Gaston Library discussion

On January 22, 2021, Hank Aaron passed away at the age of 86. He is a member of the Hall of Fame, "whose 755 career home runs long stood as baseball's golden mark" (ESPN). Hank Aaron was also a groundbreaking black baseball player and a civil rights icon. Take a look at books honoring Hank Aaron:

Hank Aaron: Brave in Every Way by Peter Golenbock
"On April 8, 1974, America watched as Hank Aaron stepped up to the plate and hit home run number 715! With that hit, he surpassed Babe Ruth's legendary baseball record and realized a lifelong dream. Before blacks were allowed in the major leagues, Hank was determined to play. This is the story of how Hank Aaron became a great ballplayer and an inspiration to us all." (Goodreads)


Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America by Tom Statton
"In this powerful recollection, Tom Stanton penetrates the myth of Aaron's chase and uncovers the compelling story behind the most consequential athletic achievement of the past fifty years. Three decades after Hank Aaron reached the pinnacle of the national pastime, and now as Barry Bonds makes history of his own, Stanton unfolds a tale rich with drama, poignancy, and suspense to bring to life the elusive spirit of an American hero." (Goodreads)


I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story by Hank Aaron
"Henry Aaron left his mark on the world by breaking Babe Ruth's record for home runs. But the world has also left its mark on him. "Hammering Hank" Aaron's story is one that tells us much about baseball, naturally, but also about our times. His unique, poignant life has made him a symbol for much of the social history of twentieth-century America." (Goodreads)


Henry Aaron's Dream by Matt Tavares
"Before he was Hammerin’ Hank, Henry Aaron was a young boy grow ing up in Mobile, Alabama, with what seemed like a foolhardy dream: to be a big-league baseball player. He didn’t have a bat. He didn’t have a ball. And there wasn’t a single black ball player in the major leagues. B ut none of this could stop Henry Aaron. In a captivating biography of Henr y Aaron’s young life – from his sandlot days through his time in the Negro Leagues to the day he played his first spring training game for the Braves – Matt Tavares offers an inspiring homage to one of baseball’s all-time greats." (Goodreads)


The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron by Howard Bryant
"Based on meticulous research and extensive interviews The Last Hero reveals how Aaron navigated the upheavals of his time - fighting against racism while at the same time benefiting from racial progress - and how he achieved his goal of continuing Jackie Robinson's mission to obtain full equality for African Americans, both in baseball and society, while he lived uncomfortably in the public eye. Eloquently written, detailed and penetrating, this is a revelatory portrait of a complicated, private man who through sports became an enduring American icon." (Goodreads)


1954: The Year Willie Mays and the First Generation of Black Superstars Changed Major League Baseball Forever by Bill Madden
" Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Bill Madden delivers the first major book to fully examine the 1954 baseball season, drawn largely from exclusive recent interviews with the major players themselves, including Mays and Doby as well as New York baseball legends from that era: Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford of the Yankees, Monte Irvin of the Giants, and Carl Erskine of the Dodgers. 1954 transports readers across the baseball landscape of the time—from the spring training camps in Florida and Arizona to baseball cities including New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and Cleveland—as future superstars such as Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and others entered the leagues and continued to integrate the sport." (Goodreads)


The Atlanta Braves by John Grabowski


Baseball's Greatest Hitters by Sydelle Kramer
"Here are the fascinating stories of Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron, and their rise to superstardom. This newly updated edition includes the recent record-breaking home run seasons, the alleged wrongdoings that threaten to alter the game of baseball, and the current crop of hard-hitting stars." (Goodreads)