October Men: Reggie Jackson, George Steinbrenner, Billy Martin, and the Yankees' Miraculous Finish in 1978 - Softcover

Kahn, Roger

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0156029715 ISBN 13: 9780156029711

Publisher: Mariner, 2004

Synopsis

The author of the modern classic The Boys of Summer brings his unparalleled narrative gifts to another unforgettable team. On the morning of October 2nd, 1978, the World Champion New York Yankees found themselves tied for first place with the Boston Red Sox. That day these rousing ball clubs would meet at Fenway Park. Both had won 99 games. Only one would win 100. By any rational standard the Yankees should have been reaching for their golf clubs.They had feuded, barked, and roared all season, until by mid-July they were fourteen games out of first place. Then came the spectacular self-destruction of Billy Martin: The Yankees' fortunes turned and a fractious band of ballplayers finally became a team. They capped one of the most thrilling comebacks in baseball history by defeating the Red Sox that October afternoon in a game that many still remember as the greatest ever played. Richly lyrical and raffishly funny, October Men weaves the first in-depth account of the legendary season of '78. Transporting us into the midst of the Bronx menagerie, Kahn reviews New York's colorful baseball history; takes us to the clubhouses and hotel bars where the season's dramatics played out; and introduces us to the outsized October Men: imperious George Steinbrenner; force of nature Reggie Jackson; Bucky Dent, whose three-run homer in the playoff left Boston a wash of tears; and others from Bob Lemon to Thurman Munson. 1978 was a troubled year for America, not just for the Yankees, and the team reflected its ills: alcoholism, broken homes, social unrest and racism. But in rising above turmoil, the October Men became an inspiration for the country. Roger Kahn has rendered their story into a classic of American literature.

About this title

About the Author

Widely acclaimed as the greatest baseball writer of his generation, Roger Kahn is most famous for his modern classic, The Boys of Summer, which James Michener called the finest American book on sports. Kahn is the author of 16 books, including The Head Game, Baseball Seen from the Pitchers' Mound. His magazine articles won five Dutton Best Magazine Story Awards and his book The Era: When the Yankees Dodgers and Giants Ruled the World was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Born in Brooklyn, he now lives in Stone Ridge, N.Y. with his wife, the psychotherapist Katharine Colt Johnson.

From the Back Cover

"[Kahn is] a master storyteller . . . October Men sprawls like a great ballpark conversation, encompassing the big and the small, the old and the new, the sacred and the profane."-The New York Times Book Review
On the morning of October 2, 1978, the Yankees, once fourteen games behind, found themselves tied for first place with the Boston Red Sox. They capped one of the most thrilling comebacks in baseball history by defeating the Red Sox that afternoon in a game that many still remember as the greatest ever played. Transporting us into the midst of this unforgettable team, Roger Kahn weaves the first in-depth account of the legendary season of '78 and renders the story an American classic.
"It's not a nice story but a gripping one. And Kahn tells it with his customary verve."-Los Angeles Times
"Kahn's glittering group portrait paints the Yanks as both goats and heroes, and they are vividly, engagingly, enragingly human in both roles . . . He can epitomize a player with a single swing of the pen."-Time

Widely acclaimed as the greatest baseball writer of his generation, Roger Kahn is the author of sixteen books, including The Boys of Summer, named by Sports Illustrated as the best baseball book of all time. He lives in Stone Ridge, New York.

Edition details

• Publisher: Mariner
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0156029715
• ISBN 13: 9780156029711
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 396