Victories [Mass Market Paperback]

George Higgins (Author), George V. Higgins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1991

Henry Biggs, ex-baseball star, is still a celebrity in rural Vermont, where he has ambiguous political ambitions which are encouraged by Ed Cobb, Speaker of the House. And just in case a bit more than encouragement is needed, Ed has a nice little line in blackmail up his sleeve.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a tale advanced mainly through conversations, Henry Briggs, an Occident, Vt., game warden and retired baseball star, is persuaded to challenge a long-incumbent Republican for a Congressional seat. "Pitch-perfect dialogue and credible characters . . . who act from complex, generations-old motives give this story a lasting power," said PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The time is 1968. Henry Briggs, retired baseball player now working as a game warden in Vermont, is picked by politician Ed Cobb to run for the Democratic seat in a Congressional race. His opponent, Wainwright, is approaching 80 and has been in office for as long as anyone can remember. But various people begin to delve into the past when Russ Wixton, a newspaperman, decides to do features on Briggs and a hometown boy returning in a casket from Vietnam. While early portions of the novel seem laden with digressions and superfluous characters, Higgins, as one might expect, pulls everything together in time for a satisfying ending. Spanning more than 20 years, this cynical, crusty novel will reward serious readers who stay with it. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/90.
- Robert H. Donahugh, formerly with Youngstown & Mahoning Cty. P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Zebra Books (November 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821735667
• ISBN-13: 978-0821735664
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,098,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Reread For Ole Time's Sake, November 21, 2011

By 

Franklin the Mouse (Gorham, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victories (Hardcover)

My introduction to the late Mr. Higgins' work was this wonderful book, "Victories," when it first came out in paperback during 1990. I was floored by his snappy, believable dialogue and interesting characters. The novel takes place in 1967-1968 when "Hank" Briggs, an ex-professional baseball pitcher, is convinced to run against a popular, 14-term, septuagenarian, Vermont Congressman named Bob Wainwright. The story is not some intricate whodunit or complex plot with oodles of action and gunfire, but a colorful and entertaining description of the going-ons behind the scenes of someone deciding to run for office. It explains through educational and sometimes funny conversations by mulitple characters the duplicitous nature of politics and the human condition. If the reader is more into suspenseful pulp fiction such as Mickey Spillane's work, you're going to be greatly disappointed by "Victories." Mr. Higgins was one of the 20th Century's great writers but few people, today, seem to know about him. I'd take this author over Hemingway or Faulkner any day of the week.