Jackie Atkins of The Philadelphia Inquirer breaks down three myths surrounding Babe Ruth in her review of The Big Fella, of which she writes:
In The Big Fella, Jane Leavy, former Washington Post sportswriter, goes a long way toward filling in many of the blanks in the story of George Herman “Babe” Ruth, and in the myths surrounding his exceptional talent. She argues persuasively that this slugger nonpareil helped create the modern celebrity industry. She also manages to write one of the best documentaries of America’s first decades of world domination. At well over 600 pages, The Big Fella, beyond being the premiere biography about the King of Crash, is a book for all history buffs, not just fans of the New York Yankees, baseball, or sports in general.