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Holy Toledo: Lessons From Bill King, Renaissance Man of the Mic
Bill King, longtime voice of the A’s, Warriors and Raiders, was a beloved figure in California for decades, celebrated for his passion and precision in calling a game and for his colorful life away from sports, an utterly original figure who lives today in the hearts and memories of countless fans touched by his greatness. Bill was also one of the most influential broadcasters of all time, an inspiration to legions of his fellow broadcasters who looked up to him. No less an authority than John Madden tells Ken Korach in this 80,000-word testament to Bill’s uniqueness that when he turned from coaching to broadcasting, no one was more of an influence on him than Bill. But this was true of Bill the man as well, not merely Bill the broadcaster. “We all wanted to live vicariously through Bill. The things that he did, we wished we could do,” Madden tells Ken Korach.
Korach, longtime voice of the A’s and Bill’s partner for ten seasons until King’s death in 2005, is the perfect one to bring Bill to life on the page. A half-century ago, Ken Korach was a kid in Los Angeles, spinning the night dial to tune in Warriors basketball games from faraway San Francisco for one reason: He just had to hear Bill. Now, in Holy Toledo – Lessons from Bill King, Renaissance Man of the Mic, he tells the remarkable story of King the legendary baseball, basketball and football broadcaster. Bill was a student of Russian literature, a passionate sailor, a fan of eating anything and everything from gourmet to onions and peanut butter, a remarkable painter. Korach draws on a lifetime of listening to and learning from King – as well as extensive research, including more than fifty interviews with King’s family members, colleagues, friends and associates – to create this rich portrait, eagerly awaited by thousands of fans who have flocked to the Holy Toledo Facebook page and heard about the book through Ken’s media appearances.
Holy Toledo features a moving foreword by Hall of Fame broadcaster Jon Miller, previously of ESPN, and a brilliant cover by Mark Ulriksen, internationally recognized for his New Yorker magazine covers, that captures King’s flair and personality.
Billy Beane
“The best part about Bill wasn’t just that he was so good at his job but that he was so interesting outside of his job. His mustache epitomized that. He looked eccentric and he was eccentric, in a good way.”
Bob Welch
“If I had a hitter I had trouble with, I’d ask Bill how I should pitch him. He always had a good answer.”
Greg Papa
“Bill King was the greatest radio broadcaster in the history of the United States.”
Tom Meschery
“Talking with Bill was like talking with an encyclopedia.… If you wanted to talk sports, literature – when Bill talked you listened, because he always had something interesting to talk about.”
Al Attles
“He didn’t sugarcoat it. Bill was a departure from the way it was. If a player from the Warriors made a mistake, Bill told it like it was.”
Ed Rush
“I’d put the radio out the window and keep turning it to certain angles and it would go in and go out. I’d listen to the Warriors and the Raiders. To do all three sports like he did, he was phenomenal. He was out of this world.”
Tom Flores
“Bill made some of the great plays in the history of the Raiders even greater with his description. Those moments were kept alive in his voice.”
Jason Giambi
“He was such an incredible man. I had so much fun with him and he would always ask how my family was doing and I have the fondest memories of him. We would talk about life and all the things he had seen. He made me well rounded.”
Rick Barry
“He had the ability to see a game, a basketball game, and express what was happening in eloquent terms, at times instantaneously. When he was saying something, it was happening.”
Korach, longtime voice of the A’s and Bill’s partner for ten seasons until King’s death in 2005, is the perfect one to bring Bill to life on the page. A half-century ago, Ken Korach was a kid in Los Angeles, spinning the night dial to tune in Warriors basketball games from faraway San Francisco for one reason: He just had to hear Bill. Now, in Holy Toledo – Lessons from Bill King, Renaissance Man of the Mic, he tells the remarkable story of King the legendary baseball, basketball and football broadcaster. Bill was a student of Russian literature, a passionate sailor, a fan of eating anything and everything from gourmet to onions and peanut butter, a remarkable painter. Korach draws on a lifetime of listening to and learning from King – as well as extensive research, including more than fifty interviews with King’s family members, colleagues, friends and associates – to create this rich portrait, eagerly awaited by thousands of fans who have flocked to the Holy Toledo Facebook page and heard about the book through Ken’s media appearances.
