What do you think?
Rate this book
October Men: Reggie Jackson, George Steinbrenner, Billy Martin, and the Yankees' Miraculous Finish in 1978
On the morning of October 2, 1978, the World Champion NewYork 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 ninety-nine games. Only one would win one hundred. The Yankees should have been reaching for their golf clubs-they had feuded until they were fourteen games out of first place. Then their fortunes turned, and 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. Transporting us into the midst of this unforgettable team, Roger Kahn weaves the first in-depth account of the legendary season of '78 and reaffirms his standing as our nation's master storyteller of baseball.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
6 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
Roger Kahn
44 books64 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Roger Kahn was best known for The Boys of Summer, about the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Roger Kahn was best known for The Boys of Summer, about the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 24, 2013
If you have read the other books on this era by NY sportswriters and the athletes themselves, this doesn't add much new or revealing. The author offers many left handed compliments/digs to his peers.
October 29, 2022
I lived the 1978 season and the amazing season ending run to a tie. I have been a Yankee fan because the Richmond Virginians were the Yanks triple A farm club when I was a child. When I went to college, one of my best friends was from north Jersey. The Reading this book reminds me of a trip we took in September 1978 to Baltimore to see the Yanks. Bud is long since gone, and this book brought back many pleasant memories. The book has abundant information on baseball from this era and is written in a style that is easy to read. I am ready to read another of his works. If you like baseball, this is a good read unless you are a Red Sox fan.
June 29, 2016
Roger Kahn is a gifted writer, especially when he's writing about baseball. "The Boys of Summer" is probably one of the five best books about baseball ever written. If it seems like there's a big old "but" coming, yes, there is.
If you've read a lot of Kahn, you know that he has a tendency to insert himself into his writing. When he's at his best (the aforementioned "Boys" and "A Flame of Pure Fire" would fall into this category), it's just a minor annoyance. When he's not at his best, however, it feels more like a rather sad need to make himself a part of a story that should have nothing to do with him. I noticed this first in the sort-of autobiography he collaborated with Pete Rose on. Pete apparently convinced Roger that he was completely innocent of betting on baseball (somehow, he managed to convince many people of this - but Roger Kahn seems to think himself not just a better writer than most, but smarter as well) and Kahn included his own reactions throughout the book. This was Kahn at his worst, and he seems to realize it, as I don't see this book on any of the "Other books by ..." sections of his later works. Perhaps he hopes if he pretends he didn't write "Pete Rose: My Story," the rest of the world will forget it as well.
What does this have to do with "October Men"? Mostly it showed, a quarter-century before "October Men" was published, what Bad Roger looks like. In this book, Bad Roger is in full force. There is little new information here - much of it comes from previously published books - and Kahn spends a lot of time taking unnecessary pot shots at other writers. Murray Chass? Not very good with the language, according to Roger. Roger Angell (admittedly, a personal favorite of mine)? Overrated and overly-florid in his use of language. That just scratches the surface of his complaints, but it does give you an idea of what you are in for if you decide to take a shot at "October Men". Now if you're asking yourself what Mr. Kahn's complaints about other writers has to do with a book about the 1978 Yankees, I am not the one to tell you. I certainly cannot figure it out, except that he seems motivated by a need to demonstrate how much better he is than all these other professionals.
There are plenty of excellent books, about the late-'70s Yankees generally, and about the 1978 season more generally. This is not one of them.
If you've read a lot of Kahn, you know that he has a tendency to insert himself into his writing. When he's at his best (the aforementioned "Boys" and "A Flame of Pure Fire" would fall into this category), it's just a minor annoyance. When he's not at his best, however, it feels more like a rather sad need to make himself a part of a story that should have nothing to do with him. I noticed this first in the sort-of autobiography he collaborated with Pete Rose on. Pete apparently convinced Roger that he was completely innocent of betting on baseball (somehow, he managed to convince many people of this - but Roger Kahn seems to think himself not just a better writer than most, but smarter as well) and Kahn included his own reactions throughout the book. This was Kahn at his worst, and he seems to realize it, as I don't see this book on any of the "Other books by ..." sections of his later works. Perhaps he hopes if he pretends he didn't write "Pete Rose: My Story," the rest of the world will forget it as well.
