing when he was a simple gym worker who was allowed to spar with customers, Welsh’s story was riveting. The excellent prose goes well beyond Welsh’s boxing career, although that was great, too. Having never heard of Welsh before reading this book, I appreciated learning more about the sport in that time in other weight classes. Welsh ended up doing quite well with defensive boxing his specialty and the jab as his best punch. but like many other pugilists, he tried make comebacks when he just was not able to recapture the past glory. There’s also interesting items about the sport that readers will learn, such as the involvement of Arnold Rothstein, the gambler most famous for fixing the 1919 World Series. This is the most notable of many interesting facts and anecdotes about the sport in that era.

Welsh’s life outside boxing is also told in writing that is just as good as that for bouts in the ring. Most notably, Welsh’s vision of a health “farm” where clients could come and get back to living healthy through exercise, diet and good living did come to fruition. In its heyday, many famous people entered its gates. Most notable of these was Jack Dempsey, who used Welsh’s health farm as his training site for his title bout against Georges Carpentier. But like his boxing career, the health farm eventually was no longer useful to clients and Welsh eventually lost it to the lenders when he could not afford the mortgage payments or find financial backing. 

With all of this fame and fortune and eventual loss of it all, it’s not a stretch to see the connection between Freddie Walsh and Jay Gatsby. Whether a reader enjoys literature, boxing or just some good writing this book is highly recommended.

I wish to thank Mr. Pantalone for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. 

Link: 

https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Great-Gatsby-Freddie-Welshs/dp/1965192343/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr= 

Review of "Once More Around the Park"

One of my favorite authors of all time is Roger Angell.  No matter what he wrote about baseball, it was always a treat to read it - and re-read it.  That was the case for me with several of these essays in this book but that's okay - I never tire of reading any collection of his baseball writings. 

Title/Author:

“Once More Around the Park” by Roger Angell

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Avid readers of baseball books are familiar with Roger Angell’s work.  His prose on the game has entertained and informed thousands of readers through the years and while he may no longer be with us, his work is still a treat to read – even if it has been previously read.  This book, a collection of his work in other publications or books that covers approximately 40 years of the sport, is a treat to any baseball fan or reader.

Just like his other books like “Late Innings” or “Five Seasons: A Baseball Companion”, this collection covers a wide variety of topics about baseball and the stories range from humorous to “just the facts” to touching.  If I had to select just a couple of the chapters that I would pick out as the best, one would have to include “In the Country” where Angell took a letter he received from a wife of a pitcher trying to make it in the low minors into a touching love story – not just of the game but also of the couple.  Then the next chapter, “In the Fire”, brings the reader into the world of the catcher with insight into that unique position. There are so many more aspects that a catcher has to consider than what is usually available to the fans in stands or watching on TV.  Such as where to position themselves for a pitch, how to maneuver to make that throw to second base or communicating to fielders on where to position themselves, this chapter is written so well and has contributions from many star catchers from the late 1970s and early 1980s such as Carlton Fisk, Ted Simmons and Bob Boone.

I’ll use the catcher chapter to illustrate one more aspect of the book I really liked and that is while the material is about players and events from several decades ago, there are so many of Angell’s observations that could be applicable today.  The example I’ll use is for catchers who have been named the Most Valuable Player in their league.  He makes the point that only those catchers who have “startling offensive figures” win this award and he gives examples like Johnny Bench, Gabby Harnett and Ernie Lombardi. I noted that this is still true today, with the most recent MVP catcher, Joe Mauer, also putting up incredible hitting statistics in his MVP year but no mention of defense or any other aspect of his game.  I wrote the note in the book and I did that over 40 times for other items.  To me, that shows that even though the game may have changed a lot since Angell wrote his words, they are still applicable, true and wonderful to read even today.   

Link: Once More Around the Park: Angell, Roger: 9780345367372: Amazon.com: Books

First review of 2025 - "The White Ladder"

Starting off 2025 with a book I read over the holiday break on one of my favorite topics - mountaineering.  This was a look at some of the early pioneers of the sport and what they did to reach new heights.  Here is my review of "The White Ladder." 

Title/Author:

“The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering” by Daniel Light

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

While Sir Edmund Hillary is the most well-known mountaineer from the first half of the 20^th century being the first person to scale Mt. Everest, there was a long trail of climbers who preceded him and took the same risks to climb heights unknown to man at that time.  Those climbers and their adventures are captured in this well-researched book by Daniel Light.

What separates this book from most other mountaineering books I have read is that instead of concentrating on one group or climber, this book profiles many different climbers and their quests to become the first climber to either summit a particular peak (and not always in the Himalayas) or at least attain an altitude that no person had ever reached before. I found this very interesting as these climbers did not have the equipment, clothing, gear and other necessities that today’s mountaineers have.  How they were able to attain these heights without items that modern climbers could not live without made for very interesting stories.

It was also noteworthy that like today, the climbing society is mostly male, but some determined women will make their mark and show they are worthy of being considered among the elite in the sport.  In this book, one woman’s story, Fanny Bullock Workman, was fascinating and while she may not have fit the image of women of that time, she certainly knew her way up a mountain as she and her husband made many expeditions.

The reader will learn a lot of interesting facts and personalities in the early days of the sport.  One great example that I learned was who the person was that invented crampons.  His name is Oscar Eckenstien (an elite climber of the era in his own right) and instead of settling for using nails inside his boots as was common at that time, he modified the design of climbing irons and used a 10-point bladed boot attachment to gain better footing on steep ice or snow.

While at times the book does delve into very technical language, any climbing enthusiast will enjoy reading this selection.  That includes those like me who have never strapped on crampons or climbing boots but love to read about the sport as well as those who enjoy climbing at any skill level.

I wish to thank W.W. Norton and Company for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley.  The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering: Light, Daniel: 9781324066217: Amazon.com: Books

Last review of 2024 - "The Most Incredible Boxing Stories Ever Told"

As mentioned in my last post, I am working on a resolution to utilize my Kindle Unlimited more often to find books - this was an interesting one I discovered when returning my last one.  Here is my review of a very good boxing book.

Title/Author:

“The Most Incredible Boxing Stories Ever Told: Inspirational and Legendary Tales from the Greatest Boxers of All Time” by Hank Patton

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Boxing fans love to talk about great fights they have seen, either in person or televised, and recap some of the best rounds or exchanges during those matches.  This book by Hank Patton recaps some of those great moments across the years and weight classes in the sport.

Some of the fights are well-known by not only boxing fans but even people who don’t follow the sport but are aware of some of the more famous bouts.  These include the Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fights that had social and political ramifications, the “Rumble in the Jungle” where Muhammad Ali regained the heavyweight title in Zaire and Jack Johnson vs. Jim Jeffries where the former became the first Black heavyweight champion.

 There isn’t always one fight described.  There are a couple chapters on fighters who fought with an illness.  Another one that was really touching was about Dewey Bozella, whose story may be familiar to moviegoers as it was made into a movie.  Bozella spent many years in prison for a crime he was eventually found to be innocent.  He took up boxing in prison and wanted to have just one professional fight in his life – which happened long after he was released and was in his fifties.  It was a very inspirational story.  

Each chapter is written in an easy-to-follow format with descriptions of the boxers and the circumstances leading up to the fight or fights.  While they are short, they are informative.  Even if one is familiar with that fight or has read about it in other books, these descriptions are brief but complete.  A boxing fan of any level should enjoy this take on some of the most famous bouts and boxers in the sport.  

 Link: Amazon.com: The Most Incredible Boxing Stories Ever Told: Inspirational and Legendary Tales from the Greatest Boxers of All Time eBook : Patton, Hank: Kindle Store

 

Review of “Rivals on the Track”.

I’m getting an early start on one of my New Years resolutions - to use my Kindle Unlimited account more frequently and read more of the books available through that service. I found a series of books on sports rivalries that looked interesting so I checked out the first one I saw on my feed - this one on F1 rivalries. It was very good and so I will check out the other 4 in the series as well. Look for those reviews soon, but today I’ll post on the first one I read in the series. 

Title/Author:

“Rivals on the Track: 15 Greatest Formula One Rivalries of All Time” by William Whitfield

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

Formula One (F1) racing has produced some great rivalries in its history between many of its top drivers. This short book by William Whitfield highlights 15 of these rivalries with good background information on each one.

Several drivers are listed in more than one rivalry and they include all time greats like Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. The rivalry between the latter two and the one between Prost and Arytan Senna were probably the fiercest and therefore the two that I felt were the best chapters in the book. 

