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

The Joy of Baseball

Every fan of baseball writing is familiar with this book as it is often cited as the best book written about the game. I hesitated to download it as an audio file because it is abridged. I would have made a huge mistake not to get this audio book simply because it is abridged. It is a treasure to hear the voices of the men who established the game tell their stories.

What a find!

Highly recommend. Lawrence does such a good job on these interviews. Incredible insight to dead ball era and the character of the players. There is no substitution in hearing it directly from the players themselves. Thank you Lawrence!!

Great baseball stories

Great collection of baseball stories from players who played in the 20’s. Worth the time.

Preserving Baseball History

Larry Ritter takes you away to a time before baseball players were millionaires. When farm boys jumped on trains at 16 to join the major leagues. His interviews bring the heroes of a forgotten era back to life. These stories will charm and enchant you like dreams of open green fields and belt high fastballs. A must listen for any baseball fan with a love for the history of the game. I had read it twice before I bought the audiobook, just to hear the men tell the stories themselves. Simply wonderful.