In the 1920s Rogers Hornsby was the National League's foremost star, its biggest since Honus Wagner-and its principal answer to the American League's Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. He was a seven-time National League batting champion, and his 1924 average remains the major-league high for this century. From his Texas childhood until his death in 1962, Hornsby lived his entire life in the world of baseball, building a legend through his remarkable involvement in every phase of the sport. His career as a player, manager, and instructor was spectacular in its unpredictability, and the story of his life chronicles the golden age of baseball.

Charles C. Alexander, Distinguished Professor of History at Ohio University, is the author of nine books, including Our Game: An American Baseball History and the celebrated biographies Ty Cobb and John McGraw.