This is among the very best books I have ever read. Easily the best biography and the best book on baseball (of which I have read a lot). Brashler's account of Gibson's life and the Negro Leagues engrosses you like a great novel. I could not recommend it more highly.

I HIGHLY RECOMMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO ENJOYS BASEBALL AND THE HISTORY OF THE GREAT PLAYERS IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES. TOO BAD STATS WEREN'T CLOSELY KEPT FROM THAT TIME PERIOD, FOR THE NUMBERS THAT JOSH PUT UP ARE PROBABLY TRULY BREATH TAKING. HE WAS THE BABE RUTH, JIMMIE FOXX, AND MARK MCGWIRE OF 1930'S AND 40'S. THE BOOK DOES A GOOD JOB OF SHOWING US JOSH'S TRIUMPHS AND HIS DARK SIDE. HE WAS WITH FAULTS, BUT THAT MADE HIM EVEN MORE INTERESTING. THIS BOOK ALSO TREATS US TO SOME INTERVIEWS WITH MANY OTHER GREAT PLAYERS OF THAT ERA AND AN IN DEPTH HISTORY OF THE NEGRO LEAGUES. WELL WORTH READING ABOUT A GREAT PIECE OF BASEBALL HISTORY.

I love baseball. I thought I knew all there was to know about Josh Gibson, his 926 homers, his never getting to the majors, or his friendship with Satchel Paige. Even his tragic death at a young age. This man needed to be in the majors, but it never happened. He died only 3 months before Jackie Robinson got in. This book chronicles the life of this man, 220 pound all muscle homer hitter. He was called the "black babe ruth". After reading this book they should call Babe Ruth the White Josh Gibson. It is truly sad how he never got in to the show. I can't tell you how sad it is though, you have to experience him for yourself. If you are at all interesed in baseball, then you should know about the negro leagues and the great players they beheld.

there was never a dull moment reading this. inspired by countless tape recordings brashler made with cool papa bell and satchel paige, this books puts you into the lives of back baseball players in the 1930's as they travel through the midwest, often encountering prejudice, con-men, loneliness and self-doubt but sticking to their guns and rising about the drama. the language brashler uses to tell the tale makes it authentic and warm. a perfect companion to the movie...

I bought this book in a thrift store in Chicago on my vacation from Germany. This book is very authentic as I can tell because I interned at the CBOT in summer 1999. A few things described are very fictious but on the other hand a lot views in this novel can and are definetely true. During my read I can say that people that are interested in all intrigues concerning the life of a trader and to-become-trader or co-worker at a commodity exchange sized like the CBOT will be very interested in this book. I believe it is very sad that it is out of print, so maybe someone will take care of this in the near future.

Although this book is titled for Sam Giancana, I found it more interesting as a history about the Chicago mob. Written only two years after Giancana's death, Brashler goes into detail about the mob's rise and fall, obviously focusing on Giancana and his rise and fall as well. Whether it was a matter of not knowing it at the time or not wanting to know, as of 2002 there seems to be so much more detail involving Giancana, the mob, and it's history, that the book and Brashler seemed cautious in writing about Giancana at times, especially when it came to his possible involvement with Kennedy and his relationship with Sinatra and Campbell. And Giancana's murder and possible suspects is not explored at all, though there may not have been much to go on only two years after his death, when the book was written, or it was a taboo, touchy subject. I believe the latter of the two. Although an entirely interesting book and thoroughly enjoyable, this book could be retitled "Sam Giancana and the Chicago Mob". There is a definite lack of Giancana information out there only available piecemeal in more current Rat Pack books and in other mob books, but this one will satisfy and pique your interest about the little man named "Mo".

Mr Brashler's book is the best work yet at a detailed look into the Chicago "Outfit"(MOB); he describes the life and times of one of Chicago's most-feared mobsters.

This book presents the viewer (it is photo-documentary) with a wonderful, and slightly disturbing look at America's culture of watching television. From the llama watching tv with its owners, to the children watching tv with no heat (but who do apparently have cable) the concept of what it is to be a tv viewer is uniquely examined.

I used this bok for a research paper and it helped me out a lot, but if you are just going to want to read it for fun then I don't recomend it.

This is a wonderful book for kids..particularly boys, who are interested in baseball. It gives a wonderful perspective on not only the players but the society in which they lived.