Born and raised in Brooklyn, a graduate of Columbia and Rutgers, Levine taught in the History department at MSU since 1969, the year he left graduate school. Trained originally as a Jacksonian political historian, Levine's scholarly and writing interests expanded to encompass the entire 19th century and beyond. His works engage in a wide range of interelated themes and topics, including the immigrant experience and assimilation, American-Jewish history and culture, and American popular culture. Peter Levine retired from MSU in 2000 and now lives in Brooklyn where he continues to write. He is also an actor, appearing in numerous productions in New York and throughout the Northeast.

"Baseball has always been about fathers and sons, courage and love, but no fiction has ever brought them all together with such rich sentiment, hilarious history and an eye for the game. Mazel tov. A home-run for Levine" -Robert Lipsyte, sports writer, New York Times.