There have been many bios written about Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle but Allen Barra, the author of this one had a great idea ; since the two were so often compared why not write a bio about the both of them, comparing their upbringings, their playing careers, and their retirement years ? These were two of baseballs most iconic payers, heroes to millions of boys growing up during the 50ies and 60ies and it becomes very clear early in this book that Barra was one of those boys. So it came as no surprise reading about the amazing accomplishments they both performed on the field and while it's also clear that while on some level , Barra still views both Mickey and Willie as heroes, both these men had a serious dark side and Barra pulls no punches in discussing and exploring these flaws. It's a well researched book and I admire the work Barra put into but I have to admit to finding it a quite depressing read. That being said, I'd still recommend it to any fan of baseball. It is definitely a tale worth reading


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