Rating: 
Summary: "OCTOBER 1964" by David Halberstam (1995
Review: "OCTOBER 1964" by David Halberstam (1995)Sometimes the best sports books are not really sports books, as is the case with David Halberstam's brilliant "October 1964", which tells the story of a changing America through the microcosm of two very different baseball teams.
Halberstam, one of the great living American writers, concentrates on events that occurred during tumultuous times. Halberstam examines the loser of the 1964 World Series, the New York Yankees, who represent the old America, and the winners, the St. Louis Cardinals, who represent the new.
The Yankees were the Republican Party, conservative, white, country club elite, old money, Wall Street, the status quo, featuring Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Whitey Ford. Their style of play was to not take chances, and they only had a couple black players.
The Cardinals mirrored Berkeley rabble rousers, and they played "National League baseball"--aggressive, stealing bases, stretching singles into doubles. Bob Gibson-black, college-educated, a man's man with something to prove, was their undisputed leader. Curt Flood was another thoughtful black athlete who harbored quiet resentment over his treatment by rednecks in Southern minor league towns. Tim McCarver came from a well-to-do white family in Memphis that employed black servants, his only frame of reference, until Gibson asked to take a sip from his coke. McCarver hesitatingly handed Gibby the can, Gibby took a big old honkin' Samuel L. Jackson sip, flashed the kid a giant smile, and handed the can back. McCarver's lesson: Sharing with black's is just like sharing with whites.
Halberstam details the metaphor of these two clubs, in which the Yankees would fall from their lofty perch, only to rise once they changed their ways in accordance with the world around them, mirroring the Reagan Revolution. The Cardinals would win three pennants in the '60s, Gibson ascending to Hall of Fame status, while McCarver grew up to be the modicum of tolerance. Flood became the symbol of the union movement with a fall-on-his-sword lawsuit challenging the reserve clause, opening the door to freedom and riches for numerous players.
Rating:
Summary: "OCTOBER 1964" by David Halberstam (1995
Review: "OCTOBER 1964" by David Halberstam (1995) Sometimes the best sports books are not really sports books, as is the case with David Halberstam's brilliant "October 1964", which tells the story of a changing America through the microcosm of two very different baseball teams.
Halberstam, one of the great living American writers, concentrates on events that occurred during tumultuous times. Halberstam examines the loser of the 1964 World Series, the New York Yankees, who represent the old America, and the winners, the St. Louis Cardinals, who represent the new.
The Yankees were the Republican Party, conservative, white, country club elite, old money, Wall Street, the status quo, featuring Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Whitey Ford. Their style of play was to not take chances, and they only had a couple black players.
The Cardinals mirrored Berkeley rabble rousers, and they played "National League baseball"--aggressive, stealing bases, stretching singles into doubles. Bob Gibson-black, college-educated, a man's man with something to prove, was their undisputed leader. Curt Flood was another thoughtful black athlete who harbored quiet resentment over his treatment by rednecks in Southern minor league towns. Tim McCarver came from a well-to-do white family in Memphis that employed black servants, his only frame of reference, until Gibson asked to take a sip from his coke. McCarver hesitatingly handed Gibby the can, Gibby took a big old honkin' Samuel L. Jackson sip, flashed the kid a giant smile, and handed the can back. McCarver's lesson: Sharing with black's is just like sharing with whites.
Halberstam details the metaphor of these two clubs, in which the Yankees would fall from their lofty perch, only to rise once they changed their ways in accordance with the world around them, mirroring the Reagan Revolution. The Cardinals would win three pennants in the '60s, Gibson ascending to Hall of Fame status, while McCarver grew up to be the modicum of tolerance. Flood became the symbol of the union movement with a fall-on-his-sword lawsuit challenging the reserve clause, opening the door to freedom and riches for numerous players.
