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Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig
The definitive account of the life and tragic death of baseball legend Lou Gehrig.
Lou Gehrig was a baseball legend—the Iron Horse, the stoic New York Yankee who was the greatest first baseman in history, a man whose consecutive-games streak was ended by a horrible disease that now bears his name. But as this definitive new biography makes clear, Gehrig’s life was more complicated—and, perhaps, even more heroic—than anyone really knew.
Drawing on new interviews and more than two hundred pages of previously unpublished letters to and from Gehrig, Luckiest Man gives us an intimate portrait of the man who became an American hero: his life as a shy and awkward youth growing up in New York City, his unlikely friendship with Babe Ruth (a friendship that allegedly ended over rumors that Ruth had had an affair with Gehrig’s wife), and his stellar career with the Yankees, where his consecutive-games streak stood for more than half a century. What was not previously known, however, is that symptoms of Gehrig’s affliction began appearing in 1938, earlier than is commonly acknowledged. Later, aware that he was dying, Gehrig exhibited a perseverance that was truly inspiring; he lived the last two years of his short life with the same grace and dignity with which he gave his now-famous “luckiest man” speech.
Meticulously researched and elegantly written, Jonathan Eig’s Luckiest Man shows us one of the greatest baseball players of all time as we’ve never seen him before.
Lou Gehrig was a baseball legend—the Iron Horse, the stoic New York Yankee who was the greatest first baseman in history, a man whose consecutive-games streak was ended by a horrible disease that now bears his name. But as this definitive new biography makes clear, Gehrig’s life was more complicated—and, perhaps, even more heroic—than anyone really knew.
Drawing on new interviews and more than two hundred pages of previously unpublished letters to and from Gehrig, Luckiest Man gives us an intimate portrait of the man who became an American hero: his life as a shy and awkward youth growing up in New York City, his unlikely friendship with Babe Ruth (a friendship that allegedly ended over rumors that Ruth had had an affair with Gehrig’s wife), and his stellar career with the Yankees, where his consecutive-games streak stood for more than half a century. What was not previously known, however, is that symptoms of Gehrig’s affliction began appearing in 1938, earlier than is commonly acknowledged. Later, aware that he was dying, Gehrig exhibited a perseverance that was truly inspiring; he lived the last two years of his short life with the same grace and dignity with which he gave his now-famous “luckiest man” speech.
Meticulously researched and elegantly written, Jonathan Eig’s Luckiest Man shows us one of the greatest baseball players of all time as we’ve never seen him before.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
155 people are currently reading
6157 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Eig
24 books628 followersJonathan Eig is the author of six books, four of them New York Times best sellers, as well as four books for children. He is a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal. His works have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
His most recent book is "King: A Life." His previous book, Ali: A Life," was the winner of the PEN Award and hailed as an "epic" by Joyce Carol Oates in her New York Times review.
His other books are: "Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig;" "Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season;" "Get Capone;" and "The Birth of the Pill."
Jonathan served as consulting producer on the Ken Burns PBS documentary on Muhammad Ali.
His most recent book is "King: A Life." His previous book, Ali: A Life," was the winner of the PEN Award and hailed as an "epic" by Joyce Carol Oates in her New York Times review.
His other books are: "Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig;" "Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season;" "Get Capone;" and "The Birth of the Pill."
Jonathan served as consulting producer on the Ken Burns PBS documentary on Muhammad Ali.
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August 13, 2024
July 4, 1939: “Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I’ve had a lot of bad breaks, but I have an awful lot to live for.”- Lou Gehrig
Today is a somber day on the Jewish calendar. Much of the trials and tribulations that have befallen the Jewish people over the course of history have taken place on this day. Generally, I try to find a book befitting the occasion because it is a fast day, and I try to stay in bed most of the day because I am not a good faster at all. One year I read a memoir by the then chief rabbi of Israel. Another year I selected a historical fiction by Israeli author Emunah Elon. This year, I did not have such a book picked out. Enough has occurred in the world over the past year that I did not wanted to be reminded of more sorrows in print. That said, I wasn’t going to go out and read a book of humor or a fast paced mystery. I needed something uplifting yet somber and realized that I have never read Jonathan Eig’s first book about the life of American hero Lou Gehrig. Written twenty years ago, Eig has moved to the top of the mountain of history writers since. His latest book deservingly so won the Pulitzer Prize. His words wow me and I wait with bated breath for him to tackle a new project. Twenty years ago, Eig was an unpublished historian just beginning the journey to emerge as one of the best of his craft. The first subject he chose to study was baseball’s original Iron Horse. Although not a Jewish inspiration story, Lou Gehrig’s strength and heroism would give me strength to get through a day that usually leaves me defeated. In a way that only Eig can, he brought Gehrig’s story to life.
Born June 18, 1903, Henry Louis Gehrig survived as the only living child of Heinrich and Christina Gehrig. The Gehrigs were immigrants from Germany and did not have the skills or grasp of the English language to emerge as new Americans holding forth to a dream. At the turn of the 20th century, progressive President Theodore Roosevelt encouraged new ideas. Inventors brought new ideas as electricity, automobiles, and primitive appliances to many Americans. There seemed to be a new millionaire everyday as inventors came up with more and more new ideas, and tycoons and barons monopolized and modernized industry. These new fangled ideas passed Heinrich and Christina Gehrig by. Heinrich worked in manual labor but could not hold a steady job, forcing Christina to find work. The family lived in New York’s tenements impoverished, but Christina desired everything in the world for her only child. She cleaned mansions and washed dishes in college fraternity houses. She cooked for the wealthy in her kitchen and mended their clothing. Christina took on this work because she thought that her son was special and wanted him to eat only the best foods and wear clothes that looked put together even if the family had no money for luxuries. Both parents had hopes that their son would one day become an engineer, architect, or even a doctor to rise them out of poverty. The son known as Lou or Louie never excelled academically but he did well enough. What Lou excelled at was team sports, and he became especially enamored at an American game known as baseball, that at the time of his birth was beginning to emerge as a modern game. Boys in the neighborhood wanted Lou for their teams. He might have been a tad clumsy but he hit with power. Christina and Heinrich told all that their son would be a great engineer one day and kept feeding him rich foods to develop his mind. Lou from an early age had other ideas as to his future, which was not in engineering.
Eig crafts most of the story of Lou Gehrig’s life by telling about his days before he joined the Yankees. I have read extensively about baseball history and have run across Gehrig numerous times. Usually, the context is as a member of the 1920s teams starring Babe Ruth and the middle 1930s teams when Joe DiMaggio emerged as a Yankee star. Any fan who has studied baseball history knows of Gehrig as baseball’s original Iron Man, and this diminishes his place in the game as a bonafide star. Unlike Ruth and DiMaggio, Gehrig appeared shy and unassuming. This is where Eig’s background information plays a role in crafting just who Lou Gehrig was. From the time he entered Commerce High School in 1917, Gehrig could not devote as much time as he would have liked to athletic prowess because he was beholden to his mother who believed that sports was not an avenue to prosperity; this baseball in her eyes was a kid’s game. Christina appears in pictures as a machine without emotions, going about her job everyday to provide for her family. Lou was her whole life, but I do not believe that she realized how athletically gifted that he was, and that these sports could actually pull the family out of poverty. In high school, Lou could only travel to Chicago with his baseball team after his coach intervened and promised to take care of him. From the ripe age of seventeen, Gehrig developed a reputation as a mama’s boy. Even as a star on the great Yankees teams, Gehrig lived at home with his parents. He did not socialize or in 1920s terms carouse with his teammates. No one, man or woman, was good enough for Christina Gehrig’s boy. Ma Gehrig would hinder Lou’s social development for the next twenty years, causing the press to misconstrue him as shy and aloof, leading one to wonder if this was done in service to his mother or if he was truly a shy person who stayed away from temptation.
