Customer Reviews (10)

DiMaggio Double Shot is a Must for all MLB fans
It will take a long, long time for anyone to equal Joe's professional accomplishments.It will take a long time to pour over the contents of these highly polished volumes.They are presented like a scrapbook, without the yellowing cellophane tape or ripped corners.A plus is that M.M. isn'tincluded to distract the real DiMaggio fan.I wish I could've met him or seen him play, but these two volumes (and they are big) will bring me close enough.

Excellent "scrapbook" of DiMaggio's Career
This is a Two Volume set of books that is a collection of newspaper clippings, advertisements, and personal memories from Joe himself. There is a lot of material in this set. This is a must if you are a fan of Joltin' Joe or the Yankees or just a baseball fan in general. Also included are the stats for Joe's entire minor- and major-league career. Many Photos. Enjoy!

are you kidding?
The DiMaggio Chronicles. Don't you wish? It's my most treasured baseball collection. And hey, I'm King Carl's cousin. You couldn't have it for million bucks. Then again, I'll sell it to you wholesale... Never!

an outrageous sports biography of the greatest ball player
you would be in awe after the first few pages of this albumyou cant collect anymore detail than this material my volumes cover 1932-1951are there more volumes than this ?what is the value of these two volumesany ideai will move this thru my next generation to come unreal .....

an outrageous sports biography of the greatest ball player
you would be in awe after the first few pages of this albumyou cant collect anymore detail than this material my volumes cover 1932-1951are there more volumes than this ?what is the value of these two volumesany ideai will move this thru my next generation to come unreal ..... ... Read more

Product Description
Her's Joe Dimaggio,baseball's man for all seasons in a stunning new audio documentary. Dimaggio's life and times are chronicled here from the rough and ready streets of San Francisco to the shady winding lanes of Beverly Hills and,most importantly,the Yankee's gritty sawdust dugout. This stunning audiobiography includes touching celebrity tributes to the gentle giant of American sports as well as rare interviews with the man himself. A must have for all true baseball fans. ... Read more

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Audio Documentary on Joe DiMaggio. His life and times are chroncled in this audio CD from the streets of San Francisco to Beverly Hills and on to his Yankee stardom. Includs rare interviews with Joe Dimaggio himself. ... Read more

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With A Special Chapter, How To Score, By Red Barber And Line Illustrations By Lenny Hollreiser. ... Read more

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With A Special Chapter, How To Score, By Red Barber And Line Illustrations By Lenny Hollreiser. ... Read more

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Chapters: Reggie Jackson, Joe Dimaggio, Frank Robinson, Yogi Berra, Mark Mcgwire, Don Mattingly, Jim Rice, Lou Piniella, Gene Tenace, Terry Pendleton, Willie Stargell, Eddie Murray, Rod Carew, Johnny Pesky, Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson, Tony Oliva, Dave Parker, Rocky Colavito, Dave Magadan, Hensley Meulens, Bobby Doerr, Ted Kluszewski, Tony Pérez, Bobby Bonds, Clint Hurdle, Gary Matthews, Tommy Henrich, Mickey Vernon, Don Baylor, Harvey Kuenn, Art Howe, Chris Chambliss, Billy Williams, Dwayne Murphy, Harry Walker, Bob Watson, Nellie Fox, John Mclaren, Steve Henderson, Jack Clark, Walt Hriniak, Lloyd Mcclendon, Denny Walling, Tony Muser, Gary Gaetti, Jim Frey, Jesse Barfield, Lenny Harris, Lefty O'doul, Hal Mcrae, Lee Elia, John Vukovich, Dale Sveum, Carney Lansford, José Morales, Jim Lefebvre, Manny Mota, Charley Lau, Deron Johnson, Mike Cubbage, Rick Down, Brook Jacoby, Butch Wynegar, Lee May, Tim Wallach, Kevin Seitzer, Gene Clines, Bob Skinner, Dave Clark, George Hendrick, Rudy Jaramillo, Alan Cockrell, Hank Sauer, Luis Salazar, Billy Demars, Bill Robinson, Mike Easler, Ron Jackson, Minnie Mendoza, Dave Engle, Rick Schu, Mike Aldrete, Thad Bosley, Doug Rader, Scott Ullger, Mickey Hatcher, Jay Ward, Jack Howell, Denis Menke, Terry Crowley, Ralph Rowe, Tommy Mccraw, Ty Van Burkleo, Joe Vavra, Kevin Long, Gerald Perry, Merv Rettenmund, Sean Berry, Jim Presley, Joe Sparks, Bruce Fields, Deacon Jones, Greg Biagini, Harry Spilman, Clarence Jones, Rick Renick, Mike Barnett, Greg Walker, Mitchell Page, Don Slaught, Jeff Pentland, Ben Hines, Jim Skaalen, Rick Eckstein, Al Vincent, Derek Shelton. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 525. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson (born May 18, 1946), nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason, is a ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=59396 ... Read more

