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Gehrig and the Babe: The Friendship and the Feud
Gehrig & The The Friendship and The Feud is the emotionally-gripping electrifying account of the relationship of legendary New York Yankee icons Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth and the tragic behind-the-scenes fight that bitterly tore them apart until Gehrig was dying of a horrific disease.
The Casey Book of the Year Finalist
Written by historian and best-selling author Tony Castro, this critically acclaimed book tells their remarkable story that has often been lost between the pages of individual biographies of the American icons but here is explored in such scope and detail that The Wall Street Journal called Gehrig & The Babe "... the 'Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid' of baseball." ESPN's Jeremy Schaap called Gehrig & The Babe "a fascinating story told in full really for the first time, 70-plus years after their death."
Tony Castro, whose Mickey America's Prodigal Son has been hailed by The New York Times as the definitive biography of the Hall of Fame legend, worked almost a decade on Gehrig & The Babe, interviewing hundreds of their surviving former teammates, associates, and friends while also extensively researching their lives in New York, Baltimore, Boston and Los Angeles as well as studying years of newspaper accounts of the era in which they played.
The Casey Book of the Year Finalist
Written by historian and best-selling author Tony Castro, this critically acclaimed book tells their remarkable story that has often been lost between the pages of individual biographies of the American icons but here is explored in such scope and detail that The Wall Street Journal called Gehrig & The Babe "... the 'Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid' of baseball." ESPN's Jeremy Schaap called Gehrig & The Babe "a fascinating story told in full really for the first time, 70-plus years after their death."
Tony Castro, whose Mickey America's Prodigal Son has been hailed by The New York Times as the definitive biography of the Hall of Fame legend, worked almost a decade on Gehrig & The Babe, interviewing hundreds of their surviving former teammates, associates, and friends while also extensively researching their lives in New York, Baltimore, Boston and Los Angeles as well as studying years of newspaper accounts of the era in which they played.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2006
About the author
Tony Castro
10 books24 followersTONY CASTRO is a Harvard and Baylor University-educated historian, Napoleon Bonaparte scholar and the author of the landmark civil rights history "Chicano Power," which Publishers Weekly acclaimed as “brilliant… a valuable contribution to the understanding of our time.”
Tony's latest book is "The Girl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe: An Intimate Portrait of the Young Norma Jeane."
From its Amazon.com listing:
"A thoughtful glimpse into the childhood of Norma Jeane Mortenson and how it shaped her into the iconic Marilyn Monroe for the 100th anniversary of her birth.
"At the fragile intersection of myth and memory stands a girl-often eclipsed by the legend she became. The Girl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe dares to strip away the satin, the spotlight, the studio-invented shine, to reveal the tender child beneath: a girl marked not by fame but by longing. Longing for love, for safety, for the kind of permanence the world never offered her. This is not simply another biography. It is a resurrection. A candlelit portrait drawn from decades of first-hand research and rare interviews with those who knew her-not only Marilyn the icon, but Norma Jeane the girl.
"Tony Castro draws on intimate conversations with famed entertainment writer James Bacon and Marilyn's close friends, such as Frank Sinatra, actresses Susan Strasberg and Mamie Van Doren, actor and The Misfits co-star Eli Wallach, ex-husband Joe DiMaggio, and child star-turned-Hollywood raconteur Skip E. Lowe. They offer unparalleled access into Marilyn's earliest, most hidden self. These are stories shared not as interviews but as confidences-shaped by the trust of friendship. And herein lies the soul of this work: a new and intimate rendering of the Marilyn we rarely allow ourselves to see. Through these private recollections, we hear her voice-not the whispery affectation of the screen siren, but the real girl's voice, unvarnished, aching, often uncertain. What emerges is not the blonde bombshell, but the child whispering to a mirror, trying on hope like a costume. This is, at last, the story of Norma Jeane."
The Book of Marilyn," is a "thriller about the hunt for Marilyn Monroe’s lost diary—holding secrets that could rewrite history, topple power, and cost lives. Some truths are too dangerous to survive."
