Rating: 
Summary: Not for Adults
Review: Like most of his other titles, Robinson's biography of Lou Gehrig is a book best not judged by its cover. At first blush and on a brief perusal, it looks like a handsome, serious, thoughtful biography. But upon reading it is mostly hackneyed filler and exhibits no true scholarship. Instead of really telling you anything of importance about Gehrig, you get colorless run-downs of his seasons and a hodge-podge of information primarily culled from other books. That's not entirely bad and not without some merit, for the definitive Gehrig book has yet to be written and this will have to do for now, but it does his subject a disservice. There is also virtually no discussion of the surrounding historical and social context indicated by the title. Gehrig deserved better. Kids may enjoy this, but if you are looking for something substantial, pass.
Rating:
Summary: Highly informative, poorly written
Review: Many traps are set for the baseball biographer. S/he can fall into biased hero-worship; lapse into the recitation of dusty, Biblical lists: "And in 1930 he hit .379, which begat an average of .341 the following year, and verily an average of .349 in the year 1932, and ..."; bombard us with information of questionable value; bore us.Ray Robinson falls into every one of those traps. There are pages and pages of dry as dust technical stuff which reads poorly. If a biographer wishes to get into the details of how a player learns to hit to the opposite field or how he adjusts his grip or how he deals with left-handed sinkerball pitchers going to the outside of the plate, it has to be presented well. Present it as a measure of personal growth, wrap it up in interesting anecdotes, surround it with spicy quotes, offer it as a baseball primer or an insider's tip. What we get in "Iron Horse" are pages of dull, drab detail. The writing does not help. Right from the start, we know we're not in good hands with a meaningless, clichéd subtitle like "Lou Gehrig in His Time". Of course he's in his time. Who else's time is he going to be in? Bad word choices drop like clumsy anvils: we are told that Lou "experienced" a five-for-five game. There is also a fan's bias pervading the book that gets tiresome. Yes, the author nails his colors to the mast as a Gehrig devotee from the start, but after a while his determination to interpret everything Lou ever did in the best possible light makes one suspicious. If Gehrig were allowed to have a few human flaws, instead of the author defensively explaining away anything conceivable as a lapse, he - and the book - would be more accessible. I'm not dwelling on the positives of this book, because the negatives are a real concern for anyone embarking upon it. In the author's defense: in all honesty, Lou Gehrig is not the most scintillating subject. He does not attract anecdotes and legends the way the Babe did. Even his nickname speaks of solidity and dependibility rather than flash or style. Having a detailed, well-researched biography of the man is useful, and this book certainly fits that description. As a reference book to have in one's library it is useful and information. As a book to sit down and read, though, it is turgid and often boring.
Rating:
Summary: Highly informative, poorly written
Review: Many traps are set for the baseball biographer. S/he can fall into biased hero-worship; lapse into the recitation of dusty, Biblical lists: "And in 1930 he hit .379, which begat an average of .341 the following year, and verily an average of .349 in the year 1932, and ..."; bombard us with information of questionable value; bore us. Ray Robinson falls into every one of those traps. There are pages and pages of dry as dust technical stuff which reads poorly. If a biographer wishes to get into the details of how a player learns to hit to the opposite field or how he adjusts his grip or how he deals with left-handed sinkerball pitchers going to the outside of the plate, it has to be presented well. Present it as a measure of personal growth, wrap it up in interesting anecdotes, surround it with spicy quotes, offer it as a baseball primer or an insider's tip. What we get in "Iron Horse" are pages of dull, drab detail. The writing does not help. Right from the start, we know we're not in good hands with a meaningless, clichéd subtitle like "Lou Gehrig in His Time". Of course he's in his time. Who else's time is he going to be in? Bad word choices drop like clumsy anvils: we are told that Lou "experienced" a five-for-five game. There is also a fan's bias pervading the book that gets tiresome. Yes, the author nails his colors to the mast as a Gehrig devotee from the start, but after a while his determination to interpret everything Lou ever did in the best possible light makes one suspicious. If Gehrig were allowed to have a few human flaws, instead of the author defensively explaining away anything conceivable as a lapse, he - and the book - would be more accessible. I'm not dwelling on the positives of this book, because the negatives are a real concern for anyone embarking upon it. In the author's defense: in all honesty, Lou Gehrig is not the most scintillating subject. He does not attract anecdotes and legends the way the Babe did. Even his nickname speaks of solidity and dependibility rather than flash or style. Having a detailed, well-researched biography of the man is useful, and this book certainly fits that description. As a reference book to have in one's library it is useful and information. As a book to sit down and read, though, it is turgid and often boring.
Rating: 
Summary: A RARE TREAT
Review: Ray Robinson gives us a different look at Lou's life. The often strained relation with fellow teammate Babe Ruth. The softness in Lou's heart that touches many as well as the outstanding performances Lou achieved in his brillant baseball career that were often over shadowed by Ruth. A definate must read for Yankees fans, baseball fans and anyone one interested in a remarkable man.
Rating:
Summary: Informative But Matter-of-Fact Biography
Review: This informative biography suffers by comparison to the graceful and powerful writing in Frank Graham's "Lou Gehrig: A Quiet Hero." Robinson's book has more facts and reveals more about Gehrig's faults and problems as well as strengths, but it's like reading an encyclopedia: you may (probably will) wind up caring about Gehrig, but you'll have to fight your way past the dry, unemotional prose to do so. Worth your time if you want to learn more about Gehrig's life and career; skip it if you're looking for an impact similar to the movie ("Pride of the Yankees").
Rating:
Summary: Informative But Matter-of-Fact Biography
Review: This informative biography suffers by comparison to the graceful and powerful writing in Frank Graham's "Lou Gehrig: A Quiet Hero." Robinson's book has more facts and reveals more about Gehrig's faults and problems as well as strengths, but it's like reading an encyclopedia: you may (probably will) wind up caring about Gehrig, but you'll have to fight your way past the dry, unemotional prose to do so. Worth your time if you want to learn more about Gehrig's life and career; skip it if you're looking for an impact similar to the movie ("Pride of the Yankees").
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