Honest Sid: Memoir of a Gambling Man

(iUniverse) This book follows the adventures of the author’s father, Sid Probstein, in New York City during the first half of the 20th century. It chronicles his short and scandalous career as a professional baseball player, his subsequent work in vaudeville, and his experiences in World War I. By the eve of the Great Depression — when Ronald Probstein was born — Sid had become a gambler, a horseplayer, and a bookie. Told through the eyes of the son who loved him, the story of Honest Sid is a closely observed examination of a family making its way during a colorful and difficult period in American history. Ronald Probstein is the Ford Professor of Engineering, emeritus at MIT.