From its Amazon.com listing:
HOLLYWOOD’S GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL • Late one fateful night in 1978, Los Angeles prize-winning journalist Alex De La Cruz finds himself face-to-face with the story of a lifetime. Standing on his doorstep is Josie Clémenceau, a mysterious middle-aged woman whose timeless beauty evokes the golden age of Hollywood—but her eyes speak of shadows and secrets long buried. In her hands is a discovery that could rewrite history: Marilyn Monroe’s lost diary.
“Blockbuster mastery at its best… A gleefully explosive novel impossible to put down.” — LAMonthly.org
“An ingenious, pulse-quickening Hollywood-political suspense thriller.” — The Angeleno
What begins as a memoir of a movie star’s dazzling life quickly takes a darker turn. Hidden within the diary’s pages are revelations that shatter the mythos of America’s past. Marilyn Monroe, it turns out, had unwittingly stumbled upon a web of conspiracy tying the Mafia, anti-Castro operatives, and rogue CIA agents to one of the 20th century’s most infamous events: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Before she could reveal what she knew, Marilyn was silenced.
Now, Alex and Josie are plunged into a high-stakes race to uncover the truth. But powerful forces—spanning the worlds of politics, organized crime, and Hollywood’s elite—will stop at nothing to keep the diary’s secrets buried. What begins as an investigation spirals into a deadly game of cat and mouse, where every step closer to the truth puts Alex and Josie in greater peril.
As the lines between past and present blur, Alex discovers that Josie’s connection to Marilyn Monroe might be far deeper—and more dangerous—t
Tony's latest book is "The Girl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe: An Intimate Portrait of the Young Norma Jeane."
From its Amazon.com listing:
"A thoughtful glimpse into the childhood of Norma Jeane Mortenson and how it shaped her into the iconic Marilyn Monroe for the 100th anniversary of her birth.
"At the fragile intersection of myth and memory stands a girl-often eclipsed by the legend she became. The Girl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe dares to strip away the satin, the spotlight, the studio-invented shine, to reveal the tender child beneath: a girl marked not by fame but by longing. Longing for love, for safety, for the kind of permanence the world never offered her. This is not simply another biography. It is a resurrection. A candlelit portrait drawn from decades of first-hand research and rare interviews with those who knew her-not only Marilyn the icon, but Norma Jeane the girl.
"Tony Castro draws on intimate conversations with famed entertainment writer James Bacon and Marilyn's close friends, such as Frank Sinatra, actresses Susan Strasberg and Mamie Van Doren, actor and The Misfits co-star Eli Wallach, ex-husband Joe DiMaggio, and child star-turned-Hollywood raconteur Skip E. Lowe. They offer unparalleled access into Marilyn's earliest, most hidden self. These are stories shared not as interviews but as confidences-shaped by the trust of friendship. And herein lies the soul of this work: a new and intimate rendering of the Marilyn we rarely allow ourselves to see. Through these private recollections, we hear her voice-not the whispery affectation of the screen siren, but the real girl's voice, unvarnished, aching, often uncertain. What emerges is not the blonde bombshell, but the child whispering to a mirror, trying on hope like a costume. This is, at last, the story of Norma Jeane."
The Book of Marilyn," is a "thriller about the hunt for Marilyn Monroe’s lost diary—holding secrets that could rewrite history, topple power, and cost lives. Some truths are too dangerous to survive."
From its Amazon.com listing:
HOLLYWOOD’S GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL • Late one fateful night in 1978, Los Angeles prize-winning journalist Alex De La Cruz finds himself face-to-face with the story of a lifetime. Standing on his doorstep is Josie Clémenceau, a mysterious middle-aged woman whose timeless beauty evokes the golden age of Hollywood—but her eyes speak of shadows and secrets long buried. In her hands is a discovery that could rewrite history: Marilyn Monroe’s lost diary.
