Baseball in the 1930s was more than a national pastime; it was a cultural touchstone that galvanized communities and gave a struggling country its heroes despite the woes of the Depression. Hank Greenberg, one of the most exciting sluggers in baseball history, gave the people of Detroit a reason to be proud.
But America was facing more than economic hardship. With the Nazis gaining power across Europe, political and social tensions were approaching a boiling point. As one of the few Jewish athletes competing nationally, Greenberg became not only an iconic ball player, but also an important and sometimes controversial symbol of Jewish identity and the American immigrant experience.
The new book, Hank Greenberg: Hero of Heroes by John Rosengren offers an intimate account of the man’s life on and off the field. Rosengren is an award-winning author whose other books include Hammerin' Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year That Changed Baseball Forever.
