First published 2006
Roberto Clemente dominated baseball for eighteen seasons before his life ended on New Year's Eve 1972. The Pittsburgh Pirates star perished when his aircraft crashed during a humanitarian mission to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. He was carrying food and medical supplies to victims when the plane went down, transforming his death into a heroic sacrifice. David Maraniss reconstructs Clemente's remarkable journey from his early days through his final act of compassion. The biography captures both the athletic brilliance that made Clemente a legend and the character that drove him to risk everything for strangers in need. Maraniss reveals how this Puerto Rican ballplayer became more than a sports figure, evolving into a symbol of excellence and humanity that transcended the game itself.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, sports, biography-memoir, baseball, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: heroic-sacrifice, symbol-of-excellence
Setting: Nicaragua, Pittsburgh
Period: 1972
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