Books and More

An amazing number of books have been written about Babe Ruth or contain information and/or stories about Babe Ruth. While we may or may not agree with all of the points made in these books, we do think they are worthy reading about the Babe. Decide for yourself whether you agree with the portrayals of the Babe. If you’d like to review the books or discuss them, please visit the BRC Blog to express your opinions.

BRC recommends some of its favorite books below, as well as presents a small selection of other “stuff” that you may find of interest.

The Wopper Series, Book 1: How Babe Ruth Lost His Father and Won the 1918 World Series Against the Cubs: Pigtown

Every city has at least one Pigtown, a neighborhood where life is as squalid and deplorable as the name implies. Pigtown is the inspirational tale of George Herman “Babe” Ruth who grew up amid tragedy and trouble to become the greatest baseball player to ever wear a major league uniform.
Death and tragedy devastate his family leaving him to survive the wreckage on his own. By the age of seven he is an incorrigible street urchin living a life of petty crime as the ringleader of the Bunny Hole Gang. His life changes dramatically when he becomes an inmate at St. Mary’s Industrial School where he learns discipline and the love of baseball.
“If it wasn’t for baseball, I’d be in either the penitentiary or the cemetery.”
Under the fatherly influence of Brother Matthias, Babe must face the demons that destroyed his family. Pigtown chronicles how he overcomes an abusive world and finds love, while his saloonkeeper father tries to cope with heartbreaking tragedy.

Wopper Book 1: How Babe Ruth Lost His Father and Won the 1918 World Series Against the Cubs: Pigtown, By Frank Amoroso

The Wopper Series, Book 2: How Babe Ruth Lost His Father and Won the 1918 World Series Against the Cubs: The Show

The Show, volume 2 of the Wopper series about how Babe Ruth lost his father and won the 1918, tells the story of a young man’s rise to fame. Signed off the sandlots of Baltimore, George Ruth blasts his way into the record books while earning the nickname Babe. Just weeks after his nineteenth birthday, he defeats the World Champion Philadelphia Athletics in a dramatic game. Unfortunately, he commits a grievous mistake that might cost him the love of his life.
Follow the early career of Babe Ruth as he is traded to the Boston Red Sox where he rises to stardom and several World Series Championships with the Sox. Yet, his mistakes haunt him and his struggle to re-kindle lost love leads to one of the most bizarre perfect games in major league history.
As World War I rages across Europe, tensions in the United States threaten to derail Babe’s professional success. The grandson of German immigrants sees his country divided between super-patriotic nativists and pro-Kaiser loyalists. Babe attempts to avoid the crossfire of opposing forces while friends and relatives succumb to war hysteria.
The Show takes the reader on a tense journey from the ballfields of North Carolina to Fenway Park and from Hot Springs, Arkansas and back to Fenway on an emotional roller coaster ride to superstardom. The Show sets the stage for the explosive events of 1918 and the World Series that are related in the Wopper series finale The Series.

Wopper, volume 3, The Series: How Babe Ruth Lost His Father and Won the 1918 World Series Against the Cubs, By Frank Amoroso

The Wopper Series, Book 3: How Babe Ruth Lost His Father and Won the 1918 World Series Against the Cubs

The Series is the explosive culmination of Wopper -How Babe Ruth Lost His Father and Won the 1918 World Series Against the Cubs. The major themes of Wopper collide in this final installment. After the brutal death of his father just nine days before the 1918 World Series, how will Babe handle the grief, regret, and pressure of performing? Will Babe reconnect with the one true love of his life? In a nation teeming with pro- and anti-German zealots, anarchists, and evil, will Babe and the ones he cares about, survive imprisonment, bombs, and kidnapping? Who can he turn to in these dark times?Amid all this turmoil, Babe struggles to find himself on the baseball field. Is he a dominant pitcher, or, an everyday position player who wields a powerful bat, or, both? The 1918 World Series was one of the most fiercely-contested ever. The strategies employed by both teams revolved around one player – Babe Ruth. War tension, brawls, a labor strike, and hardnosed baseball mark each of the six games. Enjoy it all from the vantage point of the clubhouse, the dugout, and the diamond!

