Amazon.com
W. P. Kinsella plays with both myth and fantasy in his lyrical novel, which was adapted into the enormously popular movie, Field of Dreams. It begins with the magic of a godlike voice in a cornfield, and ends with the magic of a son playing catch with the ghost of his father. In Kinsella's hands, it's all about as simple, and complex, as the object of baseball itself: coming home. Like Ring Lardner and Bernard Malamud before him, Kinsella spins baseball as backdrop and metaphor, and, like his predecessors, uses the game to tell us a little something more about who we are and what we need.
Book Description
"If you build it, he will come." Them mysterious words of an Iowa baseball announcer lead Ray Kinsella to carve a baseball diamond in his cornfield in honor of his hero, the baseball legend Shoeless Joe Jackson. This is a book "not so much about baseball as it is about dreams, magic, life, and what is quintessentially American," said the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Download Description
He went to Canada in the 1960's to avoid the draft. Now, back in the USA, he has a vision: build a ballpark in an Iowa cornfield "if you a build it they will come." Two who do are the tragic ballplayer, Joe Jackson and the lead's father. This affecting novel was the basis of the FIELD OF DREAMS, Kevin Costner's landmark 1980's film.
Customer Reviews:
Rounding Third and Going..........2007-09-21
"Shoeless Joe," by WP Kinsella is usually known as the book that inspired the movie, "Field of Dreams." But it deserves to be known as a medicinal classic for any nostalgic baseball fan who longs for the days when he watched a game with his father.
When an Iowa farmer named Ray Kinsella hears a voice telling him to build a baseball field, a journey ensues. This journey includes tracking down healing "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's nostalgia for baseball after being banned from the game, tracking down the elusive JD Salinger, and reconnecting with long lost family members.
"Shoeless Joe" is more than a baseball book. It is a book about a place where innocence can be maintained. Unlike, Holden Caulfield from the "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger, Kinsella has found a way to hold on to innocence, at least in a certain area. Like glass cases in a museum, Kinsella's baseball field breaks the conventions of time, bringing the past and present together.
This book is at its best when read as a sequel to "The Catcher in the Rye." Its multiple allusions to the novel and similarities offer a literary perspective of baseball. Baseball has the power to heal nostalgia for it is a game unchanged since its creation. When at a baseball field in Seattle, you could very well imagine being at a field in Boston. "The one constant through all the years has been baseball," Saliger tells Kinsella. "As America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers - it's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again - baseball has marked the time."
Block That Simile!.......2007-05-09
This is quite possibly the most inept piece of fiction ever published. I would recommend it for unintended laughs, however. Buy it, get out your highlighter and mark your favorites from the hundreds of laughable similes. Then, pull the book out like a funeral director at a christening, and enjoy. The whole world will seem as bright as a runaway lawnmower.
Also, highly recommended for high school English teachers who need perfect specimens of terrible writing.
PS: Who would have thought a fictional J.D. Salinger could possibly have come across so deadly flat? But then, who would have thought this book would find a publisher?
Shoeless Joe- a paid avertisment W.P kinsella.......2006-11-15
A man, Ray Kinsella is a baseball loving fan from Iowa. At a game three years ago he heard the words "If you build it he will come" from the anouncer outloud and Ray's life changed. Now he lives with his wife Anne and her daughter Karin and is comfronted by his baseball hero Shoeless joe only he was a ghost. This book is great for anyone who loves sports stories and is a baseball fanatic. Ray goes around Iowa meeting strange people, watching games and following his dream. Thing can get a little writer named Jerry who is the most gloomy person and thinks Ray is mentaly challenged. Also is has a greek cook who points a razor at Ray and says it's a gun. The book does have soom subtle moments like teaching his daughter about baseball or when Shoelees Joe talks to Ray about his life. This book has a wonderful story line and is a novel that will make you keep on reading. So get your copy today and if you liked that book read some of the other books written by W.P Kinsella.
(This book was a fake paid advertisment)
Loved it.......2006-09-27
I REALLY enjoyed this book. I thought the movie incorporated most of the good parts in the book. There were some character changes and some additional characters in the book, but I don't think they hurt the story line by trimming here and there. I read the book after seeing the movie - I always wondered what the movie had been based on. I love baseball, and I think the book was great.
