I was privileged to go to The Smithsonian Museum back in 1987. After my wife and I were done, I spent a few minutes browsing in their bookstore. Lo and behold, there was a Mickey Mantle book I'd never heard of, but had been just released that year. Entitled EXPLOSION!, by Paul Gallagher, it was a thorough, very well-researched treatment and analysis of each of Mickey Mantles home runs.
Gallagher did a fine job, and interviewed many of Mickey's teammates and pitchers he faced. In retrospect, his timing was pivotal, for many of them, including Mick, have now passed on. With Gallagher's enjoyable writing style, and all the pertinent aspects he covers, coupled with the kazillion memories from former players interviewed, Gallagher makes Mickey's home run action all come back fresh again. It became a very cherished read and a wonderful complement to my Mickey Mantle baseball card collection. I still enjoy it immensely whenever I pick it up.
---Brian Powell
Last edited by brian1961; 01-02-2016 at 12:52 PM.
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