A member of the 1927 Murderer’s Row Yankees, Gehrig played second fiddle to Ruth. In the roaring twenties, Ruth homered on the power of beer and hotdogs, bringing fans back to the game after the scandal of the 1919 Black Sox. Built in 1923, Yankee Stadium was referred to as the house that Ruth built, not the house that Gehrig built. From the time that he entered the lineup for Wally Pipp in 1925, Gehrig became the anti Ruth. He went about his business hitting and driving in runs and rarely joined teammates for nights on the town. If a teammate wanted to socialize with Gehrig away from the ballpark, he invited them home for dinner. Not one to hold liquor well, he preferred card games on trains for the competition rather than camaraderie, and his favorite way to pass time on the road was attending motion pictures, often alone. In the off-season, he fished and ice skated and built muscles by doing calisthenics. Sportswriters had to make up stories about Gehrig or at least embellish his comments because he had no vices aside from smoking. As long as Ruth caroused and made movies and commercial endorsements, all Gehrig had to do was show up at the ball park and go about his business. Sportswriters and fans hardly appreciated his presence as he was one cog on the 1927 lineup where everyone hit. Gehrig provided Ruth with protection in the lineup, and one astute writer named Fred Lieb realized this. Lieb took a liking to Gehrig, and he and his wife Mary would be become close friends who provided a buffer between him and Christina. It was Mary who counseled Lou to break out of his shell and live as an adult, no small order with Christina as an adversary.
Not one to dwell on love stories, Eig provides the courtship of Lou and Eleanor Twichell. The two wed in 1930 and had to do so in stealth so that Christina would not interfere. Christina wanted Lou and Eleanor to settle down in her home so that she could do all the cooking. Then she would demean her new daughter in law, telling her that she could not cook or provide for Lou as she could. Eventually, the new couple moved to their own dwelling, but the tension between Eleanor and Christina would never go away. This reminded me of the relationship between another Eleanor, Roosevelt, with her mother-in-law Sara Delano, which has been well documented. Both Eleanors were outgoing and had to overcome these oppressive mother-in-laws, not an easy task. Lou played peacemaker, all while going about his business on the field, becoming captain following Ruth’s retirement. The Yankees kept winning, but sportswriters aside from Lieb found the new captain to be as drab as the new times they were living in. They demanded a new star from Yankee management, and sure enough DiMaggio arrived in 1936 and captured all the headlines. The DiMaggio Yankees would become a dynasty that gave way to another dynasty a decade later. Eig does not mention this because Gehrig was not a member of these teams. From 1927 to 1939 Gehrig went to work and piled up numbers. He wanted to play until he turned forty. Meanwhile he chugged along, an iron horse, compiling a streak of 2130 consecutive games that could not conceivably be broken, until it was fifty six years later. The streak would have gone on forever if Gehrig stayed healthy, and Eig cites baseball historians who claim that Gehrig would have amassed numbers that would have been the best in many categories if he did not succumb to illness. Having never ran those numbers before, I found this eye boggling.
Eig devotes the last fifty pages of the book to the discovery of Gehrig being stricken with ALS. In the 1930s very few doctors had heard of the disease and the course of treatment was primitive at best. Sadly today the treatment still only prolongs the inevitable as there is still no cure for the disease. Doctors at that time had discovered penicillin and were only fifteen years away from administering the first polio vaccine. Gehrig admitted himself to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. As his body deteriorated, he relished being away from the bustle and media of New York. Few doctors at the time had heard of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the doctors at the Mayo Clinic believed that anything from vitamin e to newly discovered histamine could reverse the disease’s course. First discovered in 1840s France, doctors had made few breakthroughs in the last hundred years, knowing that the disease attacks the patient’s central nervous system, taking away the ability to perform even the most basic of bodily functions. Doctor Frank O’Leary told Gehrig that if he continued eating a wholesome diet and taking vitamin e, that he had a 50/50 chance of recovery. He told Eleanor much grimmer news so that she would know the actual prognosis. The Yankees held Lou Gehrig Day on July 4, 1939, where he was feted and delivered his Luckiest Man speech. He declined rapidly but with courage and dignity, succumbing on June 3, 1941. Eleanor never remarried and spent much of her life devoted to ALS research; there is still no cure over eighty years later, and disease is widely known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Patients still have an awful lot to live for, but, sadly, this disease is just as debilitating as it was in Gehrig’s time.
Lou Gehrig was as much an American hero as Babe Ruth. Had he played during the calm, interwar 1950s rather than the roaring 1920s, the iron horse would have been recognized for his character traits as opposed to taking a back seat to his rowdy teammates. Starting out as a historian, it is apparent that Jonathan Eig was quite the biographer and recorder of history twenty years ago. His words did not have the polish that they do now, and he was not as highly regarded. At the time, he enjoyed the research into Gehrig’s life and discovering his letters to Eleanor and the doctors of the Mayo Clinic. As a baseball fan, he engaged in the what if Gehrig played until age forty two, the same as any serious student of the game. Over eighty years ago, Lou Gehrig became known as a man who got up and went to work every day through sickness and health for over twelve years. There was no such thing as a day off. He is also known for the disease which still bears his name, which is sadly still without a cure. Today might be a subdued day for me, and, yes, I woke up with a headache. In the grand scheme of things, that is a little nothing compared to what Gehrig had to endure. While not the Jewish historical piece I generally read today, his story is definitely catalogued as inspiration, befitting of an American hero.
4.5 stars
Today is a somber day on the Jewish calendar. Much of the trials and tribulations that have befallen the Jewish people over the course of history have taken place on this day. Generally, I try to find a book befitting the occasion because it is a fast day, and I try to stay in bed most of the day because I am not a good faster at all. One year I read a memoir by the then chief rabbi of Israel. Another year I selected a historical fiction by Israeli author Emunah Elon. This year, I did not have such a book picked out. Enough has occurred in the world over the past year that I did not wanted to be reminded of more sorrows in print. That said, I wasn’t going to go out and read a book of humor or a fast paced mystery. I needed something uplifting yet somber and realized that I have never read Jonathan Eig’s first book about the life of American hero Lou Gehrig. Written twenty years ago, Eig has moved to the top of the mountain of history writers since. His latest book deservingly so won the Pulitzer Prize. His words wow me and I wait with bated breath for him to tackle a new project. Twenty years ago, Eig was an unpublished historian just beginning the journey to emerge as one of the best of his craft. The first subject he chose to study was baseball’s original Iron Horse. Although not a Jewish inspiration story, Lou Gehrig’s strength and heroism would give me strength to get through a day that usually leaves me defeated. In a way that only Eig can, he brought Gehrig’s story to life.
Born June 18, 1903, Henry Louis Gehrig survived as the only living child of Heinrich and Christina Gehrig. The Gehrigs were immigrants from Germany and did not have the skills or grasp of the English language to emerge as new Americans holding forth to a dream. At the turn of the 20th century, progressive President Theodore Roosevelt encouraged new ideas. Inventors brought new ideas as electricity, automobiles, and primitive appliances to many Americans. There seemed to be a new millionaire everyday as inventors came up with more and more new ideas, and tycoons and barons monopolized and modernized industry. These new fangled ideas passed Heinrich and Christina Gehrig by. Heinrich worked in manual labor but could not hold a steady job, forcing Christina to find work. The family lived in New York’s tenements impoverished, but Christina desired everything in the world for her only child. She cleaned mansions and washed dishes in college fraternity houses. She cooked for the wealthy in her kitchen and mended their clothing. Christina took on this work because she thought that her son was special and wanted him to eat only the best foods and wear clothes that looked put together even if the family had no money for luxuries. Both parents had hopes that their son would one day become an engineer, architect, or even a doctor to rise them out of poverty. The son known as Lou or Louie never excelled academically but he did well enough. What Lou excelled at was team sports, and he became especially enamored at an American game known as baseball, that at the time of his birth was beginning to emerge as a modern game. Boys in the neighborhood wanted Lou for their teams. He might have been a tad clumsy but he hit with power. Christina and Heinrich told all that their son would be a great engineer one day and kept feeding him rich foods to develop his mind. Lou from an early age had other ideas as to his future, which was not in engineering.