What does this have to do with "October Men"? Mostly it showed, a quarter-century before "October Men" was published, what Bad Roger looks like. In this book, Bad Roger is in full force. There is little new information here - much of it comes from previously published books - and Kahn spends a lot of time taking unnecessary pot shots at other writers. Murray Chass? Not very good with the language, according to Roger. Roger Angell (admittedly, a personal favorite of mine)? Overrated and overly-florid in his use of language. That just scratches the surface of his complaints, but it does give you an idea of what you are in for if you decide to take a shot at "October Men". Now if you're asking yourself what Mr. Kahn's complaints about other writers has to do with a book about the 1978 Yankees, I am not the one to tell you. I certainly cannot figure it out, except that he seems motivated by a need to demonstrate how much better he is than all these other professionals.
There are plenty of excellent books, about the late-'70s Yankees generally, and about the 1978 season more generally. This is not one of them.
January 1, 2025
I think this probably deserves more than 3 stars, at least 3.5. I enjoyed reading about the reemergence of the Yankees, and especially the insights about and from Reggie Jackson, one of my childhood heroes, who has become one of the most thoughtful and honest former athletes raising issues around racism in sports and America. But I can’t help being a little disappointed. I was hoping this would live up to the standard of Boys of Summer, and it just didn’t. It’s less intimate and less poignant. It’s a really good sports book.
July 23, 2010
This is a great book I recommend to all baseball fans.
June 17, 2025
Another Kahn book, which I wasn't aware of until I was searching for The Era, 1947-1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World at my local library. This one is obviously about the late '70s Yankees, made famous for winning consecutive World Series and for the constant public strife among owner George Steinbrenner, sometime manager Billy Martin, and superstar outfielder Reggie Jackson.
This isn't as strong a work as either "The Era" or "The Boys of Summer", but it is still Kahn -- there are some nice literary nuggets, some discussion of contemporary politics (though less than in his other works), and a lot of discussion about how the team was covered in the papers. The latter, in fact, actually might have played a role in the Yankees repeating in 1978.
As the Yanks tried to chase down Boston from 13 games back in the AL East that summer, there was a newspaper strike in New York involving the number of workers operating the physical printing presses. This shut down the Times, the Post, and the Daily News, which generated the lion's share of the "negative press" regarding the ridiculous in-fighting between our 3 heroes. But Newsday and a few other smaller papers that printed outside of the city continued to cover the team. Several key members of the club, including manager Bob Lemon (who took over after Martin preemptively stepped down in mid-summer after his "One's a born liar. The other's convicted." comment regarding Jackson and Steinbrenner), thought that the reduction in controversy via less backpage headlines actually helped the team focus.
Martin had a pretty severe problem with alcohol; he came by it honestly via hanging out with Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford during his playing days. He was also (at best) a casual racist, and in combination with his drinking, he seemed to have it out for Jackson. Reggie, who has graduated from petulant, self-centered superstar (in the public's view) to sage baseball hero, had to put up with an awful lot of shit from management, Martin and his fellow players -- Thurman Munson chief among them. Munson was a grumpy prick who never could seem to get over the fact that he was a great player overshadowed at his position by Johnny Bench and Carlton Fisk, and on his team by Jackson.
Munson wasn't the only malcontent. Sparky Lyle won the Cy Young in '77, pitching 72 games out of the pen to a 2.17 ERA. But when Steinbrenner signed Rich Gossage that offseason to split time in the late innings with him, Lyle couldn't get over it. He complained constantly, would leave games and go home after being removed for Gossage, and demanded to be traded. And for those of us who get tired of today's superstars who feel that all their problems will be solved by getting shipped to a new address, the phenomenon is not a new one. Jackson, Lyle, Munson and even Bucky Dent all threatened to quit, leave the team, or demand a trade at various inflection points during the '77-'78 seasons.
As with "The Era", I'm reminded of how much more colorful baseball was when I was a child then it is today. I think this was mainly manifested in the culture of alcohol, which by the '70s was not quite as prevalent as it was in "The Era", but still played a large role in the Yankees' fortunes. It eventually killed Martin in 1989, who flipped his truck off an icy road while under the influence. He was 61.
Kahn covers the pennant race of '78 well, but it's not as breathless as his coverage of New York in the '40s and '50s. But at this point, Kahn was a bit older, and perhaps not as passionate about something that happened in his late 40s as he was about events from his formative years. He also paints himself as something of a champion in helping integrate the clubhouse, gender-wise; he helped one of the first female reporters get access to the locker room.
