The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias compact disc by don van natta. I didnt know a whole lot of things about babe until i picked up wonder girl, a new biography by don van natta jr. Family guy has made numerous references to babe zaharias being one of the greatest americans to have lived. The babe didrikson zaharias museum pays tribute to the greatest female athlete of all time.
Wonder girl was what some called her, but a wonder woman is what she was, no costume or magic lasso required. Johnson and williamson cite the new york times story, but somehow came away with the. Despite attempts to keep women from competing, babe. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias, written by don van natta jr. I had only the vaguest idea of who babe didrikson was until i read don van nattas excellent book, wonder girl. This is the extraordinary story of a nearly forgotten american superstar athlete. Babe didrikson zaharias, wonder girl of the sports world. March 16, 2012 in recognition of its high standard of achievement in golf literature, wonder girl.
In recognition of its high standard of achievement in golf literature, wonder girl. Van nattas work spirits the reader away on this fairytale story with grace and humor. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias by don van natta. There is no lack of research into mildred ella babe didrikson zaharias life 19111956 most notably susan e. In an episode of arthur titled world girls, francine buys a doll of zaharias. Babe didrikson wonder girl author don van natta jrwmv.
The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias hardcover june 2, 2011 by don van natta jr. The man she married, george zaharias, was a villain in a wrestling ring who knew how. In june 2011, little, brown published a major biography of zaharias, wonder girl, by author don van natta jr. The life and legend of babe didrikson zaharias was written by susan e. In his book the wonder girl, the magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias, don van natta jr. Wonder girl hardcover the magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias. Babe didrikson zaharias, greatest woman athlete of all time. She was accomplished in just about every sport basketball, track, golf, baseball, tennis, swimming, diving, boxing, volleyball, handball, bowling, billiards, skating and cycling. The remarkable and remarkably unappreciated female athlete gets her due in don van natta jr. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias don van natta jr. Wonder girl has won the 2011 united states golf associations herbert warren wind book award.
I enjoyed a conversation with a friend yesterday about summer reading and we decided that a biography or two should be on the list. Wonder girl tells the story of babe didrikson zaharias who was a multisport athlete and cofounder of the lpga. Describes the exceptional life and times of lpga founder babe didrikson, the texas woman who achieved allamerican status in basketball, won gold medals in track and field in the 1932 olympics, and became the first woman to play against men in a pga tournament. Wonder girl book hennepin county library bibliocommons. This month and year mark the 100th anniversary of babe s birth, and van nattas book covers her entire career in a. Despite attempts to keep women from competing, babe achieved allamerican status in basketball and won gold medals in track and field at the 1932 olympics. Didricksons rise in athletics occurred during a time when professional sports had few, if any, openings for women.
The most recent book is wonder girl by don van natta jr. A rollicking saga, stretching across the first half of the 20th century, wonder girl is as fresh, heartfelt, and graceful as babe herself. Wonder girl the magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias by don van natta jr. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias van natta jr. Don van natta at the age of thirteen, texas girl babe didrikson announced that one day she would be the worlds greatest female athlete. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias by don van natta author. Don van natta does an excellent job at painting a picture of the young girl, who was nicknamed babe, as. Watch this exclusive intervew with bestselling author don van natta jr. By usga in recognition of its high standard of achievement in golf literature, wonder girl. Babe didrikson in baseball spring training 1934 the j.
It is probably the most accurate, complete and well written story of her life and is available at the museum and online. Babe didrikson zahariasnamed by sports illustrated as one of the top ten athletes of the twentieth century has long been shrouded in myth. Doug miles interviews pulitzer prize winning reporter ny times don van natta about his book wonder girl the story of babe didrikson. Everyone around her laughedbut shed turn out to be right.
The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias. Don van natta interview wonder girl babe didrikson. At the height of her fame, she was diagnosed with cancer. That babe born almost 100 years ago in port arthur, texas. In 1932, babe won the national womens aauolympic tryouts as an unattached. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias written by susan.
A rollicking saga, stretching across the first half of the 20th century, wonder girl is as fresh, heartfelt, and graceful as babe. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias, i started to think it was wrong to ever idolize the babe. Experience the extraordinary story of a nearly forgotten american superstar athlete. Texas girl babe didrikson never tried a sport too tough and never met a hurdle too high. In fact, babe was born in 1911, though she publicly shaved a few years off her age. Babe zaharias is among the most versatile and accomplished american athletes of all time. The babe didrikson zaharias foundation, along with george zaharias raised money for a museum which was completed in 1976. This sequence is misreported in whattagal and in the more recent didrikson biography, don van natta, jrs 2011 wonder girl.
Cayleff and published by theuniversity of illinois press in champaign, il in 1995. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias the physical object format paperback number of pages 432 id numbers open library ol27951086m. The magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias is a new biography of one of the 20th centurys most gifted athletes. Wonder girl wins usga herbert warren wind book award. Golf is a gentlemans game, but mildred ella didrikson zaharias shattered the grass ceiling like an east texas tornado. As an amazon associate and member of other affiliate programs, i earn from qualifying purchases. But thanks to van nattas scholarship, his journalistic discipline, and his entertaining and literate writing style, i now know plenty about babe and im glad i learned, even at this late stage of my life. Wonder girl the magnificent sporting life of babe didrikson zaharias book.