Publisher, Simon and Schuster Audioworks (April 2005)

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Lou Gehrig was the Iron Horse, baseball's strongest and most determined superstar, struck down in his prime by a disease that now bears his name. But who was Lou Gehrig, really?

Lou Gehrig is regarded as the greatest first baseman in baseball history. A muscular but clumsy athlete who grew up in New York City, he idolized his hardworking mother and remained devoted to her all his life. Shy and socially awkward, Gehrig was a misfit on a Yankee team that included drinkers and hell-raisers, most notably, Babe Ruth.

Gehrig and Ruth formed the greatest slugging tandem in baseball history. They were the heart of the first great Yankee dynasty. After Ruth's retirement, Gehrig and a young Joe DiMaggio would begin a new era of Yankee dominance. But Luckiest Man reveals that Gehrig was afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) much sooner than anyone believes, as early as the spring of 1938. Despite the illness, he didn't miss a game that year, keeping intact his astonishing consecutive-games streak, which stood for more than half a century.

In Luckiest Man Jonathan Eig brings to life a figure whose shyness and insecurity obscured his greatness during his lifetime. Gehrig emerges as more human and more heroic than ever.

About the Author: Jonathan Eig is a senior special writer for The Wall Street Journal based in Chicago. He has written for Esquire, The New Republic and Chicago magazine, where he was formerly executive editor. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.

About the Narrator: Edward Herrmann's theater credits include Mrs. Warren's Profession, The Philadelphia Story, Plenty, and Love Letters. On television, he received an Emmy Award for his work on The Practice, and can also be seen in the films Intolerable Cruelty, Welcome to Mooseport, and The Aviator.