Holy Toledo features a moving foreword by Hall of Fame broadcaster Jon Miller, previously of ESPN, and a brilliant cover by Mark Ulriksen, internationally recognized for his New Yorker magazine covers, that captures King’s flair and personality.
Billy Beane
“The best part about Bill wasn’t just that he was so good at his job but that he was so interesting outside of his job. His mustache epitomized that. He looked eccentric and he was eccentric, in a good way.”
Bob Welch
“If I had a hitter I had trouble with, I’d ask Bill how I should pitch him. He always had a good answer.”
Greg Papa
“Bill King was the greatest radio broadcaster in the history of the United States.”
Tom Meschery
“Talking with Bill was like talking with an encyclopedia.… If you wanted to talk sports, literature – when Bill talked you listened, because he always had something interesting to talk about.”
Al Attles
“He didn’t sugarcoat it. Bill was a departure from the way it was. If a player from the Warriors made a mistake, Bill told it like it was.”
Ed Rush
“I’d put the radio out the window and keep turning it to certain angles and it would go in and go out. I’d listen to the Warriors and the Raiders. To do all three sports like he did, he was phenomenal. He was out of this world.”
Tom Flores
“Bill made some of the great plays in the history of the Raiders even greater with his description. Those moments were kept alive in his voice.”
Jason Giambi
“He was such an incredible man. I had so much fun with him and he would always ask how my family was doing and I have the fondest memories of him. We would talk about life and all the things he had seen. He made me well rounded.”
Rick Barry
“He had the ability to see a game, a basketball game, and express what was happening in eloquent terms, at times instantaneously. When he was saying something, it was happening.”
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2013
22 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 7, 2013
As a life-long fan of Bay Area sports, I can say that Bill King was as well loved in Oakland as Ernie Harwell or Mel Allen. He brought life and color to all of the sports he covered. Now Ken Korach brings Bill's life and color to those of us who only knew him through the radio. This is a tremendous gift to us fans as it ensures that Bill's legacy will live on and be celebrated.
October 17, 2013
I'm a little biased because I helped to back this kickstarter project, but the book is excellent. If you have ever listened to the late Bill King or followed the teams he broadcast for, then you must read this book. Mr. Korach paints a picture of deep respect to his former broadcast partner, the many stories and anecdotes are insights not only into Bill King the broadcaster, but Bill King the person. It's a crime he's not already in the hall of fame, of any of the three sports he broadcast, but perhaps this book will help Mr. King get the accolade he deserves.
October 27, 2013
Ken Korach does a wonderful job of bringing Bill to life in the pages of his book.
October 12, 2013
Felt like I was reading about my grandpa. If you grew up a sports fan in the Bay Area anytime after the Kennedy Administration, you'll breeze through it in a few days. And you'll probably shed a tear or two. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing.
December 28, 2013
Bay Area sports fans have been profoundly influenced by the lucid descriptions provided by Bill King over the years. His excitement for baseball, basketball, and football made many lifelong fans and his legacy will endure forever, thanks to this great biography from a fellow announcer, Ken Korach.
September 10, 2013
No one better than Ken Korach to explain who Bill King was, what he meant and how he became a Bay Area and broadcasting legend. Great stuff.
October 5, 2013
When I was informed about this book project on Kickstarter several months ago, I knew I had to get involved somehow. I grew up listening to Bill as a young kid just starting to get my feet wet with the Oakland A's as a fan. Since I never listened to him as a Warriors or Raiders broadcasters, the A's were what I associated him with. Over the years I would hear his work before my time and I am so amazed at how enjoyable he was with all three teams.
Because he was part of my upbringing and fandom as a baseball fan, I was so proud to be a part of this book and help share it with everyone. It's a great story of his life, hie love of food and sports and the impact he had on so many people. I never met him but I felt that I knew him so well just by reading this. I miss listening to his calls on the radio.
