ApexNews
Return to Main
Book

Gods at Play: An Eyewitness Account of Great Moments in American Sports

2022

Synopsis

As a columnist for Time magazine, among many other publications, Tom Callahan witnessed an extraordinary number of defining moments in American sport across four decades. He takes us from Roberto Clemente clinching his 3,000th, and final, regular-season hit in Pittsburgh; to ringside for the Muhammad Ali–George Foreman fight in Zaire; and to Arthur Ashe announcing, at a news conference, that he’d tested positive for HIV. There are also little-known private moments: Joe Morgan whispering thank you to a virtually blind Jackie Robinson on the field at the 1972 World Series, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar saying he was more interested in being a good man than in being the greatest basketball player.

Brimming with colorful vignettes and enlivened by Callahan’s eye for detail, Gods at Play offers surprising portraits of the most celebrated names in sports. Roger Rosenblatt calls Callahan “the most complete sportswriter in America. He knows the most and writes the best."

Suggested Reading

The Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali and George Foreman on the Global Stage

"The Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali and George Foreman on the Global Stage" by Lewis A. Erenberg offers a comprehensive and richly contextualized exploration of the iconic 1974 heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, held in Kinshasa, Zaire. Erenberg, a historian and pr...

View Details

Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court

At one time, Lew Alcindor was just another kid from New York City with all the usual problems: He struggled with fitting in, with pleasing a strict father, and with overcoming shyness that made him feel socially awkward. But with a talent for basketball, and an unmatched team of supporters, Lew Alci...

Purchase on Amazon View Details

We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you accept our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.