That voice in your head says: read this book.......2006-08-14
If you're a dyed-in-the-wool baseball fan, you'll probably relate well to "Shoeless Joe". It's the tale better known as "Field of Dreams," in which a wistful young farmer carves a baseball diamond into his financially strapped corn field in Iowa. The voice which tells him to do it also sends him to New England to fetch the reclusive JD Salinger, then up to northern Minnesota to connect with an aging doctor whose major league career amounted to just a single inning with the NY Giants. Anyway, it doesn't make much sense. But that's the beauty of it. Devotion to baseball--manic devotion to baseball--is irrational at best. Diehard baseball fans will have an easier time surrendering to Kinsella's version of reality than the casual fan. But regardless of your persuasion, you'll have to suspend belief for a few hundred pages in order to enjoy this quirky little book.
I have to confess that I read "Shoeless Joe" twice, and the first time through was a lot more fun than the second. The writing is solid through and through. But the sappiness of the story grated on me the second time around, perhaps because I knew the outcome, or because I had aged 15 years. In any case, those who have seen the movie might enjoy reading this book. But I suspect that the greatest enjoyment comes to those who have yet to discover the story. And it probably wouldn't hurt if you had more than a passing interest in the game of baseball.
Average customer rating:
- Brian's Review
- CHVK
- Shop for Shoeless Joe! by: TF from North Boulevard School
- Shoeless Joe
- great
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Shoeless Joe & Me (Baseball Card Adventures)
Dan Gutman
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ASIN: 0064472590
Release Date: 2003-03-04 |
Book Description
When Joe Stoshack hears about Shoeless Joe Jackson -- and the gambling scandal that destroyed the star player's career -- he knows what he has to do. If he travels back in time with a 1919 baseball card in his hand, he just might be able to prevent the infamous Black Sox Scandal from ever taking place. And if he could do that, Shoeless Joe Jackson would finally take his rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
But can Stosh prevent that tempting envelope full of money from making its way to Shoeless Joe's hotel room before the big game?
Customer Reviews:
Brian's Review.......2007-07-08
One of my students wrote the following review:
If you are a baseball fan you should read this book. This book is about a kid with a power. He can go back in time. He goes to 1919 to make the White Sox win the World Series by not letting Shoeless Joe Jackson take money. What will happen next?
It was so fun to read it! I couldn't stop reading this book. It is a long book but it is fun when you read it. There are more books that this author wrote about baseball.
-Brian
CHVK.......2007-01-16
Haven't you ever wanted to go back in time to prevent something that happened to you? Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of the best baseball players in 1919. His career was destroyed by a gambling scandal. Joe Stoshack was a young boy and he heard about the famous player from a guy named Flip who worked at the baseball card shop he always went to. Flip told Joe that Jackson was not allowed to make the Hall of Fame because of the scandal he was in. Flip gave him Joe Jackson baseball card and the little boy thought to himself what it would be like to go back in time to see what the scandal was all about and even maybe prevent it from happening. He thought if it works in movies then it should work now. The next day Joe Stoshack found himself going back to the 1919's and found Joe Jackson at the stadium. He talked to Joe and asked him to leave the game before it started. He told Joe if he didn't something bad would happen. He told Joe he came back from the future and he knew that if the great Joe Jackson did anything to lose this game, he would never get all the rewards he deserved. He wanted to prevent the "Black Sox Scandal" from happening so Shoeless Joe Jackson could get into the Hall of Fame.
I would rate this book a 5, on a scale of 5, with 5 being the best. Grades 4th and up would love it and its great family story.
Shop for Shoeless Joe! by: TF from North Boulevard School.......2006-12-16
The book I am reviewing is Shoeless Joe & Me written by Dan Gutman. I think this book deserves five stars because Dan Gutman doesn't stretch the book and he does not rush it. This book is about a boy named Joe Stoshack who can travel through time with baseball cards. The problem in this story is that when Joe had lost a game because of a bad call, he complains to the sponsor of his team, Flip Valetini. He says that it wasn't fair, and Flip tells him about the Black Sox sandal and Joe Jackson. Now he wants to fix it. But the rest... you will have to figure out. I would recommend this book to anyone from 3rd to 5th grade that loves fantasy books.
Shoeless Joe.......2006-10-30
Shoeless Joe was a fun book to read. It was about baseball. He was a good player but did not have power. I liked this book because it was about baseball. He was a player on the White Sox. The story was in Chicago where Shoeless Joe was a famous baseball player.
The kid in the book went back in time. The boy wanted to meet Shoeless Joe, so he went to the store to buy the card. Then he packed his tooth brush and clothes. Then he went to his room. Then he hugged the card and went back to the past. This was the most exciting part of the book.
great.......2006-04-23
you'll love this book if you love baseball and wdatch it because it tells you about history and it is exciting.