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Joe DiMaggio was a star centerfielder for fifteen years, helping the Yankees win the pennant in his rookie year. He played in ten World Series and in eleven All-Star Games. The image of American achievement and dignity, DiMaggio isn't just a sports legend, he is a true American hero. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A great book, a great series
I loved this book because I didn't really know about Joe DiMaggio and I really love baseball.This book was fun to read because it hadinteresting fact about his life.It started out when he was ten and went through his life until he died.My favorite part was when he got a triple when he was a rookie. I was really surprised that there were nine children in his family.I readthis book because I had readthe Lou Gehrig book in this series and I had really enjoyed that one as well.

The Talented and Great Joe Dimaggo
This book was great! It tells the story of the immortal Joe Dimaggio,the Yankee Clipper. It begins with Joe's childhood, growing up in San Francisco, California. Joe's family was very poor so he did not have a lot of the things other kids had. he became interested in baseball because it didn't cost anything to play. Joe and the other kids in the the neighborhood would have pick up games and Joe soon found he was a very good baseball player. he decided that if he was going to be great he needed to practice more. In school all Joe could think about was baseball. Then in October,1929 the stock market crashed and Joe quit school to help support his family. It was during this time that Joe joined a neighborhhod baseball team called Rossi Olive Oil Company. Soon he was being noticed by major league scouts who were impressed with the 15 year old. By the time Joe was 18 years old he was playing with the minor league Seals and had a hitting streak of 48 games to tie the minor league record. The New York Yankees took notice of the talented young player and decided to sign him to major league contract in 1936.Joe played for the Yankees for 15 years and had the memorable and historical 56 game hitting streak that still stands today. Joe was a 3 time MVP and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. In 1969 Joe was voted the greatest living ball player. Joe was also honored in 1976 with the Medal of Freedom by President Ford. Joe died in 1999 at age 84 in Hollywood, Florida.

The Talented and Great Joe Dimaggio
This book was great!Joe went threw alot of hard times when he was a kid.Joe always wanted to be a great ball player when he grew up.He would always play pick up games with the neighbor hood.He was very poor,all he could afford was fish for dinner.Joe was very good at baseball.When he grew up he was one of the greatest Yankees.I found this book helpful because it has all the information you probally could get on Joe Dimaggio.Also at the end there was a timeline you could use it for a report.Also there was a stat chart of all of the stats that Joe Dimaggio had like how many home runs and hits and all stuff like that.Thats how i found it helpful and why you should read this book! By Griffin

The Talented and Great Joe Dimaggio
This book was great!Joe went threw alot of hard times when he was a kid.Joe always wanted to be a great ball player when he grew up.He would always play pick up games with the neighbor hood.He was very poor,all he could afford was fish for dinner.Joe was very good at baseball.When he grew up he was one of the greatest Yankees.I found this book helpful because it has all the information you probally could get on Joe Dimaggio.Also at the end there was a timeline you could use it for a report.Also there was a stat chart of all of the stats that Joe Dimaggio had like how many home runs and hits and all stuff like that.Thats how i found it helpful and why you should read this book! By Griffin

"It was sad when he left his family to play for the Yankees"
This was just one of the facts my son spontaneously shared.This was the first book in the series that my almost 8-year old read.He was enthused about sharing what he learned about young JD and his family.He is asking for more titles from this series for his upcoming birthday. ... Read more

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Joe DiMaggio was, at every turn, one man we could look at who made us feel good.

In the hard-knuckled thirties, he was the immigrant boy who made it big -- and spurred the New York Yankees to a new era of dynasty. He was Broadway Joe, the icon of elegance, the man who wooed and won Marilyn Monroe -- the most beautiful girl America could dream up.

Joe DiMaggio was a mirror of our best self. And he was also the loneliest hero we ever had.

