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Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes Paperback – Illustrated, March 4, 2014

by John Rosengren (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 99 ratings
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Baseball during the Great Depression of the 1930s galvanized communities and provided a struggling country with heroes. Jewish player Hank Greenberg gave the people of Detroit—and America—a reason to be proud.

But America was facing more than economic hardship. Hitler’s agenda heightened the persecution of Jews abroad while anti-Semitism intensified political and social tensions in the U.S. The six-foot-four-inch Greenberg, the nation’s most prominent Jew, became not only an iconic ball player, but also an important and sometimes controversial symbol of Jewish identity and the American immigrant experience.

Throughout his twelve-year baseball career and four years of military service, he heard cheers wherever he went along with anti-Semitic taunts. The abuse drove him to legendary feats that put him in the company of the greatest sluggers of the day, including Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Lou Gehrig. Hank’s iconic status made his personal dilemmas with religion versus team and ambition versus duty national debates.
 
Hank Greenberg is an intimate account of his life—a story of integrity and triumph over adversity and a portrait of one of the greatest baseball players and most important Jews of the twentieth century.

INCLUDES PHOTOS
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  1. Print length
    416 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 4, 2014
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.94 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0451416023
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0451416025
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes

“Rosengren pens a textured tale—of Henry Greenberg, the Moses of Baseball; Hankus Spankus, the home run king and Hall of Famer; and Hank himself, steadfast son, teammate, and father.”—Larry Tye, New York Times bestselling author of Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend
 
“The best and most important biography ever written about Hank Greenberg....Well written, deeply sensitive, and thoroughly researched.”—Glenn Stout, author of Fenway 1912
 
“Rosengren’s copious research offers new insights into the hurdles that Hank Greenberg faced, as well as his tenacity as a player and bravery during World War II that made him the hero of heroes.”—Aviva Kempner, director of The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg 

About the Author

John Rosengren is the author of six previous books, including Hammerin’ Hank, George Almighty, and the Say Hey Kid: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever, which was a finalist for the 2008 CASEY Award. A freelance journalist, Rosengren’s articles have appeared in more than 100 publications, including Cycle Sport, The History Channel Magazine, Maximum Golf, MLB Insiders Club Magazine, Penthouse, Reader’s Digest, Runner’s World, Sports Illustrated, Tennis and U.S. Catholic. An adjunct faculty member in the University of Minnesota’s journalism school, Rosengren lives with his wife and their two children in Minneapolis.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley; Reprint edition (March 4, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0451416023
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0451416025
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.94 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 99 ratings

About the author

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John Rosengren

John Rosengren

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I am a Pulitzer Prize nominee and winner of the Donald Robinson Award for Investigative Journalism along with about 20 other awards. I have published nine books and hundreds of magazine articles in publications such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Reader's Digest, Sports Illustrated, and The Washington Post Magazine.

My work has been anthologized alongside that of Maya Angelou, Marlon James, Bill Moyers, George Saunders, and Meg Wolitzer.

The movie and TV rights for one of my books, "BLADES OF GLORY: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win," have been optioned three times by different Hollywood production companies, including Milo Ventimiglia's.

I once interviewed a woman shot by hijackers and left for dead on the tarmac.

I raced my bike against Greg LeMond in South Africa (and beat him). I played a tennis match against the world’s top-ranked wheelchair tennis player (and lost). I channeled a 330-pound, Samoan, retired NFL nose tackle who is gay (Esera Tuaolo, for his memoir). I played softball on snowshoes in the summertime (wood chips spread across the infield). I rapped a base hit off former Twins pitcher Rick Aguilera.

I listened to a nurse tell me the story of prying a shotgun shell out of Ernest Hemingway’s hand when he was intent upon killing himself. I profiled a woman who is a Roman Catholic priest. I attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with LGBTQ Native Americans. I interviewed a mortician in the room where she embalmed my father. I interviewed a 15-year-old boy in his hospital room after he tried to stop a school shooter.

All in a few days' work, stretching back to 1981, when I began freelancing as a senior in high school, same time I got clean and sober. I was an English major at Saint John's University, mentored by J. F. Powers. I earned my master's in creative writing at Boston University, where I studied with Derek Walcott and Saul Bellow.