Amazon.com
Shoeless Joe Jackson became a baseball legend by batting the highest average by a rookie in his first full season in the major leagues and for having once played a game in his stocking feet when his new shoes were giving him blisters. But in this folksy, fictionalized picture book by rookie author Phil Bildner and illustrator C.F. Payne (The Remarkable Farkle McBride, by John Lithgow), readers are introduced to the real reason Shoeless Joe became such a great hitter. Falling into a slump, Joe goes to a bat-making friend, searching for the perfect bat. Black Betsy is the one: 36 inches long, and weighing 48 ounces, it was made from the north side of a hickory tree and rubbed down with tobacco juice to turn it black and mean looking. Bildner's down-home language, packed with lots of "I reckons" and "ain'ts," captures the early 1900s era, as do Payne's grainy illustrations, verging on caricatures. An afterword provides additional information on this appealing character from sports history. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
Some say Shoeless Joe Jackson was the greatest hitter ever. But Shoeless Joe had a partner: his bat, Black Betsy. And if not for the faithful Black Betsy, Joe might never even have made it to the major leagues.
This is the story of two great partners in baseball history -- Shoeless Joe Jackson and his bat, Black Betsy.
Customer Reviews:
Please don't take liberties with history.......2007-06-04
A fascinating story about one of the true legends of America's favorite pastime. There is so much that can be recounted in a book about this unique character that I found myself truly regretting the liberty that was taken with a bit of history. The story says that Joe wanted his bat to weigh 48 ounces, the same as the number of states. The author confesses in the afterword that there were only 46 states at the time Joe began playing in the minors, 1908. That one alteration of fact taints an otherwise beautifully told story. One must then question other information presented in the book. Pity. The deviation from the truth adds nothing to the story and causes me to question the book's inclusion in a library collection for young readers. The full-page colored illustrations are wonderfully wrought. The excellent afterword presents the facts about Joe's life and career and there is a full page of statistics.
the best book.......2004-06-15
I thought the book was very touching because he loved the game so much he would play without shoes.he also loved his bat Black Besty. All of the famous hitters copied his swing.
Joe Jackson and his Partner, Betsy............2002-09-10
"Shoeless Joe Jackson once played an entire baseball game in his stocking feet. That's why they called him Shoeless Joe. Some say he was the greatest baseball player ever. Even the mighty Babe Ruth copied his swing. But what most people don't know is just how Shoeless Joe became such a great hitter..." So begins Phil Bildner's engaging tale about Joe Jackson's infamous bat, Betsy. It was a hitting slump that sent Joe to bat smith, Charlie Ferguson. He wanted a special bat that "pitchers are going to honor and respect" and he knew Ol' Charlie was the man to make it. After several trials and errors, Betsy came to life, 36 inches long, and 48 ounces, she was made out of hickory from the strong, north side of the tree, and stained black with tobacco juice to "make her dark and scary-looking." And with the help of Betsy at the plate, Shoeless Joe Jackson batted .408 his rookie year. "And to this day, no rookie has ever had a finer year than Shoeless Joe." Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy is more fable than biography, and Mr Bildner takes a lot of liberties with the facts. But his text is entertaining, and filled with humor and lots of back woods colloquialisms that make this picture book perfect for reading aloud. C. F. Payne's marvelously expressive and detailed illustrations are captivating, and add just the right touch of drama to bring the story to life. With a comprehensive Afterword and "baseball card" full of facts, figures, and statistics to complete the story, Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy is a fine debut that is sure to whet the appetite of baseball fans 5-10, and send them out looking for more.
Misinformation gets in the way of good writing.......2002-05-11
While this is a beautifully illustrated and well written book, the liberties the author took with the story of Joe Jackson are a disservice to young readers and listeners. My second-grade son was so anxious to get this book, but found that it didn't really ring true. The bat-maker calls Joe by the nickname "Shoeless Joe" before that nickname was used -- and even before the shoeless incident.
This really ruined the authenticity of the book for us and led to a discussion about what can be believed in books. ...
Pleasure to read/use in class.......2002-04-06
"Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy" sets us in the Carolinas, where Shoeless Joe, before he makes his record-setting Rookie year, talks to the best bat maker in the state to make him a bat to get out of his horrid slump. Through much trial and error, Joe finds the perfect bat. The plot was very clear, but I had to say this is one of the best books I've seen in review for my Teaching Reading course.
The slang use is very realistic and open, and the way it repeated itself drew the children into the story. The illustrations are beautiful to the eye and fit well into the "back woods" feel of the story, mostly set in the Bat Maker's shack.
The book takes more then a few liberties with the truth - but they make the story more entertaining. The authors explain where they stretched the facts in a two-page story explanation, which includes Joe's involvement in the Black Sox scandal, and followed by another beautiful full-page drawing by C. F. Payne and a full career statistics.
I recommend this book - a student with an interest in baseball will eat this up. Students who like different stories, or who like when they are read to in an odd accent will want more. I hope there will be, with so many great baseball stories out there.
Customer Reviews:
Some very good stories..........2000-05-31
I enjoyed this book as any Kinsella fan would. I found some of the stories true gems, but others I found somewhat uninteresting. This is not Kinsella's greatest selection, but it shows a different side of the author and some of the stories are more adult oriented content. I enjoyed the stories 'Fiona the First', 'Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa', 'A Picture of the Virgin' and 'A Blacksmith Shop Caper' as the real good ones. Those alone are worth the book, so you won't be disappointed overall.
Chapter 1 of novel SHOELESS JOE is this book's title story!.......1998-10-01
"Fiona the First," the opening story in this collection, was cited for excellence by Stanley Elkin and Shannon Ravenel in the 1980 edition of BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES.
Speaking to bibliographer Ann Knight in 1983, Kinsella admitted that a few details from this story are semi-autobiographical: "The lady who keeps saying, 'He can put his shoes under my bed,' I saw at a Vancouver Mounties game in Seattle in 1954." And, "the business about the stewardess trying to give away a baby happened to me and a young lady at the Vancouver International Airport in 1970 or '71."
These stories celebrate particular relationships: between father and son, brother and sister, perfect strangers, a spiritual icon and her admirers, doctor and patient, father and daughter, bowling buddies, etc. They are classic Kinsella. No fan of his opus will want to overlook these initial, "adult-oriented" adventures into the regions of Magic Realism. These tales are Icarus flyers; they tempt the sun to melt their wings.
This is the best book I have ever read........1998-04-27
I first saw the movie Field of Dreams when I was in the 3rd grade, I loved the movie so much. Then in the 6th grade my teacher started to read us the book, but never even came close to finishing, I was disappointed. Then, this year (10th grade) I read it over Christmas break, and I couldn't put it down. I have never read a book that could calm me down and not make me sleepy. I had to get my wisdom teeth out and I was currently reading that book, everytime I got nervous I read the book and it relaxed me! I recomend this to anyone who likes baseball or just loves to read. Even if you don't like to read I still recomend it! It is better than the movie and I still think the movie is good, there is just to much to capture. I could read that book again and again! So, I recomend it to everyone!
Book Description
With the rise of the Chicago White Sox to World Series champs in 2005 after a drought of 88 years, the magic has finally returned to the city by the lake. Behind shutdown pitching and clutch performances at every position, 105 years of White Sox baseball culminated in the club's third World Series crown, its first since 1917.
White Sox Glory is a "you are there" account of all the greats of the Second City's "second" diamond nine. The best seat in the house for reminiscing about the White Sox's epic milestones, the book is filled with the voices of players, coaches, fan, opponents, and sportswriters. Included is the all-time White Sox team, the heated rivalries, a special tribute to the Sox's seven-decade man—Minnie Minoso—and complete rosters from the White Sox's world championship teams.
It's picnics under the stands, exploding scoreboards, and a Thigpen from the bullpen. It's Chisox time in the Windy City.
Customer Reviews:
Sox history for those who enjoy.......2006-11-07
Was interesting. As for more History, etc. try the Roeper Book
Customer Reviews:
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson Belongs in the Hall of Fame.......2004-02-13
Donald Gropman is the leading historian on the life of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. In his revised edition of the book, Gropman gives an objetive look at the life of Joe Jackson, including the scandal that ended his career. Gropman's argument leaves little doubt that this legend belongs in the baseball hall of fame. Quite simply, the hall of fame is incomplete without him.
The other members of the Black Sox sought to add Jackson to the fix. Jackson never committed. Jackson even went so far as to tell Sox owner Charles Comiskey and attempted to sit out the World Series to demonstrate his innocence. These actions which would have exonerated him were rejected. Comiskey just felt Jackson was hearing rumors. When the scandal hit full force, Comiskey tried to save his players. Unfortunately, Comiskey's lawyer was only interested in saving Comiskey, not the players. The great tragedy is that Comiskey, depite his Richard Nixon-like tactics, is in the hall of fame while "Shoeless" Joe Jackson is not.
Gropman lays out a tremendous amount of evidence that supports Jackson's innocence. Despite this mountain of evidence and growing support for Joe Jackson's reinstatement, baseball's commissioners have largely ignored the case for Joe Jackson.
This book sets the standard for "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's life as well as the case for his reinstatement into baseball and his induction into the hall of fame. With the additions of transcripts, letters, and other pieces of evidence, this book is more than worth its price. Gropman also provides information for joining the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society and fighting to clear his name. I would encourage you to join.
Excellent Biography.......2003-05-26
Mnay biographies focus on human interest rather than factual information. This is not one of those. This book is meticulously researched and presents all the facts Mr. Gropman came across. The reader can make his or her own conclusion based on the facts the author presents, but the facts will probably lead the reader to conclude that Joe Jackson was not involved in the Black Sox scandal that nearly ruined baseball.
Mr. Gropman clearly demonstrates what many authors are unable to do: the ability to present an opinion based on fact, rather than speculation. I was impressed with this book because it provided me with much information on Joe Jackson's life, particularly on whether he was or wasn't involved in the scandal. The facts lead to the conclusion, not the other way around, and I like that. Baseball fans interested in the history of the game should read this book. They will enjoy it.
Shoeless Joe should be in the Hall.......2000-07-27
I loved this book! Joe Jackson should be in the hall of fame! After reading this book and all the insights to his life, I have become a huge fan of Shoeless Joe. This book will tell you all about his involment with the "Black Sox". Like how he tried to tell Comiskey about the scandle before the 1919 series. And, how he also tried to give the money to Comiskey before the news hit the papers. If you want to know about one of the best players you need to read this book. By the way it was a life time band from baseball....his life ended in December 1951.
easy and pleasant reading about the great shoeless joe........1999-07-17
The book sheds tremendous light on shoeless joe jackson and his era. the book gives deeper insight into the black sox scandal of 1919.Jack M. Purvin,M.D.
Must-read for those wanting Jackson in the Hall of Fame!.......1997-07-28
Gropman states early on that he intends to provethat Jackson had no involvement in the Black Soxscandal of 1919 and succeeds. He demonstrates the hows and whys of Jackson's "involvement" and shows why Jackson took money when he didn't participate in the fix. Though Gropman goes out of his way to glorify Jackson in some instances, for the most part this is highly readable, well-researched bio of "Shoeless Joe" and demonstrates once and for all that Jackson belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Book Description
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson was one of baseball's greatest hitters and most colorful players. Born Joseph Jefferson Wofford Jackson on July 16, 1888, in Pickens County, South Carolina, Jackson went to work in a textile mill when he was around six years old, and got his start in baseball playing for the Brandon Mill team at the age of 13 earning $2.50 a game. He emerged as the star of the team and a favorite of fans with his hitting and throwing abilities, and moved up to play in the Carolina Association, where he received his nickname "Shoeless" because the blisters on his feet forced him to play in his stockings. He then made his move to the major leagues, signing on with the Philadelphia Athletics and rising to fame. This work chronicles Jackson's life from his poor beginnings to his involvement in the scandal surrounding the 1919 World Series to his life after baseball and his death December 5, 1951, with most of the work focusing on his baseball career.
Customer Reviews:
Impressed apart from conclusion.......2006-07-14
Fleitz does a fine job of describing the atmosphere of the early days of baseball and is usually objective in his treatment of Jackson as a player and as a person. I recommend the book for anyone who is a Jackson affectionado and/or enjoys human drama in a sports context. However, I was very disappointed in the final pages where Fleitz offers his opinion that Jackson wouldn't have cared about the Hall of Fame anyway because he was basically a Southern, good old boy from a poor background who cared only about hanging out with friends and family near the old homeplace. My great uncle worked in those same Greenville, SC cotton mills as a 9-yr old boy for almost no wages but ambition did not die there among the textile looms.
A balanced, thoughtful book.......2002-05-10
There has been a lot said and written about Joe Jackson by a variety of people - baseball people, baseball historians, scholars of the 1919 World Series, residents of the South (particularly South Carolina), and others. There's also been a variety of books produced about Jackson, most with his point of view or the "point of view he would have had," whatever that might have been at any point in time. It was with some skepticism that I picked up Fleitz's book and started to read, half expecting to see the same arguments that I've read before - Jackson as a victim, as the greatest player not in the Hall of Fame but for one mistake, and how he went back to South Carolina and scratched out a living (or was very successful, depending on which book you read).
Fleitz's book was a most pleasant surprise - it offers information that I haven't found anywhere else, and gives more "flesh" and substance to the person that was Joe Jackson than any previous account of his life that I had read. One point is the relationship that he had with his wife: always shown as the doting couple, Fleitz writes that this wasn't always the case. In baseball, he shows that Jackson wasn't the near-mythological player that he had been portrayed, and that he did fail at any number of clutch situations. By the same token, Jackson is also frequently mentioned as a batting role model to any number of famous players. The reactions of contemporaries thoughtout the book is also delightful feature.
A primary focus of the book is in the 1919 World Series and Jackson's role in that. Through the years Jackson has garnered significant numbers of supporters claiming that he was innocent; Fleitz offers evidence and opinions that he may not have been that innocent at all. There is also the issue of his initial acceptance of the gamblers' money. As with many people, I have my opinions of the World Series fix and Jackson's involvement. Prior to Fleitz's book, the opinion was a little fuzzier; after reading the book, it's become a little clearer. Was he innocent or guilty? Read the book and make your decision - it's well worth your time.
The definitive Joe Jackson book.......2002-03-21
Great book. Separates the myth and the legend of Shoeless Joe Jackson from the "average Joe" and looks at his banishment from baseball in an honest, objective light. Author does an outstanding job of dissecting Jackson's behavior and possible motives throughout the scandal of the 1919 Black Sox.
But more importantly, more personal information about Joe is available on Joe throughout the pages of this text than any I have ever seen. This is a fantastic accomplishment as there is a lot of sappy, sentimental fluff out there about Joe Jackson and this book really made me feel as though I knew Joe, in addition to understanding what he was about.
This book is by far and away the best baseball book of the year (along with Reed Browning's Cy Young) and is amongst the best and most important baseball books ever written. If you're a serious baseball fan, you will enjoy SHOELESS!!
The Shoeless Joe You Didn't Know.......2001-06-25
Baseball biographies come in all types, from boring descriptions of the player's performance in games, to tantalizing disconnected details of the player's life outside the lines, to full-fledged development of the player's life history and personality. This new book by David Fleitz falls more toward the latter. I recommend it to all baseball fans, especially ones (like me) who are fascinated by the lesser-known stars of the pre-Ruthian world.
Much of the book is devoted to Jackson's role in the Black Sox scandal, putting it into historical context and digging into the actions and motives of some of the key figures. The passages involving Charles Comiskey are especially revealing.
The road between city life and country life was much longer back then. Early baseball has many stories of the difficulties rural men faced when thrust into MLB's urban landscape. Because of his great physical skills, the illiterate Jackson is a highly compelling example of these stories. I now feel like I've met Jackson. Among the best baseball biographies I've read.
Finally, A Biography about Joe.......2001-05-22
As a thirteen year resident of Greenville, South Carolina, I have finally found a biography about "Shoeless" Joe Jackson that captures his life story rather than the many myths surrounding the man. As any baseball player or fan knows, the likes of Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and other baseball greats have been immortalized in a plethora of biographies, but Joe has been little more than a footnote. Perhaps, this is due to his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, perhaps not. This book, however, finally captures the life and many facets of Joe Jackson. Though I do not subscribe to one theory or another in regard to his involvement in throwing the 1919 World Series, I am pleased to have finally found a book that addresses this issue without glamour, intrigue, or writer's license. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in baseball, the history of our National Past Time, or the life of one of baseball's greatest hitters, Joe Jackson.
Average customer rating:
- Lots of fun; not enough story, too many stats
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From Cartwright to Shoeless Joe: The Warwick Compendium to Early Baseball
Manufacturer: Warwick Publishing
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1894020278 |
Customer Reviews:
Lots of fun; not enough story, too many stats.......1999-04-10
The first third or so of this book is a history of early baseball from the anarchic "rounders" to an adult game with an agreed on set of rules. There are lots of great stories about basic things, like the invention of the baseball glove and how Al Spalding first came up with the idea that fielders shouldn't stand right by their base (duh!). But most of the book is short histories of all the teams that ever played (like the Cincinatti Porkers), most of them lasting no more than a couple years in the 1880's and 1890s. There are also lifetime stats on lots of early players. I wish more of the book had been on the early history, but perhaps there just isn't that much information known.
Customer Reviews:
Very Superficial.......2005-03-08
If you know the basic story, you're not going to learn anything here. Eight Men Out is a much better account of the 1919 World Series and there are better biographies of Shoeless Joe. Also, this is the only historical work I can ever recall reading that did not contain citaions for all of the quotes. The author also has an unusual manner of using quotes.
Some good info, OK reading.......2004-06-28
I've read 3 or 4 books on Joe Jackson and/or the 1919 scandal and seen enough movies (8 Men Out, Field of Dreams), to have been familiar with the story of Jackson and the Black Sox. This book gave a little more biographical information about Jackson. It was interesting to know more about his upbringing and early career. However, while a fast read, I don't think this is sterling prose. Seems a little biased toward Jackson, which we are probably all guilty of as time goes by. I do agree with the implicit endorsement by the author of Jackson for the Hall of Fame. It does seem that his illiteracy and ignorance made him an easy target for the gamblers, his corrupt teammates and---later---Comiskey's attorneys. Jackson's grand jury testimony provided as an appendix is probably the best thing about the book. I had never seen that before and found it fascinating.
I would recommend Eliot Asinof's (which the author does too) "Eight Men Out" as a better, more balanced account. Also a very, very good movie if you'd rather not read the book. A great ficitional account, I thought, was "Hoopla" by Harry Stein, which came out a few years ago. I think both of those do a better job in giving us the feel for Chicago and America in those days. A good case is made in both for Buck Weaver as another reluctant participant in the scandal who was probably penalized a little more severely than he deserved.
Simply awful.......2003-10-04
Nothing more than sappy baseball nostalgia masquerading as a biography. Totally useless.
FASCINATING AND FAST READ.......2002-12-01
"A tremendous account. . . I must refer anyone who has any interest in the Black Sox Scandal to Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball. There is a shiny gold sticker on the jacket of Frommer's book, by the way, announcing that it contains "Never before published -- Joe Jackson's complete Grand Jury Testimony." . . .The testimony is worth reading. Frommer quotes Joe Jackson: "I never said anything about it [the plot to throw the Series] until the night before the Series started. I went to see Mr Comiskey and begged him to take me out of the lineup .... If there was something going on I knew the bench was the safest place, but he wouldn't listen to me...." I would love to fill about ten pages with excerpts from Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball, but will not. Get the book. It's a fascinating and fast read.
Poorly written dishwater biography, not worth reading.......2002-04-27
I might as well have read the back of a baseball card as have read the book, for all the insight into Jackson's personality it gave me. This book simply read like an extended sports column; I suppose that is all well and good if sports columns are all you ever read, but I expect more from a biography than a collection of blow-by-blow accounts of the games Jackson played in. The man, after all, spent 13 of his 62 years playing in the big leagues. There is scant discussion of his later years. Does Frommer suppose that the reader is not interested in how Jackson came to terms with his status as a disgraced former big-league ballplayer? One is left with the impression that Frommer did not even attempt to scratch the surface when dealing with Jackson's later years.
Couple this with Frommer's clumsy writing style, lack of citations, and bizarre style of quotation, and one is left with a book that was not worth the time spent reading it. I was left with no greater insight into Jackson the man than before I first picked up the book.
Book Description
Perfect-bind paperback, 8.5X11" second printing, complete and unabridged, collector's edition, updated.
Customer Reviews:
Read the book for research, now an admirer of the man.......2001-06-25
Last September I painted a mural of "Shoeless " Joe Jackson in his home town---Greenville, South Carolina. His name meant nothing to me until I went to the library to do research for the painting. There I discovered I might be the only person in the world who was unaware of "Shoeless."
Never interested in sports, I thought I was reading about the legendary hero only to acquaint myself with the visual particulars of the man and the game of baseball in the early 1900's. Before I finished the first book I was hooked----not by the sport, but by the deeply moving life story of Joe himself.
Further research led me to read Joe Thompson's GROWING UP WITH "SHOELESS" JOE JACKSON, The Greatest Natural Player In Baseball History. Here was an account, written in the personal first person that makes one feel the intimacy of a hometown boy's acquaintance, and love for the subject. There was no turning back then. I became an ardent fan of "Shoeless" Joe.
Thompson has written in the voice of the South Carolina native he is. Unpretentiously he tells, not only the history of Jackson's baseball career, but of the man as a child of impoverished mill worker parents. He speaks of a small boy who was never sent to school, and who was sweeping the floors of Brandon Mill when only seven years old. He makes you hear the taunts "Shoeless" endured because he never learned to read or write. He makes you proud of the little mill kid who, in spite of everything, made it to the major leagues. And he makes you weep for the wretched debacle which cost an innocent "Shoeless" his brilliant career.
In 1996 the Brandon Mill Baseball Field in West Greenville was finally named for "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. Thompson's vivid fury that publicity and general media coverage was as lackluster as the bitterly cold day of the dedication, fairly sizzles on the pages of his book.
Thompson's infectious outrage that "Shoeless" has been slighted by his own hometown has persuaded me to become involved in the renewal of the once thriving business district of the mill village. Many more murals depicting "Shoeless'" career, and the textile history of the area, are on the drawing boards.
Buddy Hunt, who commissioned the original mural, is opening a coffee shop, Cuppa Joe, so fans will have a place to stop and chat when visiting. Hunt owns a number of large empty buildings across the street from where "Shoeless" Joe owned a liquor store. His hope is to attract investors, restaurateurs and shop keepers---all with sports, or related themes---to the long neglected area.
I have met the author of GROWING UP WITH "SHOELESS" JOE JACKSON, and am proud that he not only approves of the renewal project, but is helping to bring it about.
Whether or not you are a sports fan, this book will tug at your heartstrings, for it is a rich and poignant history written by a hometown boy who tells it like it is.
Polly Hunt Neal
A true testament to Joe Jackson the Man!.......2000-03-30
In baseball there are some memorable moments, Carlton Fisk hitting the game winning home run in the 1975 World Series for example. In baseball there are also some darker moments, The Black Sox Scandal is probably the most notable of these.
In the book Growing Up with Shoeless Joe, author Joe Thompson takes you inside baseball's past and gives you a first rate look at the Greatest Natural Hitter baseball has ever seen. Thompson's book is the first I have ever read that is more than the typical slander on Joe Jackson.
Thompson takes a look into the man, more than the ball player, and allows you to see a side of Jackson never before revealed. What Thompson gives the reader is by far the best accounting of a true hero in the game of baseball.
This book is so much more than a story about a World Series in 1919; it's so much more than a story about baseball. This book is about the man Joe Jackson and the side of him most of us have never seen. I am extremely proud to be allowed to review this book
Growing Up With Shoeless Joe.......2000-01-22
This book is very unusual. When I received it and began reading it, I felt as though I'd been duped. The font is abnormally large making it look initially like a book meant for young adults or children. As I read I was completely shocked to see many misspelled words, subject verb disagreements, problems with modifiers, incomplete sentences, you name it. I considered sending it back, but I'm a serious fan of Shoeless Joe, so I kept on reading and discovered something very interesting. This book isn't the product of a huge publishing conglomerate, in fact, it's a truly home-spun effort. I examined the credits and realized the author published it himself much the same way an underground band would market it's own music. Members of his family provided the photos. It looks like he may have had friends proofread and edit it. It seems to have been printed locally as well. The upside is that it has a "down home" charm that a true fan of Joe Jackson can appreciate. I'm sure Joe would considerate it a literary masterpiece. I'm currently writing a one-man-play about Joe, and I've found things in this book that I haven't read before. After allowing myself to digest its differences, and accept what it really is, I can honestly say I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Thanks very much Mr Thompson.
If you only read one book about Joe, this is the one to read.......1999-02-15
As web master of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Virtual Hall of Fame (http://www.blackbetsy.com/), the Official web site of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society, I highly recommend this book. I have been to every town and city that Joe played ball in and have read most, if not all newspaper accounts of the day and every book on Joe Jackson. Unlike the other books on Joe Jackson, this one is written by someone that actually knew Joe and it shows in this great work. Joe Thompson grew up in the forties in the Brandon Mill community where Joe Jackson ran a liquor store. Jackson would take Joe and his friends to the school yard and teach them how to play baseball. Jackson also taught them lessons about life of which Joe Thompson speaks about in this book. This book is more than just about Joe Jackson the ballplayer, it about Joe Jackson the man. This book will give you insight into the man, to let you know that he held no grudge against baseball. It will show you that he would go out of his way to help his fellow man and he gave of himself to help young kids grow up and lead a productive life. This is a must read for Jackson fans, as well as baseball fans in general.......get the real story about Joe Jackson!!!!!
Books:
- Small Steps
- Street Dreams
- Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew
- The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders & Deceivers
- The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
- The Blessing Way (Joe Leaphorn Novels)
- The Brazilian Healer with the Kitchen Knife: And Other Stories of Mystics, Shamans, and Miracle Makers
- The Cheater's Guide to Baseball
- The Church That Never Sleeps: The Amazing Story That Will Change Your View of Church Forever
- The Dead Zone (Signet)
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