This is a great book for anyone who grew up with Bay Area sports over the past half century. Bill was right in the middle of it. Reading this book was like dancing on a cruise ship. It felt like it would never end. Time stood still.
I do miss Bill King. This book takes me back to my youth listening to him on my dad's small radio in our house. I will never forget those moments. I'm so glad Bill was there with me.
Because he was part of my upbringing and fandom as a baseball fan, I was so proud to be a part of this book and help share it with everyone. It's a great story of his life, hie love of food and sports and the impact he had on so many people. I never met him but I felt that I knew him so well just by reading this. I miss listening to his calls on the radio.
This is a great book for anyone who grew up with Bay Area sports over the past half century. Bill was right in the middle of it. Reading this book was like dancing on a cruise ship. It felt like it would never end. Time stood still.
I do miss Bill King. This book takes me back to my youth listening to him on my dad's small radio in our house. I will never forget those moments. I'm so glad Bill was there with me.
October 14, 2013
I grew up a Giants fan in the Bay Area, and grew into an even bigger A's fan. When I saw this book mentioned during an A's broadcast this summer, I knew I HAD to read it. And what a treat it was! Ken Korach did a wonderful job paying tribute to King. I remember hearing Bill King many times, with his signature "Holy Toledo" for really special occasions. Listening to baseball games on a transistor radio = that was the epitome of a great summer!
I hadn't realized how much of a "Renaissance" man King was. He never went to college, but learned about a variety of subjects (Russian, opera...) because of his particular interest in those areas. As Korach said, King never tried to fit into someone else's mold. He lived a full life vibrantly, and loved what he did. And a lot of people feel very fortunate to have known him. what a tribute!
I hadn't realized how much of a "Renaissance" man King was. He never went to college, but learned about a variety of subjects (Russian, opera...) because of his particular interest in those areas. As Korach said, King never tried to fit into someone else's mold. He lived a full life vibrantly, and loved what he did. And a lot of people feel very fortunate to have known him. what a tribute!
November 25, 2013
Let me say this first, with apologies to Ken Korach, this is not a very well written book. Korach style is meandering and often non-sequiter. There are times when even he seems lost in his own stream of consciousness. But, if you grew up like I did listening to Bill King, then the stylistic flaws do nothing to diminish this book. Korach's book does the one thing it needed to do right: it brings the too soon gone Bill King back to life. To me, the story of baseball is narrated in Bill King's voice, and this book reminded me why I so firmly believe that.
October 7, 2013
A touching, personal portrait of the late, great Bill King from someone who knew him best. Now we just need to get Bill into the Hall of Fame. Let's go, Oakland!
October 8, 2013
What a wonderful guy! I'm very sorry that he's gone.
November 8, 2013
If you are a Bay Area sports fan you will love this book. Bill King was a brilliant man and knew how to paint a picture with words and convey the excitement of the moment. I loved this book.
March 29, 2014
Holy Toledo! I'm ready for the 2014 baseball season! This book is a must-read, not only for all A's fans, but for baseball fans (and sports fans in general). Ken Korach made me smile, laugh, reminisce, and tear up. I had goose bumps reliving some of the old calls and hearing the old names. I had to go to my kitchen and get bottle opener to hear Bill's 20 game winning call. Bill King, I sure miss you! You were one of a kind and a true "renaissance man of the mic". I learned a lot and loved the walk down memory lane. Thanks, Ken Korach, for sharing your memories of the Great One with us. (and...Let's Go Oak-land!!!)
p.s. Ken, if you read this, will you sign my book this season?
p.s. Ken, if you read this, will you sign my book this season?
January 5, 2022
Ken Korach is a marvelous author and, of course, Bill King was an unparalleled talent and character. He certainly belongs in the Pantheon of sports broadcasters in the three major professional sports. Having said all of the foregoing, this book was a disappointment for me. It does share some good stories and observations, but the truth is this book obviously was written and promoted to boost Bill's Hall of Fame candidacies. As a result, there are pages and pages and pages of praise in an almost name dropping style with no substance. Bill King deserves all the praise and all of the accolades but this is not the biography I had hoped to read.
