View Full Version : Book You've GOT to Read:
clydepepper
12-06-2014, 02:42 PM
I just finished reading Henry Thomas's biography of his grandfather, Walter Johnson and it was magnificent!
While I realized that a family member would have inside information to provide a more complete picture of the man, I was not prepared for how extremely well written it is.
Don't pass up an opportunity to read, 'Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train', by our fellow member, Henry Thomas.
I purchased the paperback to read and will get the hardcover to keep. It's that good...I've only done that with a few other books.
icollectDCsports
12-06-2014, 02:55 PM
A great bio of one of the all time greats.
dtp717
12-06-2014, 03:30 PM
Just went on eBay and picked up a copy. Thanks for the rec!
vthobby
12-06-2014, 06:06 PM
I met Henry "Hank" once and you are right, the book is great and he was amazing. Very nice gentleman. I have a cool item that is 100% unique related to him. Back in the 1980s, I went to Cooperstown a few years in a row and had about 20 hall of famers sign the inside of a hardcover HOF book. the first and second blank pages.
I met so many wonderful folks there and family members of HOFs that I decided to get family members that I met on the title page: I have so far in person: Jim Cobb (Ty's son), Roberto Clemente Jr., Hank Thomas (Walter's grandson), Tony Gwynn Jr, (I got Gwynn Jr at a card show and sadly never got Tony to sign the book)
Jim Cobb was such a character. He has since passed but the time I met him in Cooperstown in the 1980s was amazing.
peace, mike
Completely agree on the book - absolutely one of the top baseball biographies ever.
dclarkraiders
12-07-2014, 09:31 AM
I have been reading this book slowly for several weeks. As indicated it is outstanding.
Hankphenom
12-07-2014, 09:46 AM
Wow, you guys sure know how to start my Sunday! I really appreciate the kind words, and it's wonderful to see the book reaching it's intended audience.
vthobby
12-07-2014, 10:06 AM
Hank,
Great to see you are on here. I met you at Tom S. 's house in Burlington Vermont a long time ago and had you sign my Hall of Fame book on the "family" page. I also at one time owned the "trifecta" of a Walter Johnson signed photo, the letter to the young boy signed by Walter, and of course the AL baseball signed by Walter on the sweet spot. You had mentioned you would look in your family collection for the original letter that the boy had sent Walter.
Unfortunately, I needed $$$ (don't we all at one time or another? :) ) and I had to sell that museum collection. I can assure you it is still in Vermont tucked away in a VERY large and advanced collection most likely not to be resold in a very long time.
I also met you at a large card show that I think was in Philly.
Take care Hank,
Respectfully,
Mike
Thanks for posting this - I just ordered a copy and am really looking forward to reading it. The last baseball book I read was Jane Leavy's The Last Boy so it is high time for another.
Just finished this book. Hank, it was incredible! Thank you for the huge amount of effort that you clearly put into this project, it was well worth it.
hoot-owl
01-25-2015, 04:49 PM
Read this several years ago--a must read for the pre-war crowd!
I exchanged a few PMs with Hank and asked several questions, including about the ball Taft threw to Walter for the first presidential opening day first pitch. Hank sent me a link to a wild story he wrote about that ball and the others that I thought you guys might also like to see:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46884-2004Oct20.html