Along the way, I have lived in Boise, Boston, Florence, London, Paris, and St. Paul. Today I'm at home in my native Minneapolis with my wife Maria, our two children, and a golden retriever named Maya.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
99 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book great, fascinating, and objective. They also describe the pacing as well-written and fun to read. Readers also mention the character as great, Jewish, and an American hero.

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Reading experienceHistoryPacingCharacterSubject matter
20 customers mention "Reading experience"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a great baseball history read. They also say it's entertaining and fascinating to read about how fans in Detroit idolized Greenberg.

"...An excellent book. As some other reviewers have noted, the prose isn't the equivalent of Kahn's or Angell's...." Read more

"This was an engaging read and an excellent introduction to Hank Greenberg's achievements and cultural significance...." Read more

"...story of Greenberg, as depicted in this book, is really a roadmap for success in life. Have confidence in what you do best...." Read more

"...A quick read, and entertaining, I highly recommend this to fans of baseball and historical figures of significance." Read more

14 customers mention "History"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the history accurate, objective, and well-researched. They also say it's a good narrative of history for players in Baseball, especially in Detroit. Readers also mention that the book combines care for details with an honest portrait of the character.

"...bio is here - a full index, a full bibliography and a complete record of the subject. An excellent book...." Read more

"John Rosengren has written an excellent biography of one of baseball's nearly forgotten hero's of the early 20th century...." Read more

"Interesting on a historical level both in the sports realm and social, where a great story is told of one man overcoming stereotypes and narrow..." Read more

"...The book is very well researched and there is no question Rosengren knows baseball but it has no heart, no humor, no soul...." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book well-paced, quick, and entertaining. They also appreciate the flow and toughness of Hankus Pankus.

"...But, the writing is fine and well paced.Some highlights for me:1...." Read more

"...A quick read, and entertaining, I highly recommend this to fans of baseball and historical figures of significance." Read more

"The book was well written, except I felt that it dwelled on the negative more than the positive...." Read more

"This is a well written book, very easy to read, and brings to life an excellent baseball player who was sometimes overlooked because he did not..." Read more

5 customers mention "Character"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the character of the book great, honest, and a true American hero. They also say the author has written a superb biography of Hank Greenberg.

"...But Greenberg's on the field heroics are impressive, most notably, his 184 RBI in 1937...." Read more

"...John Rosengren has written a superb biography of Hank Greenberg, and I would guess he is a fan too. Clearly he did his homework,..." Read more

"...This study combines care for details, caring and honest portrait of the character, an 'insider' view of the baseball world, and the excitement of..." Read more

"Great Read. Good story about a great American. I learned a lot about the life and times of Hank Greenbert." Read more

4 customers mention "Subject matter"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the subject matter great, interesting, and holds their attention. They also say it's a great read for today's baseball fan.

"...This book would be a great read for today's baseball fan who was raised only on big contracts, home run power, and PEDs." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book. Hank Greenberg was a focused, unassuming gentleman whose ideals propelled him above the haters of the era." Read more

"Book was very interesting and held my attention so that it was difficult to put it down.I have passed it on ." Read more

"Great Subject, Dry Writing..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

clemente_in_right
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, in-depth look at Greenberg
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2015
Verified Purchase
A tremendous effort by Rosengren. Everything you'd want in a definitive bio is here - a full index, a full bibliography and a complete record of the subject. An excellent book. As some other reviewers have noted, the prose isn't the equivalent of Kahn's or Angell's. But, the writing is fine and well paced.

Some highlights for me:
1. I enjoyed the way Rosengren framed Greenberg's career, achievements and his place in American Jewish culture against the backdrop of global antisemitism.
2. As a Pirates fan, I was interested in Greenberg's time in Pittsburgh and how that events that led to the transaction between the Tigers and Pirates. Rosengren does a fine job of detailing Greenberg's influence on Ralph Kiner.
3. I was curious as to how Greenberg treated players once he became part of the front office and I found his relationship with Al Rosen to be especially illuminating.

My only gripe is the free flowing manner of the timeline of his post-baseball career. For example, Rosengren noted that Hank and his second wife sold their place in NYC and moved to LA in 1974. A couple of pages later, the narrative of their life in LA picks up with Rosengren describing quiet evenings at home and travel, plus the occasional dinner with other ballplayers. He specifically mentions dining with Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe. While I'm sure that meal happened, I'm quite sure it didn't take place in the 1970s (Monroe was, of course, deceased) and seems very out of place in the description of Greenberg's life at that time.
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MinnesotaMind
4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Read, Simplistic Analysis
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2013
Verified Purchase
This was an engaging read and an excellent introduction to Hank Greenberg's achievements and cultural significance.