July 2, 2022
Really niche stuff told not greatly. But I'll be damned if I didn't tear up in the last chapters about "the streak" and when he passed in '06. Bill King is the kind of broadcaster that doesn't exist anymore. One with personality and one you could respect. Between reading this and Ray Fosse's recent death and the terrible A's season, it feels like baseball is a game of the past who's best times are in the history books. Maybe it's true, but they've said that for at least the last 70 years and baseball is still the King.
November 21, 2013
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and am so glad I did! Harry Caray has most of my heart but he is moving over a little for King after I read this book. It is well written and organized. The pictures and references to many people everyone knows made this a very engaging book. I used to love listening to baseball on the radio with my dad and look forward to recommending this book to him.
September 25, 2014
it pains me to give this 2 stars. I am a lifelong A's fan and Bill King faithful. a part of me passed with Bill.
but the writing just was not good. it seemed scattered and disorganized. I enjoyed some behind the scenes stuff, but as soon as I was getting into it, I was whisked away in a completely different direction.
the pages of self serving thank yous from the publisher to finish the book was just too much. let Bills story speak for itself.
simply disappointed
but the writing just was not good. it seemed scattered and disorganized. I enjoyed some behind the scenes stuff, but as soon as I was getting into it, I was whisked away in a completely different direction.
the pages of self serving thank yous from the publisher to finish the book was just too much. let Bills story speak for itself.
simply disappointed
April 20, 2014
Incredible view into the life and times of a Bay Area giant. While to me, his post game wrap-ups for the A's were the gems that I miss, this book chronicles the rich and one of a kind life that he lived on and off the mic for 40 years as the voice of baseball, football and basketball in the the Bay Area.
August 15, 2020
Wasn't a fan. I grew up listening to Bill King broadcast A's games and knew a bit about him before I started the book. The result for me was a bit mushy and not my personal cup of tea. It was nice to relive some memories, it's a shame the writing style and substance was a bit lacking for me.
February 6, 2014
I love this book. I grew up listening to sports in the Bay Area and Mister King was the best. Great read from page one to the end. Bill King RIP sir. The world always will miss true talent.
December 10, 2013
As a lifelong fan of the Oakland A's, how can I NOT love this book?!
April 4, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “IN 1968 MOTHER’S DAY WAS ON DECEMBER 6TH… HOOLLLY TOLEDO!”
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At first glance… a prospective reader that had not spent time listening to sports in the bay area from the 1960’s to the early 2000’s… would probably not be interested in this book. If you’re one of those… you’ll be sorry. I am going to give you a second chance to grasp at an opportunity to read a book that is extremely interesting on many… many… levels. The late Bill King at one time was the radio announcer for the Oakland Raiders… Oakland A’s… and the Golden State Warriors! That alone would qualify as interesting. But the unique…” I’m me”… and that’s the way it is… personality of Bill… is yet another level of interest. The fact that Mr. King was a self-taught man… who continued to reinvent himself… in so many unique ways… from studying Russian Poetry… to studying art… to his indulgence and exploration of foods… and foods that some people wouldn’t consider foods… such as one of his favorites….*CALF-BRAIN-TACOS*… uggh…. washed down with Dos Equis… (Dramatic-pause…. Pause) … FOR BREAKFAST! His study of wines… and boats…
And his never ending dedication to prepare himself for every game… in every sport… every day. As Bill became famous and a household name in Northern California… one of the main points of this book… is he never let one of his sidekicks or co-hosts feel left out. There were many moments in the spotlight that he could have easily hogged or simply cashed in the large stack of chips he had rightfully earned… to keep the light shining solely on him… but he graciously let admiring and lesser known individuals bask in that precious warm light. In fact… the largest portion of this book is built around testimonials overflowing with admiration and thanks from everyone from John Madden… to Rick Barry… to Jon Miller… to Al Attles…to Hank Greenwald and Lon Simmons… and everyone in between and adjacent to.