In this groundbreaking biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Richard Ben Cramer presents a shocking portrait of a complicated, enigmatic life. The story that DiMaggio never wanted told, tells of his grace -- and greed; his dignity, pride -- and hidden shame. It is a story that sweeps through the twentieth century, bringing to light not just America's national game, but the birth (and the price) of modern national celebrity.Amazon.com Review
In a stunning feat of meticulous reportage, Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ben Cramer ultimately puts to rest the "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" question with iconoclastic bravura. In Cramer's evaluation, the hero America held onto so desperately for so long was really a creation of a nation's communal imagination. The Joe DiMaggio that America tried so hard to believe in was never really here at all.

There was, of course, a Joe DiMaggio, and he had a splendid career in Yankee pinstripes--once hitting safely in an unimaginable 56 consecutive games--and a troubled marriage with Marilyn Monroe, each augmenting the other in our national mythology. But myths tend to be skin-deep, and Cramer's biography thrives in an internal geography well below the surface. The map he charts is of a cold, small, often nasty, uncaring, resentful, self-centered man, a man of public grace and private misery who broke friendships, shunned family, and chased money with the same focused energies he once harnessed to run down fly balls. It's not a pretty picture.

Scrupulously researched and elegantly written, The Hero's Life is filled with stories and reminiscences, both on and off the field, from others--not surprisingly, DiMaggio offered no cooperation--that both illumine the man and, more fascinatingly, explain our very need for him. Amid all the success and adulation, there was little joy in DiMaggio's life, and few moments--beyond the real heartache he felt over Monroe--of connection with others beyond Joe's personal need for others to serve him. "No one really knew what it meant to have spent a half-century being precisely and distinctly DiMaggio," Cramer writes, "what we required Joe DiMaggio to be. No one knew, as he did, what it cost to live the hero's life. And no one knew, as he did, precisely what it was worth." It seems our nation turned its lonely eyes to a proud, but empty shell; Cramer's superb book helps us understand why we did, and how DiMaggio was able to take all the good will extended him and give so little back. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (128)

Even heroes have the right to bleed...
I really liked this book...a bit hard for me to get thru the first half becuz i'm not a HUGE baseball fan, but i was looking around for a book about DiMag to read, and then one about Marilyn Monroe.With that said - many reivews for ALL the different books claim lies!It's hard to decide what's true.(I had read a book about the Kennedy family that was very eye-opening before this, and wanst even meant to be a "tell-all.")

To me - this book was open-minded.It told the story of his early baseball life, his greatness in the sport, and all of the other parts of his life (which i wanted to know).No one is perfect; as the song lyrics go "a hero aint nothin but a sandwich."Admire someone's abilities - but know they are just as vulnerable as anyone else inside.

I really enjoyed the parts about he and Marilyn.I enjoyed learning more about who he was inside - good and bad.No matter what, his talents and what he brought to fans and the country can never be taken away.I highly recommend this book.

Unflattering portrait of a great ballplayer
This is an excellent biography overall. I got the feeling it was extremely well researched and well written, and I learned a lot about Joe DiMaggio, "the greatest ballplayer who ever lived," as he liked to be called.

But the picture painted by Richard Ben Cramer is not pretty to look at. Joltin' Joe was, it appears, a money-grubbing skinflint who expected people to give him everything for free and immediately became suspicious and cut people off as soon as they asked for the smallest thing in return. He cut off his son, who later died of a crank overdose, for not living up to his standards. He lost two wives, including Marilyn Monroe, essentially because he was so controlling and domineering. Although he managed to patch things up with one of his brothers, Dom, he basically died alone under the effective control of a lawyer who was out to get everything he could from the DiMaggio estate.

I didn't doubt this picture as presented by the author, but I felt there must be something missing. Late in his life, he was a very popular social fixture on the New York scene, hanging out with a lot of luminaries such as Woody Allen, Paul Simon and Henry Kissinger, to name a few. I found it hard to reconcile Cramer's picture of DiMaggio as, well, a jerk, with the apparent fact that he was a popular social butterfly late in life.

It seemed to me that he must have had a charming side too, or he wouldn't have been so popular. But there was little suggestion in the book that Joe could be charming. That's why I gave this book four stars instead of five -- that feeling that something must be missing. Still, it's a great book and a great read. Highly recommended for baseball fans.

The best sports bio I have yet read
A simply incredibly well written account of the bittersweet life of one of America's icons.Cannot be put down, both out of pity and contempt for DiMaggio.Joltin Joe led a fabulous life; it would have been nice if he enjoyed even a day of it.

Not to be missed!

Learning to live like a hero

Joe DiMaggio. Everyone knows his name; he's a legend, an icon, revered for what he did as a baseball superstar, and also for what he was. Joltin' Joe; the Yankee Clipper.