The late '70s represent my earliest memories of MLB, and the names are more familiar to me than the lineups of the Texas Rangers or Seattle Mariners are today, certainly. While I didn't love this book as much as some of Kahn's other works, it was fun to step into the "Bronx Zoo" once again.
This isn't as strong a work as either "The Era" or "The Boys of Summer", but it is still Kahn -- there are some nice literary nuggets, some discussion of contemporary politics (though less than in his other works), and a lot of discussion about how the team was covered in the papers. The latter, in fact, actually might have played a role in the Yankees repeating in 1978.
As the Yanks tried to chase down Boston from 13 games back in the AL East that summer, there was a newspaper strike in New York involving the number of workers operating the physical printing presses. This shut down the Times, the Post, and the Daily News, which generated the lion's share of the "negative press" regarding the ridiculous in-fighting between our 3 heroes. But Newsday and a few other smaller papers that printed outside of the city continued to cover the team. Several key members of the club, including manager Bob Lemon (who took over after Martin preemptively stepped down in mid-summer after his "One's a born liar. The other's convicted." comment regarding Jackson and Steinbrenner), thought that the reduction in controversy via less backpage headlines actually helped the team focus.
Martin had a pretty severe problem with alcohol; he came by it honestly via hanging out with Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford during his playing days. He was also (at best) a casual racist, and in combination with his drinking, he seemed to have it out for Jackson. Reggie, who has graduated from petulant, self-centered superstar (in the public's view) to sage baseball hero, had to put up with an awful lot of shit from management, Martin and his fellow players -- Thurman Munson chief among them. Munson was a grumpy prick who never could seem to get over the fact that he was a great player overshadowed at his position by Johnny Bench and Carlton Fisk, and on his team by Jackson.
Munson wasn't the only malcontent. Sparky Lyle won the Cy Young in '77, pitching 72 games out of the pen to a 2.17 ERA. But when Steinbrenner signed Rich Gossage that offseason to split time in the late innings with him, Lyle couldn't get over it. He complained constantly, would leave games and go home after being removed for Gossage, and demanded to be traded. And for those of us who get tired of today's superstars who feel that all their problems will be solved by getting shipped to a new address, the phenomenon is not a new one. Jackson, Lyle, Munson and even Bucky Dent all threatened to quit, leave the team, or demand a trade at various inflection points during the '77-'78 seasons.
As with "The Era", I'm reminded of how much more colorful baseball was when I was a child then it is today. I think this was mainly manifested in the culture of alcohol, which by the '70s was not quite as prevalent as it was in "The Era", but still played a large role in the Yankees' fortunes. It eventually killed Martin in 1989, who flipped his truck off an icy road while under the influence. He was 61.
Kahn covers the pennant race of '78 well, but it's not as breathless as his coverage of New York in the '40s and '50s. But at this point, Kahn was a bit older, and perhaps not as passionate about something that happened in his late 40s as he was about events from his formative years. He also paints himself as something of a champion in helping integrate the clubhouse, gender-wise; he helped one of the first female reporters get access to the locker room.
The late '70s represent my earliest memories of MLB, and the names are more familiar to me than the lineups of the Texas Rangers or Seattle Mariners are today, certainly. While I didn't love this book as much as some of Kahn's other works, it was fun to step into the "Bronx Zoo" once again.
May 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this book about the New York Yankees of 1978, one of the craziest teams in Major League Baseball history.
The topic of the 1978 season is well known to baseball fans, especially if they are fans of the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. This book by Roger Kahn does cover the well-known facts of the season from the Yankee perspective. The team was dysfunctional and riddled with injuries, had an alcoholic manager who seemed to only be interested in fighting the owner and the players, Ron Guidry had one of the best seasons in modern MLB history, and somehow, they fought back from 14 ½ gams back in July to force one of the most famous playoff games.
Within the pages of this book are the back stories and history of the people who made up the teams and their front offices. It is an important story that is told by a phenomenal story teller. Some of the stories are probably known to most baseball fans, while some are not as widely known. Some of the people and tales the reader will find discussed in the book include:
- Billy Martin: How his self-destructive behavior, spurred on by scotch, caused such havoc in and out of the clubhouse that many players found it difficult to deal with him. He made comments that got him fired from the Manager position, but within a week, it was announced at the Old Timers game that he would be returning.
- Bob Lemon: Fired from Chicago, his calming influence help to guide the Yankees back from the depths of American League East to force a 1 game playoff with the Red Sox.
- How the Red Sox had injuries and some slumps from their star players that contributed to the Yankees being able to catch up in the second half of the season – including a 4 game sweep by the Yankees named the Boston Massacre. Also mentioned is how these Red Sox went on a tear at the end of the season in order to force the playoff game.
- Reggie Jackson: The prima donna of the Yankees and how he dealt with teammates, the owner and the managers, and his candy bar.
- Sparky Lyle and Goose Gossage: From Cy Young to Sayonara and the addition of a high priced power closer.
- George Steinbrenner: The hands on owner of the Yankees who freely spent his money to win championships and therefore felt that he had a say in everything regarding the team with no regard to the people working under him.
- The Cleveland contingent: The members of the front office and management team that had ties to the Cleveland Indians, causing controversy with many people because Steinbrenner was also from Cleveland.
All in all, this is a wonderful book for baseball fans to read, especially if they are Yankee fans. Roger Kahn wrote this book well, and though it focuses on the Yankees, it does not feel like it is biased towards them. The writing comes across as objective and not as placing the Yanks on a pedestal while beating down others. I would recommend this to all baseball fans, though admittedly Yankee fans will probably like it best. Though a little dated, (it was written in 2003) it is a nice addition to the volumes of work discussing the 1978 season.
The topic of the 1978 season is well known to baseball fans, especially if they are fans of the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. This book by Roger Kahn does cover the well-known facts of the season from the Yankee perspective. The team was dysfunctional and riddled with injuries, had an alcoholic manager who seemed to only be interested in fighting the owner and the players, Ron Guidry had one of the best seasons in modern MLB history, and somehow, they fought back from 14 ½ gams back in July to force one of the most famous playoff games.
Within the pages of this book are the back stories and history of the people who made up the teams and their front offices. It is an important story that is told by a phenomenal story teller. Some of the stories are probably known to most baseball fans, while some are not as widely known. Some of the people and tales the reader will find discussed in the book include:
- Billy Martin: How his self-destructive behavior, spurred on by scotch, caused such havoc in and out of the clubhouse that many players found it difficult to deal with him. He made comments that got him fired from the Manager position, but within a week, it was announced at the Old Timers game that he would be returning.
- Bob Lemon: Fired from Chicago, his calming influence help to guide the Yankees back from the depths of American League East to force a 1 game playoff with the Red Sox.
- How the Red Sox had injuries and some slumps from their star players that contributed to the Yankees being able to catch up in the second half of the season – including a 4 game sweep by the Yankees named the Boston Massacre. Also mentioned is how these Red Sox went on a tear at the end of the season in order to force the playoff game.
- Reggie Jackson: The prima donna of the Yankees and how he dealt with teammates, the owner and the managers, and his candy bar.
- Sparky Lyle and Goose Gossage: From Cy Young to Sayonara and the addition of a high priced power closer.
- George Steinbrenner: The hands on owner of the Yankees who freely spent his money to win championships and therefore felt that he had a say in everything regarding the team with no regard to the people working under him.
- The Cleveland contingent: The members of the front office and management team that had ties to the Cleveland Indians, causing controversy with many people because Steinbrenner was also from Cleveland.
All in all, this is a wonderful book for baseball fans to read, especially if they are Yankee fans. Roger Kahn wrote this book well, and though it focuses on the Yankees, it does not feel like it is biased towards them. The writing comes across as objective and not as placing the Yanks on a pedestal while beating down others. I would recommend this to all baseball fans, though admittedly Yankee fans will probably like it best. Though a little dated, (it was written in 2003) it is a nice addition to the volumes of work discussing the 1978 season.
August 12, 2022
As I get older, I make it a habit of going through books I once read or half read back in my teens and 20s. It’s amazing the perspective age gives you. I’m more patient of a reader and I notice more things and appreciate them.
Roger Kahn is one of those baseball scribes I’ve always had mixed feelings on. He’s written some good stuff but his fascination with the Brooklyn Dodgers has helped cultivate this cottage industry around the team like they’re some kind of baseball Atlantis and not a poor draw that left for warmer climates.
