Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic
Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley's Swingin' A's
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Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic
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Narrated by:
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Jason Turbow
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By:
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Jason Turbow
About this listen
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 BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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- The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers
- By: Michael Leahy
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 49
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Story5 out of 5 stars 43
Legendary Dodgers Maury Wills, Sandy Koufax, Wes Parker, Jeff Torborg, Dick Tracewski, and Tommy Davis encapsulated 1960s America: white and black, Jewish and Christian, wealthy and working class, pro-Vietnam and anti-war, golden boy and seasoned veteran. The Last Innocents is a thoughtful, technicolor portrait of these seven players - friends, mentors, confidants, rivals, and allies - and their storied team that offers an intriguing look at a sport and a nation in transition.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Reliving my youth
- By PJ on 05-24-17
By: Michael Leahy
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The Glory of Their Times
- The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It
- By: Lawrence S. Ritter
- Narrated by: Lawrence S. Ritter, Fred Snodgrass, Sam Crawford, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Abridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 438
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 349
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 348
Baseball's Golden Age comes alive through the voices of men who were there. Selected from the original tapes on which Lawrence S. Ritter based his classic book of baseball history, The Glory of Their Times is a collection of wonderful tales that paint a vivid and evocative picture of a lively young America and the giants who starred on her ballfields, legends like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, and many others.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Game Winning, Grand Slam!!!
- By Richard on 09-28-05
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The Greatest Summer in Baseball History
- How the '73 Season Changed Us Forever
- By: John Rosengren
- Narrated by: Barry Abrams
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
In 1973, baseball was in crisis. The first strike in pro sports had soured fans, American League attendance had fallen, and America's team—the Yankees—had lost more games and money than ever. Yet that season, five of the game's greatest figures rescued the national pastime. Hank Aaron riveted the nation with his pursuit of Babe Ruth's landmark home run record in the face of racist threats. George Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees at a bargain basement price and began buying back their faded glory.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Terrible, Just Terrible.
- By Anonymous User on 06-12-23
By: John Rosengren
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Summer of '49
- By: David Halberstam
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
The year was 1949, and a war-wearied nation turned from the battlefields to the ball fields in search of new heroes. It was a summer that marked the beginning of a sports rivalry unequaled in the annals of athletic competition. The awesome New York Yankees and the indomitable Boston Red Sox were fighting for supremacy of baseball's American League and an aging Joe DiMaggio and a brash, headstrong hitting phenomenon named Ted Williams led their respective teams in a classic pennant duel of almost mythic proportions—one that would be decided on the last day of the season.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent
- By RJA on 11-03-22
By: David Halberstam
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Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning
- 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City
- By: Jonathan Mahler
- Narrated by: Kyle Tait
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 72
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 72
By early 1977, New York City was in the grip of hysteria caused by a murderer dubbed "Son of Sam". And on a sweltering night in July, a citywide power outage touched off an orgy of looting and arson that led to the largest mass arrest in the city's history. As the turbulent year wore on, the city became absorbed in two epic battles: the fight between Yankee slugger Reggie Jackson and team manager Billy Martin, and the battle between Ed Koch and Mario Cuomo for the city's mayoralty.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent
- By pp on 04-22-21
By: Jonathan Mahler
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Baseball
- A History of America's Favorite Game
- By: George Vecsey
- Narrated by: Alan Nebelthau
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Best-selling author George Vecsey is an esteemed and award-winning sports journalist for the New York Times. In Baseball, he recounts the history of America's national pastime. Baseball has been around in various forms for thousands of years, but only within the last 200 years has it become an American institution. Growing from a sport played in open fields and big-city streets, baseball has seen its share of innovators and detractors, heroes and villains.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing
- By Tomilee on 08-04-07
By: George Vecsey
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Memories from the Microphone
- A Century of Baseball Broadcasting
- By: Curt Smith, Brooks Robinson - foreword
- Narrated by: Barry Abrams
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Relive baseball's storied past through the eyes of famed broadcasters. Organized chronologically, Memories from the Microphone charts the history of baseball broadcasting. Enjoy celebrated stories and personalities that have shaped the game - from Mel Allen to Harry Caray, Vin Scully to Joe Morgan, Ernie Harwell to Red Barber.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great Listen
- By Karen or Jason on 03-11-25
By: Curt Smith, and others
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More than Beards, Bellies and Biceps
- The Story of the 1993 Phillies
- By: Robert Gordon, Tom Burgoyne
- Narrated by: Darren Stephens
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Stubble scruffed up their chins. Tobacco wads ballooned their cheeks. The 1993 Philadelphia Phillies had the look of a slow-pitch softball team itching to kick some serious butt. They did kick butt, too, on and off the field. “They lived the life of professional baseball players as fully as it can be done,” manager Jim Fregosi said. Though they weren’t a photogenic bunch, their mugs were everywhere, on Baseball Today, on David Letterman, and on Saturday Night Live.
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5 out of 5 stars
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absolutely listen
- By Joseph Mastronardo on 07-25-21
By: Robert Gordon, and others
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A Whole New Ballgame
- The 1969 Washington Senators 50th Anniversary Edition
- By: Stephen J. Walker
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 5
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Story4 out of 5 stars 5
Despite a long and uneven history, Major League Baseball’s Washington franchises have hardly been the stuff of legend. However, in 1969, when new owner Bob Short coaxed batting legend and rookie manager Ted Williams out of retirement, these annual no-names climbed out of the depths and straight into the hearts of Washington baseball fans starving for a winner. Led by The Capital Punisher Frank Howard, whose tape-measure home runs sometimes seemed like optical illusions, the Senators simply won ball games with a determination rarely seen in D.C. environs. A Whole New Ballgame showcases the...
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3 out of 5 stars
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Virtual voice desecration
- By steve finkelstein on 02-14-25
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Watching Baseball Smarter
- A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks
- By: Zack Hample
- Narrated by: Barry Abrams
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 66
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 57
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Story4 out of 5 stars 57
This smart and funny fan's guide to baseball explains the ins and outs of pitching, hitting, running, and fielding, while offering insider trivia and anecdotes that will appeal to anyone - whether you're a major league couch potato, lifelong season ticket-holder, or a beginner. Combining the narrative voice and attitude of Michael Lewis with the compulsive brilliance of Schott's Miscellany, Watching Baseball Smarter will increase your understanding and enjoyment of the sport-no matter what your level of expertise.
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3 out of 5 stars
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No New Information
- By amarkstone on 12-15-17
By: Zack Hample
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Let's Play Two
- The Legend of Mr. Cub, the Life of Ernie Banks
- By: Ron Rapoport
- Narrated by: Charley Steiner
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
The definitive and revealing biography of Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks, one of America's most iconic, beloved, and misunderstood baseball players, by acclaimed journalist Ron Rapoport.
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4 out of 5 stars
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‘Mostly about Ernie Banks
- By Steven J Kaczynski Sr. on 07-11-22
By: Ron Rapoport
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The Bad Guys Won
- A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo Chasing, and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put on a New York Uniform - and Maybe the Best
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Jeff Pearlman
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 201
It was 1986, and the New York Mets won 108 regular-season games and the World Series, capturing the hearts (and other assorted body parts) of fans everywhere. But their greatness on the field was nearly eclipsed by how bad they were off it. Led by the indomitable Keith Hernandez and the young dynamic duo of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, along with the gallant Scum Bunch, the Amazin's left a wide trail of wreckage in their wake-hotel rooms, charter planes, a bar in Houston, and most famously Bill Buckner and the hated Boston Red Sox.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Maybe 3.5
- By Lifeisshort on 02-15-22
By: Jeff Pearlman
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The New York Game
- Baseball and the Rise of a New City
- By: Kevin Baker
- Narrated by: L.J. Ganser
- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
Baseball is “the New York game” because New York is where the diamond was first laid out, where the bunt and the curveball were invented, and where the home run was hit. It’s where the game’s first stars were born, and where everyone came to play or watch the game. With nuance and depth, historian Kevin Baker brings this all vividly back to life: the still-controversial, indelible moments—Did the Babe call his shot? Was Merkle out? Did they fix the 1919 World Series? Here are all the legendary players, managers, and owners, in all their vivid, complicated humanity, on and off the field.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Sure.. Baseball… but so much more!
