Customer Reviews

Babe: The Life and Legend of Babe Didrikson Zaharias (Sport and Society)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Cayleff has thoroughly researched and documented Babe's life and times. She conducted extensive interviews with surviving members of Babe's family, friends, and partner (Betty Dodd). Cayleff also incorporated massive amounts of journalistic accounts--sports writers, magazines accounts, etc. This is not a fluff biography--the book will teach you about what it meant to be a woman in Babe's time, what it meant to be a female athlete, and how Babe managed--and manipulated--these things. Babe fans will learn more about her, and scholars will be able to follow up on Cayleff's work through her extensive endnotes. This is the first book to tell of Babe's relationship with Betty Dodd, but Cayleff does not label it "lesbian." That is because Babe herself never did. Remember that this was the 1950s. They were life partners, spouses. The loved each other. Cayleff's book is important for bringing this relationship to light, as well as many other hidden realities of Didrikson's life--her heroism as an "out" cancer patient (when it was taboo to talk about it), as well as how Babe manipulated the press. As dozens of published book review has stated (see quotes above at this cite), this is absolutely THE most extensive research ever done on Babe. I've seen rave reviews of the book in SOJOURNER, WEST COAST WOMAN, WOMEN'S REVIEW OF BOOKS, and SPORTS HISTORY REVIEW, among many others.

THis is one of the best sports biographies I have read.Its very well written, very unbiased,sensitive and portrays an accurate picture of this amazing human being. Its also a fun read and reveals a side of the Babe,her pranks,egocentric often annoying style, that few knew.In my mind she surely was the greatest woman,s athlete and this book truly does her justice.You won,t be disappointed

Anybody interested in the history of women in sport should read up on Babe Didrikson. "The Babe" was truly an amazing athlete and interesting character, unparalleled in both competitive excellence and chutzpah. While this book contains an abundance of colorful information, Cayleff's writing doesn't quite do Babe justice.

Besides being way too long, the book contains more than a few statements bordering on the ridiculous, way too many distracting footnotes, and at LEAST one factual error. In the last chapter, Suzy Favor is cited as the 'outstanding swimmer' from University of Wisconsin who won a Babe-inspired award. In fact, Ms. Favor (now Mrs. Hamilton) is a nine-time NCAA champion RUNNER.

This error did not inspire confidence in the book's other assertions-foremost being that Babe's efforts to be more outwardly feminine in her later years were a facade to conceal her lesbianism. By the end of the book, I couldn't help thinking that perhaps Babe actually LIKED lipstick, skirts and perhaps even marriage.

Since I am from Beaumont, Texas (South Park) and a fan of the BABE, I found the book a very interesting read. I was unaware of the Babe's relationship with Betty Dodd; however, I feel that an individual's sexual life is their own business. I can't help but wonder how the author could have been sure of their special relationship without ever being in the same bedroom with them??? Changing her colostomy bag is hardly a sexual act, but the type of action from a nurse, close relative or friend.

As a former student of Dr. Susan Cayleff, I found the book to be a wonderful and informative read. Knowing Dr. Cayleff and her constant search for truth and knowledge of women and their accomplishments, this book is one more testament to her thoroughness, her brilliance as an academic, and the passions that she imbues in her students - - the fire of wanting to know more about women,who and what they are, who and what they have been, and who and what they can become. Anything that Dr. Cayleff writes stands as witness to her intellect, her love of the written word, and her desire to spread the joyous news of women's feats and accomplishments. Is it any wonder that this book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize? Keep them coming Susan. The next one will be terrific too, after all, I had the opportunity to be one of your research assistants for the next book. Thank you for all of it, the books, the awareness that you instilled and inspired in so many of your students and readers, for your caring about humanity in general, and women in particular.

If you want a REAL BOOK on the REAL BABE read "The Incredible Babe" Her Ultimate Story by Thad S. Johnson. After reading Johnson's book, one will realize quite quickly Susan Cayleff obviously didn't do her homework! Dallas Morning News even said that "The Incredible Babe" by Thad Johnson could very well be the most comprehensive sports book EVER WRITTEN--read it and see for yourself! It will amaze you!!!

Amazing champion this lady was. Her accomplishments in a short life are dazzling. Like many others naturally gifted with athleticism and a burning desire to compete and win, Babe did just that.

This is well written, but suffers from my own perspective with an underlying desire to document how cruel and unmodern Babe's cultural times were to not allow lesbian relationships to be openly exposed and women to be subjected to conformity.

We live in just the reversal, where abnormality shines brightly as acceptable or even desirable, and where has this sexual revolution gotten our society?

Babe loved the game of golf, and my interest was primarily in this achievement area of her career. She should deserve more recognition as one of the game's truly greats!

The author spends a lot of time patting herself on the back for discovering that Babe was a lesbian -- wow, who could possibly have imagined that? Considering that Babe had a prominent adam's apple and was as stridently competitive in anything and everything in life as Ty Cobb, lesbianism did not exactly come as a shock to me.

What's really surprising is that the author fails to prove her case: she interviewed the young woman golfer who moved in with Babe and her husband George Zaharias after George ballooned up to 400 pounds, but she never got around to asking her if she and Babe really did the nasty. In fact, I was more struck by reading about the intensely heterosexual love affair between Babe and her professional wrestler husband. Some time in her late twenties, after her Olympic triumphs, Babe suddenly grew breasts and developed an interest in boys.