Castro's Curveball - Softcover

Wendel, Tim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0345434749 ISBN 13: 9780345434746

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 2000

Synopsis

A former minorleague catcher for the Washington Senators, Billy Bryan relives his sojourn in decadent 1947 Havana, Cuba, and his first encounter with a pitching prodigy named Fidel Castro. By the author of Going for the Gold. Reprint.

About this title

Review:

"Engrossing . . . Wendel's characters are complex and passionate. The unfolding of their lives is fascinating."
--The Washington Post
"Irresistible . . . Castro's Curveball has all the excitement of a tie-breaking home run."
--The Baltimore Sun
"Tim Wendel's love and impressive knowledge of baseball suffuses every page of this passionate novel of love, loss, and the real freedom that wisdom and time sometimes bring."
--KEN BURNS
Coauthor of Baseball: An Illustrated History
"A cleverly imaginative, spirited and engaging novel . . . The author brilliantly depicts life in Havana both pre- and post-Castro, and his baseball lingo is lively and authentic."
--PARADE magazine
"Superbly crafted."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A beguiling mix of thriller and love story . . . capturing the Bull Durham-like camaraderie of has-beens and wanna-bes struggling to keep their dreams alive."
--Booklist
"Outstanding . . . Some of the best game-action sequences in fiction. . . . Multifaceted and intriguing."
--Publishers Weekly

"A superbly crafted meditation on heroism, duty, and the irony derived from recognizing everyone''s imperfections but your own."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"In this first novel, well-known sportswriter and radio commentator Wendel explores the legend that Fidel Castro could''ve been a contender in America''s major leagues. . . . Beautifully written, and with a ring of truth to it."-Library Journal

"Tim Wendel''s love and impressive knowledge of baseball suffuses every page of this passionate novel of love, loss, and the real freedom that wisdom and time sometimes bring."--Ken Burns, coauthor of "Baseball: An Illustrated History"--Ken Burns

"Tim Wendel's love and impressive knowledge of baseball suffuses every page of this passionate novel of love, loss, and the real freedom that wisdom and time sometimes bring."--Ken Burns, coauthor of Baseball: An Illustrated History--Ken Burns

"A Cuba libre mixed with baseball, revolution, and moonlight, wonderfully evocative of a time that was and a pitcher that might have been."--Frank Deford, author of Everybody's All-American--Frank Deford

From the Publisher:

I'm not alone in loving this book
Obviously, as the editor who acquired Castro's Curveball, I think it's a terrific book. That's why I'm especially pleased with the responses we've gotten to it from people like Ken Burns, whose PBS documentary on baseball set the standard by which all others will be judged. Also, who can argue with Frank DeFord, one of our most esteemed sports writers? And novelist Carolyn Doty checks in with more wonderful words in support of this extraordinary first novel about baseball, heroism, love, and the powerful pull the past has on us all.

So, don't just take my word for it, read what these experts have said about Castro's Curveball:

"Tim Wendel's love and impressive knowledge of baseball suffuses every page of this passionate novel of love, loss, and the real freedom that wisdom and time sometimes bring.''

--Ken Burns co-author of "Baseball: An Illustrated History

"A Cuba libre mixed with baseball, revolution, and moonlight, wonderfully evocative of a time that was and a pitcher that might have been."

--Frank Deford Author of Everybody's All-American

"In Castro's Curveball, Tim Wendel gives us a sparkling novel about baseball, a country on the brink of revolution, and the man who links them together--Fidel Castro. With remarkable ease and clarity, Wendel draws us into that world and into the lives of the fascinating and diverse characters who populate it. It's a fast-paced, entertaining and suspenseful read. But for me, one of the most important things about this fine books is that it reminds us all of the "what ifs" which might have altered the course of our own lives."

--Carolyn Doty Author of Whisper: A Novel

About this edition

• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0345434749
• ISBN 13: 9780345434746
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 286