Greg Maddux

July 1, 1997
Gr. 4^-7. Christopher examines the life of "the best pitcher in baseball" with the same directness he used in his biographies of other famous athletes, such as Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. The first few chapters move quickly through Maddux's early years (with a baseball-loving father and competitive older brother) and his high-school and minor league experiences. The bulk of the book is devoted to his major league career with the Cubs and, later, the Atlanta Braves. Although Christopher does engage in some blatant hero worship, he balances his regard with reports of young Maddux's immature acts, which included everything from screaming obscenities to arguing with umpires. Overall, this is a well-written biography, with plenty of exciting play-by-play to satisfy baseball fans. Libraries may want to order multiple copies, as demand is likely to be high. ((Reviewed July 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)