This is not to say the others are not as good as in each one, Whitfield provides background information on each driver, the teams on which they compete and the reason the two drivers became such rivals. These can range from an incident on the track to a driver who didn’t appreciate his status as second to another driver on the team who should be given leeway to win or at least make a podium finish or points toward the championship. No matter what the circumstances were to cause the friction between drivers, Whitfield’s writing about the rivalry was informative and easy to digest.

The book is fairly heavy on recent rivalries, but there is a good chapter on Juan Manuel Fangio versus Alberto Ascari, covering the early days of F1. He also has a good write-up of the Niki Lauda-James Hunt rivalry of the 70’s, brought to the screen by the movie “Rush.” 

While some of the information gets repetitive (mainly on drivers involved in more than one rivalry) this is a very good book for readers interested in more about some of the best rivalries in the sport and some background information on the drivers involved. It’s a quick read and one that F1 fans of any level of interest should enjoy.

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CKTNZDJ3?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_2&storeType=ebooks  

Review of "Mike Donlin"

As we wrap up 2024, there were a couple more books I wanted to get to before starting a new TBR list for 2025 and this one was on that list.  It is a Casey Award finalist (trying to read all of them as well) and it would be worthy of the award should it be selected as the winner.  Here is my review of "Mike Donlin."

Title/Author:

“Mike Donlin: A Rough and Rowdy Life From New York Baseball Idol to Stage and Screen” by Steve Steinberg and Lyle Spatz

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Very few people can claim that they left a job or profession in which they excelled for a person they love, then have a new career along with that love that will be just as good and even more profitable.  In the early 20^th century, Mike Donlin had this opportunity and he made good on both careers – baseball and acting.  His story is told in this excellent book by Steve Steinberg and Lyle Spatz.

After briefly describing Donlin’s early life, the authors get into his baseball career early in the book.  Donlin’s first professional games were in the California League in 1897, which soon led him to the major leagues. He started in the majors with the St. Louis Statistics in 1897, but he really blossomed as a player when he joined the Baltimore Orioles in the newly formed American League in 1901 under manager John McGraw.  The professional relationship between Donlin and McGraw lasted a long time, including when McGraw went to the New York Giants and Donlin joined him after a two and a half year stint with the Cincinnati Reds. While he was productive with the Reds, he was a better ball player with the Giants and the authors do a wonderful job of illustrating how much McGraw’s influence had on Donlin on the field.

Off the field, however, Donlin had many issues with drinking and carousing.  This also affected his temper on the field, as he was often ejected for arguing with officials.  However, this all changed once he met Mabel Hite, a vaudeville performer.  Not only did Donlin court and marry Mabel, but he also decided to try his hand in vaudeville with her.  His fame as a baseball player helped attract people to the shows and one could say he got the “acting bug” as he would often use his work on stage as a negotiating ploy to obtain a higher baseball salary.

One tidbit that should be noted is that the authors make an interesting comparison to the life of a baseball player to that of a vaudeville performer. Both occupations required the perfomers to often travel – baseball players for road games, vaudeville performers to various venues.  At that time, unlike today, baseball players did not stay in fancy hotels or eat the best meals, and vaudeville performers had a similar lifestyle.

Nonetheless, Donlin continued to perform in both areas until his beloved Mabel died in 1912 from a long-term illness.  Losing his love at such a young age crushed his spirit, but he eventually was able to return to the baseball field for a couple years although his performance was slipping mainly due to old age.  He eventually remarried and enjoyed a good career in acting, both on stage and eventually in motion pictures as well. 

 Every aspect of Donlin’s life – the baseball, the stage performances, his appearance in motion pictures, his love for Mabel and his marriage to his second wife Rita – they are all well written, well researched and enjoyable to read.  The book is lengthy and there are many details in all of these areas that require the reader to read carefully and not skim in order to understand the full life of Mike Donlin. This book was well worth the time and effort as one will learn much about both baseball and stage performing in the early 20^th century.

 Link: Amazon.com: Mike Donlin: A Rough and Rowdy Life from New York Baseball Idol to Stage and Screen: 9781496238962: Steinberg, Steve, Spatz, Lyle: Books

 

Happy Holidays!

For this holiday season, I will leave you this take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” courtesy of Baseball-isms.  

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

12 fastballs humming

11 pitchers pitching 

10 runners sliding

9 fielders creeping

8 coaches yelling

7 K’s a-swinging

6 bats a-breaking

5 World Series rings

4 knuckle curves

3 bullpens 

2 catcher’s mitts

And a white pearl on a hitting tee!