Rating: 
Summary: it's true 'cause i say so!
Review: When I met Cramer in January 1997, he said "I don't know whether I like [DiMaggio] or not." I was disturbed by that comment for when the biographer refuses to remain objective any research or revelations are suspect since he is prejudiced. This is not to say that icons should not be subject to critical treatments as long as there is balance, so what is written is consequential; not allowing the "flaws" to disproportionately submerge the "strengths" of the individual and vice versa. I loaned Cramer my research (I was working on a DiMaggio book for the University of Nebraska.) When he told The Sporting News he was going "to blow the lid off" The Legend, I knew he would not be the objective observer he led me to believe. I faxed him to express my concerns and asked for a copy of the book. Cramer called back and snorted: "I don't have to answer to anyone, least of all, you!" Space does not permit me to address the book's literally dozens of serious errors. Cramer provides only two footnotes, no page notes, and no apparatus of sourcing, aside from the Acknowledgments, making it impossible to verify his reportage. The men behind Cramer's so-called "hero machine" were not DiMaggio's toadies. "Sport" noted in 12/50 reporters continually "questioned DiMaggio's conduct," citing him for his "childish indifference," and "acting like a spoiled kid." Even pal Ben Epstein in the 8/2/50 New York Mirror wrote DiMaggio "has fallen victim of incredible national worship, and... has 'grown too big for his breeches.'" He says DiMaggio promised a dying boy he'd tie George Sisler's record and when he learned DiMaggio got the hit, he was cured. Cramer says the story was concocted by DiMaggio and the press. The fact is, the 7/1/41 Associated Press reported only DiMaggio and his teammates knew he had promised the boy the he would BREAK - not tie - Sisler's record and the boy had died before the game started. He speculates he sold or traded his World Series rings for "services" without offering any proof. DiMaggio's 1951 World Series ring was auctioned at Sotheby's in 10/99, but it came to Barry Halper via the friend DiMaggio gave it to. The fates of the other rings beside his 1936 ring remain a mystery. I asked Cramer where his Pulitzer Prize was; I was stunned when he said he didn't know. Who's to say he didn't trade it for a gem-mint Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps rookie? I can't prove he did. But, since his Pulitzer is AWOL, he can't disprove it, either. What was the name and number of this "Mob trust fund"? What branch of the Bowery Bank it was at? Are any records of withdrawals? Did the IRS know? Was DiMaggio asked to throw games? Cramer never tells us. He also doesn't tell us DiMaggio told the FBI he declined to front a Mob-run Havana casino in 1957 -- even as he uses excepts from that interview! DiMaggio is shown carrying $600,000 in cash out of his home after the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, money Cramer says belonged to mobster Abner Zwillman. The 10/25/89 NY Times reported DiMaggio was not allowed home until ONE WEEK later. But let's assume he's right. How long had it been there? Was $600,000 the sum Zwillman left? He doesn't tell us nor how he knew there was $600,000 and it was Zwillman's. Cramer says DiMaggio didn't attend "Lefty" Gomez's and "Lefty" O' Doul's funerals without mentioning he met with both families before their services. He says he discarded pal Reno Barsocchini and didn't attend his funeral. Ron Fimrite in his 11/6/00 review in Sports Illustrated: "I can personally testify that Cramer is wrong. Reno was a friend of mine, and he was one of the constants in DiMaggio's life. Far from eschewing Reno's funeral, Joe was, with his brother Dom, a weeping pallbearer. I know because I was there." He told the 11/15/00 NY Times Dom DiMaggio cooperated. If he did - and there are charges/stories only he can supply, confirm or deny - that would explain why he is the real hero of "The Hero's Life." Yet with the story of DiMaggio leaving his mother to die alone - a "story" he probably got from Dom or his family - Cramer demonstrates how he is so easily had. Newspapers reported 8 of Mrs. DiMaggio's 9 children were at her beside before she died. The one who wasn't -- Dom! In his describing DiMaggio's relationship with Marilyn Monroe, he relies heavily on Maury Allen's biography on DiMaggio and Donald Spoto's biography on Monroe, each of which have numerous errors. He repeats Allen's story how their first date took place at the Villa Nova (in Monroe's autobiography, which he quotes, it was a dinner party at Chasen's) and how Mickey Rooney crashed it. In Rooney's autobiography, he never mentions his "role" on that fateful night. And how could've not known Monroe and Rooney did 1950's "The Fireball?" This kind of sloppiness sows seeds of doubt: if he's going to slack off on the little things, why should we believe him on the big ones? He reports DiMaggio hit Monroe so hard, she had to see her plastic surgeon to see if her nose was broken. This is taken from Spoto's biography, but in Spoto's version, the culprit was Monroe's psychiatrist, Ralph Greenson. Both versions are impossible to verify; like Cramer, Spoto doesn't cite the sources of his allegations. "Vince (Joe's older brother) was cut off from the family when he ran away to play baseball, met a girl, and got married against his father's wishes," Cramer told a 10/25/00 USA Today chat. "Joe never stuck up for Vince, though it was Vince who got him his first job in baseball." This is flat-out wrong. Vince (who died in 1986) told Jack Moore in "Joe DiMaggio: A Bio-Bibliography" when his parents wouldn't sign a baseball contract, he left home. He returned 3 months later with $1,500 in cash, proving there was money in baseball. Vince later got his manager to let Joe - who was playing semi-pro ball - play in the last 3 games of the SF Seals' 1932 season. He never hinted to Moore Joe was involved, much less, if he "stuck up" for him. Nor does he mention a marriage. On the 11/14/00 "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," Cramer responded to DiMaggio's lawyer's comments on the book with a tirade too disgusting to put here. Marilyn Monroe once said she felt those who wrote about her were saying more about themselves than about her. Now you exactly what she meant.
