Blue collar story of Dave Booth's rags to riches and fame story. As a young boy living in the low-income housing projects of South Harrisburg, Pennsylvania it was playing baseball at the playground that united all the boys, and with no money to do anything else, baseball was played from sunup to sundown, every day, with a dream of becoming a Major-leaguer to fuel the fire. At ten years old, the mission was clear. At twelve years old, Dave saw his first picture of a bodybuilder on the cover of a muscle magazine at a local pharmacy and the effect of that experience was so powerful that Dave would pursue that endeavor for a lifetime wherever it might lead. The combination of a baseball life that turned to softball after his major league dream was extinguished, coupled with the commitment to discipline bodybuilding lifestyle, was the double-edged sword that became his public persona and would ultimately land him a job with the greatest softball attraction on the planet, the world famous four-man team, The King and his Court. A two-year hitch in the U.S. Army would be the catalyst that made that life changing opportunity possible for both parties on the red lava dirt of Redlander Field at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Dave's most interesting journey with the famous four-man team is shared here in compelling fashion in this eye-opening collection of stories, and because this was such a super special kind of a journey, only a dozen or so other chosen few players took the trip with him. So, jump into your favorite chair, buckle that seat belt tight and get ready to ride down the highways and byways of America in the van along with Dave and the team and their very famous boss, the greatest softball showman ever, Eddie Feigner, and experience the highs and the lows, the laughter and tears, and what life is really like during a six-month tour "IN THE SHADOW OF A KING."

Eddie Feigner the softball pitcher extraordinaire of his famous group, The King and his Court had a tremendous effect on all of his players over the years and that included Dave Booth. Dave came to the job with eyes wide open and a penchant for mastering his GOD given opportunity and becoming one of Eddie's top guns. Dave's relationship with Eddie Feigner could be described as a sparring match at best early on, but the two talents found a common ground after a bumpy start and the bond between mentor and student finally took hold like super glue and what followed were many years of very strong performances and a long trail of satisfied fans. Dave's experience and on the road, education grew rapidly under Eddie Feigner's leadership and the stories told here In the Shadow of a King shine a bright light on that experience and education while allowing the reader to activate their five senses from their ringside seat as these stories unfold. Life on the road is a constant struggle for survival each and every day. All of life's lessons come at you like machine gun fire and must be conquered in crash course fashion. Performing in front of a live crowd day and night will push your personal growth into the upper stratosphere and the magnifying glass feeling of those performances eventually turns everything about life on the road into brutally earned, well deserved love and respect as these stories reveal.

If you like this style of book, Jim Droskinis has three other books, "Undefeated Untied, Unscored Upon," "Tales of the Last Barnstormer," and a book about his Minersville Class of 1971 50th Class Reunion, all for sale on Amazon.