“Blockbuster mastery at its best… A gleefully explosive novel impossible to put down.” — LAMonthly.org
“An ingenious, pulse-quickening Hollywood-political suspense thriller.” — The Angeleno
What begins as a memoir of a movie star’s dazzling life quickly takes a darker turn. Hidden within the diary’s pages are revelations that shatter the mythos of America’s past. Marilyn Monroe, it turns out, had unwittingly stumbled upon a web of conspiracy tying the Mafia, anti-Castro operatives, and rogue CIA agents to one of the 20th century’s most infamous events: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Before she could reveal what she knew, Marilyn was silenced.
Now, Alex and Josie are plunged into a high-stakes race to uncover the truth. But powerful forces—spanning the worlds of politics, organized crime, and Hollywood’s elite—will stop at nothing to keep the diary’s secrets buried. What begins as an investigation spirals into a deadly game of cat and mouse, where every step closer to the truth puts Alex and Josie in greater peril.
As the lines between past and present blur, Alex discovers that Josie’s connection to Marilyn Monroe might be far deeper—and more dangerous—t
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 14, 2026
A book about Iconic figures from baseball's past. While there seems to be so much information available about these two larger than life stars, I can't help but wonder how books or write ups of the future will describe the stars we watch play today. There seems to be so much information readily available about everyone, let alone superstar athletes.
I was entertained listening to this book. Two MLB players I would love to have seen play. There was a touch of "be careful getting to know your idols" in these pages. Neither of these guys were my idols, but the point is not lost here. There was also most certainly some cases of "to the victor go the spoils" in these stories as well, with the players themselves being the only source of a particular story.
That said, its a baseball book, a story about two of the early greats. Of course I liked it.
I was entertained listening to this book. Two MLB players I would love to have seen play. There was a touch of "be careful getting to know your idols" in these pages. Neither of these guys were my idols, but the point is not lost here. There was also most certainly some cases of "to the victor go the spoils" in these stories as well, with the players themselves being the only source of a particular story.
That said, its a baseball book, a story about two of the early greats. Of course I liked it.
June 28, 2018
This is a sloppy book, despite the author’s extensive credentials. It needs better editing—there are numbers of typos and even incomplete sentences.
It also contradicts itself on several key points—for instance, an early chapter suggests the Babe was sterile. Later chapters suggest the daughter (Dorothy) he adopted with his first wife Helen was in fact his biological child. The two can’t co-exist; make up your mind and edit out the argument not chosen.
It is poorly organized, chapters jumping from topic to topic and not continuing to build on the previous chapter. It is vaguely chronological, but not strictly so, so there is a great deal of confusing jumping around from year to year, which also leads to unnecessary repetition.
It is an easy smooth read, though.
It also contradicts itself on several key points—for instance, an early chapter suggests the Babe was sterile. Later chapters suggest the daughter (Dorothy) he adopted with his first wife Helen was in fact his biological child. The two can’t co-exist; make up your mind and edit out the argument not chosen.
It is poorly organized, chapters jumping from topic to topic and not continuing to build on the previous chapter. It is vaguely chronological, but not strictly so, so there is a great deal of confusing jumping around from year to year, which also leads to unnecessary repetition.
It is an easy smooth read, though.
April 26, 2018
I spent 3/4 of the book waiting to find out the (alleged) sources of “the feud.” I won’t list them here but I had already heard most them when the author (I won’t speak ill of a fellow Yankees fan) spilled the beans in an interview with Mad Dog Russo so there really wasn’t much more to learn. Rather repetitious in spots as well. A decent read but, aside from the allegations, there wasn’t much more to it.
July 24, 2023
Another very good book by Tony Castro. Well-researched and well-written.
November 5, 2022
In Gehrig and the Babe: The Friendship and the Feud, author Tony Castro appears to have taken the approach that so many baseball books do these days: choose a very specific topic, begin researching but discover there is only enough actual content to fill a long article, but nowhere close to enough for a full book, but nevertheless proceed undeterred and fill the book with fluff, extraneous details, diversions, and tangential material. Add large-face type, wide spacing, and generous margins, and BOOM! You got yourself a book.
