Best-selling New York Times writer Ira Berkow presents a unique look at America's premier sport—and its fans—through interviews with a remarkable cross section of widely known and extraordinarily accomplished individuals in a variety of fields, who explain what the lure of basketball is for them. Berkow talked with Chris Rock, Woody Allen, Tom Brokaw, Saul Bellow, Johnnie Cochran Jr., Walter Matthau, Nikki Giovanni, Donald Trump, Julia Child, Frank Stella, Erica Jong, Grover Washington Jr., Seiji Ozawa, and Sharon Stone, among others, to uncover fresh, funny, controversial, and often surprising opinions about the teams and players who make the game intriguing.

When Rod Carew retired in 1985, following twelve seasons with the Minnesota Twins and seven with the California Angels, he had amassed seven batting titles, more than three thousand hits, and eighteen All-Star selections and was considered one of the best pure hitters to ever play the game. While his baseball career is well documented-Rookie of the Year in 1967 and a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection in 1991-this compelling chronicle of Carew’s life extends far beyond the baseball diamond. Carew is the candid autobiography of a baseball legend-from his years growing up in a segregated barrio in Panama to his move to Harlem at the age of fourteen, from the sandlots of the Bronx to the highest ranks of major league stardom. Working with noted New York Times sportswriter Ira Berkow, Carew writes memorably of his baseball career and his philosophy and approach to hitting-including his historic quest as a Minnesota Twin in 1977 for the first .400 season since 1941-but he also deals frankly with his early poverty, an unhappy relationship with an abusive father, and the racial discrimination that became more pronounced due to fame and an interracial marriage. First published in 1979, this new edition has a foreword by All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter and a new afterword by Carew covering the end of his baseball career and his post-baseball life-notably his induction into the Hall of Fame, his years as a hitting instructor, and the tragic loss of his daughter Michelle to leukemia. Carew is a forthright and fascinating account, revealing the public and private stories that illuminate one of baseball’s greatest and most respected players.

New York Times writer Ira Berkow presents a compelling account of the life and career of Hank Greenberg, the first Jewish ballplayer to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. (Ages 10 and up)

Once in a great while there appears a baseball player who transcends the game and earns universal admiration from his fellow players, from fans, and from the American people. Such a man was Hank Greenberg, whose dynamic life and legendary career are among baseball''s most inspiring stories. The Story of My Life tells the story of this extraordinary man in his own words, describing his childhood as the son of Eastern European immigrants in New York; his spectacular baseball career as one of the greatest home-run hitters of all time and later as a manager and owner; his heroic service in World War II; and his courageous struggle with cancer. Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a secular Jew who, during a time of widespread religious bigotry in America, stood up for his beliefs. Throughout a lifetime of anti-Semitic abuse he maintained his dignity, becoming in the process a hero for Jews throughout America and the first Jewish ballplayer elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Once in a great while there appears a baseball player who transcends the game and earns universal admiration from his fellow players, from fans, and from the American people. Such a man was Hank Greenberg, whose dynamic life and legendary career are among baseball's most inspiring stories. The Story of My Life tells the story of this extraordinary man in his own words, describing his childhood as the son of Eastern European immigrants in New York; his spectacular baseball career as one of the greatest home-run hitters of all time and later as a manager and owner; his heroic service in World War II; and his courageous struggle with cancer. Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a secular Jew who, during a time of widespread religious bigotry in America, stood up for his beliefs. Throughout a lifetime of anti-Semitic abuse he maintained his dignity, becoming in the process a hero for Jews throughout America and the first Jewish ballplayer elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Culled from 50 years' worth of columns from one of the country's most popular sportswriters, this work stands as a remarkable collection of opinions that is guaranteed to delight Mets fans of all ages. Former New York Times columnist Ira Berkow captures the spirit of the Mets in this unforgettable collection of opinions, stories, and observations from his long and distinguished career as he interviews and comments on the team. From memories of inaugural franchise manager Casey Stengel and Hall of Famer Tom Seaver to reflections on ace Johan Santana and the superstar David Wright, this collection combines Berkow's eye for detail with the comedy and drama revealed by the subjects themselves, bringing to life Mets' personalities from the last half century.

From George Steinbrenner's odd reliance on the book, The Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun to the views of such memorable Yankee greats as Casey Stengel, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and more recent stars like Reggie Jackson, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, Ira Berkow takes the reader with him into the clubhouse and onto the field as he observes, interviews and comments on the Bronx Bombers over his long and distinguished career writing and reporting on them. Summers in the Bronx: Attila the Hun and Other Yankee Stories is a collection of Berkow's rich, candid and nationally popular sports columns and feature stories for The New York Times and other syndicated papers are devoted to the New York Yankees, arguably the most famous, controversial, beloved and sometimes berated organization in the history of sports. Berkow's eye for detail and for the unusual insight along with the comedy and drama revealed by his subjects themselves bring to life a Who's Who of unforgettable Yankee personalities from the last half century.

"A wonderful book—not just for basketball fans but for everyone."—Earvin "Magic" JohnsonA good reporter can pick up a pen and chronicle the game of basketball, from its X''s and O''s to its personalities.A great reporter can put down the pen and pick up the rock.Ira Berkow has been many things in his life—a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, a respected columnist, and a passionate sports fan. He also knows how to thread a pass into the paint. In this wildly entertaining chronicle of his life as both a devotee and gym rat, Berkow writes with good humor and piercing insight about talking strategy with Walt Frazier, running the court with Oscar Robertson, and seeing the game from the inside. From his youth, playing on the courts in Chicago in the ‘40''s and ‘50''s to growing older and using the wisdom he''s gained to school players half his age, Berkow retains a competitive spirit, and a deep love of hoops. This moving tale of love for the game, for his friends and family, and for life itself is a must-read for anyone who wants the ball when the game is on the line."An extraordinary look into the art of pickup basketball. Who would have guessed that, along with his writing talents, Ira knows how to play the game!"—Bill Bradley"Ira Berkow is one of the best sportswriters around, so it is no surprise that his basketball odyssey is one of the best sports books of this or any other year."—George Plimpton

This Pulitzer Prize–winning author''s true account of the thief behind the famed 1972 heist is "an engrossing crime biography . . . [and] a fast-paced romp" (Kirkus Reviews). Growing up in Rochester, New York, Bobby Comfort wanted to be a good something. It just so happened that he was great at being a criminal. In January 1972, men in tuxedos robbed the Pierre, the luxurious Manhattan hotel, and got away with eleven million dollars'' worth of cash and jewelry. The police were baffled by how such a large-scale operation could go off so smoothly. The answer lay in the leader of the thieves, a man by the name of Bobby Comfort. He had taken to crime from a young age with card sharping and petty theft. Eventually, taking money from the rich was where he excelled. Sort of like Robin Hood—except for the part where he kept the loot himself—Comfort masterminded what was, at the time, the most lucrative heist in history, while appearing to his neighbors like an ordinary suburban family man. In this blend of insightful biography and true crime, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Ira Berkow chronicles the story, using first-hand accounts to weave together a fascinating portrait of a criminal and "a corking good cops-and-robbers tale" (Library Journal).

Twelve years before Kentucky and Texas Christian.  Seven years after Jackie Robinson''s first at-bat in the Majors.  A color barrier in both sports and in America was shattered—by a team of teenage boys.The weight of a season and the weight of growing up are burdens enough.  For a high school basketball team in Chicago in 1954, the weight of history joined them every time they stepped onto the court.  "The Wonder Five" were from DuSable High School, a predominantly black area of Chicago, a city with a harrowing record on race relations.  It is also one of America''s preeminent basketball cities, and The Wonder Five''s spectacular skill and immense poise carried them through the season and into the record books as the first all-black team, led by a black coach, to reach the highest levels of an organized, integrated, traditional sports program in America.  When DuSable reached the finals of the state tournament for Illinois, it made history the minute its five starters stepped onto the court.Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Ira Berkow goes in-depth to explore the historical and sociological background that led to DuSable, as well as painting that championship game in his inimitable style.  In one of the most emotional, suspenseful, and bizarre games that anyone had ever seen, DuSable played a team from Mount Vernon, a small, southern Illinois town, predominantly white, save for its one star player.  What happened in the game, and the aftermath, changed the lives of these young men forever.

Forty years'' worth of columns from one of the New York Times'' most popular sportswriters Former New York Times columnist Ira Berkow captures the spirit of the Giants in this unforgettable collection of opinions, stories, and observations from his long and distinguished career. From memories of Fran Tarkenton and Bill Parcells to reflections on Eli Manning and Phil Simms, this work stands as a remarkable collection bringing to life Giants'' personalities through the critical and comedic commentary of Ira Berkow.