- By RAY MONTECALVO on 08-25-24
By: Kevin Baker
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Badasses
- The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders
- By: Peter Richmond
- Narrated by: Barry Abrams
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 103
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 97
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 97
A book that explores the enduring legends of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders, Badasses is the definitive biography of arguably the last team to play old-fashioned tough-guy football. Peter Richmond, co-author of the New York Times best seller The Glory Game, offers a fascinating look at the 1970s Oakland Raiders, led by colorful greats from another era.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Good story, slightly obnoxious author and reader
- By Harry Seaward on 01-06-19
By: Peter Richmond
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The Soul of Baseball
- A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America
- By: Joe Posnanski
- Narrated by: David Sadzin
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 196
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 175
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Story5 out of 5 stars 173
The Soul of Baseball is as much the story of Buck O'Neil as it is the story of baseball. Driven by a relentless optimism and his two great passions - for America's pastime and for jazz, America's music - O'Neil played solely for love. In an era when greedy, steroid-enhanced athletes have come to characterize professional ball, Posnanski offers a salve for the damaged spirit: the uplifting life lessons of a truly extraordinary man who never missed an opportunity to enjoy and love life.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Buck O’Neil fan!!
- By scott on 04-24-20
By: Joe Posnanski
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The Era, 1947-1957
- When the Yankees, the Dodgers, and the Giants Ruled the World
- By: Roger Kahn
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 92
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92
Celebrated sports writer Roger Kahn casts his gaze on the golden age of baseball, an unforgettable time when the game thrived as America's unrivaled national sport. The Era begins in 1947, with Jackie Robinson changing major league baseball forever by taking the field for the Dodgers. Dazzling, momentous events characterize the decade that followed....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Highly recommend.
- By Ro Cohen on 05-15-21
By: Roger Kahn
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Three Ring Circus
- Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Brian Hutchison
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 936
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 833
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 830
In the history of modern sport, there have never been two high-level teammates who loathed each other the way Shaquille O’Neal loathed Kobe Bryant and Kobe Bryant loathed Shaquille O’Neal. From public sniping and sparring, to physical altercations and the repeated threats of trade, it was warfare. And yet, despite eight years of infighting and hostility, by turns mediated and encouraged by coach Phil Jackson, the Shaq-Kobe duo resulted in one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Ok I've finished it and have more thoughts
- By Bobby S on 09-24-20
By: Jeff Pearlman
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Rock Concert
- An Oral History as Told by the Artists, Backstage Insiders, and Fans Who Were There
- By: Marc Myers
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine, Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story5 out of 5 stars 15
Decades after the rise of rock music in the 1950s, the rock concert retains its allure and its power as a unifying experience - and as an influential multibillion-dollar industry. In Rock Concert, acclaimed interviewer Marc Myers sets out to uncover the history of this compelling phenomenon, weaving together groundbreaking accounts from the people who were there. Rock Concert provides a fascinating, immediate look at the evolution of rock 'n' roll through the lens of live performances.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very fun
- By Kathy Neal on 10-13-24
By: Marc Myers
Great book
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The team that made me fall in love with baseball.
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Hard to Believe
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Great insight, funny story on the A's!
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Jason Turbow limns Finley as part George Steinbrenner, a dash of Otto von Bismarck, some J.R. Ewing, and maybe a modicum of Santa Claus. Turbow’s Finley is a sui generis phenomenon. Finley enriches an already extraordinary story of the “three peat” champions.
Before George Did Anything, Finley Did Everything
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A few minor mistakes.
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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.
What an Incredible Account of a 70's Dynasty
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Excellent story of fab 70's team!
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Fun@
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Quite enjoyable, even by this old-time Cincinnati Big Red Machine Fan from the 1970s whose Reds were beaten by these Great A's in 7 games back in 1972 - Even without the Fall Classic's eventual Mr. October, Reggie Jackson!
Great narration, too! This should be a must-listen for every serious Baseball Historian.
For: Pete "Charlie Hustle/ Hit King" Rose (1941-2024); Joe Morgan (1943-2020); George "Sparky" Anderson, Reds Mgr., (1934-2010); Pedro Borbon (1946-2012); Don Gullett (1951-2024); Dick Williams, A's Mgr., (1929-2011); Sal Bando (1944-2023); Vida Blue (1949-2023); Ken Holtzman (1945-2024); Ray Fosse (1947-1921), and the rest who have passed on: RIP to ALL. You play on in Our Memories!
GRADE: A
SOLID RETELLING OF THE LEGENDARY A'S OF CHARLEY O!
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