The Bronx is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City (Paperback)

~ (Author) "ON the evening of July 3, 1976, some fifty thousand New Yorkers sat on blankets in Central Park's Sheep Meadow eating picnic dinners, drinking wine,..." (more)
Key Phrases: blackout looting, mimic board, New York, Reggie Jackson, Con Ed (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ambitiously conceived, marvelously told . . . Mahler weaves several stories into one grand narrative of the city's death and rebirth. . . . It all comes back, in living color . . . a tour de force."--The New York Times

"Entertaining and illuminating . . . It should not be surprising then that Mahler . . . believed a layered account of a single year in the life of the city, 1977, could sustain a book--nor should it be surprising that he was right. . . . A nuanced portrait of this wild year."--The New York Times Book Review (front cover)

"A rich canvas . . . an excellent new book."--Sports Illustrated

"Compulsively readable . . . Mahler's innocently emblematic figures careen vividly through their historical moment."--The Wall Street Journal

Product Description

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
 
Scheduled for release in July 2007 as an ESPN original miniseries, starring John Turturro as Billy Martin, Oliver Platt as George Steinbrenner, and Daniel Sunjata as Reggie Jackson.
 
A kaleidoscopic portrait of New York City in 1977, The Bronx Is Burning is the story of two epic battles: the fight between Yankee Reggie Jackson and team manager Billy Martin, and the battle between Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch for the city's mayorship. Buried beneath these parallel conflicts--one for the soul of baseball, the other for the soul of the city--was the subtext of race.
 
Deftly intertwined by journalist Jonathan Mahler, these braided Big Apple narratives reverberate to reveal a year that also saw the opening of Studio 54, the acquisition of the New York Post by Rupert Murdoch, a murderer dubbed the "Son of Sam," the infamous blackout, and the evolution of punk rock. As Koch defeated Cuomo, and as Reggie Jackson rescued a team racked with dissension, 1977 became a year of survival--and also of hope.

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Product Details Paperback: 376 pages Publisher: Picador (June 26, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0312427026 ISBN-13: 978-0312427023 Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #419,168 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
ON the evening of July 3, 1976, some fifty thousand New Yorkers sat on blankets in Central Park's Sheep Meadow eating picnic dinners, drinking wine, waving red, white, and blue sparklers, and listening to Leonard Bernstein conduct the New York Philharmonic in a surging birthday concert for the United States of America. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
blackout looting, mimic board

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Reggie Jackson, Con Ed, Daily News, Forest Hills, Billy Martin, Son of Sam, City Hall, Red Sox, Mayor Beame, Mario Cuomo, Kansas City, South Bronx, American League, Upper East Side, Mayor Lindsay, Catfish Hunter, Long Island, Eight Three, Greenwich Village, New Jersey, Staten Island, Bella Abzug, George Steinbrenner, Los Angeles

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Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning by Jonathan Mahler

Discusses:

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• mimic board
• Reggie Jackson

The Future of Us All by Roger Sanjek

Discusses:

• blackout looting
• Forest Hills
• Mayor Beame

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning by Jonathan Mahler Discusses: blackout looting mimic board Reggie Jackson The Future of Us All by Roger Sanjek Discusses: blackout looting Forest Hills Mayor Beame Loading...

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	54% buy the item featured on this page: The Bronx is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City 4.7 out of 5 stars (6) $11.25
	26% buy Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City 4.4 out of 5 stars (52) $10.20
	3% buy The Bronx Zoo: The Astonishing Inside Story of the 1978 World Champion New York Yankees 4.5 out of 5 stars (21) $10.17
	3% buy The Yankee Years 4.2 out of 5 stars (165) $17.79

