My Thirty Years in Baseball
First published in 1923, the Little Napoleon's autobiography remains a fascinating artifact and reflection of its times. One of the most colorful, fiery, and pugnacious men ever to wear a uniform, McGraw was a terror both on the field as star third baseman of the old Baltimore Orioles and particularly in the dugout as manager of the Giants and architect of their dynasty. No umpire was ever safe from his rage. Yet this is a sanitized memoir for an era that wasn't interested in peeking behind closed doors and exposing human foibles; the McGraw flame is held to, at most, a low burn. But its tameness is part of its antique charm, and McGraw emerges as an amiable storyteller and a solid field general whose personality can't be fully suppressed, even by the demands of the time: "I can appreciate the fine work of opposing players," he'll admit, "but, at the same time, I'm not much for that show of friendly feeling on the field." Too bad he had to put as much friendly feeling as he did into his autobiography. As Charles C. Alexander, who penned the introduction here, made clear in his scrupulous biography,John McGraw, a master strategist and showman like McGraw needs a lot more room to maneuver.--Jeff Silverman