But I had a yen to read about the 78 Yankees and Sparky Lyle’s The Bronx Zoo has never done it for me. I find Lyle too smug and self-assured. So I grabbed this instead.
Oh man, it’s so good. Excellent.
Less a diary and more a love letter to baseball, specifically the development of the Yankees over generations and the unlikely confluence of events that led to their bizarre 1978 season, culminating with a repeat championship despite the fact that they all basically hated each other and their owner.
Kahn does a great job capturing the era, the personalities, and the sport itself. He has a keen eye for the racism endemic in baseball, particularly as to how it impacted Reggie Jackson in his time with the team. He tells the full story and he tells it in such a rich, digestible way.
This isn’t listed among the great baseball books of all time. It should be.
Roger Kahn is one of those baseball scribes I’ve always had mixed feelings on. He’s written some good stuff but his fascination with the Brooklyn Dodgers has helped cultivate this cottage industry around the team like they’re some kind of baseball Atlantis and not a poor draw that left for warmer climates.
But I had a yen to read about the 78 Yankees and Sparky Lyle’s The Bronx Zoo has never done it for me. I find Lyle too smug and self-assured. So I grabbed this instead.
Oh man, it’s so good. Excellent.
Less a diary and more a love letter to baseball, specifically the development of the Yankees over generations and the unlikely confluence of events that led to their bizarre 1978 season, culminating with a repeat championship despite the fact that they all basically hated each other and their owner.
Kahn does a great job capturing the era, the personalities, and the sport itself. He has a keen eye for the racism endemic in baseball, particularly as to how it impacted Reggie Jackson in his time with the team. He tells the full story and he tells it in such a rich, digestible way.
This isn’t listed among the great baseball books of all time. It should be.
August 5, 2020
I think you could argue The 1970’s Yankees were a great team. But, as far as being in the top ten of all time, possibly with a couple of decisions going a different direction. I’m biased in thinking it had the potential to be as good as even the 1927 Yankees. (Murderers Row)
It started with Nettles and Munson. Then came Randolph, etc. But, the 1970’s Yankees would have to wait for Jackson, Dent, Guidry, etc.
The book centers on the October of 1978 rivalry of the Sox and Yanks, but periodically leaves it for tangent Yankees historically significant discussion. If you are a 1970’s Yanks fan, you will love this book!
It started with Nettles and Munson. Then came Randolph, etc. But, the 1970’s Yankees would have to wait for Jackson, Dent, Guidry, etc.
The book centers on the October of 1978 rivalry of the Sox and Yanks, but periodically leaves it for tangent Yankees historically significant discussion. If you are a 1970’s Yanks fan, you will love this book!
January 22, 2020
This book is great for baseball fans and especially Yankee fans. This book gets in detail about the Yankees 1978 season and there postseason run. It puts into great depth and gives details about there legendary season. I would recommend this book to anyone who is an avid baseball fan and loves to read about sports books.
January 6, 2022
Enjoyed the special focus on the characters sho made baseball exciting especially in the post season play. Kahn has an inviting prose that draws readers into the stories from the 1978 season, especially October.
May 24, 2017
If I were a Yankee fan, I might give it 5 stars. Alas, I'm a Red Sox fan. In the illustrious words of Don Zimmer (Red Sox manager in 1978) Bucky F---ing Dent?
June 27, 2018
An excellent review of the 1978 season with great portraits of all of the key players in the drama.
March 9, 2020
The 78 Yankees was super interesting. Billy Martin was a train wreck
June 2, 2020
Excellent account of the 1978 baseball season ending in the classic "Bucky Dent" single-game playoff between Yankees and Red Sox. Great characters, great drama, great baseball.
August 17, 2021
great writing. Kahn is a baseball journalism legend.
Read
August 26, 2023A great look back at one of the most tumultuous seasons that any Yankee team ever had.
January 9, 2012
This is an enjoyable read. Kahn, best known for The Boys of Summer (which is a baseball classic) writes fluidly, with only the occasional awkwardness. The following are my problems with the book: In places it's a bit repetitive; it focuses too much on the press and its relationship with the players; some of its asides and digressions seem like filler to me; it's occasionally sloppy factually; and perhaps most significant to me, I don't think there is enough attention paid to the on-field action. Obviously, the antics of Billy Martin, Steinbrenner, Reggie Jackson et al. which generated the controversies and are really the reason for this book, are interesting. But all of that would be of little interest but for the fact that the Yankees in 1978 staged one of the great comebacks of all time. Kahn gives win-loss totals at various points, but provides no real feel for the play of the team, particularly during the final month or so of the season when the Yankees gained so much ground. And the only player whose season-long play we get any sense of is Ron Guidry. We get no sense as to what kind of season other players--Mickey Rivers, Chambliss, Roy White, Figueroa, etc.--had or whether there is any consistent pattern to the team's play during the year. What sort of year did Greg Nettles have? Ed Figueroa won 20 games that year for the Yankees, a terrific accomplishment, and yet it goes unmentioned by Kahn.
The book has the feel of having been dashed off rather quickly in order to fulfill a contractual commitment or meet a deadline.
The book has the feel of having been dashed off rather quickly in order to fulfill a contractual commitment or meet a deadline.
February 4, 2017
While I preferred the Bronx Zoo, this was an okay read about the story of the 78 Yankees. Kahn starts with an overview of Yankee lore then goes into the mid 70’s telling of the assembly of the championship teams of 77 and 78. Focuses mainly on Billy, George and Reggie though has some good stories of some of the other players in the drama not covered in the players books that much like Gabe Paul and Al Rosen.
April 8, 2020
This book is about the 78 Yankee’s and hoe through all of the problems came back from 14 ½ games behind the Red Sox to tie them and then play a one-game playoff. Most people who are fans of either team know the outcome, f***ing Dent.
Here is just a look into the firing of Martin, hiring of Lemon. The problem between Goose and Sparky Lyle. Guidry having one of the best seasons as a pitcher. Of course, Reggie Jackson and everything around him and then the “Boss”. I found this to be an okay story, not one that I was blown away with when I finished it. Most Yankee fans know most everything already.
Here is just a look into the firing of Martin, hiring of Lemon. The problem between Goose and Sparky Lyle. Guidry having one of the best seasons as a pitcher. Of course, Reggie Jackson and everything around him and then the “Boss”. I found this to be an okay story, not one that I was blown away with when I finished it. Most Yankee fans know most everything already.
March 2, 2011
This book is about the 1978 New York Yankees. I wanted to read this book because the 1978 Yankees are the greatest team of all time. This was suppose to be about a team that was mediocore changing thru the players , into the winningest sports franchise in history. Instead Kahn spent lots of wasted time, reviewing the history of baseball, with boring details. I was very disappointed. However, I would reccomend this book to anyone that loves the NY Yankees, as it still had great parts in the book about the 1978 Yankees.
September 8, 2009
Terrific baseball book. Read this one a few years back as part of my annual Spring Training ritual. This is where I first learned that Reggie Jackson referred to himself as "the straw that stirs the drink," a phrase I have loved ever since encountering it in this great book by my favorite baseball writer.
February 27, 2008
I like Roger Kahn, but this book really could have been a novelette. There are an awful lot of anecdotes which are only loosely related to the story. They would have made interesting articles but didn't hold my attention so well as a novel.
February 26, 2012
As much as I loved The Bronx Zoo, I disliked October Men. Kahn came off as condescending, biased towards those involved with the 1978 Yankees that he had a positive relationship with, and seemed as if he was mailing it in for long sections of the book.
January 8, 2015
This book was lazily researched, as evidenced by the multitude of errors throughout. Kahn probably figured as he was such a veteran baseball writer and knew personally many of the important figures in this book, that he could just roll out of bed and write this book. He was wrong.
August 29, 2012
The '78 Yankees were the first baseball team I ever followed. I was 6 years old and obsessed. So, I was really excited about this book. I guess I just don't love Kahn's writing style, as I was disappointed. It was not the page turned I thought it would be.
October 15, 2015
I will read almost any baseball book, I grew up with the Yankees of the 70's, and I have read and loved other Roger Kahn books and I found this unreadable. Any reasonable editor would have cut at least 100 pages.
November 2, 2007
You have to be a Yankees fan to enjoy this one
February 20, 2009
not the greatest book
but some people are messed billy martin
wat a racist
though nice book
but some people are messed billy martin
wat a racist
though nice book
October 18, 2012
A few unnecessary tangents that felt like filler, a few too many times he inserted himself into the story like he was showing off, but it was a Yankee book. Of course I liked it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews