Ring: A Biography of Ring Lardner
"To this awesomely detailed biography of Ring Lardner, Yardley brings a first-rate literary critic's perceptions; an experienced reporter's skills; a deep interest in that earlier, innocent era of baseball that spawned Lardner as one of the greatest ever to write about that sport; and an obvious and abiding affection for his complex, often puzzling subject." (Chicago Daily News)"A satisfying portrait of the sad, self-mocking man who wrote some of the funniest prose in the American language." (The New York Times)Jonathan Yardley's compelling biography "Ring" is a fascinating account of how Lardner rose from his small-town roots to become one of the most famous storytellers in American literature, but one whose life was haunted by his bouts with alcoholism and depression. (The San Francisco Chronicle)