If all you did was watch ESPN… once you read this book… you would be shocked how many of his announcing quotes have stood the test of time… and you may not have even known… that the historical quote that has been music to your ears for decades… was in fact the voice of Bill King.
As an example the famous interception and run for a touchdown in the 1976 Super Bowl by Hall of Famer Willie Brown…
“And he looks and throws. Intercepted by the Oakland Raiders, Willie Brown at the thirty, forty, fifty, he’s going all the way. OLD MAN WILLIE!! TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS!!
Bill’s calls on “THE SEA OF HANDS”… “THE HOLY ROLLER”… “THE IMMACULATE RECEPTION”… and of course his “Mother’s Day” tirade against a referee while broadcasting a Warriors game on December 6, 1968.
This is a very unique and interesting book… about a very unique and interesting man.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
At first glance… a prospective reader that had not spent time listening to sports in the bay area from the 1960’s to the early 2000’s… would probably not be interested in this book. If you’re one of those… you’ll be sorry. I am going to give you a second chance to grasp at an opportunity to read a book that is extremely interesting on many… many… levels. The late Bill King at one time was the radio announcer for the Oakland Raiders… Oakland A’s… and the Golden State Warriors! That alone would qualify as interesting. But the unique…” I’m me”… and that’s the way it is… personality of Bill… is yet another level of interest. The fact that Mr. King was a self-taught man… who continued to reinvent himself… in so many unique ways… from studying Russian Poetry… to studying art… to his indulgence and exploration of foods… and foods that some people wouldn’t consider foods… such as one of his favorites….*CALF-BRAIN-TACOS*… uggh…. washed down with Dos Equis… (Dramatic-pause…. Pause) … FOR BREAKFAST! His study of wines… and boats…
And his never ending dedication to prepare himself for every game… in every sport… every day. As Bill became famous and a household name in Northern California… one of the main points of this book… is he never let one of his sidekicks or co-hosts feel left out. There were many moments in the spotlight that he could have easily hogged or simply cashed in the large stack of chips he had rightfully earned… to keep the light shining solely on him… but he graciously let admiring and lesser known individuals bask in that precious warm light. In fact… the largest portion of this book is built around testimonials overflowing with admiration and thanks from everyone from John Madden… to Rick Barry… to Jon Miller… to Al Attles…to Hank Greenwald and Lon Simmons… and everyone in between and adjacent to.
If all you did was watch ESPN… once you read this book… you would be shocked how many of his announcing quotes have stood the test of time… and you may not have even known… that the historical quote that has been music to your ears for decades… was in fact the voice of Bill King.
As an example the famous interception and run for a touchdown in the 1976 Super Bowl by Hall of Famer Willie Brown…
“And he looks and throws. Intercepted by the Oakland Raiders, Willie Brown at the thirty, forty, fifty, he’s going all the way. OLD MAN WILLIE!! TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS!!
Bill’s calls on “THE SEA OF HANDS”… “THE HOLY ROLLER”… “THE IMMACULATE RECEPTION”… and of course his “Mother’s Day” tirade against a referee while broadcasting a Warriors game on December 6, 1968.
This is a very unique and interesting book… about a very unique and interesting man.
October 15, 2017
It was a little dry, but if you like Bill King, totally worth the read.
November 15, 2017
There was much more background information than I thought there would be, and a lot of it seemed a bit unnecessary.
August 7, 2018
Great book on the life and times of Bill King!
A lot of Bay Area sports history in it!
A lot of Bay Area sports history in it!
December 3, 2020
Exceptional. Great background stories on the best, most veraitile sportscaster, ever...
December 22, 2016
A fun book about Bill King, one of the best sports broadcaster of all time. King called games for the Raiders, Warriors and the A's over a few decades and this book contains stories about all those teams. King seems like he was not only a great announcer but a great person and someone that just really enjoyed life. A lot of great inside stories in this book (really liked the Mothers Day story) and a must read for A's, Warriors and Raiders fans. Problems with the book for me was this. His death is kind of explained in the middle of a chapter in one paragraph. King goes from living to dying in about one sentence and as a reader you're kind of, "Wait, what?" It's kind of like blah, blah, blah, and then Bill King, the great announcer died. The book felt very rushed at this point. Was he sick? Did anyone see any signs? The writer, who is a great announcer with an unbelievable great voice on the air, kind of struggles to write this part, and who can really blame him being his friend and everything. The other problem is it seems the Korach empties his notebook so to say with the last chapter. Fans loved King. I loved him. He was awesome. But do we need to hear from every single fan of his? The last chapter is about 10-15 pages of just people in the media and fans saying how much they loved him, which is great, but it gets to be repetitive at around five pages. Cut it short a little. Otherwise, really glad I read this book. Perfect, PERFECT book to read while Raiders beat Chargers to clinch first playoff birth since 2003. Good stuff overall.
July 24, 2014
Bill King was indeed the eclectic and intelligent man this book made him out to be. I remember listening to him when I started following baseball again in the early 2000's and to this day, I still enjoy the analog matter of following along to baseball games on the radio. I think before I had opened the book, I had assumed that more of this book would be about his 25+ years with the A's, but forgot about the fact that he was also the voice of the Raiders, Warriors, and briefly the Giants.
While it was tougher for me to identify with his earlier days, Ken Korach, author and former booth partner, painted a good picture of not only his time with King in the booth, but his life outside. I found the stories of the Raiders and early Al Davis encounters extremely fascinating and I'm hoping this book brings King to front of mind to the Frick award voters as I believe King is one of the best radio announcers to ever do it.
I think by nature of collecting stories from those who knew King, parts of the book were a little loose and the structure was hard to follow at times since the stories jumped from one time period to another. I think this is a must read for any A's fan that had the pleasure to hear King on the radio.
While it was tougher for me to identify with his earlier days, Ken Korach, author and former booth partner, painted a good picture of not only his time with King in the booth, but his life outside. I found the stories of the Raiders and early Al Davis encounters extremely fascinating and I'm hoping this book brings King to front of mind to the Frick award voters as I believe King is one of the best radio announcers to ever do it.
I think by nature of collecting stories from those who knew King, parts of the book were a little loose and the structure was hard to follow at times since the stories jumped from one time period to another. I think this is a must read for any A's fan that had the pleasure to hear King on the radio.
September 10, 2016
Bill King was my hero when I was growing up so when I heard that Korach had written a book about him it was a no-brainer that I'd have to get it and read it. I used to want to play baseball for the A's, but when reality set in that I was unlikely to be the first female baseball player (especially since I didn't even play little league), I decided that it was more realistic that I announce the A's on the radio like Bill King. (Seeing as though there are still no women play-by-play announcers, perhaps that still wasn't too realistic... hmmm) I didn't really know him with the Warriors and only occasionally did I hear him on the Raiders, be I LOVED Bill King with the A's. He was so cool in so many ways.
I found the book to be interesting and full of nostalgic baseball moments. I could definitely remember Bill King's voice throughout the book and I really liked reading some of transcripts of his calls. I found parts of the book to be overly-fawning over Bill King, but since I was in the mood to fawn too, I could let it slide. It was interesting to learn a little more about the field of radio announcing and the art, passion, and work that goes into it.
I found the book to be interesting and full of nostalgic baseball moments. I could definitely remember Bill King's voice throughout the book and I really liked reading some of transcripts of his calls. I found parts of the book to be overly-fawning over Bill King, but since I was in the mood to fawn too, I could let it slide. It was interesting to learn a little more about the field of radio announcing and the art, passion, and work that goes into it.
March 9, 2014
I was a backer of this book on Kickstarter. With that in mind, if you grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, you know Bill King. He was the voice of sports. I never listened to him call basketball, not being a fan. My first exposure was listening to Raider games in the 60's. You could visulize what was going on by his descriptions. And all the extra knowledge about the players and the game. When he started doing baseball, I was in heaven. The book give us an insight to Bill King, the man and Bill King the announcer. How he loved opera. How he painted. How he was admired by everyone who knew him. Anyone who loves sports, even if you don't live in the Bay Area, should read this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews