Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias

by Don Van Natta Jr.

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. Despite attempts to keep women from competing, Babe achieved All-American status in basketball and won gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Olympics. Then Babe attempted to conquer golf. One of the founders of the LPGA, Babe won more consecutive tournaments than any golfer in history. At the height of her fame, she was diagnosed with cancer. Babe would then take her most daring step of go public and try to win again with the hope of inspiring the world. A rollicking saga, stretching across the first half of the 20th century, Wonder Girl is as fresh, heartfelt, and graceful as Babe herself.

Genres: Biography, Sports, Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Book Club

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Don Van Natta is an investigative correspondent for the New York Times. He has been a member of three Pulitzer Prize-winning teams, and he is the author of the New York Times bestselling First off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers and Cheaters from Taft to Bush.

Reviews

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am LOVING sports biographies lately and wow, was this one good! Check out my full review on booktube: https://youtu.be/BWR9FW2XEzY

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars for Wonder Girl (audiobook) by Don Van Natta Jr. read by Hillary Huber. I can’t believe that I haven’t heard of Babe Didrikson before. Her story is amazing. She is one of the top 5 athletes of all time. This is a great biography.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a point in one's life when you grow up and realize that your sports heroes are just as human as you are, some are mean, some are as awesome as you hope and some you wish you had never rooted for. During the first few chapters of Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, I started to think it was wrong to ever idolize The Babe.

Don Van Natta does an excellent job at painting a picture of the young girl, who was nicknamed Babe, as spoiled and an awful brag. Tales of bullying classmates to play by her rules and having the muscle to back up the threats, Babe was unstoppable. She was also quite the racist by taking glee in beating up on black boys and girls in her quest to prove how tough she was.

When I mentioned her brashness to the ChiFem book club members, one of them said, "But if she were a guy, would it seem so bad?" Well, yeah...it still would be. Babe was like the Neon Deion of her generation. The LeBron of today. So cocky of her greatness that even if she was the best athlete on her basketball team, no one really rooted for her. All through her career, Babe was clearly the star. On the basketball court, when she was a one-woman track team, on the golf course and even on the Vaudeville stage. She was blessed with a universe of talet, but the Goddess left out humility and that cost her many friends.

Van Natta goes on to show the evolution of Babe. An evolution of sorts. She never seems to outgrow her desire to win, but she does move from winning to prove herself to winning for a larger and greater purpose -- the birth of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. And yes, for those of you who scoff at the fact that the league is called "Ladies," the story behind the name is in there too.

Despite my reaction to her brashness, I have to tip my hat to how well she blew apart society's view of what women could do. Before Babe, women in sports were a rarity or relegated to "pretty" sports like gymnastics and tennis. I thought of Tonya Harding a few times, when Babe's lack of girlyness was discussed. When she stepped onto the greens, she never hid her strength even when she did eventually wear more stylish clothes. And of course her strength led to questions about her sexuality and even her gender. Was Babe a lesbian or merely a man in women's clothing?

The questions didn't stop, even after she married, because no story of a champion would be complete without a love story. Whoa boy does Van Natta give us one. And one that seems to fit Babe perfectly. At first at least...Then we get to the classic, "Woman outshines her man" story when it all seems to go downhill.

I did stop at one point and put the book down to ponder the question of when does one stop being a role model and become a mere prop. How much did Babe HAVE to do in her life versus she felt she HAD to do.

Babe's story is also one of an amazing athlete who couldn't be felled by any competitor...except cancer. I truly believe she kicked cancer's ass big time, even if it did ultimately take her life.

In the end, one's life is often summed up with how one ends the race, not so much how they start out or even the glorious middle. Babe's life is one of contradictions, triumphs and honestly is quintessential of the great American Dream.While Babe didn't win over many friends in her life, her fans should continue to grow. She left a mark that changed how we view women and women as athletes.

If you are sports fan, a women's history buff or heck both, get yourself a copy. This was the first book I picked up after my semester was over and I devoured it in mere days. It's an easy and passionate read.

I have three copies of this book to giveaway to readers. Just leave a comment on my blog or on VLF's Facebook page to enter. Yes, you can comment at both places and enter twice. Winners will be chosen using Random.org. I'll start counting on VLF and then FB. So if I get 5 comments here and 2 on FB, Those on FB are entries #6 and #7. Restrictions are US and CA residents only, no PO boxes please. Make sure your comment includes your email address or I can't get the book to you.


Disclaimers: A publicist offered me a copy for review and I said "A world of yes!"

[Mahlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Babe was undoubtedly one of the great Sports personalities of the 20th Century, and she just so happened to be a woman. She was driven to succeed at Everything she did, this included many endeavors beyond sports. I used to think that she should be held up as an example to young girls everywhere and that everyone should know her story because, sadly, as her death fades further into the past, it seems that she is not as well remembered as she should be today. When I read that she liked to beat up Black kids in her neighborhood for fun as a young teenager, I became unsure of my prior assessment. Even though this is a great biography with an outstanding narrator I had to stop there.

[Peggy Jeffcoat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, an Olympic medalist in track and field (1932). She excelled in almost every sport and eventually in golf where she perhaps enjoyed the most fame. Her life from early childhood to her untimely death from cancer is fascinating reading. The first half of the book was the most interesting but I became a little bored with the golfing descriptions because I am not a golfer. This book is probably a 4 for golf enthusiasts.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really found this biography to be interesting. Babe was very brash and cocky, but she could certainly back it up!! The human interest aspect is always my favorite part of sports and this book was chock full of human interest. After being so strong and competitive, it was very sad to read about Babe finally losing her battle with cancer at 45. Any author would've been proud to develop a character in a book like Babe which makes it that much more amazing that she was a real person.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband gave me this book as a gift because it sounded interesting when he heard it reviewed on NPR. Wonder Girl tells the story of Babe Didrikson Zaharias who was a multi-sport athlete and co-founder of the LPGA. Didrickson's rise in athletics occurred during a time when professional sports had few, if any, openings for women. With her brash, confident personality, she turned many people off. In fact, I wasn't sure I liked her at first, but I think she had to behave that way to garner the attention necessary to make a profitable career out of her athletic talents. I also think her behavior is simply who she was.

Babe is an admirable woman who loved to play sports -- particularly golf. However, do not confuse this with a book about golf. I thoroughly enjoyed this book despite not being a fan of the sport because the focus was more on her triumphs and growth than about the actual game. If you enjoy reading biographies and/or about strong women in history, I strongly recommend this book. Not only is it a good story, but it is well written and intelligently told.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the first biography I have read about Babe Didrikson Zaharias, but it was good to remind myself of what a Wonder Woman she was. I remember reading about her as a pre-teen and getting interested in sport for sports' sake. Babe, an impoverished Texas child, embodied physical fitness and sport, at a time in my life when I could have gone with either the life of the mind or the life or the body. Didrikson Zaharias mastered basketball, tennis, track and field and golf, and while she played to win, she also played to be the best. I imagine the ideal body, neither female nor male, working through the motions of a particular sport, over and over. I can see Babe, arcing baskets, throwing the discus and the javelin, and finally, swooshing through a perfect golf swing. She died much too young of colon cancer, an ironic ending to a life of physical fitness that should have guaranteed her ten decades on this planet.

[PoligirlReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally picked up this book in 2011, after I heard a fascinating interview with the author on NPR. I had never heard of Babe, and I found her story to be very compelling.

