Joe DiMaggio

The Hero's Life
Richard Ben Cramer - 2001 Simon & Schuster

This book was given to me by a friend over a year ago and I finally got around to reading it.  I'm sorry it took me so long.  "Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life" is very enjoyable, well written, and pretty thoroughly researched.  Think of it as the When Pride Still Mattered or The Last Boy for Joe DiMaggio.

However, this book comes with a caveat.  After reading When Pride Still Mattered, I not only still liked Vince Lombardi but also became a little bit of a Green Bay fan.  After reading this book, I didn't like Joe DiMaggio as much. 

Because Cramer does an excellent job of building a full picture of the man we raised to hero status, realize that also sets us up for disappointment when we see how fame and greed, two recurring themes in the book, made DiMaggio behave.   There's a reason we allow myth to shroud our heroes for so long, and often it's because we just like them better that way. 

If you don't want to know the truth, don't read this book.  For everyone else, it's a highly recommended read.