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Harry the K: The Remarkable Life of Harry Kalas    by Randy Miller Amazon.com order for
Harry the K
by Randy Miller
Order:  USA  Can
Running Press, 2010 (2010)
Hardcover, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Kelly Thunstrom

Harry The K: The Remarkable Life of Harry Kalas by Randy Miller is a biographical account of the life of late sports broadcaster Harry Kalas. For a man who lived a pretty extraordinary life - and Kalas not only was the longtime radio and TV announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies but also broadcast Notre Dame football, NFL football, and the Puppy Bowl - the book tells a rather dry tale of a man who didn't necessarily live a dry life.

Kalas was protected by his friends and the media in Philadelphia, many of whom knew about his womanizing, drinking, gambling, and smoking. Proper – and very fair – coverage is given to Kalas' sins, his trials, and the loss of good friends along the way due to outside forces. This man who had 'high hopes' for the Philadelphia Phillies and supported them through thick, thin, and over 3,000 losses, also dealt with the loss of one spouse due to his own infidelity, the loss of a long time friend due to heart problems, and the loss of another friend due to mistrust. The book also covers the highest of high moments – including the 2008 World Series win for the Phillies, just months before Kalas' passing in the broadcast booth before a baseball game.

While Harry lived a remarkable life, the book reads more like a newspaper account of that life than a story of a man who was willing to tell tales of silly old rams that tried to move dams, sing Sinatra at anyone's beck and call, or who simply lived the dream as Kalas did. If you want to know about a great broadcaster, this book provides the insights, highs, and lows of Kalas' life in good detail. Unfortunately, Harry the K isn't quite a home run in being as remarkable as Kalas' life. It is a solid double in delivering a biography ... just not quite out of the park.

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