Eig crafts most of the story of Lou Gehrig’s life by telling about his days before he joined the Yankees. I have read extensively about baseball history and have run across Gehrig numerous times. Usually, the context is as a member of the 1920s teams starring Babe Ruth and the middle 1930s teams when Joe DiMaggio emerged as a Yankee star. Any fan who has studied baseball history knows of Gehrig as baseball’s original Iron Man, and this diminishes his place in the game as a bonafide star. Unlike Ruth and DiMaggio, Gehrig appeared shy and unassuming. This is where Eig’s background information plays a role in crafting just who Lou Gehrig was. From the time he entered Commerce High School in 1917, Gehrig could not devote as much time as he would have liked to athletic prowess because he was beholden to his mother who believed that sports was not an avenue to prosperity; this baseball in her eyes was a kid’s game. Christina appears in pictures as a machine without emotions, going about her job everyday to provide for her family. Lou was her whole life, but I do not believe that she realized how athletically gifted that he was, and that these sports could actually pull the family out of poverty. In high school, Lou could only travel to Chicago with his baseball team after his coach intervened and promised to take care of him. From the ripe age of seventeen, Gehrig developed a reputation as a mama’s boy. Even as a star on the great Yankees teams, Gehrig lived at home with his parents. He did not socialize or in 1920s terms carouse with his teammates. No one, man or woman, was good enough for Christina Gehrig’s boy. Ma Gehrig would hinder Lou’s social development for the next twenty years, causing the press to misconstrue him as shy and aloof, leading one to wonder if this was done in service to his mother or if he was truly a shy person who stayed away from temptation.
A member of the 1927 Murderer’s Row Yankees, Gehrig played second fiddle to Ruth. In the roaring twenties, Ruth homered on the power of beer and hotdogs, bringing fans back to the game after the scandal of the 1919 Black Sox. Built in 1923, Yankee Stadium was referred to as the house that Ruth built, not the house that Gehrig built. From the time that he entered the lineup for Wally Pipp in 1925, Gehrig became the anti Ruth. He went about his business hitting and driving in runs and rarely joined teammates for nights on the town. If a teammate wanted to socialize with Gehrig away from the ballpark, he invited them home for dinner. Not one to hold liquor well, he preferred card games on trains for the competition rather than camaraderie, and his favorite way to pass time on the road was attending motion pictures, often alone. In the off-season, he fished and ice skated and built muscles by doing calisthenics. Sportswriters had to make up stories about Gehrig or at least embellish his comments because he had no vices aside from smoking. As long as Ruth caroused and made movies and commercial endorsements, all Gehrig had to do was show up at the ball park and go about his business. Sportswriters and fans hardly appreciated his presence as he was one cog on the 1927 lineup where everyone hit. Gehrig provided Ruth with protection in the lineup, and one astute writer named Fred Lieb realized this. Lieb took a liking to Gehrig, and he and his wife Mary would be become close friends who provided a buffer between him and Christina. It was Mary who counseled Lou to break out of his shell and live as an adult, no small order with Christina as an adversary.
Not one to dwell on love stories, Eig provides the courtship of Lou and Eleanor Twichell. The two wed in 1930 and had to do so in stealth so that Christina would not interfere. Christina wanted Lou and Eleanor to settle down in her home so that she could do all the cooking. Then she would demean her new daughter in law, telling her that she could not cook or provide for Lou as she could. Eventually, the new couple moved to their own dwelling, but the tension between Eleanor and Christina would never go away. This reminded me of the relationship between another Eleanor, Roosevelt, with her mother-in-law Sara Delano, which has been well documented. Both Eleanors were outgoing and had to overcome these oppressive mother-in-laws, not an easy task. Lou played peacemaker, all while going about his business on the field, becoming captain following Ruth’s retirement. The Yankees kept winning, but sportswriters aside from Lieb found the new captain to be as drab as the new times they were living in. They demanded a new star from Yankee management, and sure enough DiMaggio arrived in 1936 and captured all the headlines. The DiMaggio Yankees would become a dynasty that gave way to another dynasty a decade later. Eig does not mention this because Gehrig was not a member of these teams. From 1927 to 1939 Gehrig went to work and piled up numbers. He wanted to play until he turned forty. Meanwhile he chugged along, an iron horse, compiling a streak of 2130 consecutive games that could not conceivably be broken, until it was fifty six years later. The streak would have gone on forever if Gehrig stayed healthy, and Eig cites baseball historians who claim that Gehrig would have amassed numbers that would have been the best in many categories if he did not succumb to illness. Having never ran those numbers before, I found this eye boggling.
Eig devotes the last fifty pages of the book to the discovery of Gehrig being stricken with ALS. In the 1930s very few doctors had heard of the disease and the course of treatment was primitive at best. Sadly today the treatment still only prolongs the inevitable as there is still no cure for the disease. Doctors at that time had discovered penicillin and were only fifteen years away from administering the first polio vaccine. Gehrig admitted himself to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. As his body deteriorated, he relished being away from the bustle and media of New York. Few doctors at the time had heard of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the doctors at the Mayo Clinic believed that anything from vitamin e to newly discovered histamine could reverse the disease’s course. First discovered in 1840s France, doctors had made few breakthroughs in the last hundred years, knowing that the disease attacks the patient’s central nervous system, taking away the ability to perform even the most basic of bodily functions. Doctor Frank O’Leary told Gehrig that if he continued eating a wholesome diet and taking vitamin e, that he had a 50/50 chance of recovery. He told Eleanor much grimmer news so that she would know the actual prognosis. The Yankees held Lou Gehrig Day on July 4, 1939, where he was feted and delivered his Luckiest Man speech. He declined rapidly but with courage and dignity, succumbing on June 3, 1941. Eleanor never remarried and spent much of her life devoted to ALS research; there is still no cure over eighty years later, and disease is widely known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Patients still have an awful lot to live for, but, sadly, this disease is just as debilitating as it was in Gehrig’s time.
Lou Gehrig was as much an American hero as Babe Ruth. Had he played during the calm, interwar 1950s rather than the roaring 1920s, the iron horse would have been recognized for his character traits as opposed to taking a back seat to his rowdy teammates. Starting out as a historian, it is apparent that Jonathan Eig was quite the biographer and recorder of history twenty years ago. His words did not have the polish that they do now, and he was not as highly regarded. At the time, he enjoyed the research into Gehrig’s life and discovering his letters to Eleanor and the doctors of the Mayo Clinic. As a baseball fan, he engaged in the what if Gehrig played until age forty two, the same as any serious student of the game. Over eighty years ago, Lou Gehrig became known as a man who got up and went to work every day through sickness and health for over twelve years. There was no such thing as a day off. He is also known for the disease which still bears his name, which is sadly still without a cure. Today might be a subdued day for me, and, yes, I woke up with a headache. In the grand scheme of things, that is a little nothing compared to what Gehrig had to endure. While not the Jewish historical piece I generally read today, his story is definitely catalogued as inspiration, befitting of an American hero.
4.5 stars
January 8, 2015
Oh my...now that I've finally stopped crying, I guess I can try to do this book justice.
As the title suggests the first half of this book deals with Lou Gehrig's life...and what a life it was. Growing up, I went to my fair share of baseball games and was happy to cheer on our local Philly team, but it wasn't until I had kids and was sucked into the word of little league and travel ball that I came to hold a true affection for the game.
From March through the beginning of November, most of my weekends are spent sitting on the sidelines of some ball field cheering for one of my sons and their team. But who's complaining. I could think of worse ways to spend my time. Needless to say, baseball has become a bigger part of my life than I could ever have imagined.
As a baseball fan, I loved learning about Gehrig's distinguished career, his work ethic, and his passion for the game. I also appreciated the mini-history lesson on baseball during the '20s-'40s and enjoyed (to my surprise) the play-by-play of key games.
Lou Gehrig's baseball story is an inspiring one.
The second half of the book deals with Gehrig's ALS and his death. As one might imagine, it was heartbreaking. Reading about this hero's deterioration on the field as a player, I could feel the humiliation he must have felt. I can only imagine how painful and frustrating it must have been for him to watch his body begin to fail him so quickly and for no obvious reason after so many years of excellent health, attracting the scrutiny and snide barbs of the fickle fans and media.
Initially, once Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS, he seemed to derive a sense of relief if only because he finally had an explanation for his fading performance. He might not have been so relieved, however, if his doctors' had been more forthcoming about his prognosis. For whatever reason, they let him believe he might recover. A letter from his wife provided in the text suggested that she may have encouraged the deceit, hoping to keep his spirits high. If that wasn't bad enough, an overzealous neurologist who recruited him for participation in a experimental treatment gave him more mixed signals.
