Babe Didrikson: The Greatest All-Sport Athlete of All Time

by Susan E. Cayleff

Book Overview

A gold medal Olympian, Babe Didrikson, recently rated by ESPN as one of the top ten athletes of the twentieth century, excelled at every sport she tried: running, jumping, javelin throwing, swimming,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573241946
• ISBN13: 9781573241946
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Conari Press
• Length: 175 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Fun, readable & informative for young and old alike

I loved reading about this gregarious and complicated athlete. This is a biography intended for young adults, but everyone will like it. Cayleff's original adult biography says she spent ten years researching Babe's life, interviewing surviving family and friends, etc., so her story is the real thing. It's also an important story, since she was the only female mentioned in the top 10 of "the greatest 20th century athletes" lists by ESPN, etc.I particularly enjoyed how Babe had a talented story-telling "changeling" quality to remake herself when she wasn't getting what she wanted. She was a physically strong "Texas tomboy" trying to make it in a time and place that liked girly-girl athletes.What struck me most was the irony that her tombstone reads "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game," yet Babe always said "I don't see any point in playing if I don't win. Do you?" She had a few different images going for her, and she used all the tricks!Get it; I'm assigning it to my community college students to learn about both women and American culture in the 30s-50s. They'll enjoy reading it while learning.