Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played stood for decades until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it in 1995. Most people remember Gehrig for this record, or for the disease that claimed his life (and now bears his name). But what many forget is how prolific a hitter he was. The son of German immigrants, Gehrig rose from inauspicious beginnings to become a scholar-athlete at Columbia University, and then moved to Major League Baseball, where he knocked in almost 2,000 runs and helped his team win six world championships. William Kashatus recounts the perserverance and poise of a life which ended tragically, yet heroically. Written in cooperation with George Pollack, the lawyer for the Gehrig estate, this biography provides a valuable addition to the study of an enduring American sports legend.The final chapters analyze the creation of the player's legend through literature and film and also update the reader on the on-going fight against ALS.

A biography on the legendary Lou Gehrig that presents the life of the Iron Horse within a cultural context, while adding inside information on the Gehrig legend.

Series ForewordChronology of Lou Gehrig's Life and CareerIntroductionBorn and Bred in New York City, 1903-1920Columbia Days, 1921-1923Krichell's "Can't Miss" Kid, 1923-1925Yankee Dynasty, 1926-1928Buster and the Babe, 1929-1934Pride of the Yankees, 1935-1938Quiet Courage, 1939-1941Making of a Legend, 1941-2002Honoring Lou's Legacy, 2003Appendix: Lou Gehrig's Career and World Series StatisticsA Note About Lou Gehrig's DiseaseIndex