Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain - Hardcover

On August 2, 1979, Thurman Munson died at the age of thirty-two, when the private plane he was piloting crashed in Canton, Ohio. A piece of the New York Yankees franchise died that day—Munson is still remembered by fans as a quintessentially tough, fiercely competitive, endearing Yankee leader. He was, and still is, known as “The Captain.”

MUNSON is the authoritative biography fans have been awaiting for thirty years. Written by Marty Appel, who worked as the PR director for the Yankees during the seventies (and co-wrote Munson’s own autobiography in 1978), this triumphant, energetic, and tragic baseball biography captures the young man from Canton and his meteoric rise to stardom in baseball’s most storied franchise. MUNSON examines the tumultuous childhood that led Thurman to work feverishly to escape Canton—and the marriage and cultural roots that drew him back (so much so that he took up flying and bought his own plane to allow himself to spend more time at home).

Opening a fascinating door on the Yankees of the 1970s, Appel recounts stories that have never been told, and examines the Yankees’ gruff captain's relationships with friends and teammates such as Lou Piniella, Bobby Murcer, Graig Nettles and Reggie Jackson, as well as Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner. With a level of intimacy and understanding that could be achieved only by someone in Appel’s shoes, MUNSON captures its subject in mesmerizing, nostalgic detail.

Following his years as the Yankees’ PR director, MARTY APPEL became the Emmy Award-winning producer of the team’s telecasts. He coauthored Munson’s bestselling autobiography and the memoirs of Tom Seaver, Bowie Kuhn, and Larry King, among others, and wrote the personal memoir Now Pitching for the Yankees. He was also a consulting producer for the ESPN hit, 'The Bronx Is Burning.’ Appel lives in New York City and appears frequently on YES Network, ESPN, MLB, and HBO.