Rating: 
Summary: A Jolting Biography
Review: This book has already stirred up controversy over Cramer's portrayal of DiMaggio and no doubt that controversy will continue for quite some time. I have been a lifelong baseball fan and consider DiMaggio to be among the greatest of those who played the game. He combined natural ability in the five key skill areas (ie hitting, fielding, throwing, base running, and bunting) with a style and grace few others have. Also he was a winner, playing on nine world championship Yankee teams during a 13-year period. No one doubts the on-field achievements of "Jolting Joe." The controversy generated by this book is explained, rather, by Cramer's comments about DiMaggio off the field and especially after he retired. According to Cramer, DiMaggio was unapproachable to anyone who could not (one way or another) feed his ego, increase his wealth, enhance his lifestyle, or protect his carefully crafted self-image. Throughout most of his life, DiMaggio seemed to ask "What's in it for me?" He not only craved but indeed required treatment normally reserved for heads of state. According to Cramer, he had very few close personal relationships (none with family members) and these were sustained only when in full compliance with the terms and conditions he established. DiMaggio trusted very few people, suspecting that anyone who tried to approach him had ulterior, self-serving motives. There is an old saying about "knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing." DiMaggio knew both. One critic has suggested that Cramer is "hostile" to DiMaggio. Another critic has described this book as a "hatchet job." Cramer indicates no doubt about DiMaggio's greatness as a baseball player. That was one game he played superbly. Cramer also seems to have no doubt about another game DiMaggio played in his private life and in his post-baseball career. This second game also had very strict rules set by DiMaggio, rules with which he insisted that everyone else comply. Re Cramer's attitude toward this DiMaggio, I am reminded of Harry Truman who once observed "I just tell them the truth and they think it's hell." After reading this book, you may conclude that Cramer is "hostile", that he has done a "hatchet job" on the Yankee Clipper. Or perhaps you will agree with me that Cramer has accumulated as much information as he could and then portrayed DiMaggio as fully and as honestly as he could. My guess (only a guess) is that Cramer's DiMaggio would not have objected to this biography if he received at least half (but preferably all) of the royalties from copies sold. No matter what Cramer or anyone else may say about DiMaggio's human imperfections (eg greed and vanity), he played the game of baseball with skills, style, and grace which -- like his 56-game hitting streak -- may never be surpassed.
Rating: 
Summary: a hatchet job
Review: This author has nothing good to say about Joe D. He was allegedly, surly, cheap, aloof, and not too bright. I can't believe the guy was really this bad and I did not enjoy this mean spirited book.
