Babe Ruth: Launching the Legend

by Jim Reisler

The fascinating, nearforgotten tale of how Babe Ruth revolutionized baseball and became America's biggest hero, all in a single season With World War I, the "Black Sox" scandal, and a dearth of home runs, 1920 looked like the end of baseball. Then, in a move forever known in Boston as the "Curse of the Bambino," Babe Ruth joined the Yankees. His timing was impeccable, and his season of seasons--with a record-breaking 54 home runs--was just the tonic America needed. In Babe Launching the Legend , baseball historian and critically acclaimed author Jim Reisler describes the remarkable impact Babe Ruth and the 1920 Yankees had on the game. Their brand of baseball was something never seen before, creating a level of excitement that rescued the game at its darkest hour. This is the story about that pivotal moment in baseball history, an era frozen in time, with Ruth on the verge of becoming a legend --and giving rise to the Yankees dynasty that endures to this day.

Genres: Baseball, Sports

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 23, 2004

Reviews

[Nolan Hanstedt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very detailed and well-explained biography on Babe Ruth. It had every single thing that happened during that time and it made me feel like I was there watching his every move and depicting every little movement. The writing is outstanding and it hits you like if you were in real life. I would recommend this to a classmate if they are into the sport of baseball because he is one of the most remembered players of the game. If this book was part of a series I would read the rest because it was so interesting to read. This was honestly one of the best biographies I have ever read.

[Zach Koenig · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I picked up this book, a little voice in the back of my head said "prepare to be disappointed". I have read numerous Babe Ruth tomes and baseball history books, and so was skeptical that this one could provide me with anything new. Oddly enough, however, it did fill in some gaps for me...only to be dragged down by a lack of focus.

The problem with this book is it needs to be titled something like "1920: The Year That Ruth Built" (okay, that's cheesy, but you get the point). To put only pictures/text of Ruth on the cover is basically false advertising (though it got me to buy it, so I guess it works). This is a book about so much more than Ruth. It's about the 1920's Yankees, their pennant race, and baseball in general. I really can't even call the book a "Ruth bio" because of the extent that it covers other subjects.

That being said, what the book does cover, it actually covers pretty well. I learned a little more about Ruth, but more about the 1920 Yankees. Author Reisler goes into great detail about that team and its players, something I had not read before. It just takes a good deal of time for the reader to know what the book really is about.

So, if you are looking for a strict Babe Ruth bio, steer clear. However, if you want a very in-depth look at the 1920 New York Yankees, you couldn't have come to a better place. Personally, I just didn't like how the book uses Ruth as the "hook" and then goes off in many different directions. The cover/advertising do not accurately describe the content, in other words, which is a shame because his in-depth research about that team is quite thorough and interesting.

[Juliofregoso]

Babe Ruth was a baseball hero he was the best player. Before babe Ruth was a baseball player that no one would be like him. The baseball was not good by that time for so many reasons and in 1920 the baseball looked like if it was the end. But the babe Ruth joined the New York Yankees it was his best season ever he did great in season. When he started playing with New York Yankees and his timing was impeccable, he made a best record-breaking that was 54 home runs it was the tonic American needed.
Everyone who does likes baseball or who doesn’t like baseball should read the book” babe Ruth: launching the legend “it’s interesting I read all the book and in the book tells about all his life it tells about how he was in baseball it is a good book to read especially for people that like to read books about sports or about people that were heroes in America like babe Ruth. This book contain a lot of information about baseball and about how babe Ruth was the best baseball player and all the teams and players knew that babe Ruth was the best player in that time I recommend this book because I liked that’s why I recommend this book and trust me no one would be saying that its boring or that it’s not interesting because it is.

Reading this book made me feel like playing baseball or some other sport and be a professional player like babe Ruth did he was a hero he was the best player of all the baseball, his best season was when he was with red sox Boston me. He made that baseball could be different I feel like reading this book about babe Ruth again because I like baseball and I like to know things about baseball, about how was baseball before and it would be perfect for all people to get the book and read it and pay attention for every words that are in the book.

[George K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Babe Ruth: Launching the Legend By Jim Reisler
Biography
259 Pages

George "Babe" Ruth is a Red Sox Baseball player who is a pitcher. He finds his batting skills when he hit many home runs then he got traded to the Yankees for $125,000. The Yankees moved him to outfielder and pitcher so every other game he would play outfield or pitch. He hit 54 home runs setting the record in 1920. When he started to slump in pitching he got moved to just an outfielder and hit better ever since.

I think this book is good and it made me learn a lot about Babe Ruth and a lot of things I didn't know about him such as that he was a pitcher. I think Babe Ruth must have been mad at the Red Sox for trading him to the rival, New York Yankees because he was the Red Sox star player and I think he would have been sort of happy because he got traded for a lot of money and the Yankees were offering him a lot of money. I think it was good for him to only play outfield because he would have more stamina and wouldn't get tired so fast. I give this book a 6 out of 10 or 3 out of 5 because I liked it but it might have been a little higher level of reading and it had a lot of words that I didn't know.

[Ron Kaplan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Babe Ruth,biography

[Big League Manager · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good companion to "The Pitch That Killed", being another look at the 1920 season... following the Yankees this time.

[Stephen Buenaga · Rating 2 out of 5]

It dragged. Great history but way to much detail.