Joe was the son of Italian immigrants, born and raised in California. His career highlights are generally well known; he entered minor league pro ball in 1932 and debuted with the Yankees in 1936. He batted after the legendary Lou Gehrig and led the club to 9 World Series wins. In 1941 his incredible 56-game hitting streak held the country spellbound. In 1949 he was the first player to sign a six-figure contract. He retired from baseball after the 1951 season and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. At the end of his career the Yankee torch was passed to Mickey Mantle.

Those are the baseball facts, but what about the man? Author Richard Ben Cramer turns a bright and unflattering light on his private life. Joe DiMaggio : The Hero's Life describes Joe as obsessed with his image, involved with mob figures, faithless to his wives and his friends, a neglectful father, always looking to make a buck on his name, and sometimes violent in his relationships. His brief marriage to Marilyn Monroe and their ongoing relationship come in for close scrutiny, mostly unflattering to both. The tawdry family and business details of his later years and especially the cold reality of his final illness and his death in 1999 are the stuff of tabloids.

I listened to the audio version and as usual missed out on any charts, pictures, and particularly notes and bibliography. It's not apparent to me that Cramer's sources are adequately documented, and for such an unflattering biography, sterling attributions are a must.

My main objection to the book is the odd, almost jeering style of writing, seemingly meant to mimic the point of view of the character being written about. "Joe had to look around to find anybody he knew, a real Yankee, one of his guys. The only player from before the war was the shortstop, Phil Rizzuto, everyone else was new ... and then there was Joe." The book establishes its negative tone early and often.

If this is the man, so be it; his sports achievements are not challenged nor can they ever be. We hold our sports heroes to a high standard and they are only human. I don't ask for a whitewashed biography but this book feels like a poorly-substantiated attack. Exhaustive, perhaps definitive, vivid in its play-by-play and full of star-spottings, but an attack nonetheless. There may be a place for books like this but it's not going to find a home on my shelf.

Linda Bulger, 2009

one writer's unheroic racism disguised as a biographical portrait
I can not in any way, shape or form recommend this book to anyone to buy because of the author's intense use of the word 'D*go'.
The Amazon review guidelines limits obscene or distasteful content so I will censor this review, but in my personal opinion, the use of these terms in this book is very distasteful. (NOTE: I rate this book no stars because of this, but the system won't recognize that, hence the one star in the rating.)

Lawrence Baldassaro writes in his book on Italian-American atheletes in the 1930's and 1940's that "Such language is inconceivable today, yet...in 1938 such terms as "w*p" and "d**o"...routinely appeared in coverage of Italian American ballplayers."Baldassaro notes that in the 1930's and 1940's "Stories that claimed to celebrate the sudden surge of Italian players were...written in a style that was at once patronizing and slightly derogatory...praise mingled easily with a barely masked smirk that was betrayed frequently by stereotypical depictions..."

While Mr. Baldassaro is commenting on the racism and prejudice presented by sports writers towards Italian-Americans over 60 and 70 years ago, the author of 'The Hero's Life" seems to forget that he is writing now, in the new millenium, in a much more enlightened and politically correct time, when racism and ethnic pejoratives are frowned upon and not used lightly. Cramer's writing seems lost in time, seeming to revel in the use of the words "D*go" and "D**g".These epithets show up every few pages, with some pages, like p-266, using it 3 times.

This writing goes beyond the device of "quoting" dialogue and attributing sayings to specific people, repeatedly and unnecessarily using the terms "da**" and "w**".While a few sports websites note that some of DiMaggio's teammates referred to him in this way for a time, the book seems to infer that everyone, everywhere, easily used and still use these terms without any attempt to balance or explain this biased presentation.

Readers know that racism existed at the start of Dimaggio's career, not just towards Italians and Italian-Americans, but as suffered and fought by the multitude of talented Black and Latino players throughout the sport's history. But this author does not see fit to use pejorative terms for other ethnic groups when he writes about Latino, Black and Jewish players: he never refers to sp**s, ni**ers, or k**es, but he feels free to use slurs for Italian-Americans over a 48 times before page 377 in a 515 page book.Even thinking of these terms in a censored manner is disturbing to me and I can't bring myself to fully print pejoratives for other ethnic groups even to make a point.I am quite shocked that Cramer's editors didn't feel the need to reign in his excessive and unwarranted use of these terms, and their use in this book completely overshadows any other facets of it. ... Read more