Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America - by Tom Stanton (Paperback)

About the Book

The author of "The Final Season" offers a look back at Hank Aaron's historic quest to attain the major league home run record, an event that shook the game of baseball--and the world at large.

From the Back Cover

Baseball has witnessed more than 125,000 home runs. Many have altered the outcome of games, and some have decided pennants and become legend. But no dinger has had greater impact than Hank Aaron's 715th home run. His historic blast on April 8, 1974, lifted him above Babe Ruth on the all-time list, an achievement that shook not only baseball but our nation itself. Aaron's magnificent feat provoked bigotry and shattered prejudice, inspired a generation, emboldened a flagging civil rights movement, and called forth the demons that haunted Aaron's every step and turned what should have been a joyous pursuit into a hellish nightmare.

In this powerful recollection, Tom Stanton penetrates the myth of Aaron's chase and uncovers the compelling story behind the most consequential athletic achievement of the past fifty years. Three decades after Hank Aaron reached the pinnacle of the national pastime, and now as Barry Bonds makes history of his own, Stanton unfolds a tale rich with drama, poignancy, and suspense to bring to life the elusive spirit of an American hero.

Review Quotes

"An account of the challenges that Aaron faced as it became clear that he was going to break the most cherished record of a man who was then the most popular sports figure of the 20th century....Stanton draws upon interviews and published comments from Aaron's friends, family, peers, and teammates to fill in the blanks in ways that the intensely private Aaron never would have....Aaron's homerun may have made just a small dent in America's racial quagmire...but it clearly helped many young fans...imagine a more equitable world....[Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America] is steeped in nostalgia and fandom....Stanton's book is a laudible attempt to make our passion for the game all right again." - The Austin American Statesman
"Stanton captures the embittering and, finally, uplifting sides of Aaron's personal story from that record-breaking campaign." - Library Journal
"Powerful...Baseball books rarely reach the heights of Stanton's...Excellent." - Chicago Tribune
"One of 2004's better sports histories." - Chicago Sun-Times
"Entertaining ...Stanton's work best exposes...the man who hit that home run." - Mobile Register
"Engaging...The real story here...is of the trials this wondrous player endured on the way to his big moment." - Sports Illustrated