O’Brien has crafted a sort of American tragedy about an undersized athlete raised to win at all costs ... O’Brien deftly builds suspense and narrative friction.
I’m not sure there’s ever been a book that does a better job of sketching out that man than Keith O’Brien’s ... The author approaches his project with an undeniable appreciation of Mr. Rose’s appeal and ability to connect with the common fan, but he is not afraid of digging into often unsettling truths ... Comprehensive, compulsively readable and wholly terrific.
Outside of a true devotion to the craft of hitting, there is arguably nothing admirable about the adult Pete Rose ... Gets better and better as it builds to Rose’s ultimate downfall. No spoilers, but O’Brien ends his fantastic book in grand walk-off fashion, painting a brilliant, harrowing picture of Rose today, pathetic and willing to sign anything for a buck.
O’Brien’s narrative is compelling, meticulously reported, and bolstered by interviews with many of the principals, including, for a while, Rose himself.
O’Brien’s work is so well researched and adheres to traditional journalistic standards in such a way that it is, by any objective measure, as fair as possible to all the principle figures, particularly Rose himself ... A masterpiece of a sports biography and a must-read for baseball fans.
