Achilles in Pinstripes

Joe DiMaggio: The Hero’s Life, by Richard Ben Cramer (Simon & Schuster, 560 pp., $28)

Nineteen thirty-four was a tough year for the New York Yankees. It was painfully clear that the mighty Bambino was in the twilight of his majestic career, and as good as Lou Gehrig was, he couldn’t carry the team by himself. Besides, he didn’t have Babe Ruth’s charisma.