Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life

No wonder we strove for more that sixty years to give Joe DiMaggio the hero'' life. Dimaggio was, at every turn, one man we could look at who made us feel good.

In the hard-knuckled thirties, he was the immigrants' boy who made it big-and spurred the New York Yankees to a new era of dynasty. As World War 2 loomed, Joltin' Joe became our poster boy for American can-do, with his hitting streak of fifty-six straight-and the nation was literally singing his name. In postwar ease and plenty, he was our Broadway Joe, the icon of elegance and manly class…until he wooed and won, in Marilyn Monroe, the most beautiful girl that America could dream up. And even when he lost that girl for good, in1962 Joe was us at the start of our decade of national bereavement.

Joe Dimaggio was a mirror of our best self…and he was also the loneliest hero ever had. A nation of fans would give him anything…but what he wanted most was to hide the life he chose.