Somehow, life got in the way, and I finally finished it in 2015. Her life was 5-star in terms of her nearly unbelievable athleticism (and one star for her grating personality!), but I'd also give five stars to Don Van Natta Jr. He's got a wonderful writing style that takes Babe's story and weaves it into a historical context. It's a shame that her accomplishments were so forgotten, when her name was once known to all. Hopefully this book renews interest in Babe and her amazing feats.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a little girl I thought Babe Didrikson Zaharias was the most amazing athlete (and she was) but it wasn't until I read this biography of her life that I understood her real life and how much she contributed to women's sports. The author is very balanced in his portrayal of her - which made me re-examine my own ideas around the difference between competitive edge and sportsmanship. The research that went into this book is very thorough, something I really admire and envy. This book isn't for everyone but I loved it..in fact I put off reading the last few chapters so it wouldn't end.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

If, like me, all you knew about Mrs. Zaharias was that she was a famous female athlete "back in the day", this book is a must-read. Van Natta paints a well-researched and -documented portrait of an athlete the likes of which may never be seen again. To me, the most impressive of Babe's many victories in many sports was her single-handed triumph at the 1932 AAU games in Chicago, when she outscored entire teams in various track and field events.

"The Babe" was truly sui generis and Wonder Girl is a fitting tribute to her memory.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and using a long lists of sources, this book tells the story of Babe Didrikson, probably the best female athlete of the 20th century. And it's not always a pretty picture, since Babe was, in her youth and early career, brash, socially awkward, and out only to win regardless of who was in her way. But there's also the heartbreak of losing her amateur status and her fight to regain it, her struggle to become "respectible", and her battle with cancer. A detailed portrait of this complicated and talented woman.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read -- definitely kept me coming back.

[Vicki Beyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting look at the life and career of Babe Didrikson. Incredible focus as an athlete, but personality flaws that the author is not afraid to show us, as well.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating biography. Held my interest the entire way.

[Debra Lochtrog · Rating 4 out of 5]

have never been interested in golf, this taught me nothing about it... but it was interesting reading about a woman who wasn't afraid to challenge stereotypes...

[Jean Sieffert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about the Babe.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

She wasn't the easiest person to like; but she was the woman athelete that all the others could thank for gravelling the road.

[Susan's Sweat Smells Like Literature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lively writing about the greatest female athlete. I want to visit babe's museum in Beaumont, Texas. I also want to watch the movie Pat and Mike in which she makes a cameo.

[John Stieven · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a truly marvelous athlete -- world class in everything she did. Too bad colon cancer struck her down in her prime!

[Justine Philyaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is easy to forget that not that long ago, the world was afraid of female athletes. Afraid that women were too fragile to even participate in sporting events let alone truly compete. Afraid that women would hurt themselves while participating in basic track and field events. When Babe Didrikson represented the United States at the 1932 Olympics, there were only 6 track and field events for women (and many saw that as 6 events too many), and female athletes were limited to competing in only 3 events. Imagine Allyson Felix having to choose between individual and relay events in the Olympics because people didn't think she could physically maintain a rigorous competition schedule. In 1932, Babe won 2 Olympic gold medals and a silver medal (taking 2nd in the high jump only after her technique was deemed controversial). Babe routinely matched the best male golfers of her time stroke for stroke, and she even took that wicked foe, cancer, into overtime.

From her teenage years in Texas playing semi-pro basketball to the beginnings of the LPGA, Babe led the way with her wit and uncensored commentary. While training, Babe pushed herself to the brink of exhaustion, and off the field, Babe toured the country endlessly promoting herself and her sports. Van Natta's biography feels thoroughly researched and blends facts with quotes from the Babe herself and those closest to her. I also enjoyed the historical and cultural background Van Natta includes that support just how much of an impact Babe had.

Babe wasn't much of a teammate. She preferred individual sports- because she preferred the individual glory. Her confidence didn't verge on arrogance; she was audacious and cocky. Was her swagger harder to accept because she was female? Probably, but Van Natta presents Babe without judgment or reproach, and her commitment to training and practice was incredible. She had the skills to back up her boasts, and she worked hard at being an athlete which makes her premature death to cancer tragically ironic. Wonder Girl is an interesting read about one of America's greatest sports legends.

[Paul Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review contains some spoilers.

This is a terrific biography, meticulously researched and extremely well-written, more for the general readership than golf nuts.

