Our captain and leader has not left us, today, tomorrow, this year, next ... Our endeavors will reflect our love and admiration for him.

--Honorary plaque to Munson in Yankee Stadium

Thurman Munson is remembered by fans as the fiercely competitive, tough, and--most of all--inspiring Yankee captain and champion from the wild Bronx Zoo years. He is also remembered for his tragic death, at age thirty-two, when the private plane he was piloting crashed in Canton, Ohio, on August 2, 1979.

Munson is the intimate biography of a complex and larger-than-life legend. Written by former Yankees public relations director Marty Appel, who worked closely with Thurman throughout his career, Munson captures the little-known details of the young man from Canton and his meteoric rise to stardom in baseball's most storied franchise. Appel examines the tumultuous childhood that led Thurman to work feverishly to escape Canton--and also the marriage and cultural roots that continually drew him back.

Appel also opens a fascinating door on the famed Yankees of the 1970s, recounting moments and stories that have never been told before. From the clubhouse and the dugout to the front office and the owner's box, this thoughtful baseball biography delves into the affectionately gruff captain's relationships with friends, fans, and teammates such as Lou Piniella, Bobby Murcer, Graig Nettles, and Reggie Jackson, as well as his colorful dealings with manager Billy Martin and his surprisingly close bond with owner George Steinbrenner. Munson paints a revealing portrait of a private Yankee superstar, as well as a nostalgic and revelatory look at the culture--and amazing highs and lows--of the 1970s New York Yankees teams. More than a biography, Munson is the definitive account of a champion who has not been forgotten and of the era he helped define--written with the intimate detail available only to a true insider.

www.doubleday.com

"Appel co-wrote New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson's autobiography 30 years ago, and his stated goal here is to tell the story that didn't get told then. The revelations, however, are few. We learn, for example, that Munson grew up in Canton, Ohio, with a father whose coldness and resentment bordered on emotional abuse. (On the day Munson signed with the Yankees, his father openly criticized his playing skills to team executives; years later, he came to his son's funeral and taunted the closed casket.) There's also, naturally, much more information about the 1979 plane crash that ended Munson's life, including the transcript of a lengthy interview with one of the survivors; again, however, the conclusion that Munson was a relatively inexperienced pilot who made fatal errors in judgment is not a new one. Otherwise, Appel covers familiar territory, casting Munson as a journeyman ballplayer who inspired his teammates with his tenacious work ethic, but didn't get along with the press and couldn't stand Reggie Jackson or George Steinbrenner. Excerpts from several other baseball memoirs and transcripts from archival interviews with Munson extend the story, but do little to expand upon it. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

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.