Joe DiMaggio: A Biography(Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters Series) »

DAVID JONES is Library Specialist at Sage College and the author of numerous articles in official Major League Baseball publications.

Jones, a writer and historian and author of numerous articles about baseball, looks at the life of Joe DiMaggio, one of baseball's most accomplished players, from his childhood as the son of immigrants through his rise to fame and his marriage to actress Marilyn Monroe. The biography, illustrated with historical b&w photos, is presented in straightforward language accessible to high school students and general readers. A chronology and statistics are included. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

David Goodale - VOYA

These three scholarly biographies in a twelve-book series that includes current superstar Barry Bonds will interest only the most avid baseball enthusiasts and historians. The writing styles are similar because of the standardized format. Great emphasis is placed on quotes from books, newspapers, and magazines. All three authors provide a useful chronology that would be extremely valuable for reports. They present well-rounded views of their subjects. D'Amore does not shy away from Roger Hornsby's racism or his gambling addiction, yet he also does well in showing Hornsby's tremendous passion for baseball. Likewise Jordan and Jones do not pull punches in regard to Pete Rose and Joe DiMaggio, examining without bias Rose's tainted legacy and DiMaggio's troubled personal life. These books are the perfect length for those "read a biography of these many pages" projects that teachers perennially assign. They would also serve any researcher well as a starting point for a project; however, they are not for the general reader. The print is too small for most teen readers, and the scholarly nature makes them informative but not fun to read. Libraries should consider purchasing titles in this series to beef up their biography collections in anticipation of those annual assignments. With the exception of the book on Bonds, do not expect these books to fly off the shelves when not being used for assignments. (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters). VOYA CODES: 3Q 2P S A/YA (Readable without serious defects; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 2004, Greenwood, 192p.; Index. Photos. Biblio. SourceNotes. Chronology. Appendix., PLB . Ages 15 to Adult.

Series Foreword

Acknowledgments

Chronology of Dimaggio's Life and Career

Introduction

Origins, 1914-1932

With the Seals, 1933-1935

The Promise Fulfilled, 1936

Triumphs and Tribulations, 1937-1938

The Best Player in Baseball, 1939-1940

We Want Him on Our Side, 1941-1942

Out at Home, 1943-1945

Coming Back, 1946-1947

"His Bat Spells Bingo," 1948-1949

End of the Line, 1950-1951

Marilyn, 1952-1962

Legacies, 1962-1999

DiMaggio: Image, Perception, and the Literature

Appendix: Joe DiMaggio's Career and World Series Statistics

Bibliography

Index