Babe Didriksen was almost single-handedly responsible for elevating female athletes from the short-sighted chauvinism of the 1920's and 1930's (where they were regarded by the world as weak amateurs) to being taken seriously as world class sports heroes. She played baseball, basketball, pool, track and field, and the sport she is most remembered for: golf.

Born in 1911, loudmouthed, arrogant, free-spirited, Babe was the daughter of Norwegian immigrants and grew up in Beaumont, Texas, where she became the neighborhood tom-boy and never grew out of it. If the boys wouldn't let her play, she'd start beating them up until they did. She participated in the Olympics and 21, but women's track and field at that time was not an official Olympic sport. She was only allowed to participate in three and won all three. She was awarded two Gold Medals, but a technicality rendered her Silver in the high jump.

At one track meet, she represented her entire team in multiple events and won a number of them. Her competitors never liked her much because she always played mind games with them and took the art of "psyching out" to another level. When she arrived at the gold course, she would meet the other ladies and thank them for coming because someone would have to take second place.

She married a "professional wrestler," George Zaharias, who was a much of a showman as she was and together they amassed a fortune. Babe played all the time, sometimes she would work the driving range until her hands bled. And she could back up her smart talk with drives that many men envied.

This is a really good biography and I highly recommend it!

[Julian Pecenco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Susan Cayleff's Babe: The Life and Legend of Babe Didrikson Zaharias years ago, and Van Natta's book is an interesting complement to that biography. Cayleff's book (as I recall; it's been around 15 years since I read it,) focuses more on fleshing out the secondary characters in her life. Both portray a brash, arrogant and self-centered woman told as many lies and truths about herself and her achievements. I see an interesting parallel to Lance Armstrong; both phenomenal athletes who used their cancer diagnoses to promote awareness. She was perhaps the more remarkable for speaking out at a time when most people refused to even publicly acknowledge they had cancer.

The biggest difference between the two books was the authors respective conclusions about Zaharias' sexual orientation. Cayleff conluded that she was likely a deeply closeted lesbian who feminized herself in order to meet society's expectations. Van Natta seems to conclude that she was purely heterosexual, (although there seems some room for debate,) and loved the feminine self she created in later years. As Mariah Burton Nelson pointed out in her review of Cayleff's book, it is very plausible that Babe was bisexual. While Cayleff may have gone too far in one direction, Van Natta's relegation of Dodd's six-year cohabitation with the Didrikson Zaharias to little more than a footnote seems odd.

Comparisons aside, this was a well, written and entertaining book, and enthusiastically read by narrator Hillary Huber.

[Anup Sinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent biography of Babe Didrikson, excellently researched and narrated by Don Van Natta Jr. I've long been fascinated by the fables of Babe Didrikson Zaharias but really didn't know the woman or her life story.

Babe was an otherworldly athlete. I'd venture to say only Jim Thorpe and Bo Jackson could play as many sports as well (or better) than she could during the entire 20th century. How could someone win two golds and one silver in the 1932 Olympic Track and Field events? One throwing, one running, and one jumping? And then go on to become the world's greatest female golfer? And also excel at baseball, basketball, swimming, tennis, bowling, you name it?

It's a story that seems too crazy to be true but Van Natta explains it all and does it without fluff. Babe doesn't need an fluff, she was not only a unique athlete but a unique personality; self-driven and competitive to a point that made her a controversial oddity for her era.

Van Natta also delves into the darker aspects of her life and her marriage, it isn't simply a book of aggrandizement. He throws out the fables and humanizes her which is plenty fascinating enough.

I strongly recommended for anyone who's interested in reading about great athletes.

(I stumbled upon the book driving through Beaumont, Texas, and seeing a sign for the Babe Zaharias Museum. I visited the little museum and then bought a book on my way out. I ended up driving around Beaumount to visit her girlhood home and pay my respects at her grave.)

[David Longo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of biographies, athletes or otherwise, and "Wonder Girl" by Don Van Natta Jr. ranks among the better ones. Van Natta is a good writer who possesses an eye for detail. The life of Babe Didrickson Zaharias, sports star supreme, is a smooth, easy read. It is also rather informative.

