"A loving ode to a dedicated journalist and the bygone era in which he made his mark."
Jimmy Breslin
The Man Who Told the Truth
Description
In a newspaper career spanning decades, Jimmy Breslin covered the stories that he knew mattered most: the human stories beyond the front page. From the JFK assassination, to the Son of Sam killings, mafia heists, the Crown Heights riots, and the Occupy movement, Breslin's influential columns captured the lifebeat of the second half of the 20th century. A quintessential New Yorker, Breslin rubbed shoulders with world leaders and neighborhood arsonists, profiled JFK's gravedigger, and elicited letters from the Son of Sam killer during his reign of terror, all recounted in columns that were personal, blunt, and the truth—at least Jimmy's version of it.
Jimmy Breslin: The Man Who Told the Truth is the first biography of the legendary writer, vividly portrayed by Richard Esposito, a former colleague of the Big Man. From Breslin's humble beginnings as a copy boy, to winning the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, the writer's life was as fascinating as any of his subjects. With the full cooperation of Breslin's family and interviews with countless of his former coworkers, friends, and enemies, Esposito has crafted a meticulous and revealing portrait of a complex man who bared his soul to the world in column inches.
Reviews
"Entertaining and detailed . . . A lively portrait of the legendary New York crime reporter and columnist."
"Thanks to this biography of my friend and colleague, Jimmy Breslin, you will experience the essence of New York City, and also of a writer who ignored all hierarchies of race, class, gender and nation. I miss him everyday."
"Jimmy died in the end but it's a terrific read."