Eventually, Gehrig deteriorated to such a point that he had no choice but to accept the fact that he would not recover.
This book is so heart-wrenching it makes The Fault in Our Stars read like a romantic comedy.
Really, this story has it all...
a humble but talented athlete with the body of a Greek Adonis and the Hollywood good looks of a leading man
a rag-to-riches rise to fame in which the son of two German immigrants succeeds thanks to an unbelievable work ethic that epitomizes what the US is supposed to be about
a fairy-tale made-for-movie career (many of his records still stand, and had he not been stricken down during his peak, he would have set many others...not to mention his years with the Yankees were some of their best)
a love story (a socially awkward Mama's boy who finds true love with a woman who never remarries after his death but instead spends her years building his legacy despite the fact that she was still fairly young)
a man who is known for his incredible strength and commitment to fitness who, at the prime of his life and career, is stricken with a deadly disease that essentially leads to the wasting away of every muscle in his body until its victim can no longer swallow or breathe
a professional athlete who exemplifies good sportsmanship, a love for his sport, and a level of humility and respect for the game that seems all but non-existent in today's day and age of celebrity athletes but was even rare for his time
a speech that is one of the greatest sports speeches ever given
Amazing story on every front.
As the title suggests the first half of this book deals with Lou Gehrig's life...and what a life it was. Growing up, I went to my fair share of baseball games and was happy to cheer on our local Philly team, but it wasn't until I had kids and was sucked into the word of little league and travel ball that I came to hold a true affection for the game.
From March through the beginning of November, most of my weekends are spent sitting on the sidelines of some ball field cheering for one of my sons and their team. But who's complaining. I could think of worse ways to spend my time. Needless to say, baseball has become a bigger part of my life than I could ever have imagined.
As a baseball fan, I loved learning about Gehrig's distinguished career, his work ethic, and his passion for the game. I also appreciated the mini-history lesson on baseball during the '20s-'40s and enjoyed (to my surprise) the play-by-play of key games.
Lou Gehrig's baseball story is an inspiring one.
The second half of the book deals with Gehrig's ALS and his death. As one might imagine, it was heartbreaking. Reading about this hero's deterioration on the field as a player, I could feel the humiliation he must have felt. I can only imagine how painful and frustrating it must have been for him to watch his body begin to fail him so quickly and for no obvious reason after so many years of excellent health, attracting the scrutiny and snide barbs of the fickle fans and media.
Initially, once Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS, he seemed to derive a sense of relief if only because he finally had an explanation for his fading performance. He might not have been so relieved, however, if his doctors' had been more forthcoming about his prognosis. For whatever reason, they let him believe he might recover. A letter from his wife provided in the text suggested that she may have encouraged the deceit, hoping to keep his spirits high. If that wasn't bad enough, an overzealous neurologist who recruited him for participation in a experimental treatment gave him more mixed signals.
Eventually, Gehrig deteriorated to such a point that he had no choice but to accept the fact that he would not recover.
This book is so heart-wrenching it makes The Fault in Our Stars read like a romantic comedy.
Really, this story has it all...
a humble but talented athlete with the body of a Greek Adonis and the Hollywood good looks of a leading man
a rag-to-riches rise to fame in which the son of two German immigrants succeeds thanks to an unbelievable work ethic that epitomizes what the US is supposed to be about
a fairy-tale made-for-movie career (many of his records still stand, and had he not been stricken down during his peak, he would have set many others...not to mention his years with the Yankees were some of their best)
a love story (a socially awkward Mama's boy who finds true love with a woman who never remarries after his death but instead spends her years building his legacy despite the fact that she was still fairly young)
a man who is known for his incredible strength and commitment to fitness who, at the prime of his life and career, is stricken with a deadly disease that essentially leads to the wasting away of every muscle in his body until its victim can no longer swallow or breathe
a professional athlete who exemplifies good sportsmanship, a love for his sport, and a level of humility and respect for the game that seems all but non-existent in today's day and age of celebrity athletes but was even rare for his time
a speech that is one of the greatest sports speeches ever given
Amazing story on every front.
June 11, 2025
Prior to diving into this biography of baseball legend Lou Gehrig, my only real knowledge of his exploits, persona and tragic untimely demise (stemming from a then nascent medical affliction which became known as ALS) came from a classic 1944 film “Pride of the Yankees”.
From Jonathan Eig’s colorfully written book, I gained considerably more insight into Gehrig’s genteel, insular, remarkably humble nature and pensive, brooding ways. As a doting son (to his mother especially), the consummate team player and someone who maintained throughout his career an undying devotion to the managers and owners of the NY Yankees, Gehrig was someone cut from a different cloth as far as baseball players of his era are concerned. Author Eig paints a poignant portrait of a man who famously stated in front of throngs of fans at Yankee stadium when he he was forced to suddenly retire in a then increasingly weakened and emaciated state, “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth”. Such was the manner in how he looked at life—with poise humility and especially gratitude to fans, fellow teammates and his devoted wife Eleanor. Jonathan Eig hit this one out of the park!
From Jonathan Eig’s colorfully written book, I gained considerably more insight into Gehrig’s genteel, insular, remarkably humble nature and pensive, brooding ways. As a doting son (to his mother especially), the consummate team player and someone who maintained throughout his career an undying devotion to the managers and owners of the NY Yankees, Gehrig was someone cut from a different cloth as far as baseball players of his era are concerned. Author Eig paints a poignant portrait of a man who famously stated in front of throngs of fans at Yankee stadium when he he was forced to suddenly retire in a then increasingly weakened and emaciated state, “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth”. Such was the manner in how he looked at life—with poise humility and especially gratitude to fans, fellow teammates and his devoted wife Eleanor. Jonathan Eig hit this one out of the park!
August 7, 2018
Two of the saddest books that I have read have been about famous baseball players. Jane Leavy's excellent biography of Mickey Mantle The Last Boy is one of them. Jonathan Eig's work on Lou Gehrig is the other. While even many non-baseball fans are at least superficially aware of Gehrig's ultimate demise (having a disease named after you will do that), most people do not seem to know that he spent most of his life alone and unhappy. Even though ALS started killing him about two years before he finally succumbed to the disease, Gehrig struggled mentally long before then.
Gehrig grew up an only child thanks to a sister who died very young, smothered by his mother. This seemed to stunt his growth socially as he made very few friends – none who were really close to him – and he was particularly shy around women. Of course, living at home into your early 30s will probably do that. Gehrig seemed socially awkward, which was exacerbated by a deep sense of inferiority. With few exceptions, he ceded center stage to others (his mother, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee ballclub). I got the sense that he did not know how to communicate his thoughts and feelings towards others. Outside of his mother, he trusted no one. Yet, for many years when he was in his prime, he allowed the Yankees to significantly underpay him. Eig is very fair in pointing out that the context of the time needs to be taken into consideration when evaluating Gehrig's interactions with Yankee management. Yet even with that, Gehrig allowed himself to be short-changed by the Yankees, something that Ruth and DiMaggio never did.
Eig does not overly focus on Gehrig's baseball exploits. Thus, someone who is interested in Gehrig in general, while not necessarily being a baseball fan in particular, can enjoy this book. But there are times when Eig focuses on certain games, or a series of games, and each time it fits smoothly into his narrative. He does a good job of mixing the professional part of Gehrig with the personal part. Reading about Gehrig's odd courtship of his wife, Eleanor, really makes you realize just how stunted he was emotionally. Incidentally, she does not come off looking real good here. Eig paints a picture of a woman who saw that her famous husband was not capitalizing on his success, and she decided that she needed to nudge him firmly in the direction of being more open with the media and holding out for more money from the Yankees. At times it almost seemed like she had crossed the line to where she was exploiting his fame. I am not sure there is any documentary evidence of that; it's more a feeling that I got while reading. Also, when Gehrig was dying, she carried on a petty feud with his mother, preventing her from being welcome in their home. This further devolved into legal battles following Gehrig's death.
Eig argues that Gehrig developed ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) sometime during 1938, possibly before for the baseball season but certainly during it. Gehrig's body began breaking down, his strength ebbing away faster than the natural course of an aging athlete would take. Gehrig was about 35 years-old then, and in peak physical condition. While that is a bit on the high side for an elite athlete, it's hardly washed-up territory. One wonders what went through Gehrig's mind as his body began to fail him, and not just on the baseball diamond. He started tripping on curbs, and falling down easily. I think this would alarm anyone, let alone a man who had the perfect physique. Surely the temptation was there for him to just assume that it was a temporary setback, that while he was getting older, he would recover most of his normal range of dexterity soon. And really, how would he know, and why would he quickly assume, that he was at the beginning stages of a disease that would shortly destroy him life and ultimately end it?
The final few chapters, as can be imagined, were the saddest. Gehrig holds out hope that he can improve, even as his body deteriorates daily. His mind was unaffected. It is difficult to imagine how hard it had to have been for him – or anyone stricken with the horrible disease – to watch yourself fall apart physically, knowing there is basically nothing that you can do. True to Gehrig's strong work ethic, he kept trying anything the doctors offered as possible treatments, but even he had to at some point realize that it was hopeless. I knew going into this book that the ending would be rough; what I did not expect to read was that Gehrig struggled to be confident, social, and to break free of his mother. Fortunately, Gehrig did seem to realize how fortunate he was to be one of the greatest baseball players ever, and to be the first Yankee to have his number retired. It's just sad that he didn't live long enough to really enjoy it.
Gehrig grew up an only child thanks to a sister who died very young, smothered by his mother. This seemed to stunt his growth socially as he made very few friends – none who were really close to him – and he was particularly shy around women. Of course, living at home into your early 30s will probably do that. Gehrig seemed socially awkward, which was exacerbated by a deep sense of inferiority. With few exceptions, he ceded center stage to others (his mother, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee ballclub). I got the sense that he did not know how to communicate his thoughts and feelings towards others. Outside of his mother, he trusted no one. Yet, for many years when he was in his prime, he allowed the Yankees to significantly underpay him. Eig is very fair in pointing out that the context of the time needs to be taken into consideration when evaluating Gehrig's interactions with Yankee management. Yet even with that, Gehrig allowed himself to be short-changed by the Yankees, something that Ruth and DiMaggio never did.
Eig does not overly focus on Gehrig's baseball exploits. Thus, someone who is interested in Gehrig in general, while not necessarily being a baseball fan in particular, can enjoy this book. But there are times when Eig focuses on certain games, or a series of games, and each time it fits smoothly into his narrative. He does a good job of mixing the professional part of Gehrig with the personal part. Reading about Gehrig's odd courtship of his wife, Eleanor, really makes you realize just how stunted he was emotionally. Incidentally, she does not come off looking real good here. Eig paints a picture of a woman who saw that her famous husband was not capitalizing on his success, and she decided that she needed to nudge him firmly in the direction of being more open with the media and holding out for more money from the Yankees. At times it almost seemed like she had crossed the line to where she was exploiting his fame. I am not sure there is any documentary evidence of that; it's more a feeling that I got while reading. Also, when Gehrig was dying, she carried on a petty feud with his mother, preventing her from being welcome in their home. This further devolved into legal battles following Gehrig's death.
Eig argues that Gehrig developed ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) sometime during 1938, possibly before for the baseball season but certainly during it. Gehrig's body began breaking down, his strength ebbing away faster than the natural course of an aging athlete would take. Gehrig was about 35 years-old then, and in peak physical condition. While that is a bit on the high side for an elite athlete, it's hardly washed-up territory. One wonders what went through Gehrig's mind as his body began to fail him, and not just on the baseball diamond. He started tripping on curbs, and falling down easily. I think this would alarm anyone, let alone a man who had the perfect physique. Surely the temptation was there for him to just assume that it was a temporary setback, that while he was getting older, he would recover most of his normal range of dexterity soon. And really, how would he know, and why would he quickly assume, that he was at the beginning stages of a disease that would shortly destroy him life and ultimately end it?
The final few chapters, as can be imagined, were the saddest. Gehrig holds out hope that he can improve, even as his body deteriorates daily. His mind was unaffected. It is difficult to imagine how hard it had to have been for him – or anyone stricken with the horrible disease – to watch yourself fall apart physically, knowing there is basically nothing that you can do. True to Gehrig's strong work ethic, he kept trying anything the doctors offered as possible treatments, but even he had to at some point realize that it was hopeless. I knew going into this book that the ending would be rough; what I did not expect to read was that Gehrig struggled to be confident, social, and to break free of his mother. Fortunately, Gehrig did seem to realize how fortunate he was to be one of the greatest baseball players ever, and to be the first Yankee to have his number retired. It's just sad that he didn't live long enough to really enjoy it.
June 27, 2022
As a baseball and history fan it’s a little embarrassing that it took me 16 years to get around to reading this fantastic book. Jonathan Eig is an excellent reporter and writer. Yes it helps to be a baseball fan to appreciate this but I would think even knowing the name Lou Gehrig would engage any reader.
February 12, 2018
Excellent and very moving book about a life cut short. Would definitely recommend this.
August 25, 2014
I read this book while I was on vacation in New Jersey this summer and I never did get around to rating & reviewing it when I got back. But now with all this ice bucket action, I've decided to rectify the situation.
I'm really not a gal who follows sports, or likes sports, or has any interest at all in sports. Growing up, if someone had a game on the television, I found it so grating that I would go in another room and read. Okay, I still do that.
And yet, I really wanted to read this book.
First of all, I heard an interview with the author and it caught my attention. Also, the irony of one of the greatest athletes in American history dying from ALS at the height of his career is poignant. But he didn't just bow out. This man had CHARACTER. It will make you cry to read about it.
What a guy! I loved learning about this man's life. And what a life! And what a time in American history, right smack in the middle of New York City. And I'm so ignorant to all things sports that it shocked me to learn that the only famous baseball players I can name (Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez and Babe Ruth) ALL PLAYED FOR THE YANKEES on THAT TEAM! Geesh, what a roster. It was fascinating to read about, even for me.
Of course the most touching part of the book was Lou Gehrig's illness and diagnosis of ALS. What a man. What character. Even while typing this now I feel the pinpricks behind my eyes. Such a touching story, so inspiring. Yes, it was quite a read. I think even my Red Sox loving family will forgive me these 5 stars for this book about this extraordinary man.
I'm really not a gal who follows sports, or likes sports, or has any interest at all in sports. Growing up, if someone had a game on the television, I found it so grating that I would go in another room and read. Okay, I still do that.
And yet, I really wanted to read this book.
First of all, I heard an interview with the author and it caught my attention. Also, the irony of one of the greatest athletes in American history dying from ALS at the height of his career is poignant. But he didn't just bow out. This man had CHARACTER. It will make you cry to read about it.
What a guy! I loved learning about this man's life. And what a life! And what a time in American history, right smack in the middle of New York City. And I'm so ignorant to all things sports that it shocked me to learn that the only famous baseball players I can name (Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez and Babe Ruth) ALL PLAYED FOR THE YANKEES on THAT TEAM! Geesh, what a roster. It was fascinating to read about, even for me.
Of course the most touching part of the book was Lou Gehrig's illness and diagnosis of ALS. What a man. What character. Even while typing this now I feel the pinpricks behind my eyes. Such a touching story, so inspiring. Yes, it was quite a read. I think even my Red Sox loving family will forgive me these 5 stars for this book about this extraordinary man.
September 5, 2015
Review:
Having not read a book on Lou Gehrig since middle school and wanting to learn more about the man, I picked up this book hoping to learn more about his playing career and how he dealt with the prospect of facing death. Those topics are certainly covered, but there is so much more to this book that it should be on every baseball fan’s list of books to read.
Meticulous research and superb writing make this book one of the most definitive biographies of Gehrig. The reader will learn about the man through many communications he made with doctors, his wife Eleanor and other important people in his life. The letters he exchanged with physicians at the Mayo Clinic, where his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was first diagnosed, were very moving. The same goes for his letters to Eleanor, especially the one written to her when he first learns of the disease and is optimistic that he will get better.
Gehrig went to the Mayo Clinic when he noticed how fast his baseball skills were deteriorating in 1939. Both this decline and Gehrig’s outstanding baseball career are covered by superb research and writing as well. No matter how one analyzes his career, Gehrig is one of the greatest players in the history of the game, yet Eig writes of his baseball prowess without a lot of fawning or exaggeration. The matter-of-fact style made reading about Gehrig’s accomplishments seem even more impressive.
Eig also writes about Gehrig’s personal life in a style that will keep any reader engrossed in the topic. Whether it is about his childhood in which his mother was very protective, the shy young man who did not socialize often with his Yankee teammates, or his marriage at 30 to an outspoken woman, the reader will gain insight into what made Gehrig into the man that he became.
Of course, no discussion about Gehrig can be complete without mentioning the moments that made him a legendary baseball player. Eig sets the record straight on what makes Gehrig seem larger than life. For example, the myth that Gehrig began his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played because Wally Pipp complained of a headache and was replaced by Gehrig is set straight in the book. The streak actually began the previous day when Gehrig appeared as a pinch hitter. Also, Pipp did not complain of a headache that day and instead was benched when manager Miller Huggins wanted to juggle his lineup. It doesn’t make the streak or the myth any less impressive, but Eig ensures that the correct story about the beginning of the streak is told.
It is this kind of research and writing that make this book one of the best sports biographies available. The reader will truly feel like he or she knows more about the man after reading this and will also have run through a full gamut of emotions when completing the book. One doesn’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this biography. Anyone who wants to learn the complete story of the man should read this book.
Pace of the book:
While I never was able to read large sections of this book in one sitting, it still was a fairly quick read in the total time it took me, especially considering the length of the book and some of the material, such as the medical sections describing ALS.
Do I recommend?
Readers who like baseball biographies or even biographies in general, will enjoy this book. With the in-depth research and narration about each important topic, this book should appeal to a wide range of readers. No matter how a reader has learned about Lou Gehrig, whether through baseball, the movie about his life or just word of mouth, the reader will certainly learn something new about the man.
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...
Having not read a book on Lou Gehrig since middle school and wanting to learn more about the man, I picked up this book hoping to learn more about his playing career and how he dealt with the prospect of facing death. Those topics are certainly covered, but there is so much more to this book that it should be on every baseball fan’s list of books to read.
Meticulous research and superb writing make this book one of the most definitive biographies of Gehrig. The reader will learn about the man through many communications he made with doctors, his wife Eleanor and other important people in his life. The letters he exchanged with physicians at the Mayo Clinic, where his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was first diagnosed, were very moving. The same goes for his letters to Eleanor, especially the one written to her when he first learns of the disease and is optimistic that he will get better.
Gehrig went to the Mayo Clinic when he noticed how fast his baseball skills were deteriorating in 1939. Both this decline and Gehrig’s outstanding baseball career are covered by superb research and writing as well. No matter how one analyzes his career, Gehrig is one of the greatest players in the history of the game, yet Eig writes of his baseball prowess without a lot of fawning or exaggeration. The matter-of-fact style made reading about Gehrig’s accomplishments seem even more impressive.
Eig also writes about Gehrig’s personal life in a style that will keep any reader engrossed in the topic. Whether it is about his childhood in which his mother was very protective, the shy young man who did not socialize often with his Yankee teammates, or his marriage at 30 to an outspoken woman, the reader will gain insight into what made Gehrig into the man that he became.
Of course, no discussion about Gehrig can be complete without mentioning the moments that made him a legendary baseball player. Eig sets the record straight on what makes Gehrig seem larger than life. For example, the myth that Gehrig began his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played because Wally Pipp complained of a headache and was replaced by Gehrig is set straight in the book. The streak actually began the previous day when Gehrig appeared as a pinch hitter. Also, Pipp did not complain of a headache that day and instead was benched when manager Miller Huggins wanted to juggle his lineup. It doesn’t make the streak or the myth any less impressive, but Eig ensures that the correct story about the beginning of the streak is told.
It is this kind of research and writing that make this book one of the best sports biographies available. The reader will truly feel like he or she knows more about the man after reading this and will also have run through a full gamut of emotions when completing the book. One doesn’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this biography. Anyone who wants to learn the complete story of the man should read this book.
Pace of the book:
While I never was able to read large sections of this book in one sitting, it still was a fairly quick read in the total time it took me, especially considering the length of the book and some of the material, such as the medical sections describing ALS.
Do I recommend?
Readers who like baseball biographies or even biographies in general, will enjoy this book. With the in-depth research and narration about each important topic, this book should appeal to a wide range of readers. No matter how a reader has learned about Lou Gehrig, whether through baseball, the movie about his life or just word of mouth, the reader will certainly learn something new about the man.
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...
August 7, 2018
I'm not sure that I can say enough good about this book. It was well written, fun to read, interesting, and Lou Gehrig was amazing.
I love books about real people who do well in life. Not just make money or be famous, but have standards and live by them. Lou Gehrig is absolutely one of those people. He was one of those people who didn't let fame change him. So often with celebrities I tell my children to admire them from a distance; not so with Lou Gehrig. He was a stand up guy, who had his faults, but who stuck to his standards and didn't let his fame turn him into the worst parts of himself. I loved getting to know more about him.
I love books about real people who do well in life. Not just make money or be famous, but have standards and live by them. Lou Gehrig is absolutely one of those people. He was one of those people who didn't let fame change him. So often with celebrities I tell my children to admire them from a distance; not so with Lou Gehrig. He was a stand up guy, who had his faults, but who stuck to his standards and didn't let his fame turn him into the worst parts of himself. I loved getting to know more about him.
January 5, 2023
To say I’m not a Yankee fan would be an understatement. I had no intention of reading another book about a New York Yankee after finishing Jane Leavy’s biography of Babe Ruth - The Big Fella. I only read that book because, as a lifelong baseball fan, I felt obligated to know something about its biggest star. So how did I end up reading Lou Gehrig’s story, Luckiest Man by Jonathan Eig? My cousin, a more knowledgeable baseball fan than I, recommended and lent it to me. So, kind of begrudgingly, I read it.
What a fantastic book! Eig did a masterful job, and at the risk of sounding like a trailer for the movie ET, I laughed, I cried, I got angry, and I got amazed.
At first it was difficult to read how Gehrig seemed resigned to letting people, i.e., Yankee ownership, take advantage of his reticence to negotiate. Seeing him take pay cuts or settle for nominal increases after phenomenal seasons left me incredulous and incensed. I decided I wouldn’t like this guy, well, frankly, because his “shortcoming” hit a little too close to home.
Wow, did I do a 180 by the time I finished the book. I came to admire the man for his consistent personal integrity. How horrible to hear of everything he endured as his ALS progressed, yet how heartening to read how he handled it. Pushed on. Played as hard as he could, always. Until he couldn’t.
One detail, tangentially related to his ALS, could easily be overlooked, but it moved me tremendously. He had been forced off the field by his ALS, unsure of what to do without baseball (temporarily in his mind) he weighed several options. Companies were offering him good money just to be allowed to use his name to enhance their business. He wouldn’t have to do much, if anything, to make more money than most workers did at that time. But he takes a lower paying job with the city of New York’s parole board. And shows up every day. While battling ALS. Hoping to make a difference in someone’s life.
And his “luckiest man” speech was even better, more moving, than the movie version.
So, as much as it pains me, here I am recommending you read a book about a New York Yankee.
Let me be clear though, at the risk of sounding like a trailer for the movie Sideways, I AM NOT READING THE MUNSON BOOK!
What a fantastic book! Eig did a masterful job, and at the risk of sounding like a trailer for the movie ET, I laughed, I cried, I got angry, and I got amazed.
At first it was difficult to read how Gehrig seemed resigned to letting people, i.e., Yankee ownership, take advantage of his reticence to negotiate. Seeing him take pay cuts or settle for nominal increases after phenomenal seasons left me incredulous and incensed. I decided I wouldn’t like this guy, well, frankly, because his “shortcoming” hit a little too close to home.
Wow, did I do a 180 by the time I finished the book. I came to admire the man for his consistent personal integrity. How horrible to hear of everything he endured as his ALS progressed, yet how heartening to read how he handled it. Pushed on. Played as hard as he could, always. Until he couldn’t.
One detail, tangentially related to his ALS, could easily be overlooked, but it moved me tremendously. He had been forced off the field by his ALS, unsure of what to do without baseball (temporarily in his mind) he weighed several options. Companies were offering him good money just to be allowed to use his name to enhance their business. He wouldn’t have to do much, if anything, to make more money than most workers did at that time. But he takes a lower paying job with the city of New York’s parole board. And shows up every day. While battling ALS. Hoping to make a difference in someone’s life.
And his “luckiest man” speech was even better, more moving, than the movie version.
So, as much as it pains me, here I am recommending you read a book about a New York Yankee.
Let me be clear though, at the risk of sounding like a trailer for the movie Sideways, I AM NOT READING THE MUNSON BOOK!
February 14, 2011
What made Lou Gehrig special? What made him the luckiest man? In many ways he was average but unlike most average people, though, he happened to be incredibly gifted as a baseball player and he came to have a devastating disease named after him. Those are the facts. I picked up this book -to find out the rest of the story, and mostly found it.
The book starts out with a description of that famous July 1939 day when Gehrig delivered his famous "luckiest man" speech. The audio CD version has actual excerpts by Gehrig from that day. Its a great start, and invites the reader to delve into the events leading to that day, and find out what defined its significance.
Gehrig's life doesn't contain many gasp-worthy moments and in fact most of it I found a little unremarkable. Eig puts in a lot of nice little details, such as his relationship with Babe Ruth and correspondences with Dr. Leary at the Mayo Clinic. And it contains many play by play accounts of significant baseball moments for Gehrig. Details about his relationship with his mom Christina, and about his wife Eleanor. Nice stuff.
But the answer to what made that 1939 day special and its significance is as much about Gehrig's life up to that point as about what came after and how we remember him today. Eig dug deep into his research and gave us a complete image of Gehrig after baseball was over for him. Did you know, for instance, that he worked as a parole officer? That his wife Eleanor lovingly administered food and drink to him during his last agonizing days? That Babe Ruth visited him the night of his death? In my opinion, the part that happened after that 1939 day is what makes this book special.
So what made him "the luckiest man on the face of the earth?" The answer is in the tears that filled my eyes during the last chapter and the epilogue. The answer is in the inspiration I felt from the man himself, the Iron Horse. The answer is simply who he was - Lou Gehrig. We should all aspire to be as authentic.
Highly recommended for everyone, but especially for anyone remotely interested in baseball.
PS This book was read by Edward Herrmann, a famous actor who most would know by sight. He does an adequate job here, though fairly unemotional. Not a major hindrance to enjoyment. imho.
The book starts out with a description of that famous July 1939 day when Gehrig delivered his famous "luckiest man" speech. The audio CD version has actual excerpts by Gehrig from that day. Its a great start, and invites the reader to delve into the events leading to that day, and find out what defined its significance.
Gehrig's life doesn't contain many gasp-worthy moments and in fact most of it I found a little unremarkable. Eig puts in a lot of nice little details, such as his relationship with Babe Ruth and correspondences with Dr. Leary at the Mayo Clinic. And it contains many play by play accounts of significant baseball moments for Gehrig. Details about his relationship with his mom Christina, and about his wife Eleanor. Nice stuff.
But the answer to what made that 1939 day special and its significance is as much about Gehrig's life up to that point as about what came after and how we remember him today. Eig dug deep into his research and gave us a complete image of Gehrig after baseball was over for him. Did you know, for instance, that he worked as a parole officer? That his wife Eleanor lovingly administered food and drink to him during his last agonizing days? That Babe Ruth visited him the night of his death? In my opinion, the part that happened after that 1939 day is what makes this book special.
So what made him "the luckiest man on the face of the earth?" The answer is in the tears that filled my eyes during the last chapter and the epilogue. The answer is in the inspiration I felt from the man himself, the Iron Horse. The answer is simply who he was - Lou Gehrig. We should all aspire to be as authentic.
Highly recommended for everyone, but especially for anyone remotely interested in baseball.
PS This book was read by Edward Herrmann, a famous actor who most would know by sight. He does an adequate job here, though fairly unemotional. Not a major hindrance to enjoyment. imho.
November 1, 2020
I listened to the abridged audiobook, but it was worth it to get the late, great Edward Herrman's unequaled narration. Gehrig was extraordinary, of course, but also so innocent and lovable. Quiet, socially timid, a genuine mama's boy, but also a man who was thankful just to be able to play baseball for a living during a time of great economic woe. Not a showman like Ruth, his longtime teammate, but a man whose power at the plate, cut short by the disease that bears his name, remains a dazzling accomplishment. For me, one scene that speaks for the whole: Gehrig, after playing a major league game, organizes a game of ball with kids on his street. He had all the grace of a man who found his place in life and loved being there.
September 13, 2020
Virtually all baseball fans of all ages know Gehrig's story or are familiar with the film Pride of the Yankees. But even if you do, Jonathan Eig's biography is powerful and provides an intimate portrait of of a modest and courageous man called "biscuits" as a youngster ( for the extra padding on his derriere) and the Iron Man of baseball as his legacy endures. You will learn just how passionate he was about the game, his mother, his wife, and the work ethic that led to his streak which lasted until another legend broke "the streak." Eig presents some interesting discussions or myth busters about including whether Wally got Pipped or not, and the real reason that Babe and Lou got estranged( a rather shocking but unproven theory). One thing in particular struck me and that is the realization that Gehrig played in the shadows of not only Babe Ruth, but also Joe Dimaggio. Gehrig was never the darling of the press because he was "colorless", and therefore he got far less public adulation than the other legends. Still, Lou took pride in his RBI's and his streak. Amazingly there was very little fan fare at the time when he crossed the 2,000 threshold in consecutive games played. There was not even a ceremony at Yankee stadium to commemorate the occasion.
Another observation that came across to me was that Lou married a girl who was also as strong willed and assertive as his mother. Eleanor Twitchell Gehrig is certainly not the woman portrayed by Teresa Wright in the movie. She took an active role in Lou's financial life and got him endorsement deals and even got the same agent Christy Walsh that Ruth had to add to their income.(Lou's highest salary was $39,000, less than half of what Ruth made.) She exploited the Gehrig name, much to the ire of many of his teammates wives.
Still, the Eig biography reaches its crescendo discussing the chapters dealing with Gehrig's diagnosis and "treatments" for the dreaded illness that has become associated with his name ALS. No matter how many years have gone by and regardless of the pervasive nature of that story, Eig's portrayal is sensitive, powerful, and will bring you to tears. There is much here that is so demonstrative of the modesty and courageous nature of the man including numerous letters written to and from physicians during those two full years of agony. Yet through it all, Lou dealt with it with dignity, strength, and optimism. Despite it all, he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth even if it was only less than forty years. This is a must read for anyone, but especially lovers of baseball.
Another observation that came across to me was that Lou married a girl who was also as strong willed and assertive as his mother. Eleanor Twitchell Gehrig is certainly not the woman portrayed by Teresa Wright in the movie. She took an active role in Lou's financial life and got him endorsement deals and even got the same agent Christy Walsh that Ruth had to add to their income.(Lou's highest salary was $39,000, less than half of what Ruth made.) She exploited the Gehrig name, much to the ire of many of his teammates wives.
Still, the Eig biography reaches its crescendo discussing the chapters dealing with Gehrig's diagnosis and "treatments" for the dreaded illness that has become associated with his name ALS. No matter how many years have gone by and regardless of the pervasive nature of that story, Eig's portrayal is sensitive, powerful, and will bring you to tears. There is much here that is so demonstrative of the modesty and courageous nature of the man including numerous letters written to and from physicians during those two full years of agony. Yet through it all, Lou dealt with it with dignity, strength, and optimism. Despite it all, he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth even if it was only less than forty years. This is a must read for anyone, but especially lovers of baseball.
December 14, 2014
There will never be another Lou Gehrig. This book was on my bookcase for over a year waiting to be read. I was leary of starting it because I knew how it ended and I didn't want it to break my heart. Needless to say, I opened it and I didn't make it past the prologue before I teared up. I am not a Yankees fan. My baseball team love lyes with another. But I believe that there are players, such as Gehrig, that transcend fan lines. Gehrig was a model player. On the field and in life. In spite of adversity he was still courageous to end. "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth...I close in saying that I might have had a bad break, but I have an awful lot to live for."
July 28, 2016
I was a Yankee fan as a child. The story of Lou Gehrig is one of the first real tragedies a baseball fan learns. The greatest first baseman to play the game, struck down in the prime of life. A great and powerful athlete, slowly losing his muscles one by one. A hero with humility. A man who should play second fiddle to none, sandwiched between Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. Someone who ended his consecutive games played streak because he felt he could no longer contribute to the team.
This book would have to be bad to mess up this tale. It is not a bad book.
However, writing well about individual baseball games is hard, and Eig is no Halberstram.
Fortunately the Gehrig story has plenty of drama off the diamond.
Required reading for Yankee fans of all ages.
This book would have to be bad to mess up this tale. It is not a bad book.
However, writing well about individual baseball games is hard, and Eig is no Halberstram.
Fortunately the Gehrig story has plenty of drama off the diamond.
Required reading for Yankee fans of all ages.
March 6, 2010
As a little one I read the Encyclopedia Americana kids stories of Lou & Babe many times. Somehow the
story stays the same, that is Lou is a part of America. Already a mythical tale, this book relays a lot
of the everyday life of Lou, how he got the way he was, cheap!, Ruth's opposite yet complement. I
particularly enjoyed the insights on his German heritage.
Most Lou stories end with 4th of July Yankee Stadium, this goes beyond that.
December 25, 2021
I'll start this off by saying this is might be the saddest book I've ever read. I felt like my reading slowed the longer I was reading, just anticipating what was going to happen. In case you aren't aware, Lou Gehrig died of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It ended his career short, a career which was hall of fame worthy in his own right regardless of it's shortened status. The fact was, he was a better baseball player in his 17 years than most player's are in their entire careers. One analyst, as documented in the book, even suggested Lou could have ended up alongside the likes of Babe and Hammering Hank in the home run count if he was able to continue at his rate before his diagnosis.
What was particularly hard to read about was Lou's own perception of self. From early on, Lou became renowned for his fortitude. Of course, his streak (which was finally broken by Cal Ripken Jr.) of consecutive games played was a big part of this. During this streak, he played through broken bones and concussions. It seemed all but impossible for anything to break that streak until his inexplicable muscle loss, which confused and infuriated him as he wasn't able to get his usual swing on fastballs, forced him out of the lineup. This was his own decision.
In the end, ALS turned a man who posed as Tarzan into a shell of a man, who couldn't even get out of his bed or lift his neck for food. His doctor's, who may have started off believing they could cure the as-of-yet incurable disease, ended up lying or misleading him and his wife encouraged this. For a while he stayed strong and tried every new treatment under the sun, until he started to read the writing on the wall himself. Up until the very end, he told people he had a 50-50 shot at pulling through. I highly recommend this book as a memorial and testament of his remarkable career, however, as I said, it is one of the hardest books I've ever had to read.
What was particularly hard to read about was Lou's own perception of self. From early on, Lou became renowned for his fortitude. Of course, his streak (which was finally broken by Cal Ripken Jr.) of consecutive games played was a big part of this. During this streak, he played through broken bones and concussions. It seemed all but impossible for anything to break that streak until his inexplicable muscle loss, which confused and infuriated him as he wasn't able to get his usual swing on fastballs, forced him out of the lineup. This was his own decision.
In the end, ALS turned a man who posed as Tarzan into a shell of a man, who couldn't even get out of his bed or lift his neck for food. His doctor's, who may have started off believing they could cure the as-of-yet incurable disease, ended up lying or misleading him and his wife encouraged this. For a while he stayed strong and tried every new treatment under the sun, until he started to read the writing on the wall himself. Up until the very end, he told people he had a 50-50 shot at pulling through. I highly recommend this book as a memorial and testament of his remarkable career, however, as I said, it is one of the hardest books I've ever had to read.
January 31, 2019
Wow, what a fascinating and tragic life. This book was very well written! Sometimes biographies can be bogged down with too many details but this one had just enough! (Well enough that now I am hooked and want to do more research on Gehrig!) I happen to love sports, specifically baseball, but I truly think even someone who is not well versed in baseball but enjoys history would greatly enjoy this book. Yeah, there's obviously a lot of baseball in this book (stats, player comparisons, baseball history, etc) but how this book details the life and times of the US in the 1920/30's is utterly fascinating. Those are decades you don't hear a lot about, at least not on a lifestyle/social level. Just like the game itself, which I love to soak in each summer, this book will give you the same time-slowing, hot dog eating and relaxing feels. I highly recommend this book!
October 11, 2017
I love this book so much. This book just really connected to me in a lot of ways. First of all, I really admire how he overcame what his parents said about baseball, and really proved he was the best. I also connected with the fact that he came from a European background, and was kind of a mixed culture. His story of his death is really tragic, and he has a disease named after him, but the book is truly inspiring. I also watched "The Pride of the Yankees", which is a movie dedicated to him.
May 18, 2020
A pleasure to read, and really helped fill some of what I’m missing without Yankees baseball these days. The secondary characters were a little too one-dimensional and left me wondering more about them (Eleanor Gehrig seems to fit a kind of manic-pixie dream girl trope, for instance). But the portrait of Gehrig is of a humble and modest star that is honestly still a little underrated in baseball lore.
April 28, 2025
This was an excellent book that portrayed what seemed to be an honest and unbiased view of Lou Gehrig's life and the legacy he left behind. I think Lou is often overlooked as one of the greatest men to play the game of baseball and unfortunately played in the shadow of Babe Ruth for so long. This was well researched and well written and included many many details about his life that I didn't know. I enjoyed learning more about his life and what he taught us. (SPOTIFY)
April 3, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️This book tells the story of Lou Gehrig. He was a baseball player who developed ALS and died. I was interested in this because I have watched Pride of the Yankees and my Mom passed away from ALS in 2018.
March 26, 2023
4.25 Stars - This book was fantastic. The book was fine in the first 200 pages, but the last 175 were very emotional when Lou Gehrig started noticing something was wrong to his diagnosis to reading the letters between him and his doctors. I highly recommend this book. Lou Gehrig was such a good person, and I think it’s important to learn about him.
December 6, 2022
Incredible look into the athleticism, personality, and impacts made on the world by Lou Gehrig.
October 29, 2024
Not the easiest to read a biography with a famously tragic ending, but I felt like I learned the kind of person Lou Gehrig was. Would definitely recommend to fans of baseball or 20th century American history
February 7, 2025
sorry Lou — your story is a good one but the book was kinda all over the place :(
December 7, 2025
It was very in depth. I loved it but what a sad story
May 26, 2025
Got better as it went along. Appreciated the attention to detail in the latter years of Gehrig's life
April 10, 2025
This book absolutely devastated me. I had read Jonathan Eig’s biography of MLK Jr which was extremely well done, and as a lifelong Yankee fan, I was eager to read his biography of Gehrig. There is so much more to the man than I knew from baseball; Gehrig was humble and a true gentleman. I have a newfound respect for Lou Gehrig, and a deep appreciation for Jonathan Eig’s research and writing abilities.
November 9, 2017
This is one of those stories that keeps occupying your thoughts long after you've put it down.
Before I read this book, I knew about as much as anyone does concerning Lou Gehrig: he was an old time baseball player who died of ALS. What I didn't know was how deep his love for the game went. How he cleaved to loyalty and companionship. And how his grace and humility always preceded his talents and fortune. In the end Lou left a legacy of endurance and courage as a true American hero.
"There will be no eulogy. We need none, because you all knew him."
Before I read this book, I knew about as much as anyone does concerning Lou Gehrig: he was an old time baseball player who died of ALS. What I didn't know was how deep his love for the game went. How he cleaved to loyalty and companionship. And how his grace and humility always preceded his talents and fortune. In the end Lou left a legacy of endurance and courage as a true American hero.
"There will be no eulogy. We need none, because you all knew him."
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