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)

Wonderful stories from the players who lived them

I had read the print copy of this book years ago. It’s a fantastic view into the early days of major league baseball. The beauty of the audiobook is hearing the players’ stories in their own voices. A real joy for a fan of the game!

Great stories

The best cause you get to hear the ball players in there own words.

The best made better!

The best baseball book ever—made even better with Lawrence Ritter’s brilliant and illuminating interviews available for listening. WONDERFUL experience!

Classic!

To hear the stars of the early days of baseball tell stories is priceless and timeless!

A pleasure t hear

Above all else, what struck me was the joy that these ex-players took in relating tales of the past. Ritter knew the past history of baseball, and that seemed to open up his interviewees. I heard more genuine laughter here than in any audiobook that I have listened to. And it was ,ore tha genuine than the canned laughter one hears on television.
A totally enjoyable experience. I only wish that this Audible production was longer.

Thank you Lawrence Ritter

Listening to the passion in these players' voices, their love of the game and their humor reminded me why I am a baseball fan. I wish there was a book like this on hockey.

This Book is a National Treasure!

If you could sum up The Glory of Their Times in three words, what would they be?

A time forgotten

Who was your favorite character and why?

"Wahoo" Sam Crawford. The story of how the author found him in a laundromat and Sam's personality are highlights of the book.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Having read the book also I can tell you it is great. Here in the audiobook, you hear the player voices and the author is there introducing the interviews, asking questions, etc. but is only present as much as you need him to be. He lets the ballplayers tell their story without getting in the way. I appreciate his style of interviewing. Ask a question, let them answer and tell their tales.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Baseball at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century, when men were men, and played ball for the love of the game.

Any additional comments?

I'm am a fan of baseball and history, so this book brings both together and I enjoyed it very much. I think anyone with an interest in both will appreciate this one. Certainly a must for any baseball fan. Theses ballplayers are long gone but their story and the story of their times lives on with this book. It really is a national treasure.

A Historical Treasure

Thank heavens for Larry Ritter, who for some odd reason was the only guy who thought of traveling around the country to interview these baseball greats from the early 1900’s before they all died. This isn’t a traditional audiobook, but rather a series of interviews that supplements the written book, you listen to the ballplayers tell it in their own words. Truly a treasure of oral history.

Glory was Glorius

I thoroughly enjoyed this listen. Notably Crawford, Jones and O'Doul all with great stories ... I wish more of this style of first hand auditory baseball history was available.

History at it's Finest!

Without doubt, one of the best Baseball books in existence. Great history, and brings out the humanity of the players interviewed, as well as many other players of the various time periods covered.