Big-league baseball is subtle; cloaked in summer languor, moving with the slow, supple grace of a ballerina practicing backstage, yet taut and technical in its skills. To view a baseball game and appreciate it takes concentration. So begins Baseballs Best Ever. Encompassing a selection of some one hundred columns and featured stories written over 50-plus years, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist share stories on some of the greatest baseball players to ever grace the diamond. But rather than snippets and information known to anyone following the game, Berkow, shares insights on these men: men dealing with tragedy, struggle, highs and lowsshowing that while they we at the top of the game, at the end of the day they are mere mortals. With stories from Satchel Paige throwing his bow tie pitch close to a batters brow, the humorous side of Phil Rizzuto and Casey Stengel, a rookie Carl Yastrzemski battling through a slump, and Ted Williams talking about is favorite subjectno, not hitting: fishing. Arranged by decade, Berkow shares his interactions with those at the top of their game. We all know their stats and accolades, but not many fans truly know the person under the uniform. Offering an inside view as to who these men truly are, readers will be able to better understand their favorite ballplayers. While they have accomplished things we only do in our dreams, you will see that these men, under the surface, are no different than any of us. Though we may never hit like Joe DiMaggio or Babe Ruth, play the outfield like Willie Mays, or run the bases like Jackie Robinson, Berkow offers us a view of these stars that only an acclaimed journalist can. And with a half century of reporting under his belt, Baseballs Best Ever will let readers onto the field, in the dugout and locker room, and at home with their family and friends.

"A wonderful book—not just for basketball fans, but for everyone." —Earvin "Magic" Johnson Ira Berkow steps out from behind his New York Times reporter's notebook to spin the wonderful and moving tale of his love—for the game of basketball, for his friends and family, and for life itself. His enduring passion for the hardwood began in his boyhood in Chicago in the 1940s and '50s, and has continued in pickup basketball with the same vigor and competitive fire of his youth, often against opponents half his age. To the Hoop tells the story of a year in his basketball life, as he resolves to enhance his game and stave off the ravages of time amidst a looming family tragedy. Here he runs the court with Oscar Robertson, talks strategy with Walt Frazier, and find fellowship and good humor across the country on playgrounds, in gyms, even in some of the world's most famous arenas. Ira Berkow's poignant book transcends the game and approaches a kind of wisdom usually unavailable in writing about sports.

"A wonderful book—not just for basketball fans, but for everyone." —Earvin "Magic" Johnson  Ira Berkow steps out from behind his New York Times reporter's notebook to spin the wonderful and moving tale of his love—for the game of basketball, for his friends and family, and for life itself. His enduring passion for the hardwood began in his boyhood in Chicago in the 1940s and '50s, and has continued in pickup basketball with the same vigor and competitive fire of his youth, often against opponents half his age. To the Hoop tells the story of a year in his basketball life, as he resolves to enhance his game and stave off the ravages of time amidst a looming family tragedy. Here he runs the court with Oscar Robertson, talks strategy with Walt Frazier, and find fellowship and good humor across the country on playgrounds, in gyms, even in some of the world's most famous arenas. Ira Berkow's poignant book transcends the game and approaches a kind of wisdom usually unavailable in writing about sports.

The path from Springfield Avenue on Chicago’s West Side—where Ira Berkow once sold stockings at the old Maxwell Street marketplace—to a career at The New York Times and a share of the Pulitzer Prize was anything but predictable. Yet that is the remarkable journey Berkow recounts in this lively, heartfelt, and frequently humorous memoir. Along the way, he became far more than a sportswriter, emerging as one of America’s most perceptive chroniclers of sports, equally drawn to human character as to box scores and standings.Central to that evolution was his father, whose influence helped instill in Ira a lasting respect for truth, justice, and moral clarity. But he was also shaped by a series of mentors and inspirations who helped steer a young man still searching for his purpose. Among them was the legendary columnist Red Smith, who patiently critiqued Berkow’s early work, and Red Holzman, the Hall of Fame coach of the New York Knicks, whose example resonated well beyond the basketball court.Woven throughout Full Swing is an extraordinary lineup of figures—E. B. White, Muhammad Ali, Saul Bellow, Ted Williams, P. G. Wodehouse, Michael Jordan—whose presence reflects the breadth of Berkow’s interests and the lessons he drew from them. Honest, insightful, and richly entertaining, this memoir captures both triumphs and missteps, offering readers the wit, wisdom, and grace they have long associated with his writing.