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Baseball and Blackouts, Circa 1977, December 4, 2007 By  D. B. Zukowski (Los Angeles, Ca) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Jonathan Mahler's book, "The Bronx is Burning", recalls that time in The City when the city was collapsing in crime and decay, visible for all the world to see on the evening news. Mahler, a writer for The New York Times Magazine, weaves together the story of the 1977 mayoral race, serial killer Son of Sam, the blackout and subsequent riots, and the fractious Yankees who had just signed Reggie Jackson and would go on to win their first World Series since 1962. Born and raised in the Bronx, I remember that time and those events quite well. As a baseball fan, I was disillusioned by a Yankees team that hadn't won a championship in 15 years and seemed to expend most of its energy fighting with itself and with owner George Steinbrenner. "The Bronx is Burning" - the title is taken from a Howard Cosell remark during the 1977 World Series broadcast as the aerial shot of Yankee Stadium revealed a nearby five-alarm fire - is a well-documented narrative of the New York City of the mid-1970s. Although the baseball story seems, at times, grafted on, and the subplot of Rupert Murdoch's takeover of the New York Post became more relevant in later years, the 67-chapter, 3-part, 339-page book accurately reflects the experience of most New Yorkers at the time. Those were our day-to-day concerns: crime, the mayor's race, and Steinbrenner's Yankees. But New York's story doesn't end with Ed Koch as mayor and the Yankees as World Series champions. Mahler leaves the impression that these two outcomes would lead to the turnaround of the city's fortunes and that 1977 was the bottom of the inverted bell curve. Neither is true. Crime would continue to rise. The murder rate peaked at 2,262 in 1992, a full 15 years later. The Yankees wouldn't win another World Series for 19 years, against the Atlanta Braves in 1996. Drug use continued to rise all through the 1980s. A 1989 U.S. News & World Report story listed New York as one of a dozen major U.S. cities ravaged by crime. The nadir of New York City's recent history was not 1977, and the resurgence was not due to Ed Koch or Reggie Jackson. When I left New York in 1986, the city was still a dismal and depressing place. When I visit today, it is vibrant, clean, safe and more exciting than ever. A new Yankee Stadium is under construction. As long as readers of "The Bronx is Burning" understand what came after chapter 67, they can appreciate this very readable book. For baseball fans, the ESPN adaptation of Mahler's book is well done and worth watching. As befits the network that aired it, the mini-series (now available on DVD The Bronx is Burning) leads with the Yankees story while moving the crime and decay to the background. And, as befits the medium, it tells the story through big personalities: Billy and Reggie and George, plus Son of Sam. Grab a beer and a hot dog and sit down to enjoy. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars In Search of a Hero, April 9, 2008 By  J. D. Best, author "The Shopkeeper & Leadville" (Arizona) - See all my reviews    Jonathan Mahler has written an exceptionally well-crafted book about a single year (1977) in the history of New York City. The fascinating story alternates between the Yankees and mayoral politics. As the ball drops in Time Square to usher in the New Year, New York and the Yankees are far down in the standings, but the situation is about to get much worse. In 1977, New York City goes bankrupt and nobody in the nation gives a hoot, the Yankees haven't won the World Series in years and everybody outside New York is delighted, the lights go out in the worst blackout in the city's history and the poor loot and burn, Reggie Jackson comes to the Yankees and his teammates yawn, and Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch slug it out to win the honor to run this disaster. There is an old adage that a sports team eventually takes on the personality of the head coach. Can a city take on the personality of a sports team? Or does a sports team accommodate its home city. These parallel stories told in The Bronx is Burning make you wonder about the relationship between sports and politics and the value of heroes in our society. The Bronx is Burning is really about leadership, or more specifically, a public's desperate search for leadership. In hindsight, 1977 was the bottom of an ugly cycle. Reggie Jackson, Mr. October, rose to heroic heights to deliver New York City another World Championship and Ed Koch will be remembered as the courageous mayor that started the turnaround of a once great city that still had its best years in front of it. The Shut Mouth Society The Shopkeeper 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, September 29, 2007 By  Benjamin Ashraf "Yankee Fan" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    What can I say the book was a great read with a tremendous introspective in on some yankee legends. A great read not only for any baseball fan but also anyone who enjoys a great read. The product was in superb condition as well when I recieved it.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars The Bronx Is Burning inside and out of the Yankees The Bronx Is Burning Summer 1976. A mischievous killer is on the loose and the Yankees are trying to go from worst to first. Read more Published 6 months ago by Kingham's Kids 5.0 out of 5 stars I like the book I enjoyed the book very much! Published 6 months ago by Debbie Hopkins 5.0 out of 5 stars A slice of NYC life A must read for anyone who grew up in the City. This was a low-point for NYC with race driven politics, a pair of losing ball teams, blackouts, riots and a brush with bankruptcy... Read more Published on August 1, 2007 by Steve Sora Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Picador (June 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312427026
• ISBN-13: 978-0312427023
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #419,168 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Baseball and Blackouts, Circa 1977, December 4, 2007

By	D. B. Zukowski (Los Angeles, Ca) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jonathan Mahler's book, "The Bronx is Burning", recalls that time in The City when the city was collapsing in crime and decay, visible for all the world to see on the evening news. Mahler, a writer for The New York Times Magazine, weaves together the story of the 1977 mayoral race, serial killer Son of Sam, the blackout and subsequent riots, and the fractious Yankees who had just signed Reggie Jackson and would go on to win their first World Series since 1962.

Born and raised in the Bronx, I remember that time and those events quite well. As a baseball fan, I was disillusioned by a Yankees team that hadn't won a championship in 15 years and seemed to expend most of its energy fighting with itself and with owner George Steinbrenner.

"The Bronx is Burning" - the title is taken from a Howard Cosell remark during the 1977 World Series broadcast as the aerial shot of Yankee Stadium revealed a nearby five-alarm fire - is a well-documented narrative of the New York City of the mid-1970s. Although the baseball story seems, at times, grafted on, and the subplot of Rupert Murdoch's takeover of the New York Post became more relevant in later years, the 67-chapter, 3-part, 339-page book accurately reflects the experience of most New Yorkers at the time. Those were our day-to-day concerns: crime, the mayor's race, and Steinbrenner's Yankees.

But New York's story doesn't end with Ed Koch as mayor and the Yankees as World Series champions. Mahler leaves the impression that these two outcomes would lead to the turnaround of the city's fortunes and that 1977 was the bottom of the inverted bell curve. Neither is true.

Crime would continue to rise. The murder rate peaked at 2,262 in 1992, a full 15 years later. The Yankees wouldn't win another World Series for 19 years, against the Atlanta Braves in 1996. Drug use continued to rise all through the 1980s. A 1989 U.S. News & World Report story listed New York as one of a dozen major U.S. cities ravaged by crime.

The nadir of New York City's recent history was not 1977, and the resurgence was not due to Ed Koch or Reggie Jackson. When I left New York in 1986, the city was still a dismal and depressing place. When I visit today, it is vibrant, clean, safe and more exciting than ever. A new Yankee Stadium is under construction. As long as readers of "The Bronx is Burning" understand what came after chapter 67, they can appreciate this very readable book.

For baseball fans, the ESPN adaptation of Mahler's book is well done and worth watching. As befits the network that aired it, the mini-series (now available on DVD The Bronx is Burning) leads with the Yankees story while moving the crime and decay to the background. And, as befits the medium, it tells the story through big personalities: Billy and Reggie and George, plus Son of Sam. Grab a beer and a hot dog and sit down to enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Search of a Hero, April 9, 2008

By	J. D. Best, author "The Shopkeeper & Leadville" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

Jonathan Mahler has written an exceptionally well-crafted book about a single year (1977) in the history of New York City. The fascinating story alternates between the Yankees and mayoral politics. As the ball drops in Time Square to usher in the New Year, New York and the Yankees are far down in the standings, but the situation is about to get much worse.

In 1977, New York City goes bankrupt and nobody in the nation gives a hoot, the Yankees haven't won the World Series in years and everybody outside New York is delighted, the lights go out in the worst blackout in the city's history and the poor loot and burn, Reggie Jackson comes to the Yankees and his teammates yawn, and Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch slug it out to win the honor to run this disaster.

There is an old adage that a sports team eventually takes on the personality of the head coach. Can a city take on the personality of a sports team? Or does a sports team accommodate its home city. These parallel stories told in The Bronx is Burning make you wonder about the relationship between sports and politics and the value of heroes in our society.

The Bronx is Burning is really about leadership, or more specifically, a public's desperate search for leadership. In hindsight, 1977 was the bottom of an ugly cycle. Reggie Jackson, Mr. October, rose to heroic heights to deliver New York City another World Championship and Ed Koch will be remembered as the courageous mayor that started the turnaround of a once great city that still had its best years in front of it.
The Shut Mouth Society
The Shopkeeper

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, September 29, 2007

By	Benjamin Ashraf "Yankee Fan" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What can I say the book was a great read with a tremendous introspective in on some yankee legends. A great read not only for any baseball fan but also anyone who enjoys a great read. The product was in superb condition as well when I recieved it.