Fall from Grace: The Truth and Tragedy of "Shoeless Joe" Jackson

I played baseball as a kid. I understand the game. I loved baseball. I still love watching baseball. I am a Chicago Cubs fan, so 2016 was a momentous year for me. I now live in Greenville, South Carolina after living my entire life in Iowa. Anyone who knows baseball knows that the famous Shoeless Joe Jackson was born, grew up, and lived most of his life in Greenville. As an avid baseball fan, I have always been fascinated by the 1919 Chicago White Sox World Series scandal which led to the terms "Black Sox" and "8 Men Out." So I thought it was about time that I read a well-researched book about the "fixing" of that World Series and Shoeless Joe Jackson's association with the events which have kept him out of Cooperstown. Tim Hornbaker did a masterful job of holding my attention from start-to-finish. This "dead ball" era of baseball included some of the greatest men to ever play the game of baseball: Jackson, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner. Shoeless Joe's regular season statistics alone qualified him for the Hall of Fame, but, unfortunately, he was caught up in a dishonorable, illegal situation; even if he maintained his innocence until his death in 1951, the bottom line was that he suffered the natural, logical, and tragic consequences of that association. In the scandal's best light, he was naive and foolish; in the worst, dishonorable, greedy, and narcissistic. I give him the benefit of the doubt. After reading Hornbaker's book, I would conclude he was a kind, thoughtful, loving man who unfortunately got caught up in a mess which forever stained his baseball reputation. If you love baseball and an excellently-documented real-life thriller, I would encourage you to read FALL FROM GRACE: THE TRUTH AND TRAGEDY OF SHOELESS JOE JACKSON.

I first heard about Shoeless Joe Jackson when I was a boy and over the years would hear his name mentioned from time to time. The "Field of Dreams" movie brought the name back again. Recently, I watched the movie again and it made me curious so I looked up books on him and this seemed the best. It was a good read and very interesting. I had no idea that he was as great a ballplayer as he was. To be on a par with Ty Cobb and to have influenced the likes of Babe Ruth is impressive. So is his .356 lifetime batting average. He was an interesting character off the field, too. This book covers so many facets of Jackson's life. Knowing his stats in baseball and his impact on the game and the company he kept made it all the more tragic that he was banned from the game. One can only imagine what he could have accomplished, given a full career. I was disappointed in a sense and held back a star because I expected the book to present facts that exonerated Jackson regarding the 1919 World Series fix. Evidence on both sides is presented. Exoneration could not get back the career Jackson missed but it could have him recognized by Cooperstown. It's a shame that a player of his abilities and achievements is remembered more for one ill-advised act than for the years of productivity on the field.

This book was very informative with so much information that I had never heard before. If you love the history of baseball it’s a must read. Definitely will either change some of your views or at least question them in regards to Shoeless Joe. Definitely recommend.

The research done to complete this book was rather thorough. The author made a good case of why Shoeless Joe Jackson should be in the Hall of Fame. However, I know the author concluded this book in agreement with the baseball commissioner when Jackson was banned from baseball. Yet a jury found all of players not guilty of any crime! And Jackson hit .375 during the series. I believe it is very unfortunate that Shoeless Joe Jackson is not in the baseball Hall of Fame. I cannot help but believe the commissioner acted out of embarrassment and arbitrarily made this decision even after all “evidence” was presented at the trial, which concluded with not guilty!

An adequate biography of Joe Jackson who played baseball until 1920 when he was banned from the game with 7 other players, accused of throwing the 1919 world series while playing for the Chicago White Sox. The incident would come to be called the Black Sox scandal. Jackson's life outside of baseball was quite boring and the author did what he could with little material. The author spends a good deal of time investigating the scandal and Jackson's involvement. While Shoeless Joe Jackson's name is mostly forgotten, he was one of the all time great players. He had the third highest batting average of all time behind only Rogers Hornsby and Ty Cobb. Cobb always said that other than himself, Jackson was the greatest baseball player ever. I think a good deal more cold haven been done to explain just how good he was.

This book walks you through his life and background. It makes Joe Jackson the real man very understandable and reflects his abilities in the understated way Mr. Jackson lived his life.

This was a well researched documentary that thoroughly examined the 1919 Black Sox scandel with anemphasis on the involvement of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Was Joe Jackson guilty of conspiracy or just a rubecaught up in an unfortunate situation? The author gives you plenty of information but not definite conclusions.It is, for you, to draw your own conclusions.If you are a baseball fan, the book is interesting, but not exciting. The reader can get bogged down in detail, but the author does give the reader plenty of food for thought.I recommend the book from a historical perspective. It does not read like a novel, but rather a book about a time in our baseball history.

It was the first book I read on Shoeless Joe. I enjoyed learning more about him.

If you like baseball you will like this book

Excellent book