Three Nights in August

Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager

By: Buzz Bissinger

Narrated by: Jeffrey Nordling

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author captures baseball's essence in this account of a dramatic three-game series viewed through the eyes of legendary St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

Through 25 years of managing, Tony La Russa has won more games than any current manager. He's the most strategically adept and arguably the smartest manager in baseball, and he still believes that games are won not by statistics, but by the hearts and minds of the players.

Given unprecedented access to La Russa and his team, best-selling journalist Bissinger captures baseball's strategic and emotional essence. We watch from the dugout as La Russa's Cardinals take on their archrivals, the Chicago Cubs, in a thrilling three-game series.

Some of the greatest players of our time grace the lineups: Albert Pujols, Sammy Sosa, Scott Rolen, Mark Prior. La Russa, a 40-year veteran of the game, shows why he's so revered. And Bissinger's laser-beam focus uncovers surprising truths about the pathology of slumps, the art of beanball retaliation, the eccentricities of pitchers, and the timelessness of the game. His swinging prose brings every moment gloriously to life.

©2005 Tony La Russa and H.G. Bissinger (P)2005 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Enthralling." (Booklist)
"Mixing classic baseball stories with little-known details and an exclusive perspective, this work should appeal to any baseball fan." (Publishers Weekly)
"With a knack for detail, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author picks apart the fundamentals of the game, enters the mind of one of baseball's greats, and provides the reader with a front row seat. His ability to bring to life America's pastime is wholly provocative and excruciatingly detailed." (Bookmarks Magazine)

Superb. Must-read for any baseball fan.

Amazing detail, both technical and human-interest. Takes you inside baseball in a rare and entertaining way.

Run don't Walk

This is a Wonderful book. This book will give you insights into baseball. You will never watch or listen to a Baseball game the same way.

This book gives you the opportunity to get inside one of the most brightest minds in the game. You will have a whole new appreciation for the game and the way it is played. It is very well written and narrated.

Superb baseball commentary and perspective on leadership, life, and people

In an era of stat crunchers in sports everywhere, La Russa deciphers the variables that can’t be calculated about the game and those who play it. Viewed as archaic and against the grain by many in his managerial style, his timeless truths have time and time told a different story.

Love is a steady, lifelong commitment to getting one and their intricate inner workings. Similarly so is baseball, a sport only truly understood on a deeper level through the passage of time and devotion to it.

Book with good premise follows through

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to truly understand some of the layers of baseball that you don't normally think about. This book is not just for fans of the Cardinals or Larussa because most of it can be applied to any facet of any baseball team.

Three Nights in August

This is a well written book whose knowledge of baseball is up to the task. The author Buzz Bissinger shows this in many ways; most importantly to me is the mention of Charley Lau who is one of baseball?s great teachers of hitting.

It did not hurt that the author makes a slight reference to Samuel Beckett?s Waiting for Godot, for I am also a Beckett reader.

Real inside baseball!

you don't have to be a Cardinals fan to enjoy this meticulously written piece of work, although I am!

A Must-Read for serious baseball fans!

Such a well-constructed story. If you love the game of baseball, you really need to give this book a nod.

Great Fall reading!

This is an excellent description of the thoughts words and actions of Tony LaRussa during a three-game series between the Cardinals and the Cubs in 2003. It's great reading in the fall, as we all pay more attention to every pitch and every play in what is still America's pastime.

Love the story

Totally enjoyed reliving this time in Cardinals history. Great story of this part of Tony La Russa's outstanding career. I highly recommend this book

Nothing like it

The level of detail is fascinating. I enjoyed the book though it was, by its subject matter, somewhat dry. For anyone who is curious about the strategy of baseball that occurs behind the scenes, this is a good read.