My minor complaint in reference to "Wonder Girl" is that Van Natta chronicles Babe Didrickson's golf prowess in such a way that it leads one to believe she won about 80% of the golf tournaments she played in. Babe was an amazing athlete. Indeed, she was one of a kind. But she won 31 tournaments out of 120-some odd efforts, or about 25%. It's still an outrageous statistic, the best ever for a female or male golfer, but Van Natta made it seem, except for her cancer years, as if she almost never failed to win.

Overall "Wonder Girl" is a quick and enjoyable read. It's not complicated with unnecessary fluff. Readers of sports biographies will enjoy it, especially those who love golf history.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite teaching Sociology, and understanding the finer points of gender inequality, I found myself aghast at the breathtaking gender stereotypes Babe faced in building her athletic career. For example, I am aware that women were barred from the Olympic marathon until 1984. However, I was not aware (until reading this book) that the level of gender disparity was so stark that one of the founding fathers of the modern Olympics (Baron Pierre de Coubertin) is quoted as saying:

"The Olympic Games must be reserved for men" and the winners should look forward to "female applause as their reward." Women competing in sports "violated the laws of nature"... a sweating female athlete was "the most unaesthetic sight human eyes could contemplate."

This book is a must-read for athletes, women, and especially women athletes.

For a more detailed review, please see: http://i-run-like-a-girl.blogspot.com...

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a biography of Babe Didrikson when I was a child and I loved her for her bravado. I also remember a movie in the 70s with Susan Clark and Alex Karras in the Babe/George roles. While I enjoyed the in depth view of her life that Van Natta has given me, I finished the book feeling a little disappointed that he didn't seem to even like Didrikson very much.

He pointed out all the places in her life where she exaggerated her stories or made claims that weren't quite reality by saying "this is a lie". Sure, she embellished - don't we all? If I had reporters surrounding me when I'm "on" I'd be taken to task A LOT. Babe Didrikson did amazing things at a time when women were supposed to shut up and hang out in the kitchen. She's been my hero for a long time, and Van Natta can't take that from me.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias by Don Van Natta Jr.- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- the book narrates the story of Babe Didrikson Zahaarias from Texas. She never tried a sport too tough and never met a hurdle too high. Despite attempts to keep women from competing, Babe achieved All-American status in basketball and won gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Olympics. Then Babe attempted to conquer golf. One of the founders of the LPGA, Babe won more consecutive tournaments than any golfer in history. At the height of her fame, she was diagnosed with cancer. Babe would then take her most daring step of all: go public and try to win again with the hope of inspiring the world. A rollicking saga, stretching across the first half of the 20th century, Wonder Girl is as fresh, heartfelt, and graceful as Babe herself.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining and informative book about the woman many hail as the greatest athlete of all time--Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Exceptional at a number of sports-basketball, baseball, track and field, billiards and golf, she rose from an impoverished Texas childhood to shine on a global stage.
Many components of her life are thought provoking: the way women athletes were viewed in the early 20th century and the stereotypes and discrimination they faced, her brashness and they way those around her marketed her and exploited her prowess, her battle against cancer and her decision to be public about it at a time when cancer was not discussed.
She pushed through the societal barriers to compete in sports and excelled in a way that no other has. A fascinating story.

[Rrshively · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty thorough biography of Babe complete with some pictures. She comes across as a feisty, competitive person who was proficient in almost every sport she tried. Surprisingly enough, golf was her most difficult to master. Coming from a poor, first generation family in Texas, she ended up with prize and endorsement money that made her rich. The section on her battle against cancer drove me to tears, as her fight happened at the same time as that of my grandmother, and the book took me back to that time when there was less to be done about cancer and fewer ways to detect it early. Also, cancer was a taboo subject, especially when it involved intimate areas of the body. Although this was a little long in places, I'm glad that I, a non athlete, read this biography.