Rating:
Summary: A home run hit deep into the fabric of American society
Review: America's national pastime, the glorious game of baseball, has lost its lustre in these recent troubled years. But harken back to the 1960s -- when baseball was indisputably the king of sport. ---- Halberstam takes readers back to that time, specifically back to the riveting season of 1964.Recapture the aura of the "invincible" Yankee dynasty with the likes of Mantle, Maris, and Ford. Thrill to the Cardinal's late season surge fueled by energy from players like Flood, Brock, and Gibson. --- Yes this is a great baseball book, because it goes beyond mere descriptive verse and creates a feel for the unique personalities of the players. It gets even better, though, as Halberstam shows how these two Series-bound teams remarkably reflected the wider social transitions taking place in 1964. It is truly amazing how the clash between the status quo, predominantly white Yankees, and the upstart racially integrated (on and off the field) Cardinals provided a near-perfect mirror for the conflicts of the times. ---- Even for readers knowing the outcome of that Series, Halberstam builds a sense of momentousness which culminates with a thrilling game-by-game description of the fateful match-up. This book is as much about race relations, labor organization, and America toying with new definitions of personal freedom as it is about Gibson's wicked slider and Mantle's crunching homers. If today's baseball has left you feeling a mite disenchanted, here's a lively read to recapture the glory, and understand a distinct year in American history to boot! A home run hit deep, deep into the fabric of our nation!
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Summary: Great Piece of Americana
Review: Another fantastic piece of Americana delivered by David Halberstam. "October '64" is not merely a baseball book, it is a book which metaphorically uses baseball as a symbol of changing times in America. Halberstam portrays an uncertain nation still reeling in the anquish of the Kennedy Assassination and somewhat at unease with itself as the Civil Rights movement intensified. In October 1964, the St.Louis Cardinals -- a brash, young ball club led by African-American stars Bob Gibson, Curt Flood and Lou Brock -- defeated the baseball institution known as the New York Yankees in the World Series. Halberstam asserts that the Cardinals, a racially harmonious squad in which blacks and whites worked together to achieve the goal of a World Championship, represented the direction in which all of America, not just baseball, would have to head in order to achieve greatness. One would be hard pressed to disagree with the author's assertions as the Cardinals would appear in three World Series between '64-'68. Meanwhile the once-proud Yankees, whose front office was reluctant to change with the times, would see their dynasty crumble before decade's end. As always, Halberstam's research and delivery are nothing short of staggering. His literary recreation of a nation governed by Jim Crow laws is chilling. His portrayal of men who overcame so many obstacles to achieve baseball stardom is downright inspiring. If you liked "Summer of '41" or "The Fifties" chances are you'll be pleased with "October '64". Great Book !
Rating:
Summary: Great Piece of Americana
Review: Another fantastic piece of Americana delivered by David Halberstam. "October '64" is not merely a baseball book, it is a book which metaphorically uses baseball as a symbol of changing times in America. Halberstam portrays an uncertain nation still reeling in the anquish of the Kennedy Assassination and somewhat at unease with itself as the Civil Rights movement intensified. In October 1964, the St.Louis Cardinals -- a brash, young ball club led by African-American stars Bob Gibson, Curt Flood and Lou Brock -- defeated the baseball institution known as the New York Yankees in the World Series. Halberstam asserts that the Cardinals, a racially harmonious squad in which blacks and whites worked together to achieve the goal of a World Championship, represented the direction in which all of America, not just baseball, would have to head in order to achieve greatness. One would be hard pressed to disagree with the author's assertions as the Cardinals would appear in three World Series between '64-'68. Meanwhile the once-proud Yankees, whose front office was reluctant to change with the times, would see their dynasty crumble before decade's end. As always, Halberstam's research and delivery are nothing short of staggering. His literary recreation of a nation governed by Jim Crow laws is chilling. His portrayal of men who overcame so many obstacles to achieve baseball stardom is downright inspiring. If you liked "Summer of '41" or "The Fifties" chances are you'll be pleased with "October '64". Great Book !
Rating:
Summary: Another Good Halberstam Book
Review: Another good book by author David Halberstam and I enjoyed it more than "The Summer Of '49" because of its more indepth look at the racial tones of the times - ever start reading a Halberstam book, with your copy of The Baseball Encyclopedia at hand, and wonder WHO the next chapter is going to be about? It's a format of his that I have gotten used to so it makes for easy reading.
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Summary: Times They Are A-Changing
Review: As an author with my first novel in its initial release, I am often fascinated with nonfiction works that read as if they are great novels. David Halberstam's OCTOBER 1964 is one such book. I loved this book despite the fact that my taste in baseball teams swings most often to the likes of the Red Sox, the Cubs, and the Angels. While my personal teams figure out new ways every season not to bring home a World Series crown, the Yankees and the Cardinals of 1964 represent two of the great championship teams in baseball history. Each, also, repesents much more than merely a team or a city. In Mr. Halberstam's book, the Yankees represent the Establishment. They are used to winning. They are securely implanted in America's moneyed and white power structure. It is expected that they will win because they have won so often in the past. The Cardinals represent change. The stars of the Cards are black--Gibson, Brock, and Flood. They are the rebels. Later in his life, Curt Flood became the man who challenged the baseball's reserve clause in court. Flood lost his case and his career, but he revolutionized the game. David Halberstam, one of journalism's best and brightest, brilliantly weaves the history of these two very different sports teams into the time period in which they faced off against each other in the battle for the championship of the world. OCTOBER 1964 is a great book. We know in 1964 that the establishment was still hanging on securely in power but that the rebels were gaining strength fast. Yet we do know which team won the World Series. You can look it up.
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Summary: A baseball book to "savor."
Review: Bill Veeck once observed that you can "savor" a baseball game in a way that you cannot with games in other big-time sports. Halberstam has written an epic gem to be savored here with October 1964. This book features dozens of excellent, well-crafted moments that you'll stop and think about for a long time to come. His graceful profiles of greats like Mantle, Gibson, Maris, Brock, and Flood might prove to be the best yet. Halberstam has the incredible ability to draw forth the full power of a figure or a moment-- even if already well-known --in a way that sheds new light and rejuvenates a sense of awe, without exaggeration or scandalous overtones. Halberstam could write about any baseball season in history and make it a profound read.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Book, Just too much Mantle
Review: David Halberstam does a magnificent job recounting the year, season, and playoffs of 1964. From the Philles' remarkable collapse to the thrilling 7-game series, he leaves no stone unturned. The only thing that keeps this book from being a five is the overfocus on Mickey Mantle. Too many other great, underappreciated players, like Bobby Richardson and Bill White, are snuffed out because of the Mantle focus. Otherwise, the book is fantastic.
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Summary: One of the best baseball books ever written
Review: David Halberstam is one of my all-time favorite writers, and this is one of his best books. The book deals with the 1964 World Series and offers a whole new insight to the classic series between the Cardinals and Yankees. It's worth reading just for the stories about Bob Gibson, but there's so much more to the story. One of the biggest things the Cards had going for them was how well the team handled integration. This was only 17 years after Jackie Robinson broke in with the Dodgers and there were a few teams that had only integrated in the past few years. Halberstam says the National League integrated much more quickly and that was a big reason for the difference in the style of play between the two leagues. He also shows how well the Cardinals dealt with the issue and how poorly the Yankees accomplished integrating their team. As a result, the Cards had a much closer team than the Yankees. If you enjoy this book, you should check out Halberstam's other book about baseball (The Summer of '49). If you like these and are a basketball fan I would also recommend The Breaks of the Game (a look at one season for the Portland Trailblazers). If you enjoy any of these books and are interested in the media, be sure to check out The Powers That Be. If you like history, The Best and the Brightest is probably the best book ever written about Vietnam and the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and The Children is an outstanding book about the fight to integrate the south during the 1960's.
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