The Last Boy

Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood

By: Jane Leavy

Narrated by: Jane Leavy, John Bedford Lloyd

Award-winning sports writer Jane Leavy follows her New York Times runaway bestseller Sandy Koufax with the definitive biography of baseball icon Mickey Mantle. The legendary Hall-of-Fame outfielder was a national hero during his record-setting career with the New York Yankees, but public revelations of alcoholism, infidelity, and family strife badly tarnished the ballplayer's reputation in his latter years. In The Last Boy, Leavy plumbs the depths of the complex athlete, using copious first-hand research as well as her own memories, to show why The Mick remains the most beloved and misunderstood Yankee slugger of all time.

Great Book-The story of the real Mick

Great honest storytelling and the performances were good as well. I personally liked how it would go from author to a different narrator for historical accounts. Highly recommend!

What a life. Drop the drawl.

A fascinating, unflinching biography. Jane Leavy takes on the life story of a childhood hero (hers and millions of others) and does him the honor of telling the truth. Paradoxically, by demystifying The Mick, she succeeds in bringing us closer to him, by helping us understand his frailties and humanity. This is a great biography -- the Mick's story for grown ups.

The two voices in the Audible version -- hers for an introduction and the recounting of a weekend-long interview, his for chapters recounting Mantle's life -- works well. My only complaint is John Bedford Lloyd's choosing to speak all of the quotations attributed to Mantle in a faux country drawl. So what if Mantle spoke with a drawl. The insistence of calling attention to it persistently comes off as patronizing, almost ridiculing. Is Mantle the only person quoted in this whole book who spoke with an accent? The voice attributed to Mantle is a major distraction and, for me, a significant flaw in this Audible version.

Still, Jane Leavy's thorough research and excellent writing make this book well worth listening to, even with the drawl.

Reality bites

An American story well told. Hard to hear disturbing details of a childhood hero, but in some ways I appreciate the Mick even more. The book evokes sympathy, laughter, and a tear or two. I feel like I understand him better. Great combination of baseball and life. Baseball fans will enjoy it, and students of human nature and family dynamics will gain from it too.

Mickey fan

long listen but worth it if you are a fan of baseball or the mick

Love Mickey Mantle and his history

Very detailed and classy read. Not blown up nothing but reality and real people e certs