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A decade in the making, this book is based on hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews with each of the twenty-four moon voyagers, as well as those who contributed their brain power, training and teamwork on Earth. In his preface Chaikin writes, "We touched the face of another world and became a people without limits."
What follows are thrilling accounts of such remarkable experiences as the rush of a liftoff, the heart-stopping touchdown on the moon, the final hurdle of re-entry, competition for a seat on a moon flight, the tragic spacecraft fire, and the search for clues to the origin of the solar system on the slopes of lunar mountains.
"I've been there. Chaikin took me back."--
Gene Cernan, Apollo 17 astronaut
Book Description
On the night of July 20, 1969, our world changed forever when two Americans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked on the moon. Now the greatest event of the twentieth century is magnificently retold through the eyes and ears of the people who were there. Based on the interviews with twentythree moon voyagers, as well as those who struggled to get the program moving, journalist Andrew Chaikin conveys every aspect of the missions with breathtaking immediacy: from the rush of liftoff, to the heartstopping lunar touchdown, to the final hurdle of reentry.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent review of how we made it to the Moon.......2007-09-06
Chaikin scores with this book. He successfully captures the underappreciated story of humankind's climb to the Moon.
I have read many books about the Apollo missions and this is the first one I recommend to anyone interested in the subject.
THE BEST.......2007-08-03
If you want to know the history of the Apollo moon landings, this is one of the 2 book you MUST read (Mike Collins "Carrying the fire" being the other) A history of the Apollo program, with flashbacks to Gemini and Mercury for perspective. Chaikin has EVERYTHING that happened here, and he worked to get it. Anyone that had anything to do with the missions, Chaikin talked to him or her. Want to know who flew what, and when, here it is. Why did it happen the way it did? Here ya go.
Even the warts, although, I think Deke was romanticized a bit.
Great mix of science, heroism, duty and personal stories.......2007-05-10
I was twelve when Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon. I was fascinated by science before then, and even now the Apollo program takes my breath away. The book spends time on each Apollo mission from the tragedy of the disastrous fire in Apollo 1 to the swan song of Apollo 17. Each mission has its fascinating story. Chaikin spends a lot of time on the personal recollections of the astronauts, the beauty of the earth from space, the magnificent desolation of the moon, and the effort and engineering genius of thousands of engineers and technicians related to the Apollo program.
The prose is generally good. There are some clunky sentences here and there. The power of the book comes from the author's access to the Apollo astronauts. He interviews the astronauts, technicians and scientists. He tells of their thought processes before, during and after the mission. Chaikin tells of the geologists who trained the astronauts. He tells of the hopes and dreams of a generation of space enthusiasts who watched the lunar missions on TV.
The book was a great read. This book was the inspiration and reference for the miniseries, "From Earth to Moon." If you liked the miniseries, you'll love this book.
An unforgettable experience.......2007-04-09
I liked this book even better than The Right Stuff. It delves into every aspect of the Apollo program, from its inception to its sad cancellation more than a decade later. Chaikin explores the politics, the science and technology, the personalities of the astronauts and others, the exhilaration of the experience of flying in space and landing on the Moon, and does so with a simple, direct, forthright relating of the facts which nevertheless conveys so much raw emotion and spirit. I challenge you to read this book and not be beseiged by dreams of flying to the Moon. The only thing that's missing is some of the behind-the-scenes going-on in Mission Control -- but that's okay. Gene Kranz and Chris Kraft explore those things in their books, and one omission is nothing to hold against Chaikin's definitive work. After reading this book, the only thing left for me to do is to meet the astronauts -- which I'll be doing this summer!!!! -- and maybe go to the Moon myself!
A Star of a Book.......2007-02-04
Almost 600 pages about the men and missions of Apollo that cleverly weaves together extensive interviews and research. Many of the accounts are vivid and Chaikin does a good job of avoiding jargon by focussing more on the people and their experiences rather than technology. If you remember looking up at the moon on July 20,1969 or building a Saturn V model, this book will take you right back. My one criticism is the unabashed pro-NASA/Apollo program view taken throughout the book. Fortunately, this does not detract much from the main story.
Book Description
This book provides you with an understanding of how the mental game works and details the concrete strategies for developing such elusive skills as concentration, mental pre- paratin and staying in control under pressure.
Customer Reviews:
Great read.......2007-08-31
Great read for any serious baseball player, coach or parent. One of the BESt books I have read on baseball.
Owners manual for the mental game of baseball and softball.......2007-05-10
This book was recommended to me by Coach "Hutch" of the University of Michigan's Lady Wolverines, and I've not been disappointed. I highly recommend this book for both coaches and players (over 16).
Heads Up Baseball.......2007-01-03
The book was in excellent condition and the delivery time was speedy.
Great Book.......2006-08-28
This book discussed many strategies and skills that are very beneficial in playing the game of baseball.
I would recommend it to anyone
Best baseball sports psych book I have seen.......2006-03-11
I teach high school sports psychology and have used this book as a text on several occasions. I now make it mandatory for all of my softball and baseball players as additional reading. Their feedback has been nothing but positive regarding performance enhancement. I strongly recommend this user-friendly text for any sport!
Book Description
With this book readers can become acquainted with the Apollo spacecraft in detail and learn the story of its design and construction.
Customer Reviews:
Easily bested by others........2007-09-18
Pretty generic. Poor detail that doesn't really explain anything is depth. Affordable grade graphics that doesn't show components in sharp enough detail to tell more than basics. I can easily get more detailed information from internet sources. I was hoping for more than brochure level diagrams.
a wonderful CAD job about CSM.......2007-06-30
excuse me for my bad english
as french reader, I never succed to find in NASA official websites a so precise description of APOLLO CSM .
Every engineering hardware design is very well described in this book.
The only lack concern the links between SM and SLA(APOLLO SATURN LUNAR ADAPTER the conical fairing beetween CSM and the S4B third stage)
Good, but needs a rewrite now........2007-06-23
As my title implies this book could now benefit from the experience the author has gained on his later work, the Virtual LM. Small technical errors in perspective and some lacking of detail are evident to the real "space head". The author seems to have still been learning the Autocad program, as he later mastered how to make his diagrams more vivid and appealing to the eye.
It is still a fantastic expose of the Command and Service modules that takes you literally behind the scenes. Not just pretty exertior pictures but rip off the skin and lets see the guts type pictures.
Redo the book and it definitely gets bumped up to a five star!
Interesting but not fullfilling.......2007-05-14
I looke forward to this book quite a bit as Appollo was THE project when I was a young engineer. The book, while extensive, lacks details and explanation of most of the material.
A great book.......2007-04-02
This book is a great buy if you are interested in the Moon race. Very thorough, but not as good as the Virtual LEM in my opinion. Still a good companion book.
Average customer rating:
- A must for all Tom Hanks fans!
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Tom Hanks: A Career in Orbit
David Quinlan
Manufacturer: B.T. Batsford
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Tom Hanks: A biography (People profiles)
ASIN: 0713480734 |
Customer Reviews:
A must for all Tom Hanks fans!.......1998-09-28
From author David Quinlan, the respected film reviewer for Britain's TV Times magazine, comes what is by far, the best--and most accurate--Tom Hanks biography to date.
The book is well written and easy to read. It is also nicely illustrated with a large selection of film stills and candid photos. There's plenty of information about Tom's personal life which is sure to satisfy even the most curious fan. The only negative in the whole book is that the author continually ridicules Tom's emotional Oscar acceptance speeches.
The book is divided into ten chapters, most of which are named after Tom's films. These include: "Making a Splash" (documents Tom's successful movie debut in Splash), "Nothing in Common" (Tom's failed marriage to Samantha), "Bosom Buddies" ((Tom meets--and marries--his beloved Rita), and "A League of His Own" (Tom's "Sleepless in Seattle" success and subsequent Oscar wins). There is also an index and detailed filmography which concludes with That Thing You Do! (The pending release of Saving Private Ryan is mentioned in the final chapter).
Book Description
The companion volume to the PBS documentary film about the first—and perhaps most astonishing—automobile trip across the United States.
In 1903 there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire nation and most people had never seen a “horseless buggy”—but that did not stop Horatio Nelson Jackson, a thirty-one-year-old Vermont doctor, who impulsively bet fifty dollars that he could drive his 20-horsepower automobile from San Francisco to New York City. Here—in Jackson’s own words and photographs—is a glorious account of that months-long, problem-beset, thrilling-to-the-rattled-bones trip with his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, and a bulldog named Bud. Jackson’s previously unpublished letters to his wife, brimming with optimism against all odds, describe in vivid detail every detour, every flat tire, every adventure good and bad. And his nearly one hundred photographs show a country still settled mainly in small towns, where life moved no faster than the horse-drawn carriage and where the arrival of Jackson’s open-air (roofless and windowless) Winton would cause delirious excitement.
Jackson was possessed of a deep thirst for adventure, and his remarkable story chronicles the very beginning of the restless road trips that soon became a way of life in America.
Horatio’s Drive is the first chapter in our nation’s great romance with the road.
With 146 illustrations and 1 map
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
A short book about a long journey.......2007-09-28
I enjoy reading almost anything about antique autos,the early days of the US auto industry, old car trips and stories about the history of early automobile travel in the United States. This is a wonderful companion to the PBS series video on the first successful United States transcontinental auto trip from California to NYC. Great olde tyme photos and a well presented memoir of the adventure. Of course you cannot "just" read the book...the video is a must!
Before the SUV..........2005-11-05
Amazing document about a time in American history when there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire country. In 1903, an adenturous 31 year old Doctor from Vermont, now retired and living happily with his weathy young wife (on her funds), decided he'd attempt to be the first to man cross the continent via the latest technological gadget: the automobile. Being a non-mechanic, he hired an equally spirited 21 year old former bicycle racer who had been working as a mechanic in a gasoline-engine factory in California to accompany him. Most roads were little more than muddy wagon paths, and when those stopped the travellers could only follow along railroad tracks or trust in their sense of direction as they set out across the vast plains and desert. Nevertheless, they made the trek successfully.Equally amazing, his beloved wife condoned his folly and waited anxiously at home. They wrote letters to each other regularly, and these (preserved) letters were the author's primary source of information about his daily successes and frustrations along his cross-country 'expedition'.This book, a companion to the PBS documentary film (available on DVD) is filled with rare vintage photos. Few would attempt such a journey today, even with modern GPS equipped 4x4 vehicles, and the book and DVD are both splendid inspirations for anyone who loves to share in the triumphs of those few individuals who would fearlessly challenge what has never been done simply because they believe they can succeed.I only wish there had been more more detailed excerpts from the original correspondences included in this book. Still, a splendid addition to your library... and your education!
not the narrative from the PBS show.......2005-10-26
I had it in my head that this was going to be the audio from the wonderful PBS show but I was mistaken. It is a reading of the book. I should've looked more closely. The story, however, is wonderful. The voices from the narrative on the PBS show were more engaging and lively that those on this CD but the story remains just as good.
Brief but fun.......2005-08-03
This is a brief account of the first cross country automobile trip, sprinkled with photographs taken by the "automobilist" as he traversed the nation's dirt roads just after the turn of the last century. Horation Nelson Jackson bet someone $50 in a club in San Francisco that he could cross the country in an automobile he had just bought, and do it in less than 90 days. He spent over $8,000 winning his bet (though he never collected the money).
The car (something called a Winton) had numerous breakdowns. After each one, Jackson would write his wife and advise her that "the worst is over now" after which the car would inevitably break down again. Jackson and his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, spent endless days waiting for parts and jury-rigging parts for the car. After Jackson and Crocker left San Francisco, two other cars, each with its own pair of intrepid motorists, left there also, all three headed to New York City. In spite of a number of hindrances, Jackson's Winton beat out the Packard and the Oldsmobile. Jackson even picked out a dog, named Bud, who wore goggles and rode in the front seat for most of the adventure.
This is a rather short book. It took me perhaps an hour and a half to read. It's full of illustrations and has a map showing the route Jackson took. It's also very interesting, covering a part of American history that I imagine many people had never heard before. I recommend it.
Unabridged Audio CD.......2005-05-30
Having recently read the "Lincoln Highway", I was interested in learning more about the earliest travel across the country by automobile. I opted for the audio CD so we could listen to the story while in the car.
Often, my mind wanders when listening to audio books. However, that wasn't true for this audio book. The story of this historic trip, as well as the narration by various individuals, has retained both my interest and attention.
I would recommend that anyone not familiar with the means of travel at that time and road conditions, become familiar with it before beginning with the audio CD... Next, I plan on watching the video DVD of Horatio's Drive.
Book Description
An intimate portrait of America's favorite actor and star of the Hollywood blockbuster, The Da Vinci Code.
Two-time Oscar winner and three-time Oscar nominee, Tom Hanks is unquestionably one of the finest actors of his generation. Starring in such memorable films as Big, Splash, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Philadelphia, and Saving Private Ryan, Hanks has won both critical respect and the hearts of fans the world over. Yet despite his extraordinary success, this very private actor remains an enigmatic figure. Now, journalist David Gardner looks at Tom Hanks' life—his difficult childhood; the breakdown of his first marriage; his family life and friendships; and his decision not to take on violent roles. Drawing on interviews with close friends and family members, this is an illuminating account of a much-loved but little-known Hollywood star.
Customer Reviews:
All you may need to learn something about Tom........2007-01-26
This is an updated "David Gardner Book" (see others on the amazon-list) about actor Tom Hanks which provides you with most important things to learn something about Tom Hanks' life. Easy-to-read style, in-depth research and even latest entries are accurate. The only "minor" thing which may disappoint some readers and fans is the fact of getting only a small number of black and white pictures in the book (therefore only 4 stars).
Nevertheless, strongly recommended.
Behind the screen.......2006-09-30
Tom Hanks is well known, famous even, for the wide variety of film roles he has played from Forrest Gump, to astronauts, to Army Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan. Yet in spite of the large number of movies he has made, he remains a quiet and generally unknown person. He has managed to escape the wild publicity swings, multiple divorces, and generally outrageous behavior often found in Hollywood characters.
This book, by British author David Bardner tells the story of Tom Hank's life, the history of his films and of his family. It is written neither to glorify nor condemn, but seems to strike a fair balance of objective reporting.
It brings out how hard Tom Hanks had to work to hone his craft. His casual screen style is no accident but the result of a lot of hard work, and a wise selection of roles and directors. All in all, you are convinced that Tom Hanks is a really nice guy.
Average customer rating:
- An incredible inspiration
- A "MUST READ" FOR ANY FAMILY FACING CHILDHOOD CANCER
- Amazingly insightful
- Life and love James-style
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Ya Can't Let Cancer Ruin Your Day
Syd Birrell
Manufacturer: Green Train Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0973808004 |
Customer Reviews:
An incredible inspiration.......2006-04-06
"The James Emails" is a testament to a remarkable boy who through this book, will teach many how to laugh in the face of intense sadness. The book is hard to put down, and readers will find themselves laughing and crying all the way through. This is a starkly honest account of family love and grief that will inspire readers to appreciate every day.
A "MUST READ" FOR ANY FAMILY FACING CHILDHOOD CANCER.......2006-04-06
James, a young boy with a rare childhood cancer (neuroblastoma), inspires us to find the joy in every day and in every way. James teaches us how to live. The terrible tragedy of his death is as heart wrenching as his story is inspirational. You will get to know the whole family, and share in the emotions. This book is "must" reading for any family dealing with childhood cancer. Syd Birrell's efforts to find a cure is equally inspiring. You'll love this book.
Amazingly insightful.......2006-04-06
As a parent of a child who has had neuroblastoma; I was touched by James' story. It is not just a history about an exceptional child who has cancer, but a family's poignant struggle to make life fun, despite the ups and downs of real life.
James' life, and eventual passing, has touched the hearts of thousands around him that have never even known him. Syd, through James, you have taught us how to live our lives to the maximum every single day; no matter what the quotidien holds. Ya can't let cancer ruin your day! Thank you for the lesson, James.
Life and love James-style.......2006-03-22
Meet the Birrells - an extraordinary family with an extraordinary story of living life to the max in the face of their son's terminal illness. Their fight to save James from neuroblastoma, their determination to celebrate life every day, their setting up of the James Fund and the impact that James himself had on all who met him makes rivetting reading. Amazing things happen - all sorts of people get involved, and you become aware that there's a much bigger picture than just one little boy's fight against the most fearsome disease.
Customer Reviews:
A Wake Up for Anyone who Desires to Charge in Life.......2007-01-27
This book looks like a coffee table book on surfing. In truth, it is packed with insiteful guidance on how to navigate through life. Using surfing and extreme sports metaphor, the book walks the reader into a much better understanding of what drives us - good or bad - and what God wants. I find myself reading one or two pages every few days, putting it down and chewing on the content. Worth every penny.
Relevant and totally useful.......2006-12-13
This is an awesome devotional. It connects on so many levels and is applicable whether you surf 7 days a week or live 1500 miles away from the ocean. Whether you are a committed follower of Christ, new believer or anywhere in between, or you just like great surf photos, this devotional is great for you. We have been using Fearless in our youth Sunday School class and the kids have been loving it. They love the pictures, the scriptures are relevant, the short readings are really easy to follow and connect with and the questions really spark thought and conversation. In a world that's pretty scary and messed up, the idea of fear and God's answer to that fear is so important. Buy this book. Read it. Use it.
Inspiring.......2006-11-27
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and benefited from it. The writing is excellent, the photos are terrific, and the messages are truly inspiring.
most excellent book.......2006-11-16
how often do you find a great devotion and coffee-table book in one? the cover caught my attention and i started flipping through this book to look at the (fabulous) pictures. before long i found myself reading the insightful, surprisingly personal questions and great scripture excerpts. i've really enjoyed dwelling in the devotions and i look forward to more books by these authors.
Refreshing..........2006-10-21
This 40 day devotional gives the feeling of talking over a milkshake with your average Joe Christian about the various fears we face in life. Fear is undoubtedly going to come up as we follow God, thus it is nice to be refreshed by God's Word, trusted commentary and visual worship. Tom and Virginia explore the various fears people faced throughout the Scriptures and help us to remember that even though we feel helpless and fearful, we have an amazing God that shows up when we take steps of faith and obey him.
Pick this one up...it'll do ya good.
Average customer rating:
- Baseball History Comes Alive
- Three reasons why it's the best
- Solid, Readable Narrative
- A good book, but not great
- Baseball's Greatest Record and the Man who Broke It!
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Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America
Tom Stanton
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0060579765
Release Date: 2004-03-30 |
Book Description
Baseball has witnessed more than 125,000 major-league home runs. Many have altered the outcomes of games, and some, swatted into the stands on dramatic last swings, have decided pennants and won reputations. But no home run has played a more significant role in influencing American society than Hank Aaron's 715th.
Aaron's historic blast -- and the yearlong quest leading up to it -- not only shook baseball but the world at large. It exposed prejudice, energized a flagging civil rights movement, inspired a generation of children, and also called forth the dark demons that haunted Aaron's every step and turned what should have been a joyous pursuit into a hellish nightmare. In Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America, Tom Stanton, author of the prize-winning The Final Season, penetrates the burnished myth of Aaron's chase and uncovers the compelling story behind the most consequential athletic achievement of the past fifty years.
The tale takes place during tumultuous times, the years of 1973 and 1974, as the Watergate scandal unfolds and the Vietnam War sputters to an end. It's the era of Ali and Archie Bunker, of Wounded Knee and Patty Hearst, of Roe v. Wade and Billie Jean King versus Bobby Riggs, of oil shortages, and of a nation struggling with deep divisions. At the center of the social storm stands a private, dignified man -- Hank Aaron -- who rises to accept the mantle of his recently deceased idol, Jackie Robinson, and becomes emboldened by the purpose of his mission: to break the record of sport's greatest legend, Babe Ruth, not only for himself but for the advancement of all African Americans and for the good of his country.
Along the way, Aaron endures bigots, zealous fans, hate mail, FBI investigations, bodyguards, the ambivalence of his adopted hometown, a batting slump unlike any other, the sniping comments of Babe Ruth's widow, the slights of baseball's commissioner, a string of controversies, and constant threats to his and his children's lives. The story features a rich cast of characters: a friend and sometime rival, Willie Mays, who must come to terms with the end of his own career; Aaron's hard-as-iron protector, manager Eddie Mathews; a young, self-assured, occasionally cocky protégé, Dusty Baker; a future president, Jimmy Carter; a preacher of rising prominence, the Reverend Jesse Jackson; stars like Willie Stargell and Tom Seaver; and a roster of equally colorful, lesser-known peers.
But at the heart of the narrative is Hank Aaron, a class player who refused to preen at home plate or strut shamelessly around the bases even as he reached the pinnacle of the national pastime. Three decades later, Tom Stanton brings to life on these pages the elusive spirit of an American hero.
Customer Reviews:
Baseball History Comes Alive.......2007-06-26
In his usual, thorough and mesmerizing manner, Stanton takes us thru the times of one of baseball's true heroes. Aaron emerges at once a hero AND a normal man with wants, fears and determined expectations lived under the canopy of the race issue. This book is one that is easily read because Stanton makes the progression to the final home run go swiftly. But he includes statistics and surprises which make each page worth the close scruitiny required if a reader is to get the full meaning of Hank Aaron's life and his importance to America's Game. This is a book I'm saving for my young grandson to read and before he is old enough to appreciate it's impact, I'm going to enjoy reading it again!
Three reasons why it's the best.......2006-05-22
Early last summer, I walked out of a Vermont bookstore with a copy of Hank Aaron and the Home Run that changed America by Tom Stanton. I wanted to learn about Aaron and his quest to break Babe Ruth's all-time career home run record. About nine months later, I picked the book up and began reading it. I learned more about those two heart wrenching years than I ever thought I could. I also realized that I had just read one of the greatest sports books ever.
There are three main reasons why I consider this book to be one of histories greatest. The first is that it only chronicled the two years Aaron was chasing Ruth's coveted record. Most other sports books I've read, including Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy by Jane Leavy and Derek Jeter: The Life You Imagine By Jack Curry and Jeter himself both told of the life stories of the athlete the book portrayed. This book is one of the only sports biographies that doesn't tell about an athletes entire life. Although it did tell of Aaron's personal life during those two years, including his marriage to wife Billye Williams, and his childhood inspirations from Jackie Robinson in the first chapter, it is almost entirely about "the chase".
Another reason I enjoyed this book so much, is that it kept interviewing and talking to the same characters, including teammate Dusty Baker and manager Eddie Mathews. With this, not only were you connecting with and watching Aaron grow, but also you saw what happened to his friends throughout all of the two years. With other books, you'll be lucky to hear about a sub-character, or read an interview from the same person mabey on two pages tops.
The third and final reason this is the best sports novel ever is because it showed how hard it was to mentally survive the two record breaking seasons. It told of all the death threats, hate mail, and concerns Aaron had for his family. It also told about kidnappings that were going on at the same time that made him so cautious.
I hope by posting this book review that I have intrigued some of you sports fans to pick up a copy of Hank Aaron and the Home Run that changed America. After reading it you all will agree that this book is not only one of the greatest sports books ever, but one of the greatest books in history as well.
Solid, Readable Narrative.......2006-05-13
Author Tom Stanton provides a straightforward account of Hank Aaron's chase of Babe Ruth's home run record during the 1973-74 seasons. The book is partly about baseball but more about Aaron the man, plus his life under pressure from a combination of fan adoration, media crush, and racist hate mail. Imagine being constantly surrounded by adoring fans, and even having tour busses stop in front of your house. Imagine facing hordes of reporters before and after every game, or playing the outfield after receiving death threats. Most fans supported Aaron, but some responded in a vile manner. Like millions of other kids I watched his record-breaking homer on TV, and then was surprised to hear Aaron say moments later, "Thank God it's over." After reading this book, one can see why Aaron said that.
The author might have given more attention to U.S. life circa 1973-1974, the coming of free agency, and how most of the sellout crowd that night left the ballpark not that long after Aaron's fourth-inning homer. Still, this is a very readable look at one of baseball's most famous moments, and one of the game's most inspiring stars.
A good book, but not great.......2006-01-26
Three-and-a-half stars, actually.
Tom Stanton takes us back to 1973 (with a little of '72 and '74 thrown in, of course) to tells us the story of Hank Aaron and his record-breaking 715th home run to break Babe Ruth's record. We follow Aaron through the '73 season, tracking his progress and following the reaction of everyone to his home run. For the most part, the reaction is favorable, but there are many examples of hateful sentiments in the form of letters and catcalls. We also read background on Aaron's career and life, with emphasis on the unfortunate impact of race on not only Aaron, but also baseball in general.
Stanton's book was quite good, and I enjoyed reading it, but I couldn't help feeling like there was something missing. A good baseball book presents the story in a straightforward, professional manner that tells you what you need to know. A great baseball book, though, does that and then gives you more, a little bit of heart, something that takes the story beyond just what happened and gives you a feeling for the subject matter. Stanton just couldn't get to the level of great, he created a skillful portrait of Aaron and he effectively captured the time, but there was still something more he left out. I felt like everything turned out too sunny in the end, that there was more to the bad side (as much as many would not want to dwell on that) that would be key to capturing the story.
Despite my complaints, though, this was a good book and well worth any baseball fan's time.
Baseball's Greatest Record and the Man who Broke It!.......2005-11-29
Like author Tom Stanton, I was a little boy when Henry Louis Aaron was closing in on baseball's crown jewel record: Babe Ruth's 714 home runs. I lived in Forest Park, Georgia, about 12 miles south of Atlanta Stadium, and I had the good fortune to be able to see about a half dozen of Mr. Aaron's home runs in person. I played with the other boys in our neighborhood, and when the Braves were playing we always had the radio on. We could talk and joke and laugh through the rest of the game, but our voices would hush when Milo Hamilton would tell us "Aaron is on deck". Hank would come to the plate and our room would erupt with joy if we got to hear Milo's typical home run call. "There's a long drive.... It's going back.... WAY back.... It's OUT of here! Home Run number 683 for Henry Aaron!"
Anyway - I had to begin this review by admitting what a HUGE hero Hank Aaron is in my life.
All that being said, this book is both very informative and disappointingly bland. It was good to hear the names of those Braves from the past - in particular Aaron progeny Dusty Baker and Ralph Garr. Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson who joined Aaron as the only 3 teammates in history to hit 40 home runs the same year. (1973, the year before historic #715). Eddie Matthews, who was once Hank's teammate, the two teammates with the most life-time home runs, then served as Hank's manager during the years that make up the bulk of the book. Hall of Fame teammates Phil Niekro and Warren Spahn. Hall of Fame opponents like Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver and Don Sutton.
Most enlightening were the details of the paths Hank followed behind Jackie Robinson as a ground-breaking African-American excelling in the National Pasttime. Most heart-breaking were the tales of hate mail and death threats that he received every day. To right-thinking people it is inconceivable that a man could receive death threats only because he was doing his job as well as any person had ever done it.
The four stars are because I didn't come close to receiving the same thrill that this same material could have given me if presented properly. Stanton is a terrific researcher, but his writing style feels clinically cold. If America is a country of "Tall Tales" and our best legends are the real living ones, then certainly Hank Aaron must be one of America's Greatest Heroes by any definition. Stanton says as much in this book, but there's what you say, then there's how you say it. Nonetheless, this is the best record I know of covering these events, and I'd call it "required reading" for anyone wanting to know about Hammering Hank.
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