Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic

Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley's Swingin' A's

By: Jason Turbow

Narrated by: Jason Turbow

The Oakland A's of the early 1970s were the most transformative team in baseball history. Never before had an entire organization so collectively traumatized baseball's establishment with its outlandish behavior and business decisions - or with its indisputable winning record: five straight division titles and three straight championships. The high drama that played out on the field was exceeded only by the drama in the clubhouse and front office.

But those A's, with their garish uniforms and outlandish facial hair, redefined soon virtually every aspect of the game for coming generations. Under the visionary leadership of Charles O. Finley, the team assembled such luminary figures as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and Vida Blue. Finley acted as his own general manager and, with an insatiable need for control, dictated everything from the playlist of the ballpark organist to the menu for the media lounge. The advent of free agency spelled the end of Finley's reign; within two years his dynasty was lost.

A sprawling, brawling history of one of the game's most unforgettable teams, Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic is a paean to a turbulent yet magical time.

©2017 Jason Turbow (P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Great insight, funny story on the A's!

A great listen, it was easy to listen to and I regularly made time to get back to it whenever I could. This autobiographical story was done well...

Great book

Very entertaining book about the Oakland A’s. Great stories. Worth the listen. The only downside is that the narrator seems to talk very fast at times, and then slows down to sound normal.

The team that made me fall in love with baseball.

Even though I’m from Bernie, MO and am I am a die hard St. Louis Cardinal fan, THIS is the team that made me fall in love with baseball. My earliest memory as a 10 year old was watching the 1972 World Series and watching Gene Tenace hit two home runs his first two at bats. These guys were fantastic, and colorful as their awesome green uniforms. I was thrilled in 1981 when Tenace came to my beloved Cardinals. This book was a fascinating read with crazy characters and stories. Charley Finley was almost in line with Bill Veck with his legacy. Those guys and those uniforms will always hold a special place in my heart even at 61 years old.

Hard to Believe

Amazing story about a three-time World Series champion team that could not stand each other.

Excellent story of fab 70's team!

Compelling story of some great A's teams, Kudos Jason Turbow...he can write AND narrate. A great listen.

Fun@

Great look back at a fascinating team and a one of kind insane owner!! The fighting A's are so overlooked and ignored.

A few minor mistakes.

A few mistakes such as mentioning the Yankees 5 World Championship from 1949 to 1954 when it was actually 1949 to 1953 to name one.

What an Incredible Account of a 70's Dynasty

If you thought "The Bronx Zoo" seemed crazy, this is complete insanity. I have always considered Bill Veeck as the maverick, but now I can honestly say that Charlie Finley's rise and fall makes me see Veeck as the congenial owner. The sheer number of fights in the A's clubhouse among themselves is mind-boggling. They won three World Series in spite of the hatred of Charlie Finley and his penny pinching.

It's the dawn of the free agent era and scary how quickly it took down the dinosaur of owners, Charlie Finley. And to think that only Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson attended his funeral.

Well done Jason Turbow. Great job in finding the stories from different sources and in bringing them life as narrator. Excellent for any baseball fan.

The Oakland A's Five Year Dynasty

No one ever thought the low budget Oakland Athletics cellar dwellers would become a five year, 1971-1975, Division winning dynasty with 3 consecutive World Series titles, a feat achieved by less than five other teams in World Series history.

A's owner, Charlie O'Finley, despite his flaws, is brilliant in assembling All Stars like Bert Campaneris, Ken Holtzman, Vida Blue, and Sal Bando, with future Hall of Famer inductees Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Rollie Fingers to create the fabled dynasty.

Fiery Dick Williams, who managed the championship A's, as well as the Impossible Dream Red Sox, is also in the Hall of Fame.

A good baseball book

The A's in the 70's were definitely a strange baseball dynasty. This is a lot about the history of that great team.