Rating:
Summary: grand slam
Review: i'm not a sports fan. i'm a woman, first of all. i l ike to watch soccer because the guys have great legs, and basketball for the energy, but I find baseball unbelievably boring and have never understood why guys think it's so fascinating. that said, richard ben cramer's biography of joe dimaggio is beyond fascinating. cramer is a fantastic writer and thinker who has managed that extraordinary feat of both capturing the essence of an iconic figure and of an iconic era in American history. In so doing he's done everyone who's lived through or been subjected to the myths of the halcyon mid-20th-century an enormous favor. "The Hero's Life" illuminates a lie best exposed, for it makes future generations make odious comparisons that need not be half so odious. For a clear-eyed view of the actual, as opposed to the airbrushed, "American Century", at its height during the decades immediately preceding and following World War II--in lockstep with the stellar events in Joe's heroic life, from his miraculous hitting streak in '41 to his brief marriage to Monroe--the sociologically and historically curious reader can do no better than to get his hands on Cramer's magnificent book. I could not put it down; but then neither could my father, who lives and breathes baseball (and happens to be a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan), or my father in law, who saw Joe play for the Yankees more times than he can count. This book is a marvelous read on so many levels. It is a study in modern American history, in the development of celebrity culture, in the sociology of the fan, in the phenomenon of hero worship, in the delusions and illusions that everyday people depend on to make their lives consist of something more than mere "quiet desperation," and as biography it is a model of the form: an incisive, stimulating, entertaining,and prodigiously well-informed analysis of an athlete publicly lionized for his genius and elegance on the ballfield who hid inside that image throughout his life. DiMaggio's armor was unpenetrable--until Richard Ben Cramer pierced it and finally gave us the REAL hero in the REAL America, where human flaws make life interesting and no one is without sin, where there are hits and misses, cruelty and greed, mobsters and moviestars, winners and losers, sweat and tears, strikeouts and homeruns. Personally, Mr. Cramer, I can't wait to read your next book, even if it's about golf (which to me is even more boring than baseball!)
Rating: 
Summary: Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life
Review: In Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life, Richard Ben Cramer accomplishes two things. He celebrates Joe DiMaggio -- the baseball player -- and hero to millions. He then denigrates DiMaggio -- the man -- who far too often failed in his personal relationships inside and outside of baseball. In taking this approach, Cramer creates a three dimensional DiMaggio, one which has been far too often lost in puff pieces of the past. Prior to reading this book, I would have described DiMaggio as: graceful, stoic, guarded, strong, elegant, heroic, and selfless. After reading this book, I would still use these adjectives, but I would also add: cheap, greedy, self-indulgent, small, and spiteful. No one is perfect; with all people there is good and bad. Despite the negative imagery of DiMaggio that frequently runs throughout the book, the reader never loses sight of the fact that DiMaggio overcame the poorest beginnings, played hurt, wanted to win, and even -- at times -- tried to learn to learn to face his flaws. However, the saddest part of DiMaggio's life, which is implied in Cramer's writing, is that he was never able to face those who loved him (his closest friends), swallow his pride, and apologize for how poorly he treated them. It is this lack of an "epiphany" that makes DiMaggio's life so tragic. Perhaps Joltin' Joe should have learned something about dying from Mickey Mantle, who publicly admitted his alcoholism to his fans, and whose stature was raised well beyond hero at his death. This book was obviously well researched and is well-written; it is not surprising that Cramer has won a pulitizer. Please note, however, that Cramer's style is a terse vernacular. At times his grammar leaves something to be desired. I found myself cringing when I found the double negative "not hardly" in the book. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the life of Joe DiMaggio.
Rating:
Summary: Why the personal assault?
Review: This book was a gift from my daughter; as such, I read it even though I knew that it was a hatchet job, for whatever reason, against a great player. At the end of the book I came away with the same conclusion I had when I started, and that is that Joe DiMaggio was one of the greatest hitters of all time (had an immaculate swing) and one of the greatest all around players of all time. As a baseball lover that is all I need to know. In short, he was idolized for his playing ability and for his quite demeanor on the field, while keeping his peccadilloes from public view - why is that so bad? What grudge the author has against Joe DiMaggio I don't know, but I see no need to attack a person based on the shortcomings of that person's personality.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Reflection of a Legend
Review: Joe DiMaggio, undoubtedly, was one of the ultimate legends of the 20th century. But, like other legends, the reality behind the person was far different than the personna given to the public. So it was with Joe DiMaggio. I found this book to be very interesting. I heard the early reviews critizing this book for being too rough on DiMaggio. Here was a player, the "greatest living baseball player", who built this world around him to protect the legend and the image. I felt sorry for him as I read the book. I found it particularly sad as he used "friends" for everything (meals, lodging, transporation)without reimbursement or simple thank yous. DiMaggio died with money and an image, but without friends. I enjoyed the book. It highlights a time when baseball was the true national pasttime. It highlights his tremendous accomplishments on the diamond. It highlights his time with the ultimate woman of the 20th century, Marilyn Monroe. The only reason I gave it '3' stars instead of a higher rating is there were times the book seemed too trashy, too tabloid gossip oriented.
Rating:
Summary: Joe D would have hated this book. (That's a compliment.)
Review: This biography is Joe DiMaggio's worst nightmare come true. Richard Ben Cramer, a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist, has stripped the layers of myth from an image DiMaggio spent 65 years creating. Joe did a spectacular job -- who else could have inspired major works by both Ernest Hemingway and Paul Simon? -- but the truth is now out. Cramer depicts DiMaggio's air of Olympian detachment as the product of shyness coupled with an iron determination never to be humiliated or ridiculed. Nobody worked so hard to make baseball look so easy, and, regrettably, few have followed Joe D.'s example of retiring as soon as he couldn't be "Joe DiMaggio" any more. Cramer's especially effective describing the worlds in which DiMaggio moved, from a poor Italian community in the Bay Area through the Yankees, a show business community from which he tried to rescue Marilyn Monroe, and finally to lucrative decades as a Living Icon marketed to all comers by the loathesome Morris Engelberg. Many of the unflattering characterizations were first aired in Gay Talese's "The Silent Season of a Hero," which David Halberstam has called "the best magazine piece I have ever read." Cramer has fleshed out the story with exhaustive research that proves, once again, that our heroes are flesh and blood like the rest of us. Unfortunately he fails to provide source notes or other documentation, which ultimately drags the book down below five-star status. Nonetheless, this is a well-written biography which will give any reader more insight into DiMaggio -- more insight, in fact, than many hard-core DiMaggio fans will want.
Rating:
Summary: Good addition to DiMaggio Literature
Review: Being a San Franciscan, I really appreciated the author's research and description of life in this City during the first 3-4 decades of the 20th century, including the baseball scene and the legend of Lefty O'Doul (whose bar is still open just off Union Square). There is also much to be learned for the younger readers about baseball in the 30s and 40s. Not all was a grand as today's romanticists like to portray it. How things should be is somewhere between the over-paid mediocre talent of today and the grossly underpaid---and unfree---players of those days. I can't imagine what someone of Dimaggio's caliber would be getting paid today. The book also shined when describing not only Joe's relationship with Marilyn Monroe (brutal by today's standards) and what Hollywood and stardom was like. Dimaggio's dysfunctional personality and apparent avarice are well-presented, as is the power he had to make men give up all dignity and self-respect simply to be his friend. While we can't simply assume everything said here about DiMaggio's attorney and "close personal friend", Morris Engelberg, is 100% accurate, it isn't hard to believe either. We had a very real taste of this man's character here in San Francisco with how he handled the whole affair of our city wanting to name the playground in North Beach for DiMaggio. The only gap in the book for me was the leap it made from Marilyn Monroe's death all the way to the 1989 SF earthquake. I thought Cramer went pretty far in depicting the Kennedy/Sinatra involvement with Monroe and why Joe so despised them after her death. But he stopped there quite abruptly. There probably was more that could have been written to show Joe's scorn for them (like the snub of Bobby Kennedy at Yankee Stadium during an Old Timers Game introductions...Joe refused to shake his hand). Baseball-wise, I think more could have also been written about Joe's feelings for---or against---Mickey Mantle and how he felt about THAT center fielder's so completely winning the hearts of Yankee fans. If the author's intended audience was people like me and older, who are familiar with Joe's life and career, then I'm off-base. If he was hoping to have the 20-30 crowd know more about this myth, I think he could have written a little more. Joe DiMaggio was not a good man necessarily, many people knew that before even reading this book. In today's world he would have been mauled by the press and fans and would likely not be perceived as such a heroic figure as he now is. Look at Barry Bonds, perhaps a better player overall (hard to say for those of us who never saw Joe actually play...hard to argue against 9 world championships in 13 years...versus Barry's ZERO), yet his personality is probably not too different from Joe's in his search for privacy and aloofness from his teammates. However, he is vilified by most and has precious few friends. In another day, he would have been up in the pantheon with the Babe and Joltin' Joe.
Rating:
Summary: Bitter, angry, jealous - and that's just the author
Review: This is a bitter, self-indulgent attempt by the author to attack DiMaggio. Period. He was a bad guy... so what? He liked money? Last time I checked, the author wasn't giving his book away. The main problem isn't with the book or DiMaggio, but with the people who make guys like DiMaggio the heroes they can never be. The bar is set way too high for these individuals. No one can reach it. Our solution: write about it. Consider this: I seriously doubt anyone will write a book about the author, because while he may have received accolades for his work as a reporter, all he has really done in his life is write about what other people have done in their lives. Seems like an empty accomplishment to me, and might be the reason for the high level of bitterness and, perhaps, jealousy that came through in this book.
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