Nolan - by Tim Brown (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The definitive biography of Nolan Ryan, arguably the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball, from New York Times bestselling sportswriter Tim Brown.

Nolan Ryan was the hero to two of America's biggest institutions: Texas and baseball. Nolan is an exploration of God, family, baseball, and America--and a tribute to one of the greatest pitchers to ever step on the mound. He grew up in the small, hard town of Alvin, Texas, was graced with a fastball, and fell in love with a woman named Ruth, then honored all three in his pursuit of hardball perfection.

Alongside Nolan's personal story, renowned sportswriter Tim Brown offers a thoughtful, deeply researched history of baseball in the Lone Star State, and an unforgettable account of three glorious decades in the Major Leagues.

Nolan Ryan's story is about dominating on the field, then growing old in the game, then just plain growing old. It's about the man who has become a symbol of the game at its best, the way it used to be. It's about deeds over words. About cattle matching the hat. About fastballs over all else.

Nolan makes the case that there has never been another like him. And there won't be again.

Review Quotes

"Mr. Ryan once complained that all he really knew about Walter Johnson, who won 417 games as a pitcher in the early 20th century, were the stats he saw in a reference book: 'It didn't say too much about the man.' Mr. Brown's book does."

--The Wall Street Journal

"A fittingly admiring look at the life of one of baseball's greatest." --Kirkus Reviews

"This is more than the definitive story of Nolan Ryan, or the greatest right arm in the history of baseball. Nolan recalls another America, infused with a brand of taciturn masculine virtue, where modesty and ferocity weren't mutually exclusive. For all Ryan's strikeouts and the no hitters - records that'll never be broken - this is a story of endurance, of a man's fidelity to his greatest gifts (arm and family), and because of it, managed to play as hard as he could for as long as he could. So where have you gone, Nolan Ryan? And what did it all mean? Tim Brown knows. There's not a writer more deeply in touch with the soul of the game."

--Mark Kriegel, New York Times bestselling author of Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich

"Brown delivers a cinematic biography... [his] smart writing and reverent tone result in a rewarding and memorable tribute to a pitcher whose durability feels increasingly rare in the modern game."--Publishers Weekly

"I'll be as direct as a Nolan Ryan bow-tie fastball: you'll never read a sports biography better than this. Tim Brown's lively prose and dogged reporting crackle off every page. "Nolan" is a Texas-sized triumph worthy of the man himself."--Tyler Kepner, author of K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitchers and The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series

"Tim Brown has done a terrific job telling the story of one of the most iconic pitchers the game has ever known. I loved it."--Bruce Bochy, former player and four-time World Series champion manager, including the 2023 Texas Rangers

"Tim Brown has written the definitive biography of Nolan Ryan, but calling it a biography is selling it short. This is the story of a man who is everything Texans imagine themselves to be, and a workhorse of a pitcher we will never see the likes of again. Baseball has changed dramatically since Ryan retired in 1993. The diminishment of the starting pitcher makes him an even more singular figure in the game's history."--Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic senior writer, MLB on Fox reporter

About the Author

Tim Brown has covered baseball for more than 30 years and has written two New York Times bestsellers: The Phenomenon with Rick Ankiel and Imperfect with Jim Abbott. He also wrote The Tao of the Backup Catcher. In 2016, he was awarded first place in beat writing by the Associated Press Sports Editors.