For years the debate raged: Mantle or Mays? They both debuted in 1951 and their careers mirrored each other for more than a decade both even had songs written about them. Such memories are the basis of two books, one new and one a re-release of an old favorite.
As a sportswriter, Maury Allen covered Mantle during his playing days; Bill Liederman was Mantle’s partner in the popular New York restaurant that bears his name. Between them, they’ve collected a half-century of high- and low-lights in Our Mickey: Cherished Memories of an American Icon. Allen contributes anecdotes from Mantle’s teammates and opponents, citing celebrated feats of athletic ability in a lifetime diminished by injury and alcoholism. Liederman came into Mantle’s life relatively late, but his stories still reflect the awe in which even the rich and famous held the Yankee slugger. Celebrities such as Henry Kissinger, Billy Crystal, Donald Trump and Hillary Rodham Clinton are among dozens who recount what Mantle meant to them and to the American psyche.