Wopper, volume 3, The Series: How Babe Ruth Lost His Father and Won the 1918 World Series Against the Cubs, By Frank Amoroso

Pinstripe Empire
Marty Appel, the Yankees’ PR direcator during the 1970s, illuminates the team in all its century-plus of glory: clever, maneuvering owners; rowdy, talented players; and, of course, twenty-seven championships. Appel heard war stories from old-timers like Mantle, Berra, and Casey Stengel, and has remained close to the organization ever since. A collector, writer, and raconteur, he gives life to the team’s history, from the muddy, uneven field at Hilltop Park in the 1900s to the evolution of today’s team as an international brand. Loaded with over a century’s worth of great stories, folklore, and photos, this is a treasure trove for lovers of sports, the Yankees, New York history, and America’s game.

Pinstripe Empire by Marty Appel

Banzai Babe Ruth
Archeologist-turned-author, Rob Fitts, has written an intriguing work of non-fiction, “Banzai Babe Ruth.” A tale of international intrigue, espionage, attempted murder, and—of course—baseball, Banzai Babe Ruth is the first detailed account of the doomed attempt to reconcile the United States and Japan through the 1934 All American baseball tour.

Banzai Babe Ruth by Rob Fitts

The House That Ruth Built: A New Stadium, the First Yankees Championship, and the Redemption of 1923
Slate sports columnist,Robert Weintraub takes an interesting look into New York in 1923 and that year’s New York Yankees, the team that opened Yankee Stadium and won the first of the Bronx Bombers’ record 27 World Series titles. The book focuses on the clash between the Yankees’ star, Babe Ruth, with his “new” style of baseball that focused much more on the long ball and home run versus New York Giants manager, John McGraw who professed the classic approach of “scientific baseball”. While the Giants got the best of the Yanks in the ’22 fall classic, Ruth and the Yankees’ 1923 World Series victory over their crosstown rivals would change the face of baseball and New York City forever. The book is comprehensive, and Weintraub details everything from the construction of the stadium and the careers of Ruth and McGraw to a detailed season overview and deconstruction of the 1923 World Series. Fans of the Yankees, Giants and general baseball history will really appreciate the detail and entertainment value of this well-told recap of this period in baseball.

The House That Ruth Built by Robert Weintraub

Babe Ruth
“Babe Ruth” reunites Julia Ruth Stevens, daughter of Babe Ruth and Bill Gilbert, a former Washington Post reporter and best-selling author, for their second book together on the Babe. This is the ultimate book for any true baseball fan, telling the story of his groundbreaking career as well as memorable tales from his often-colorful life off the field. Featuring a winning line-up of rare and never-before-published photographs, the book also includes pull-out facsimile reproductions of memorabilia such as World Series tickets from 1916 to 1932; newspaper articles chronicling the Babe’s record-breaking achievements; the official souvenir program from opening day at Yankee Stadium in 1923; and Babe Ruth’s first professional baseball contract.A glorious memento of an incredible career, “Babe Ruth” is a fitting tribute to one of the 20th century’s towering personalities.

Babe Ruth by Bill Gilbert and Julia Ruth Stevens

Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox
“Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox”, by Allan Wood, is a Red Sox tale which backtracks to George Herman Ruth’s youth as a rebellious kid who was reoriented to his Hall of Fame career under a mentor at a Baltimore orphanage. Wood proceeds to provide an admiring story of the Red Sox triumph, despite depleted rosters and threats of a government shutdown and players’ strike. 1918 would end up being the last World Series the Red Sox won for the next 86 years.

Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox by Allan Woods

The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Homeruns: Re-Crowning Baseball’s Greatest Slugger
“The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Homeruns: Re-Crowning Baseball’s Greatest Slugger”, by William Jenkinson, comprehensively focuses on Babe’s batting power:

The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs by Bill Jenkinson

Ty and the Babe
“Ty and the Babe”, by Tom Stanton, analyzes each player’s character in detail and explains their fierce 14-year competition in the Majors, which ultimately lead to respect and friendship:

Ty and The Babe by Tom Stanton

Babe: The Legend Comes to Life
“Babe: The Legend Comes to Life”, by Robert Creamer, is often considered the most definitive of the Babe Ruth biographies:

Babe: The Legend Comes to Life by Robert Creamer

The Big Bam
“The Big Bam”, by Leigh Montville, one of the most comprehensive biographies of the Babe, for today’s generation:

The Big Bam by Leigh Montville

Babe Ruth: A Daughter’s Portrait
“Babe Ruth: A Daughter’s Portrait”, by George Beam with Julia Ruth Stevens, is a pictorial look at Babe Ruth’s life, career and family:

Babe Ruth: A Daughter’s Portrait by Julia Ruth Stevens and George Beim

Major League Dad: A Daughter’s Cherished Memories
“Major League Dad: A Dabe Ruth: A Daughter’s Cherished Memories”, by Julia Ruth Stevens with Bill Gilbert, is a smaller presentation of photos and memories direct from Babe’s daughter:

Major League Dad by Julia Ruth Stevens and Bill Gilbert

Babe Ruth’s Own Book of Baseball
“Babe Ruth’s Own Book of Baseball”, by George Herman Ruth, Jr., is a book originally written by the Babe, himself, in 1928 and reprinted in recent years:

Babe Ruth’s Own Book of Baseball by Babe Ruth and Jerome Holtzman

Babe Ruth: A Biography
“Babe Ruth: A Biography”, by Wayne Stewart, describes the highlights of Ruth’s career and investigates the reasons for his unprecedented impact on the game. The author draws new insights into Ruth’s life and career through interviews he conducted with members of Ruth’s family and with other baseball players who knew him.

Babe Ruth a Biography by Wayne Stewart

Young Babe Ruth: His Early Life and Baseball Career from the Memoirs of a Xaverian Brother

“Young Babe Ruth: His Early Life and Baseball Career from the Memoirs of a Xaverian Brother”, by Brother Gilbert and Harry Rothberber, is a unique look into the early life under the Xaverian influence of St. Mary’s Industial School in Baltimore. This book is written by one of the Xaverian brothers who shaped Ruth’s early life and makes for an interesting insight.

“Young Babe Ruth: His Early Life and Baseball Career from the Memoirs of a Xaverian Brother”, by Brother Gilbert and Harry Rothberber

Other Books We Recommend

“Memories of a Ballplayer”, by Bill Werber and C. Paul Rogers III, recalls the baseball career of Bill Werber. Mr. Werber also shares a few stories while he was with the Yankees and a teammate of the Babe:

Memories of Ball Player by Bill Werber

“The Babe Signed my Shoe”, by Ernie Harwell, the Hall of Fame broadcaster of the Detroit Tigers, recalls memories from his many years involved with baseball:

They Babe Signed My Shoe by Ernie Harwell

“The Road to Cooperstown”, by Tom Stanton, is a sentimental story of a roadtrip made to The Baseball Hall of Fame by the author, his brother and their father:

The Road to Cooperstown by Tom Stanton

“Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game”, by George Vecsey, provides an overview of the sport from this New York Times columnist:

“Baseball” by George Vescey

“Baseball: An Illustrated History”, by Kenneth Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward, is the complement to the Emmy Award-winning documentary series “Baseball” by Ken Burns, which originally aired on PBS. The book includes images from the film, essays from notable sportswriters, as well as interesting narative regarding baseball’s role within American History.

Baseball by Kenneth Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward,

A Few Fun Books for Kids with Babe Ruth Themes

Becoming Babe Ruth, written and illustrated by author Matt Tavares. A tribute to the legendary baseball star offers a rare view into his formative years in “the House that built Ruth,” tracing his mischievous childhood in Baltimore before his life-changing enrollment in Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, where a strict code of conduct and his introduction to baseball inspired his historic career. By the creator of Zachary’s Ball.:

Becoming Babe Ruth by Matt Tavares

“The Babe & I”, by David A. Adler, is a tale of the challenges and magic of a depression-era childhood spent in the Bronx, New York (for ages 5-9):

The Babe and I by David A Adler

“Babe Ruth Saves Baseball”, by Frank Murphy, is a tale of people all over America giving up the country’s national pastime, with Babe winning back fans and saving baseball (for ages 4-8):

Babe Ruth Saves Baseball by Frank Murphy

“Cam Jansen and the Mystery of Babe Ruth’s Baseball”, by David A. Adler, is a tale from the Cam Jansen series in which the heroine must identify the person who stole a valuable autographed baseball (for ages 4-8):

“Cam Jansen and the Mystery of Babe Ruth’s Baseball”, by David A. Adler

Other Stuff We Like

“Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns”, is the DVD collection of the Emmy Award-winning documentary series by Ken Burns, which originally aired on PBS. Narrated by former NBC News Anchor, John Chancellor, the documentary captures a mix of film footage, interviews and voice over of written works, including speeches and letters. In addition to an in-depth look at some key players such as Cobb, Ruth and Jackie Robinson, the documentary also focuses on race, business and labor relations within baseball. The collection is broken out into 9 DVDs, each representing an “inning”.

Baseball by Kenneth Burns

“The Final Season”, by Tom Stanton, recalls the 1999 baseball season in which the author attended all 81 games during the last season that Detroit played in Tiger Stadium: