Title/Author:
“The Eighth Wonder of
the World: The Life of Houston’s Iconic Astrodome” by Robert C. Trumpbour and
Kenneth Womack
Tags:
Baseball, Football
(American), Oilers, Astros, history, stadium, politics
Publish date:
September 1, 2016
Length:
272 pages
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
When the Houston
Astrodome opened for its first baseball game in April 1965, it was so unlike
any other sports stadium that was in use at the time. How the iconic structure came into being and
what it meant to the city of Houston and to sports stadiums is captured in this
outstanding book by Robert Trumpbour and Kenneth Womack.
While the Astrodome
was the home field for both baseball’s Houston Astros and football’s Houston
Oilers, the book’s sports passages concentrate on baseball and the quirks it
presented as a ballpark. The early flaws that are well-known such as the glare
from the original roof and the death of the natural grass inside the dome are
covered well in the book and how quickly the problems were addressed.
However, the best writing in the book is saved for the political maneuvering (both in government and in baseball) to get the Astrodome built. Trumpbour and Womack describe all the deals and pleading that Roy Hofheinz and others had to work in order to gain approval. The baseball politics to make sure that Houston would get a team to be a tenant in the Dome was just as intriguing as that was not a sure bet either.
However, the best writing in the book is saved for the political maneuvering (both in government and in baseball) to get the Astrodome built. Trumpbour and Womack describe all the deals and pleading that Roy Hofheinz and others had to work in order to gain approval. The baseball politics to make sure that Houston would get a team to be a tenant in the Dome was just as intriguing as that was not a sure bet either.
No matter the topic
covered, every aspect of the stadium’s history was chronicled and written in a
such a manner that will make the reader want to learn more. Even topics such as
the architecture of the stadium and the push for destruction of the currently
empty mausoleum made for interesting reading.
Throughout the book,
the two authors emphasize how the Astrodome not only made Houston a “big league”
city, but they also noted that many of the innovations in the fans’ experience
at a stadium, such as in-house restaurants, padded seating and a video
scoreboard, are here today because of Hofheniz’s vision. The authors also made
the same observation for items such as private boxes. Other teams and stadiums
copied this because after all, as the authors stated, “luxury was not a
patentable commodity.”
Any reader who wants to learn more about this state-of-the-art (for its time) stadium and its history and the current push to decide its fate should read this book. It covers the entire history of the “Eighth Wonder of the World” in one terrific book.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
Hardcover
Buying links:
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