KEITH O'BRIEN is the New York Times bestselling author of Paradise Falls, Fly Girls, and Outside Shot, a finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sportswriting, and an award-winning journalist. O'Brien has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Politico, and his stories have also appeared on National Public Radio and This American Life. He lives in New Hampshire.
“Pete Rose's epic life demands the epic treatment, and Keith O'Brien marvelously takes on the challenge. He captures the dizzying heights and calamitous lows but even more, finds the humanity of the man who lived a sports life unlike any other.” —Joe Posnanski, New York Times bestselling author of Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments “Charlie Hustle is a thoroughly-reported, up-to-date account of a tragic American sports star. Keith O’Brien takes us through the highs and lows of Pete Rose’s rise and fall. Even if you think you already know it all, read this book. This is powerful new stuff.” —Dan Shaughnessy, New York Times bestselling author of Francona “Brilliant. . . . A gripping portrait. . . . [Charlie Hustle] leaves little doubt that the definitive account of the life and times of [Pete] Rose belongs to O’Brien. A masterpiece of a sports biography and a must-read for baseball fans.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “I’ve never liked Pete Rose. I'm not sure many people have liked Pete Rose. But he also may well be the most fascinating pro athlete of the last century. And that's what makes Keith O’Brien's richly reported, beautifully written Charlie Hustle so damn good. It's riveting. It's engrossing. And, like Rose, it's impossible to ignore.” —Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Folk Hero “As much as many fans of the game want to forget this sordid tale, Keith O'Brien reminds us of its centrality to the story of our National Pastime. It's a dazzling, soaring accomplishment, a counterpoint to the tragic fall of one of the game's greatest, brought on entirely by his own hubris, arrogance and insolent disregard for baseball's stern code.” —Ken Burns “Baseball biography at its best. With Charlie Hustle, Pete Rose finally gets the book he deserves, and baseball fans get the book we’ve been craving, a hard-hitting, beautifully-written tale that will stand for years to come as the definitive account of one of the most fascinating figures in American sports history.” —Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of King: A Life