Greenberg played in the era just slightly before baseball's aptly dubbed "Golden Age," and so l brought less background knowledge to Greenberg's story than to, say, Mickey Mantle's. But Greenberg's on the field heroics are impressive, most notably, his 184 RBI in 1937. Though his lifetime numbers fall well below other Hall of Fame sluggers, Hank's hitting legacy must be understood alongside his four years of military service, more years than almost any of his baseball peers and years which were smack in the middle of Greenberg's prime.

There are critical notes I'd sound regarding this book, however.

First, as I just stated, Hank devoted a significant number of his prime playing years to fighting for America in WWII. The author spends quite a bit of time discussing Greenberg's feelings about the draft pre-Pearl Harbor, but treats his post Pearl voluntary enlistment rather quickly. We hear precious little about Greenberg's war years, but more troubling to me, the author doesn't bother to address any issues of regret or sadness Greenberg may have felt upon returning and only playing a few hard, short years. Rosengren spends some time discussing Greenberg's lost income and his attempts to get back in playing shape, but I would've liked to hear more about Greenberg's own impressions of where he stood in the slugging pantheon and how he felt those years he devoted to his country affected his baseball legacy for better or worse.

Secondly, the subtitle Rosengren chose for this bio (Hero of Heroes) should have tipped me off as to his sympathies regarding Greenberg's assimilation. Indeed, in the epilogue, Rosengren writes that Greenberg "showed Jews how to assimilate." The book contains an engaging discussion of Greenberg's approach to his first schedule conflict with the Jewish High Holidays (Greenberg played on Rosh Hashanah, not Yom Kippur), but treats subsequent conflicts casually. It is clear in Rosengren's reporting that Greenberg's parents were not at all pleased by Hank's decision to play, but this is never explored further. Rosengren also ignores the fact that Greenberg's second wife was not Jewish and what that may have meant to his parents.

Furthermore, we learn that as a father, Greenberg taught his children so little about Judaism that one child thought that Yom Kippur was a holiday on which Jews go to the planetarium (because Hank took them on one Yom Kippur, explaining that it was a special day). Obviously, where one falls within the spectrum of Jewish belief and communal identification will inform one's reaction to these details. But one thing is for sure that Rosengren seems to gloss over: these conflicts are complex and tension filled, not simple and easily decided. Rosengren will have us believe that Greenberg is the Jewish Jackie Robinson; he claims him to be the most important Jewish athlete in history. Perhaps. But consider the parallel in a way that Rosengren doesn't: Greenberg's approach to his faith in his later career and his retirement (with the exception of his staunch support for Israel) was NOTHING like Robinson's to his race. Jackie Robinson spent the rest of his too short life working tirelessly for equal rights both on and off the field. His work didn't end with himself, as he advocated for African Americans to be hired in leadership positions in baseball.

Greenberg, the "hero of heroes," who taught Jews "how to assimilate," taught his children nothing of the faith of which he was supposedly a hero and ignored or indulged his pesky conscience regarding playing on holidays when it best suited him. I'm not at all arguing that Greenberg should be condemned for such behavior. Just pointing out that Rosengren seems more intent on producing an encomium than a clear eyed consideration of one of baseball's legends.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Biography
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
John Rosengren has written an excellent biography of one of baseball's nearly forgotten hero's of the early 20th century. Rosengren did some great research on the facts of Greenberg's life and baseball career. As he states in the end it was difficult to find accurate quotes and stories about Greenberg from that time. Many sportswriters would just make up quotes with any or little fact behind it. He also brings out all facets of Greenberg's personality, the good and bad. He didn't sugar coat any of Greenberg's personality flaws. He also brought to light how tough Greenberg had it as one of the few Jews who played baseball during this time of the rise of Facism. On the field Greenberg faced as much trouble as Jackie Robinson did although not to the degree off of it as Robinson did. This book really does seem to give you a very good idea of how Greenberg was overall as a human being. In the end you do feel like you actually knew him.
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Top reviews from other countries

sam pell
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on October 31, 2016
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great read!
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George E Georgian
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on October 23, 2014
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pefect
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