The colorful biography of Lou Novikoff, one of the most fascinating characters in baseball history.

For baseball fans today, the name Lou Novikoff may not ring a bell--but he was the most publicized rookie in National League history when he joined the Cubs in 1941. In fact, he charmed and captivated sports enthusiasts throughout the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War with his power hitting and oddball antics.

In Baseball's Mad Russian and the American Dream, Gaylon White recounts for the first time the life of Lou Novikoff, bringing him back in the limelight where he always belonged. The son of Russian immigrants, Novikoff emerged from obscurity to become the king of softball in the 1930s and baseball's hard-hitting and hilarious Mad Russian during World War II. Once described as a combination of Babe Ruth, Hank Greenberg, and the Marx brothers, White details how the eccentric Novikoff enthralled baseball fans, sang like a pro, played a mean harmonica, and clowned around on the field, providing much-needed joy and laughter to a nation beaten down by the Great Depression and the war.

The Mad Russian oozed with color, but soon after World War II, he returned to the minors and eventually fast-pitch softball where he first achieved fame. Baseball forgot him, but now, decades later, Baseball's Mad Russian and the American Dream finally brings his vibrant story to life.