Rating: 
Summary: Excellent biography
Review: This is a fantastic and superb account of Joe DiMaggio's baseball career and a sad account of his life after baseball. DiMaggio the player was without parallel. DiMaggio the man apparently fell way short of the mark.and is very sad to realize what a sad, lonely man he really was.Cramer has written a masterful biography of a very complex and complicated man.
Rating:
Summary: One view of DiMaggio's Life
Review: This is a real eye opener about the behind the scenes life of one of the super-star ball players of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. His father was a poor Italian immigrant and fisherman. From the first Joe was a leader and an all star ball player. After joining the New York Yankees, he became their leader and the heart of the team. He was considered a super hero and apparently pretty much owned New York in off hours. Almost anywhere he appeared, such as restaurants, he not only was not charged for anything but was frequently paid quite handsomely for it. The business owners apparently believe that his being there was good for business. Many of the mob big wigs were involved in this sort of thing and DiMaggio had a bank account started by one of the mob leaders where money was deposited automatically when he made an appearance at one of their establishments. There is no mention or evidence of his being involved with the mob otherwise. After his retirement from professional baseball a bit early because of bad operations for bone spurs on his heals, he was still thought of as a hero and his public appearance business and the business of baseball memorabilia carried on. He became a multimillionaire from these things. There are allegations that his memorabilia sales were taken away from his heirs by a business manager.His involvements with his first wife and with Marilyn Monroe are well detailed with inside looks at all the problems and the few good times. He seems to have been totally in love with each in turn and not to have received what he needed from either.
Rating:
Summary: Fact v. Fiction
Review: While The Hero's Life is an excellent book about one of the three best baseball players who have ever lived, you have to wonder how much is true. Mr Cramer does list many sources and is wonderful at telling the story of Joe DiMaggio's life. DiMaggio kept the people whom he did not want in his life out and probably for good reason. The question does linger however that since he is basing most of the book on second hand information how much is true. An excellent book that was hard to put down I have recomended it many people. Having never seen Joe DiMaggio play and him seemingly in secrecy for most of his life I found him to be an "interesting" person. He was, is and should always be an American Icon; bringing a country that was embattled in war together for a brief point in history. If you dont know anything about Joe DiMaggio but would like to, this book is a must.
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