Jimmy Breslin: The Man Who Told the Truth

by Richard Esposito

“Do not. Confuse me. With. The facts. I tell the truth.”—Jimmy Breslin, quote as remembered by Richard EspositoThe first-ever biography of America’s greatest crime reporter

In a newspaper career spanning decades, Jimmy Breslin covered the stories that he knew mattered 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 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 estate, and interviews with countless of Breslin’s 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.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook

360 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2024

Reviews

[Sunnyside Reads LFL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the free, advanced, digital review copy. While the height of Jimmy Breslin's career is a bit earlier than my time, I know the name from my interest in the field of journalism.

I expected a bit more of a traditional biography where the author walks me through Breslin's life. I should have known that wasn't what I was in for by the simple fact that journalism was Breslin's entire life from his early years starting off in a copy room to his death where he struggled to put down the pen and retire. I believe Richard Esposito wrote Breslin’s biography the way Breslin wrote about others, by immersing himself into who the person was, what he felt, and how he thought. In this book, you are learning who Breslin is by coming alongside Breslin as he immersed himself in his storytelling pieces of investigative journalism. This book covers many of his most famous works, from Kennedy's surgeon and grave digger all the way to Occupy Wall Street and doesn't shy away from the controversy toward the end of his career. As someone who wasn't familiar with all of his work, I found this biography to be fascinating on two fronts: learning about Breslin, but also learning a new side to many of our country's headline stories.

I listened to this on audio book as read by Eric Jason Martin. I hadn't heard of this narrator before but his voice lends well to the story of an old New York newsroom and makes you feel as if you're sitting there yourself, choking on smoke and chasing it with a glass of whiskey.

[Michael A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book. Breslin’s bio brings back so many memories of reading his columns and of the wide array of events he reported on. He was a bigger than life personality during a time when journalism meant writing a newspaper column not sound bites. His depiction of events like the JFK and John Lennon assassinations, the Son of Sam and racial and organized crime violence is unsurpassed. Great read.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book resonated with me because not only go I remember reading his columns but I grew up 2 blocks from Queens Boulevard. The news stories and locations were so familiar, and I especially enjoyed learning about the relationships with other notable reporters and writers.

[Kevin Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seemed like maybe the author tried a little too hard to mimic Breslin's style. Or maybe that's just the way he writes, I don't know. I have mixed feelings about this book, just as I have mixed feelings about Breslin the man. My favorite part was Breslin's prescient expositions about Donald Trump back in the 80s in the wake of the Central Park Five fiasco.

[Daniel Silliman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really a biography. An appreciation.

Breslin's less remembered and talked about now than the other practitioners of "New Journalism"—Tom Wolfe, Hunter Thompson, Gay Talese—so this book fills a critical gap. Breslin stayed with daily journalism and lived in the world where people read papers on the subway, so that's really different than the others and makes his approach to journalism unique. The book gets at this well.

But since it's not a biography, we learn little about how Jimmy Breslin became Jimmy Breslin. We learn little about how he developed or changed. We don't really face any of the criticisms of his style or personal difficulties, except obliquely. He's not an uncomplicated man, but we get a pretty uncomplicated picture (and a tendency toward repetition. Every good line is given twice.).

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that gives you the very best and very boldest of Breslin, warts and all, but particularly with an eye on his journalistic skill, courage, and ear and eye for the people of the city of New York. In our time of diminished journalism and the era of fake news and demonization of the press, Esposito's biography of Breslin is a reminder that those who speak truth to power do it best when they do it with an ear to the street and shoulder to shoulder with, and often going against, the crowd. I loved this book beyond the capacities of hyperbole.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 1 out of 5]

A real disappointment. Supposedly a biography of JImmy Breslin, its badly written and focuses on Breslin's liberal/left poltics. We even get a shot at Donald Trump circa 1986.

Its hard to list Breslin's views without falling asleep since they were so conventional. I doubt Breslin ever read a NY Times editorial he disagreed with. Breslin was skeptical of religion and the police, was soft on crime, 110 percent against racism, sexism, antisemitism, xenophobia, etc. etc. and loved the Irish, Bobby Kennedy, Israel, and Liberal Democrats. Oh, and disliked Nixon, Reagan, and Republicans.

Like I said, snoozeville. He also wrote about old sports games which nobody in 2025 cares about, and the Mob. Probably his writings about the NYC mob are the only subject still of interest.

People are full of nostalgia for these old-time Big City reporters (see also: Mike Royko and Pete Hamill)- y'know the supposedly working class joes that had the mythical bottle of Irish Whiskey in their desk drawer, and wrote well. And who "Spoke truth to Power". Because when you actually read their stuff and look at their political stances, you realize they were all just Dan Rathers with a few more brains, and a Bronx or Chicago accent.

[John Quaglione · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book moved very slow and there was a lot of repetition. There were some interesting parts about Mr. Breslin responding to different major events in the City throughout his career which shed some insight.
Feel like the book could have been shorter and could have used a better editor - for one example, the photo from the Breslin street renaming has the wrong year -it did not take place on May 30, 1987 - which actually took place in May 2017. Pretty big screwup.
As someone who once was an aspiring journalist, I was disappointed and would not recommend the book.

[Jeff Platsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I can say is ‘meh.’ For such a colorful, boisterous, somewhat eccentric writer, this book, unfortunately, does not do him justice, so many redundancies, it was if each chapter were written without reference to previous chapters. Breslin deserves better. At least One inaccuracy noted: the mob meeting referenced early in the book was in Apalachin-not Appalachia. But the author’s description of the Queens County Courthouse, Pastrami King, Pep McGuire’s and other Queens Blvd. References were on target.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I skipped work at The Milford Daily News in Massachusetts in May 1976, to drive to Fitton Field at Holy Cross with my young wife to see and hear my hero Jimmy Breslin receive an honorary degree from the College and deliver the commencement address.

Jimmy Breslin was my North Star as a reporter and sometimes columnist. I never attained his Olympian heights as a writer but I improved my reading Breslin columns, articles and books.

Richard Esposito wrote a masterpiece about The Master.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

a great writer but a terrible man.

This book was very-well written. I learned a lot about journalism in New York. I knew very little about the Herald Tribune and was happy to read about it. But I was disappointed in what I learned about Breslin , whose writing I had enjoyed for many years. He spouted his liberal credentials and virtues in his columns, but it turns out that he was a racist, misogynistic antisemite. Worst of all, he seems to have been a terrible father. He married again only 15 months after the death of Rosemary, his wife and mother to his six grief-stricken children, the youngest of whom probably not in their teens yet. And doesn’t take them with him when he moves to the Upper West Side with his new wife. Did they raise themselves? The book gives short shrift to this issue. Apparently, his new wife , Ronnie Eldridge, a well-known political "do-gooder", wanted nothing to do with them. This is unforgivable.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the subject of the biography but I was not entirely thrilled with the style in which it was written. There were too many times of having to guess as to what the author was alluding to; however, it is my understanding that Breslin’s style was quite similar. Breslin was not a man that was afraid to get into the middle of a story to obtain the story. I plan to read a few of Breslin’s books now.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Breslin's writing. I ordered this as soon as I found out about it. It's structured around events that caused Breslin to write a column about each event - it's not a straight biography. I liked knowing the background to each column.

Breslin's The Good Rat is one of my favorite books - because of the way he captures the voice of each character.

[Joe McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent biography by Richard Esposito succeeds because it is episodic. The author describes a situation vividly and moves on to a new chapter. Two points of interest: 1) Mr. Breslin earned big salaries at some newspapers in his career, but he also did well as a book author; 2) he helped our city greatly by describing malfesance by police.

[Daniel Katzive · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history of a man’s life, a city, and of journalism itself told by a veteran NYC reporter. Makes me want to be a better reader, a better writer, and a better reporter. Many great columns are excerpted within which capture moments in the city’s history so vividly and often, with the benefit of hindsight, quire presciently. Wish I had read more Breslin when he was writing.

[Nancy K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great "visit" with the wonderful New York writer.

[Jquick99 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much ideology. DNF.

[gail ober · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t read it. It was over-written and all over the place.

[Carol Dimitriou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book about Jimmy Breslin, the journalist who wrote for the common man. As a former New Yorker, the book brought back so many memories. Jimmy Breslin was one of a kind!

[Marc Reichel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a difficult time reading this book...a constant struggle.
Mr. Esposito attempted to reveal the truth about Mr. Breslin (JB) by exploring his past, recounting his immediate family life, his work ethic, and his proud career accomplishments. But the author gets hung up on his own recanting of the turbulent 1960-70s and veers away from JR who I want to know more about. Instead, Mr. Esposito is on a political campaign with liberal rhetoric that is old and trite. There are too many chapters of demagoguery and not enough about the man himself. I want more of JR and less of Mr. Esposito.

[William Weger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true journalist from the glory days. Great storyteller who never flinched.