One for the Record - by George Plimpton (Hardcover)

About the Book

Originally published by Bantam Books, 1974.

Book Synopsis

The inside story of Hank Aaron's chase for the home run record, repackaged and with a foreword by Bob Costas and new material from the Plimpton Archives.

In One For the Record, George Plimpton recounts Hank Aaron's thrilling race to become the new home run champion. Amidst media frenzy and death threats, Aaron sought to beat Babe Ruth's record. In 1974, he finally succeeded.

A fascinating examination of the psychology of baseball players, One For the Record gives an absorbing account of the men on the mound who had to face Aaron. But the book's true genius lies in the portrait of Aaron himself, and his discussions on his philosophy on hitting and the game of baseball.

Review Quotes

"A delight--more entertaining, if possible, than I remembered... the reader leaves George Plimpton's wide world of sports with deep reluctance.... His prose is as elegant and seemingly effortless as Ted Williams's swing or an Arnold Palmer iron shot.... His teammates recede--like the old baseball players vanishing into the cornfield in Field of Dreams, taking their magical world with them but living on in fond memory."--Edward Kosner, Wall Street Journal

"Plimpton's One For the Record is another in his series of thinking man's books about sports ... Plimpton's crisp chronological reportorial job is a pleasure.... I found Plimpton's enthusiastic pursuit of this modest moment in history infectious."--Los Angeles Times

"Plimpton's account of the home run quest proves to be well worth the reading, even for people who thought Babe Ruth was a candy bar and Aaron a biblical prophet. Writing with his usual grace and attention to the small but significant detail, Plimpton makes it all seem much fresher than when it was happening." --Chicago Daily News Service

"Sports memoirs, like humor collections, rarely outlive their authors, but Plimpton's books have aged gracefully and even matured. Today they have the additional (and unintended) appeal of vivid history, bearing witness to a mythical era."--Nathaniel Rich, New York Review of Books

About the Author

George Plimpton (1927-2003) was the bestselling author and editor of nearly thirty books, as well as the cofounder, publisher, and editor of the Paris Review. He wrote regularly for such magazines as Sports Illustrated and Esquire, and he appeared numerous times in films and on television.