The Glory of Their Times

The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It

By: Lawrence S. Ritter

Narrated by: Lawrence S. Ritter, Fred Snodgrass, Sam Crawford, Hans Lobert, others

Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Baseball's Golden Age comes alive through the voices of men who were there. Selected from the original tapes on which Lawrence S. Ritter based his classic book of baseball history, The Glory of Their Times is a collection of wonderful tales that paint a vivid and evocative picture of a lively young America and the giants who starred on her ballfields, legends like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, and many others. From the wildly hilarious to the achingly poignant, these stories tell it like it really was.

©1998 Lawrence S. Ritter (P)1998 Neal McCabe, Henry W. Thomas, and Lawrence S. Ritter; 1961 -65 National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Inc. and the University of Notre Dame Library Recording; 16 9

Critic reviews

"Almost perfect...vivid, gentle, and humorous." (The New Yorker)

Absolutely incredible

This is a one of a kind document of some of baseball’s all time greats telling their stories as if you were sitting in the room with them listening. I can’t recommend this enough to anyone who is a fan of the game. What a treasure.

Fantastic!

This has to be one of the top two audio books that I have ever had the joy of listening to! (The other was Reagan in His Own Words.) If you love baseball and its rich traditions and history, you will love this audio book, guaranteed! It was so interesting just to listen to these men talk about their day in the sun. There were certain players that all of them talked about like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Christie Mathewson. I came away with a lot more respect for these men and their brothers who played in the early 20th century. Another key point that comes across is how these men played for the pure enjoyment of the game and not the money as they do now. They didn't sit out a game even after getting what we would now call a serious injury. I don't see how the written book could even compare to the audio, because you can just hear the joy and enthusiasm that eminates from these guys even after 40 years! (This was recorded around 1964.)
My only regret is that the author couldn't find more players to interview for his book. Some of the men died within a year after his interview with them.
Buy it and enjoy it!

hear the ballpayers

I read "The Glory of Their Times" a few years ago and enjoyed it considerably. I decided to revisit the book through Audible and got a big surprise: the audio book is a collection of the original interviews recorded by author Lawrence Ritter. This audio book doesn't just give you a narrator reading the stories that baseball players told Ritter. You hear the original players talking. Some of the recordings are a little murky. Most were recorded well over 40 years ago. But it's an absolute delight to hear the voices of the players (who played during the '10s, '20s, and '30s). I give this audio book my highest recommendation. Even if you've already read "Glory of Their Times" (maybe especially if you've already read it) you'll want to listen to this superb collection of interviews.

The Greatest Baseball Audiobook Imaginable

I stumbled on this title while searching for biographies of 19th and early 20th century ballplayers. What a gem! This is not only one of the greatest treasures for any baseball fan (particularly those interested in the games formative years, when titans like Ty Cobb, Christy Matthewson, Walter Johnson, Joe Jackson, and the Babe were playing), but this is a treasure of American history. Lawrence S. Ritter took his tape recorder and visited some of the oldest living ballplayers in the 1960s. The result is pure magic for the baseball fan. Imagine spending an afternoon sitting and sipping iced tea, listening to first-hand accounts of Ty Cobb's tirades, the sound of Walter Johnson's fastball as it buzzes by, the antics of Hal Chase, tales of John McGraw, and more. That's what listening to this book is like--It feels as if you're sitting at the feet of a baseball legend, listening to their stories of the legendary days of baseball. It is a collection of recordings of actual players in their twilight years, not dry, third person historical reportage.

Some of the audio from this book is included in Ken Burns' majestic documentary "Baseball". If you even have a passing interest in the game and a desire to know more about the people who made it America's Pastime, this audiobook is not to be missed.

Simply the BEST book ever written about baseball

Insights from the actual players.. From the 29 Sox and the many aspects of Ty Cobb to terrific stories of life for all players I. to 1920s.. an absolute gem.

Great to hear some of the old timers stories

Baseball has come a long ways. No helmets even, back in those days. No money either, they did it for the love of baseball

Never forgotten

The actual players in their words. It seems like a century ago and it is.

a piece of history

I real history of baseballs early days when it was still a game played by men for the love of the game

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!

There is very little more that can be said for this book --- but the AUDIO is nothing short of amazing as it is a true listen to baseball history from the men who played it at the time it morphed into the American pastime. Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner and more come to life in the words and voices of the men who knew and played with them. Should be required for any history class .... not just baseball. An utterly fascinating listen!

fascinating

It’s amazing to hear stories from those who were there. This has to be the last audio captured from legends of the dead ball era of baseball. The stories are funny, interesting, and gives a great impression of what the game was like and what the old timers think of how it is now.