Pete Rose: An American Dilemma Author: Visit Amazon's Kostya Kennedy Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1618930966 | Format: PDF
Pete Rose: An American Dilemma Description
Review
"A remarkable book about a fascinating, vexing figure." --
Kirkus (starred review)"Kennedy's ambitious account is an anecdote-rich read." --
Publishers Weekly"Kostya Kennedy has given us the real Pete Rose at last. Perhaps Pete does not deserve him, but baseball fans and readers who appreciate superb and subtle writing will be grateful."
--David Maraniss"Kennedy's book on the tarnished and enigmatic Rose is exceptional. Like the best writing about sport--Liebling, Angell--it qualifies as stirring literature. I'd read Kennedy no matter what he writes about."
--Richard Ford"This is a wonderful, clearly written book about a dark and complicated tragedy that continues to beset the purity of our national pastime. The whole story is here: the deeply talented, passionate ball player, 'Charlie Hustle,' and the deeply morally challenged hustler who bestrides essential questions about our national game."
--Ken Burns"Pete Rose is too rich a character to fit on a bronze plaque. He requires a good, trenchant, poignant (ah, Petey) book, and this is it."
--Roy Blount Jr.About the Author
Kostya Kennedy is an assistant managing editor at
Sports Illustrated and the
New York Times bestselling author of
56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports, winner of the 2011 Casey Award and runner-up for the 2012 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing. He lives with his wife and children in Westchester County, N.Y. To learn more, visit kostyakennedy.com.
- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Sports Illustrated (March 11, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1618930966
- ISBN-13: 978-1618930965
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
While I think I would change the subtitle, there is not much else I would want to be different about this gripping and fascinating look at the enigma that is Pete Rose. Not so much a biography, but rather more of an extended biographical essay, Kennedy's book takes a long look at the many things Pete Rose is and the many things that shaped him, in his life and in ours.
Live most any baseball fan of my age (early 50s), Pete Rose has always been a major figure around the game. Growing up in Indianapolis, it was impossible not to be faced with him everyday during the season, and many during the off season. The Indianapolis Indians were the Reds' Triple A affiliate for most of the 1960s and 1970s, an being only a couple hours drive from Cincy, Indianapolis was big time Big Red country. Consequently, I hated the Reds, though I loved being taken to games at Crosely Field, and later Riverfront. And during those years, no matter how great anybody else on the team was - and they had some great players - the Reds WERE Pete Rose. And so I hated Pete Rose, though I also kinda loved him. Even early on, I could tell that Rose was the kind of guy you hated unless he was on your team, then you adored him.
And here, in this book, that plays itself out in large. There is much in Pete Rose to adore. There is much in Pete Rose to abhor. And that is the enigma. The only dilemma I can see, really is being torn over whether or not he belongs back in baseball and eligible for the Hall of Fame. And I confess, I am torn there. But in a sense, that is only a small part of both Rose and this book.
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