Stan And The Man

We never know how long we have with the people we love, but even when they're gone, the people we love have a way of staying with us. This book is an ode to "The Man", from the son who lost him, and through memories and love, found him again.

Broad in scope and deep in analysis, this biography of Stan Musial details not only the personality and the accomplishments of the man, but artfully examines his life against the backdrop of the Great Depression, which the already-impoverished Musial family endured. It looks at Stan’s support racial integration in baseball, as well as the tragedy that struck his hometown of Donora, Pennsylvania, and claimed many lives, including his father’s. The slew of never-before-published material and revealing anecdotes gained through numerous exclusive interviews with former classmates, relatives, friends, teammates, and contemporaries allow this book to shed fresh light on the legendary Musial while making the book a must-read for all baseball fans. This updated, paperback edition includes a new, commemorative section written after Musial’s passing.

Every day you are building the story of your life. Are you making others proud? Are you making yourself proud? Go live a story that makes others proud and most importantly, makes you proud.

Originally published: New York: Harper & Row, c1990.

Telling a highly original story with a fresh and engaging style, this is a book that is different to any that you have read before. You are about to discover a modern myth that will draw you in completely. Stan is an ordinary man whose story includes some quite unusual perspectives. His life flows along its turbulent course with rapids, twists and gentle stretches, while the man called Stan tries to stay afloat and to find some happiness and meaning. Every reader can relate to Stan as he flounders in the currents and seeks fulfillment while splashing about. The reader is held hostage by the tale, having no choice but to follow it avidly, the characters stepping out of the pages as they come alive. Most importantly, the strands of philosophy that tie the story together offer something substantial for the reader to take away. This is a gem that you will certainly enjoy, and it will leave you with more than a smile.

The Amazing Spider-Man. The Incredible Hulk. The Invincible Iron Man. Black Panther. These are just a few of the iconic superheroes to emerge from the mind of Stan Lee. From the mean streets of Depression-era New York City to recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Lee’s life has been almost as remarkable as the thrilling adventures he spun for decades. From millions of comic books fans of the 1960s through billions of moviegoers around the globe, Stan Lee has touched more people than almost any person in the history of popular culture. In Stan Lee: The Man behind Marvel, Bob Batchelor offers an eye-opening look at this iconic visionary, a man who created (with talented artists) many of history’s most legendary characters. In this energetic and entertaining biography, Batchelor explores how Lee capitalized on natural talent and hard work to become the editor of Marvel Comics as a teenager. After toiling in the industry for decades, Lee threw caution to the wind and went for broke, co-creating the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and others in a creative flurry that revolutionized comic books for generations of readers. Marvel superheroes became a central part of pop culture, from collecting comics to innovative merchandising, from superhero action figures to the ever-present Spider-Man lunchbox. Batchelor examines many of Lee’s most beloved works, including the 1960s comics that transformed Marvel from a second-rate company to a legendary publisher. This book reveals the risks Lee took to bring the characters to life and Lee’s tireless efforts to make comic books and superheroes part of mainstream culture for more than fifty years. Stan Lee: The Man behind Marvel not only reveals why Lee developed into such a central figure in American entertainment history, but brings to life the cultural significance of comic books and how the superhero genre reflects ideas central to the American experience. Candid, authoritative, and utterly absorbing, this is a biography of a man who dreamed of one day writing the Great American Novel, but ended up doing so much more—changing American culture by creating new worlds and heroes that have entertained generations of readers.

I’m a Wathaurong man. I’m an artist who draws on life in this big red and yellow and black country. Stan “Yarra” Yarramunua: artist, musician, actor, social worker, businessman. From growing up in poverty in Swan Hill – and sometimes on the road, with his itinerant father – Yarra had a tumultuous and often rough childhood. He learnt early how to lift a wallet or two, and grew into a ratbag who looked set to follow in his father’s footsteps: fall into one too many skirmishes with the law; have one too many drinks, sliding down the path to alcoholism. Yet after years of addiction, Stan gave up drinking, discovered painting and found his true name of Yarramunua. Soon he was selling his traditional paintings, and hand-crafted clapsticks, didgeridoos and boomerangs, at markets across Melbourne. He opened one of the first privately owned Aboriginal art galleries in Australia, and represented Indigenous artists from around the country, including from the desert regions. Today, Yarra is an internationally renowned artist and performer. But he hasn’t forgotten his roots: he is committed to improving the lives of Aboriginal kids in his home town, and has helped many young Indigenous men find their way out of addiction and despair. This is an inspiring story of a remarkable man overcoming hardship, striving for a better life, and reclaiming his ancestry. ‘This may be a written memoir, but Indigenous artist Stan Yarramunua has a plain-speaking, conversational style that comes across so clearly it’s actually like listening to his story, which is a rites-of-passage tale of growing up tough and wild.’ —Sydney Morning Herald