Despite being about two of my all-time favorite players, this book is not good. It is hard to follow, jumping all over the place chronologically, repetitive on certain issues, and generally a jumbled mess. We get a very high-level view of baseball in the 1910s-1930s, a lot of quick-sketch bios of the various people in Ruth's and Gehrig's lives, but there really isn't much to narrative itself. Ruth and Gehrig played together, were friends though perhaps not as close as the public believed, and had a feud. That's really about it, especially since most of the major people involved were pretty tight-lipped about what happened.
Pass on this one.
Despite being about two of my all-time favorite players, this book is not good. It is hard to follow, jumping all over the place chronologically, repetitive on certain issues, and generally a jumbled mess. We get a very high-level view of baseball in the 1910s-1930s, a lot of quick-sketch bios of the various people in Ruth's and Gehrig's lives, but there really isn't much to narrative itself. Ruth and Gehrig played together, were friends though perhaps not as close as the public believed, and had a feud. That's really about it, especially since most of the major people involved were pretty tight-lipped about what happened.
Pass on this one.
July 17, 2018
I enjoyed this book for a couple of reasons. First, as a man of a certain age, the combination of Ruth and Gehrig conjures up the time when baseball statistics meant something and records were aspired to but rarely broken. Beyond that, I had not read about that era of baseball in a long time and I appreciated learning some personal details about each of these two mythic players. That said, it wasn't a great book. Whether it was the writing or the editing, I found myself rereading various passages for meaning as a swirl of adverbs, prepositions and antecedents swirled around in a less that cohesive structure. I also felt that there was more repetition of anecdotes than I needed to get a feel for the time. As a nice, non-fiction diversion, especially for an old school baseball fan, this was a good read but don't expect Pulitzer Prize writing. Much like the bromance between these two icons, it just isn't there.
April 21, 2021
If your a true Yankee fan then this book is for you.It's all about the 1st two Yankee Superstars The Babe & The Iron Horse(Ruth & Gehrig)This book tells of there ups & downs in Baseball & off the field.They never really were great pals but they did get along on & off the field.The Feud was really about there wife's & Gehrig's Mom.Babe & his wife were over the Gehrig's house just about all the time Ruth loved Gehrig's Mom's cooking(hell he loved everyone's cooking)but he really loved Lou's Mom the most.The feud started when Gehrig's mom said she thought Ruth's Daughter was not dressing as she should & the Babe was the problems that's how the feud really started & they never spoke again on or off the field they were still both playing for the Yankees.The feud finally ended at Gehrig's farewell speech at yankee Stadium.No one really knew just how bad Lou was & that he would only have a few years to live.so I recommend reading this book to know all the right answers.
July 19, 2022
I had not given much thought to weather Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth had a friendship before listening to the audio book of Gehrig and the babe.
I got interested in learning about Lou Gehrig because I was watching the movie The pride of the Yankees. In the book it talks about how when Clark Gable batted he batted right handed and ran to third base instead of first base and wore a backward number. Then the film would be reversed so that it looked like he was batting left handed. Clark Gable did not have a good left handed swing so that is why he batted right handed.
It was interesting to learn about Lou and Babes childhoods. I was aware of some of Babe Ruth's childhood but, not much.
One thing I was not aware of was that Joe DiMaggio was on the Yankees with Lou Gehrig.
I also enjoyed learning about the deal with the Boston Braves when Babe Ruth deal with the Boston Braves. And it was not a good deal for him.
I never knew that Babe Ruth was a womanizer.
I also never knew that the pubic did not know the truth that Lou Gehrig had until I think it was court case.
Anyway for me it was exciting to learn more about Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. For me Gehrig and the babe was exciting listening about two great baseball players.
