The Oakland A's of the early 1970s were the most transformative team in baseball history. Never before had an entire organization so collectively traumatized baseball's establishment with its outlandish behavior and business decisions—or with its indisputable winning record: five straight division titles and three straight championships. The high drama that played out on the field was exceeded only by the drama in the clubhouse and front office. But those A's, with their garish uniforms and outlandish facial hair, redefined soon...virtually every aspect of the game for coming generations.
Under the visionary leadership of Charles O. Finley, the team assembled such luminary figures as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and Vida Blue. Finley acted as his own general manager, and, with an insatiable need for control, dictated everything from the playlist of the ballpark organist to the menu for the media lounge. The advent of free agency spelled the end of Finley's reign; within two years, his dynasty was lost.
A sprawling, brawling history of one of the game's most unforgettable teams, Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic is a paean to a turbulent yet magical time.
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“Captures that glorious time period, brilliantly weaving fascinating tales of the team’s colorful cast of characters while offering a behind-the-scenes look at a great time in sports history…An exciting and engrossing book with stories that are worth telling.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
“[A] colorful, hilarious, and impossible-to-put-down account of the Swingin’ A’s, from their tyrannical, unhinged, and wildly innovative owner to the brawling players whose locker-room dysfunction fueled one of baseball’s greatest dynasties.”
— Steve Fainaru, New York Times bestselling author“Carefully researched and often hilarious…has plenty to offer fans both serious and casual…Turbow has unearthed new perspectives on brief but important chapters in team history.”
— San Francisco Chronicle“A must-read for A’s fans.”
— San Jose Mercury News“Even if you’re not a baseball fanatic, Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic is a highly entertaining look at the slightly dysfunctional, rough-and-tumble Oakland A’s during the 1970s.”
— BookPageBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Jason Turbow has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, SportsIllustrated.com, Slam magazine, Giants magazine, and Athletics. He also served as content director for “Giants Today,” a full-page supplement in the San Francisco Chronicle. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife and two children.