“The incomparable and mysterious Sandy Koufax is revealed…. This is an absorbing book, beautifully written.” —Wall Street Journal

“Leavy has hit it out of the park…A lot more than a biography. It’s a consideration of how we create our heroes, and how this hero’s self perception distinguishes him from nearly every other great athlete in living memory… a remarkably rich portrait.” — Time

The instant New York Times bestseller, a definitive sports biography about the baseball legend and famously reclusive Dodgers’ pitcher Sandy Koufax, from award-winning former Washington Post sportswriter Jane Leavy. Sandy Koufax reveals, for the first time, what drove the iconic Jewish athlete and three-time Cy Young award winner to the pinnacle of baseball and then—just as quickly—into self-imposed exile.

This deeply researched biography reveals the man behind the myth:

• A Lefty’s Legacy: A fascinating breakdown of the physics behind his legendary curveball and the biomechanics that made his fastball unstoppable.


• Brooklyn Dodgers History: A vivid portrait of 1950s Brooklyn, the sandlot culture that shaped a generation, and the Dodgers team that defined a borough.


• A Question of Faith: The inside story of his historic decision not to pitch the 1965 World Series opener on Yom Kippur, and how it cemented his place as a hero in the American Jewish community.


• An Abrupt Retirement: An unflinching look at the traumatic arthritis that ended his career at its absolute peak, forcing a famously private man into a self-imposed exile that created a legend.