I got interested in learning about Lou Gehrig because I was watching the movie The pride of the Yankees. In the book it talks about how when Clark Gable batted he batted right handed and ran to third base instead of first base and wore a backward number. Then the film would be reversed so that it looked like he was batting left handed. Clark Gable did not have a good left handed swing so that is why he batted right handed.
It was interesting to learn about Lou and Babes childhoods. I was aware of some of Babe Ruth's childhood but, not much.
One thing I was not aware of was that Joe DiMaggio was on the Yankees with Lou Gehrig.
I also enjoyed learning about the deal with the Boston Braves when Babe Ruth deal with the Boston Braves. And it was not a good deal for him.
I never knew that Babe Ruth was a womanizer.
I also never knew that the pubic did not know the truth that Lou Gehrig had until I think it was court case.
Anyway for me it was exciting to learn more about Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. For me Gehrig and the babe was exciting listening about two great baseball players.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2019
I read this book with the anticipation of learning more about the relationship between these baseball greats. It was difficult to read in that the format did not flow and it seemed very basic.
There were too many stats and not enough depth given in the personalities and relationships. I didn’t feel I learned much that was new although people with little knowledge of baseball heroes may find it more informative.
There were too many stats and not enough depth given in the personalities and relationships. I didn’t feel I learned much that was new although people with little knowledge of baseball heroes may find it more informative.
February 5, 2020
Castro's book was obviously well researched and presents a compelling story. The problem I had was that the organization was fairly slap-dash and that made things difficult as a reader. Sometimes, Castro repeated himself or veered from chronological order for no apparent reason. Had this book been better organized, I would have enjoyed it more. As it is, it's not an unpleasant read, but wouldn't be my first choice for a biography of either man.
October 23, 2018
Decent book about Gehrig and Ruth. I've read a lot of books about both and there wasn't really anything special about this book. Seemed somewhat superficial, just skimming the surface of both of these guys. Didn't learn anything new. But it was a fairly fast read and probably a good book for someone who doesn't know much about these guys.
April 24, 2019
As someone not too interested in baseball but knowing who Babe Ruth and Lou Garic were I appreacited the on-site into their relationship as that is what drew me to the book. It seems to be a book that if created earlier would not have had the same impact as the info wasnt available then. If you're into baseball there is that included as well.
October 17, 2025
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I learned a different side to both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. I'm seeing where others found mistakes and I did catch the contradiction of Babe being sterile yet having fathered Dorothy with a mistress. It does make me question what else it wrong with the book.
How did this book find me? It is about baseball and in the Audible+ catalog until October 21.
How did this book find me? It is about baseball and in the Audible+ catalog until October 21.
June 25, 2022
An engaging and enlightening dual biography of Babe Rutb and Lou Gehrig. Not much - and nothing new - on the frienship and the feud. An enjoyable summer read. Already queued up Castro's Dimag & Mick for my next read.
January 16, 2024
Always an interesting topic for me, but I couldn't give this one more than three stars. Lots of repetition from chapter to chapter.
The narrator for the audiobook is Barry Abrams who does a sufficient job.
The narrator for the audiobook is Barry Abrams who does a sufficient job.
September 25, 2018
I loved it so will you!!!
February 25, 2019
Very good book that goes further in depth of the pair’s complicated relationship.
March 21, 2020
Fascinating read and great insights on the life and times and relationship of two of baseball’s biggest giants. If you love sports, this is a must read.
June 14, 2020
A great read about two American Icons and great athletes. Learned a lot about each the Babe and Lou Gehrig. I thought I would learn more about the feud. Maybe you will feel differently. Enjoy!
July 1, 2020
There was interesting information in this book but I found that it bounced all over the place and was repetitive. He did not write it in linear fashion and I don't think it worked.
March 5, 2026
Pretty disappointed with the veracity of this book. Tony Castro promulgated several different debunked myths about Ruth and Gehrig, and I found a lot of his writing to be lazy.
April 9, 2026
As a lifelong Yankees fan this was a great read. It was great to learn more about these two legends of the game.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews