I read the book a few weeks ago and I’m afraid I can’t recommend it. George Steinbrenner is a larger than life character who has built the most successful sports franchise in America over the last 30 plus years, he certainly deserves a better written book than this.

Does the Goldenbock text bring something to the table, absolutely. We get the picture of a very driven man in need of constant ego fueling. We understand more about ourselves, while we abhor personalities of this type, we all like good results. George got them in spades, so in a way, all is forgiven. The book gives a behind the scene look at George as a family man and husband, information that has not been public knowledge up to this point and that’s an additional plus. We also get a clearer picture of George as his life winds down. I believe his family will sell the club at the very first opportunity it gets and we can see that day coming up in the near future.

I thought the book was weak in some key areas, George’s purchase of the team could have been covered in a little more depth. I also thought the Winfield years and George’s relationship with Lou could have been given a little more depth.

The real bad news of course are the errors. Steve, let’s be clear here if this was a term paper this guy would be lucky to get a C. What Ed Wood was to film making, Goldenbock is to non fiction writing. Some chapters have more than one error per page, at times making one feel like the old Highlight Magazine days, trying to pick out the errors hidden in the text. Denny Mclain on the 84 Tigers, Roger Maris in the Hall of Fame, Willie Randolph on the 75 Yankees, Billy Martin fired by Texas in 1974, Yankees winning the pennant in 1924 and 1959, Reggie Jackson driving in 14 runs in the 78 series, Munson’s plane crash September of 79 . It goes on and on to such a point that it strains the reliability of anything he writes. “Eagle-eyed baseball fans”, Mr. Magoo could spot the errors.

George Steinbrenner is too interesting a public figure for a bio like this.

Look at it this way. George Steinbrenner is easily one of the most ten important people in the history of the New York Yankees organization.
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You should make a list of who you think the Top 10 most important members of the Yankees organization throughout its history. It would probably take you a while to compile everything, but would be interesting.