Perfect: Don Larsen's Miraculous World Series Game and the Men Who Made It Happen

Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers remains the only no-hit game in World Series history and was described by The New York Times as "the greatest moment" in World Series history.

Drawing upon oral histories, contemporaneous articles, and dozens of interviews with commentators and players (including all of the surviving players for the Dodgers and Yankees), Lew Paper brings that extraordinary event to life with a pitch-by-pitch narrative that incorporates profiles of the 19 players who were on the field that day, including Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, and Roy Campanella. You will understand their backgrounds, their hopes, and their heartaches - and, most important, share the incredible tension they experienced on that unforgettable day in Yankee Stadium.

More than just a story about a single game, Perfect is a window into baseball's glorious past.

"As lawyer and author Paper (John F. Kennedy: The Promise and the Performance) points out in this engaging history, by looking at his numbers (81-91 won/loss record over 14 transient seasons), Yankee Don Larsen was no great pitcher by any means, known more for his late-night antics than his pitching prowess. Nonetheless, Larsen had a knack for coming through in high-pressure situations, as he did on October 8, 1956, in immortal fashion, retiring 27 consecutive Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, the only no-hitter (and perfect game) in postseason history. Paper doesn't focus on the day's events in great detail; rather, he provides minibiographies of the 19 players who participated, ranging from legends like Jackie Robinson and Mickey Mantle to almost forgotten veterans like gentlemanly Joe Collins and ace hitter Dale Mitchell, who loathed being remembered as Larsen's final out. Paper writes each profile with a fan's passion. It's to his credit that chapters on oft-covered icons such as Robinson, Mantle and Berra are all compelling as well. A must-read for baseball fans, this book is a terrific tribute to when baseball really was the national pastime. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

On October 8, 1956, New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen took the mound for Game 5 of the World Series against the rival Brooklyn Dodgers. In an improbable performance that the New York Times called the greatest moment in the history of the Fall Classic, Larsen, an otherwise mediocre journeyman pitcher, retired twenty-seven straight Dodger batters to clinch a perfect game and, to date, the only post-season no-hitter ever witnessed in major league baseball.

Here, Lew Paper delivers a masterful pitch-by-pitch account of that fateful day and the extraordinary lives of the players on the fieldaseven of whom would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Meticulously researched and relying on dozens of interviews, Paperas gripping narrative recreates Larsenas feat in a pitching duel that featured legendary figures like Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, and Roy Campanella.

More than just the story of a single game, Perfect is a window into baseballas glorious past.

Lew Paper has held a variety of positions in the public and private sectors since graduating from Harvard Law School, including service as Legislative Counsel to United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, Associate General Counsel at the Federal Communications Commission, and Fellow at Georgetown Law School's Institute for Public Interest Representation. He is the author of four previous books, including John F. Kennedy: The Promise and the Performance, Brandeis: An Intimate Biography, and Empire: William S. Paley and the Making of CBS. His articles and books reviews have appeared in numerous periodicals, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Republic. He currently practices law in Washington, DC.