The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Life of Houston's Iconic Astrodome

Author:   Robert C. Trumpbour ,  Kenneth Womack ,  Mickey Herskowitz
Publisher:   University of Nebraska Press
ISBN:  

9780803255456


Pages:   272
Publication Date:   01 September 2016
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
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The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Life of Houston's Iconic Astrodome


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Overview

2017 Seymour Medal from the Society for American Baseball Research 2016 Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book from Shelf Unbound When it opened in 1965, the Houston Astrodome, nicknamed the Eighth Wonder of the World, captured the attention of an entire nation, bringing pride to the city and enhancing its reputation nationwide. It was a Texas-sized vision of the future, an unthinkable feat of engineering with premium luxury suites, theater-style seating, and the first animated scoreboard. Yet there were memorable problems such as outfielders' inability to see fly balls and failed attempts to grow natural grass-which ultimately led to the development of AstroTurf. The Astrodome nonetheless changed the way people viewed sports, putting casual fans at the forefront of a user-experience approach that soon became the standard in all American sports. The Eighth Wonder of the World tears back the facade and details the Astrodome's role in transforming Houston as a city while also chronicling the building's storied fifty years in existence and the ongoing debate about its preservation.

Full Product Details

Author:   Robert C. Trumpbour ,  Kenneth Womack ,  Mickey Herskowitz
Publisher:   University of Nebraska Press
Imprint:   University of Nebraska Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.562kg
ISBN:  

9780803255456


ISBN 10:   0803255454
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   01 September 2016
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Foreword: The Dome Was So Nice They Opened It Twice Mickey Herskowitz Prologue: A Noble Idea for the Oil Patch I. Cow Town 1. Roy Hofheinz: Houston’s Grand Huckster 2. Of Cows and Construction: Houston’s Livestock Show and Rodeo 3. Going Pro: George Kirksey, Craig Cullinan, and the Major League Dream II. Dome Town 4. Zimmerman and the Grand Plan: Engineering a Marvel 5. The Grass Isn’t Always Greener: AstroTurf and the Sports Purist Backlash III. Space City 6. Fractious Dome Futures 7. The Dome and Its Legacy Epilogue: Wonders Never Cease Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

Reviews

The Astrodome was an architectural marvel when it opened more than a half century ago. This book documents the many wondrous people and events that starred inside this magical building. I know. I was there to see much of it happen! -Jim Nantz, lead play-by-play announcer, CBS Sports -- Jim Nantz Trumpbour and Womack have produced a magnificent examination of one of our greatest undertakings, the Houston Astrodome. This book is a great tribute to the human energy and triumph that reached across the United States and the world. -Mike Acosta, Houston Astros in-house historian -- Mike Acosta If you want to learn why the Astrodome is an important part of Houston's history, read this book. No self-respecting 'Domer' should live without it. -Craig Hlavaty, reporter for the Houston Chronicle ? -- Craig Hlavaty


If you want to learn why the Astrodome is an important part of Houston's history, read this book. No self-respecting `Domer' should live without it. -Craig Hlavaty, reporter for the Houston Chronicle -- Craig Hlavaty Trumpbour and Womack have produced a magnificent examination of one of our greatest undertakings, the Houston Astrodome. This book is a great tribute to the human energy and triumph that reached across the United States and the world. -Mike Acosta, Houston Astros in-house historian -- Mike Acosta The Astrodome was an architectural marvel when it opened more than a half century ago. This book documents the many wondrous people and events that starred inside this magical building. I know. I was there to see much of it happen! -Jim Nantz, lead play-by-play announcer, CBS Sports -- Jim Nantz The Astrodome's significance in the history of stadium design is unquestionable; the authors make this case convincingly. They have delivered a compact, clear, and detailed account of the stadium, from conception to legacy. -Benjamin D. Lisle, Journal of Sport History -- Benjamin D. Lisle * Journal of Sport History * A book worth reading. . . . It not only tells the story of the construction of the Harris County Domed Stadium . . . it does so with enough suspense to keep readers engaged from beginning to end. -Frank G. Houdek, NINE -- Frank G. Houdek * NINE * The Eighth Wonder of the World is a solid work of sports, business, and political history. -Si Dunn, Lone Star Literary Life -- Si Dunn * Lone Star Literary Life * The first domed stadium, a multipurpose venue for baseball, football, livestock shows, rodeos, trade shows, and more, gives us a window on the evolution of sports as entertainment and big business in the 20th Century. -G. Louis Heath, ARETE -- G. Louis Heath * ARETE *


If you want to learn why the Astrodome is an important part of Houston s history, read this book. No self-respecting Domer should live without it. Craig Hlavaty, reporter for the Houston Chronicle ?--Craig Hlavaty (02/23/2016)


Author Information

Robert C. Trumpbour, an associate professor of communications at Pennsylvania State University, Altoona, is the author of The New Cathedrals: Politics and Media in the History of Stadium Construction. Kenneth Womack, dean of the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences and a professor of English at Monmouth University, is the author of several books, including Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles. Mickey Herskowitz was a sportswriter and columnist for the Houston Post and the Houston Chronicle. He is the author of more than thirty books.   

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