Best-selling New York Times writer Ira Berkow presents a unique look at America's premier sport—and its fans—through interviews with a remarkable cross section of widely known and extraordinarily accomplished individuals in a variety of fields, who explain what the lure of basketball is for them. Berkow talked with Chris Rock, Woody Allen, Tom Brokaw, Saul Bellow, Johnnie Cochran Jr., Walter Matthau, Nikki Giovanni, Donald Trump, Julia Child, Frank Stella, Erica Jong, Grover Washington Jr., Seiji Ozawa, and Sharon Stone, among others, to uncover fresh, funny, controversial, and often surprising opinions about the teams and players who make the game intriguing.

When Rod Carew retired in 1985, following twelve seasons with the Minnesota Twins and seven with the California Angels, he had amassed seven batting titles, more than three thousand hits, and eighteen All-Star selections and was considered one of the best pure hitters to ever play the game. While his baseball career is well documented-Rookie of the Year in 1967 and a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection in 1991-this compelling chronicle of Carew’s life extends far beyond the baseball diamond. Carew is the candid autobiography of a baseball legend-from his years growing up in a segregated barrio in Panama to his move to Harlem at the age of fourteen, from the sandlots of the Bronx to the highest ranks of major league stardom. Working with noted New York Times sportswriter Ira Berkow, Carew writes memorably of his baseball career and his philosophy and approach to hitting-including his historic quest as a Minnesota Twin in 1977 for the first .400 season since 1941-but he also deals frankly with his early poverty, an unhappy relationship with an abusive father, and the racial discrimination that became more pronounced due to fame and an interracial marriage. First published in 1979, this new edition has a foreword by All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter and a new afterword by Carew covering the end of his baseball career and his post-baseball life-notably his induction into the Hall of Fame, his years as a hitting instructor, and the tragic loss of his daughter Michelle to leukemia. Carew is a forthright and fascinating account, revealing the public and private stories that illuminate one of baseball’s greatest and most respected players.

New York Times writer Ira Berkow presents a compelling account of the life and career of Hank Greenberg, the first Jewish ballplayer to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. (Ages 10 and up)

Once in a great while there appears a baseball player who transcends the game and earns universal admiration from his fellow players, from fans, and from the American people. Such a man was Hank Greenberg, whose dynamic life and legendary career are among baseball''s most inspiring stories. The Story of My Life tells the story of this extraordinary man in his own words, describing his childhood as the son of Eastern European immigrants in New York; his spectacular baseball career as one of the greatest home-run hitters of all time and later as a manager and owner; his heroic service in World War II; and his courageous struggle with cancer. Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a secular Jew who, during a time of widespread religious bigotry in America, stood up for his beliefs. Throughout a lifetime of anti-Semitic abuse he maintained his dignity, becoming in the process a hero for Jews throughout America and the first Jewish ballplayer elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Once in a great while there appears a baseball player who transcends the game and earns universal admiration from his fellow players, from fans, and from the American people. Such a man was Hank Greenberg, whose dynamic life and legendary career are among baseball's most inspiring stories. The Story of My Life tells the story of this extraordinary man in his own words, describing his childhood as the son of Eastern European immigrants in New York; his spectacular baseball career as one of the greatest home-run hitters of all time and later as a manager and owner; his heroic service in World War II; and his courageous struggle with cancer. Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a secular Jew who, during a time of widespread religious bigotry in America, stood up for his beliefs. Throughout a lifetime of anti-Semitic abuse he maintained his dignity, becoming in the process a hero for Jews throughout America and the first Jewish ballplayer elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Culled from 50 years' worth of columns from one of the country's most popular sportswriters, this work stands as a remarkable collection of opinions that is guaranteed to delight Mets fans of all ages. Former New York Times columnist Ira Berkow captures the spirit of the Mets in this unforgettable collection of opinions, stories, and observations from his long and distinguished career as he interviews and comments on the team. From memories of inaugural franchise manager Casey Stengel and Hall of Famer Tom Seaver to reflections on ace Johan Santana and the superstar David Wright, this collection combines Berkow's eye for detail with the comedy and drama revealed by the subjects themselves, bringing to life Mets' personalities from the last half century.

From George Steinbrenner's odd reliance on the book, The Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun to the views of such memorable Yankee greats as Casey Stengel, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and more recent stars like Reggie Jackson, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, Ira Berkow takes the reader with him into the clubhouse and onto the field as he observes, interviews and comments on the Bronx Bombers over his long and distinguished career writing and reporting on them. Summers in the Bronx: Attila the Hun and Other Yankee Stories is a collection of Berkow's rich, candid and nationally popular sports columns and feature stories for The New York Times and other syndicated papers are devoted to the New York Yankees, arguably the most famous, controversial, beloved and sometimes berated organization in the history of sports. Berkow's eye for detail and for the unusual insight along with the comedy and drama revealed by his subjects themselves bring to life a Who's Who of unforgettable Yankee personalities from the last half century.

"A wonderful book—not just for basketball fans but for everyone."—Earvin "Magic" JohnsonA good reporter can pick up a pen and chronicle the game of basketball, from its X''s and O''s to its personalities.A great reporter can put down the pen and pick up the rock.Ira Berkow has been many things in his life—a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, a respected columnist, and a passionate sports fan. He also knows how to thread a pass into the paint. In this wildly entertaining chronicle of his life as both a devotee and gym rat, Berkow writes with good humor and piercing insight about talking strategy with Walt Frazier, running the court with Oscar Robertson, and seeing the game from the inside. From his youth, playing on the courts in Chicago in the ‘40''s and ‘50''s to growing older and using the wisdom he''s gained to school players half his age, Berkow retains a competitive spirit, and a deep love of hoops. This moving tale of love for the game, for his friends and family, and for life itself is a must-read for anyone who wants the ball when the game is on the line."An extraordinary look into the art of pickup basketball. Who would have guessed that, along with his writing talents, Ira knows how to play the game!"—Bill Bradley"Ira Berkow is one of the best sportswriters around, so it is no surprise that his basketball odyssey is one of the best sports books of this or any other year."—George Plimpton

This Pulitzer Prize–winning author''s true account of the thief behind the famed 1972 heist is "an engrossing crime biography . . . [and] a fast-paced romp" (Kirkus Reviews). Growing up in Rochester, New York, Bobby Comfort wanted to be a good something. It just so happened that he was great at being a criminal. In January 1972, men in tuxedos robbed the Pierre, the luxurious Manhattan hotel, and got away with eleven million dollars'' worth of cash and jewelry. The police were baffled by how such a large-scale operation could go off so smoothly. The answer lay in the leader of the thieves, a man by the name of Bobby Comfort. He had taken to crime from a young age with card sharping and petty theft. Eventually, taking money from the rich was where he excelled. Sort of like Robin Hood—except for the part where he kept the loot himself—Comfort masterminded what was, at the time, the most lucrative heist in history, while appearing to his neighbors like an ordinary suburban family man. In this blend of insightful biography and true crime, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Ira Berkow chronicles the story, using first-hand accounts to weave together a fascinating portrait of a criminal and "a corking good cops-and-robbers tale" (Library Journal).

Twelve years before Kentucky and Texas Christian.  Seven years after Jackie Robinson''s first at-bat in the Majors.  A color barrier in both sports and in America was shattered—by a team of teenage boys.The weight of a season and the weight of growing up are burdens enough.  For a high school basketball team in Chicago in 1954, the weight of history joined them every time they stepped onto the court.  "The Wonder Five" were from DuSable High School, a predominantly black area of Chicago, a city with a harrowing record on race relations.  It is also one of America''s preeminent basketball cities, and The Wonder Five''s spectacular skill and immense poise carried them through the season and into the record books as the first all-black team, led by a black coach, to reach the highest levels of an organized, integrated, traditional sports program in America.  When DuSable reached the finals of the state tournament for Illinois, it made history the minute its five starters stepped onto the court.Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Ira Berkow goes in-depth to explore the historical and sociological background that led to DuSable, as well as painting that championship game in his inimitable style.  In one of the most emotional, suspenseful, and bizarre games that anyone had ever seen, DuSable played a team from Mount Vernon, a small, southern Illinois town, predominantly white, save for its one star player.  What happened in the game, and the aftermath, changed the lives of these young men forever.

Forty years'' worth of columns from one of the New York Times'' most popular sportswriters Former New York Times columnist Ira Berkow captures the spirit of the Giants in this unforgettable collection of opinions, stories, and observations from his long and distinguished career. From memories of Fran Tarkenton and Bill Parcells to reflections on Eli Manning and Phil Simms, this work stands as a remarkable collection bringing to life Giants'' personalities through the critical and comedic commentary of Ira Berkow.

Big-league baseball is subtle; cloaked in summer languor, moving with the slow, supple grace of a ballerina practicing backstage, yet taut and technical in its skills. To view a baseball game and appreciate it takes concentration. So begins Baseballs Best Ever. Encompassing a selection of some one hundred columns and featured stories written over 50-plus years, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist share stories on some of the greatest baseball players to ever grace the diamond. But rather than snippets and information known to anyone following the game, Berkow, shares insights on these men: men dealing with tragedy, struggle, highs and lowsshowing that while they we at the top of the game, at the end of the day they are mere mortals. With stories from Satchel Paige throwing his bow tie pitch close to a batters brow, the humorous side of Phil Rizzuto and Casey Stengel, a rookie Carl Yastrzemski battling through a slump, and Ted Williams talking about is favorite subjectno, not hitting: fishing. Arranged by decade, Berkow shares his interactions with those at the top of their game. We all know their stats and accolades, but not many fans truly know the person under the uniform. Offering an inside view as to who these men truly are, readers will be able to better understand their favorite ballplayers. While they have accomplished things we only do in our dreams, you will see that these men, under the surface, are no different than any of us. Though we may never hit like Joe DiMaggio or Babe Ruth, play the outfield like Willie Mays, or run the bases like Jackie Robinson, Berkow offers us a view of these stars that only an acclaimed journalist can. And with a half century of reporting under his belt, Baseballs Best Ever will let readers onto the field, in the dugout and locker room, and at home with their family and friends.

"A wonderful book—not just for basketball fans, but for everyone." —Earvin "Magic" Johnson Ira Berkow steps out from behind his New York Times reporter's notebook to spin the wonderful and moving tale of his love—for the game of basketball, for his friends and family, and for life itself. His enduring passion for the hardwood began in his boyhood in Chicago in the 1940s and '50s, and has continued in pickup basketball with the same vigor and competitive fire of his youth, often against opponents half his age. To the Hoop tells the story of a year in his basketball life, as he resolves to enhance his game and stave off the ravages of time amidst a looming family tragedy. Here he runs the court with Oscar Robertson, talks strategy with Walt Frazier, and find fellowship and good humor across the country on playgrounds, in gyms, even in some of the world's most famous arenas. Ira Berkow's poignant book transcends the game and approaches a kind of wisdom usually unavailable in writing about sports.

"A wonderful book—not just for basketball fans, but for everyone." —Earvin "Magic" Johnson  Ira Berkow steps out from behind his New York Times reporter's notebook to spin the wonderful and moving tale of his love—for the game of basketball, for his friends and family, and for life itself. His enduring passion for the hardwood began in his boyhood in Chicago in the 1940s and '50s, and has continued in pickup basketball with the same vigor and competitive fire of his youth, often against opponents half his age. To the Hoop tells the story of a year in his basketball life, as he resolves to enhance his game and stave off the ravages of time amidst a looming family tragedy. Here he runs the court with Oscar Robertson, talks strategy with Walt Frazier, and find fellowship and good humor across the country on playgrounds, in gyms, even in some of the world's most famous arenas. Ira Berkow's poignant book transcends the game and approaches a kind of wisdom usually unavailable in writing about sports.

The path from Springfield Avenue on Chicago’s West Side—where Ira Berkow once sold stockings at the old Maxwell Street marketplace—to a career at The New York Times and a share of the Pulitzer Prize was anything but predictable. Yet that is the remarkable journey Berkow recounts in this lively, heartfelt, and frequently humorous memoir. Along the way, he became far more than a sportswriter, emerging as one of America’s most perceptive chroniclers of sports, equally drawn to human character as to box scores and standings.Central to that evolution was his father, whose influence helped instill in Ira a lasting respect for truth, justice, and moral clarity. But he was also shaped by a series of mentors and inspirations who helped steer a young man still searching for his purpose. Among them was the legendary columnist Red Smith, who patiently critiqued Berkow’s early work, and Red Holzman, the Hall of Fame coach of the New York Knicks, whose example resonated well beyond the basketball court.Woven throughout Full Swing is an extraordinary lineup of figures—E. B. White, Muhammad Ali, Saul Bellow, Ted Williams, P. G. Wodehouse, Michael Jordan—whose presence reflects the breadth of Berkow’s interests and the lessons he drew from them. Honest, insightful, and richly entertaining, this memoir captures both triumphs and missteps, offering readers the wit, wisdom, and grace they have long associated with his writing.