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A Life of Henry Aaron
Pantheon
May 2010
On Sale: May 11, 2010
624 pages
ISBN: 0375424857
EAN: 9780375424854
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction Sports
In the thirty-four years since his retirement, Henry Aaronโs reputation has only grown in magnitude: he broke existing records (rbis, total bases, extra-base hits) and set new ones (hitting at least thirty home runs per season fifteen times, becoming the first player in history to hammer five hundred home runs and three thousand hits). But his influence extends beyond statistics, and at long last here is the first definitive biography of one of baseballโs immortal figures. Based on meticulous research and interviews with former teammates, family, two former presidents, and Aaron himself, The Last Hero chronicles Aaronโs childhood in segregated Alabama, his brief stardom in the Negro Leagues, his complicated relationship with celebrity, and his historic rivalry with Willie Maysโall culminating in the defining event of his life: his shattering of Babe Ruthโs all-time home-run record. Bryant also examines Aaronโs more complex second act: his quest to become an important voice beyond the ball field when his playing days had ended, his rediscovery by a public disillusioned with todayโs tainted heroes, and his disappointment that his career home-run record was finally broken by Barry Bonds during the steroid era, baseballโs greatest scandal. Bryant reveals how Aaron navigated the upheavals of his timeโfighting against racism while at the same time benefiting from racial progressโand how he achieved his goal of continuing Jackie Robinsonโs mission to obtain full equality for African-Americans, both in baseball and society, while he lived uncomfortably in the public spotlight. Eloquently written, detailed and penetrating, this is a revelatory portrait of a complicated, private man who through sports became an enduring American icon.
 Media BuzzGood Morning America - June 30, 2010
Weekend Edition Saturday - May 15, 2010
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