Biography: sport Books
Insight Editions Boxing The 100 Greatest Fighters UK
£22.39
University of Illinois Press Marvin Miller Baseball Revolutionary
Book SynopsisMarvin Miller changed major league baseball and the business of sports. Drawing on research and interviews with Miller and others, Marvin Miller, Baseball Revolutionary offers the first biography covering the pivotal labor leader''s entire life and career. Baseball historian Robert F. Burk follows the formative encounters with Depression-era hard times, racial and religious bigotry, and bare-knuckle Washington and labor politics that prepared Miller for his biggest professional challenge--running the moribund Major League Baseball Players Association. Educating and uniting the players as a workforce, Miller embarked on a long campaign to win the concessions that defined his legacy: decent workplace conditions, a pension system, outside mediation of player grievances and salary disputes, a system of profit sharing, and the long-sought dismantling of the reserve clause that opened the door to free agency. Through it all, allies and adversaries alike praised Miller''s hardnosed Trade Review“The first comprehensive biography of Miller, the former steelworkers union official who transformed the toothless Players Association into what may be the nation’s most powerful private-sector union.”--Wall Street Journal “A must-read for anyone interested in how MLB salaries went from an average of $11,000 in 1966 to $3,386,212 in 2013.”—Library Journal"This sound biography is required reading for those interested in sports and in 20th-century history and labor."--Choice"Burk writes gracefully and insightfully, chronicling the life of one of baseball's most significant figures. He succeeds admirably in illuminating the evolution of Marvin Miller's intellect as well as his soul, in placing Miller's life in its historical context and in explaining how this frail man from Brooklyn with a bum arm was able to reshape the landscape of our national pastime." --Andrew Zimbalist, author of In the Best Interests of Baseball? Governing Our National Pastime"Whether he ever gets into the Hall of Fame, Marvin Miller revolutionized the business of sport. Along with Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey, Kenesaw Mountain Landis and Babe Ruth, Miller belongs among the handful of true baseball immortals. No one transformed the national pastime more significantly. Robert F. Burk provides a book worthy of its subject."--Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature"A welcomed contribution that serves as required reading for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of baseball, economics, or labor history in the 1960s through 1980s."--Journal of Sport History"The Baseball Hall of Fame is not a hall of fame without Marvin Miller. As Robert F. Burk and others have written, Miller belongs on baseball’s Mount Rushmore. In Marvin Miller: Baseball Revolutionary, Burk has written a book worthy of Miller the man, the communicator, the strategist, the labor leader, and the baseball visionary. Every big league player and baseball fan should read it."-- Brad Snyder, author of A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood’s Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports"Burk knows the business of baseball inside and out, making him the ideal person to write about Miller. His research is impeccable and his writing is straightforward. The compelling aspect of the book is the story of Miller's role in transforming Major League Baseball, and that Burk tells with confidence and focus."--Randy Roberts, author of Joe Louis: Hard Times Man
£25.19
University of Illinois Press Walter Camp and the Creation of American Football
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Tamte has produced a well-researched account of Walter Camp's wide-ranging life and careers that particularly included his actively working on the early development of the game of American football, and his many years at Yale. This is an easy to read and valuable look at one of sport's amazing pioneers."--Raymond Schmidt, College Football Historical Society"Embedded in this biography is a fantastic narrative history of how and why football exploded in popularity on college campuses and in American popular culture. Superbly researched and well written, this book will appeal to sports enthusiasts and scholars alike. Highly recommended." --Choice "Tamte skillfully weaves myriad details of two interconnected stories. . . . A definitive study." --Journal of American Culture"Author Roger R. Tamte put together a well-researched book about the life of Walter Camp."--Knup Sports"Author Roger R. Tamte put together a well-researched book about the life of Walter Camp."--Knup Sports"In Roger R. Tamte's expansive review of Camp's life and contributions, a reader gleans insight into Camp's formative years up through his death." --Journal of Sport History"This is a painstakingly researched and wonderfully written book on the most important individual in the development of American football, Walter Camp."--Ronald A. Smith, author of Pay for Play: A History of Big-Time College Athletic Reform
£18.99
MO - University of Illinois Press Sweet William
Book SynopsisA tribute to Billy Conn, one of the greatest light-heavyweight boxing champions of all timeTrade Review"Affectionate yet evenhanded biography of the fighter known as 'The Pittsburgh Kid.' O'Toole makes a relatively normal life sing with his obvious passion for his subject, his meticulous research and his ability to empathize with Conn, his family and the colorful characters who inhabited the boxer's literal and metaphorical corner. A welcome addition to the boxing-literature canon."--Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2007"The rough-and-tumble sports world of the late 1930s and early 1940s emerges vividly, as O'Toole describes the way mobsters infiltrated the fight game and how Conn needed the help of Pittsburgh Steeler owner Art Rooney to stay clear of the unsavory types. Conn, though not widely known today, was a beloved, blue-collar American hero in his era, and O'Toole masterfully re-creates both the life and the times. For all fans of boxing history."--Wes Lukowsky, Booklist“Before Roberto Clemente, Terry Bradshaw, or Mario Lemieux became household names, Billy Conn was Pittsburgh’s most famous athlete. In Andrew O’Toole’s Sweet William: The Life of Billy Conn, the East Liberty-born boxer’s career is examined, and there’s much to enjoy. O’Toole is a thorough chronicler, but the best parts of the book are the colorful backroom stories that seem to be intrinsic to boxing lore."--Pittsburgh Tribune-Review"Unapologetic, fearless and uncompromising: That's the Billy Conn, and that's the city of Pittsburgh, that O'Toole portrays in Sweet William. The book is a great read for sports fans and local historians alike. Family dustups notwithstanding, Conn is the 'Pittsburgh Kid' that Pittsburgh kids should learn about and look up to."--Pittsburgh City Paper"A rich, solid book. . . .The author has a command of the mores of both the street and the seamy life of smalltime boxing; thus the reader does indeed see a slice of 'sport in society' as told through experience, interviews, and newspaper accounts rather than the colder eye of a historian. . . . This book is best suited to scholars and fans in search of an authentic voice. Recommended."--Choice"Sweet William compellingly captures the personal life of a public icon--and beloved lifelong Pittsburgh resident--and the pageantry of American sports during the 1930s and 1940s."--Pennsylvania Heritage"A masterful biography of Billy Conn. . . . An excellent portrayal of the Golden Age of boxing."--Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography"As no one else has, O'Toole writes extensively and revealingly about [Conn's life]."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "A mesmerizing account."--Aethlon: Journal of Sports Literature"More than just a biography, Sweet William is a sweeping portrayal of an era just before, during, and after World War II when boxing was in its Golden Age. Andrew O'Toole brilliantly captures the essence of the many unique characters of the time, including the dashing, handsome, fearless Billy Conn, the Pittsburgh Kid, whose colorful personality would have made him a celebrity in any era. The book includes his odyssey from the smoke-filled environs of Pittsburgh to New York's famed Jacobs Beach where the enigmatic Conn became the greatest light heavyweight champion of all time."--Angelo Prospero, boxing writer and historian "In Sweet William, Andrew O'Toole takes you to the streets of Pittsburgh and New York prior to World War II. You can't help but feel the sweat, feel the struggle, and get caught up in the glamour. It's a superb piece of storytelling—and an important book about an important fighter from boxing's Golden Age."--Russell Sullivan, author of Rocky Marciano: The Rock of His Times
£15.19
Indiana University Press Chuck Taylor All Star
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction to the Second EditionForeword by Dean SmithAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Hall of Fame2. Non-Skids3. Salesman4. The Invisible Pass5. Special Service6. Air-Tecs7. World Tourney8. "Me"9. GloryAppendix: The History of the Converse Rubber Shoe CompanyNotes on ResearchNotesIndex
£15.19
Indiana University Press Indiana University Olympians From Leroy Samse to
Book SynopsisFeaturing profiles of 49 athletes who attended IU, Indiana University Olympians celebrates over a century of Indiana University Olympic competitors.Table of ContentsTable of contentsPreface1. BasketballSteve Alford, 1984Quinn Buckner and Scott May, 1976Walt Bellamy, 19602. Track and fieldDerek Drouin, 2012, 2016David Neville, 2008DeDee Nathan, 2000Bob Kennedy, 1992, 1996Jim Spivey, 1984, 1992, 1996Dave Volz, 1992Sunder Nix, 1984Willie May, 1960Milt Campbell, 1952, 1956Greg Bell, 1956Fred Wilt, 1948, 1952Roy Cochran, 1948Charles Hornbostel, 1932, 1936Don Lash, 1936Ivan Fuqua, 1932LeRoy Samse, 19043. SwimmingLilly King, 2016Cody Miller, 2016Blake Pieroni, 2016Gary Hall, 1968, 1972, 1976Jim Montgomery, 1976Mark Spitz, 1968, 1972Mike Stamm, 1972John Kinsella, 1968, 1972Charlie Hickcox, 1968Don McKenzie, 1968Chet Jastremski, 1964, 1968Kathy Ellis, 1964Fred Schmidt, 1964Frank McKinney, 1956, 1960Mike Troy, 1960Bill Woolsey, 1952, 19564. DivingMichael Hixon, 2016Mark Lenzi, 1992, 1996Cynthia Potter, 1972, 1976Lesley Bush, 1964, 1968Ken Sitzberger, 19645. SoccerBrian Maissoneuve, 1996Steve Snow, 1992John Stollmeyer, 1988Angelo DiBernardo, 1984Greg Thompson, 19846. Other sportsMichelle Venturella, 2000, softballMickey Morandini, 1988, baseballDick Voliva, 1936, wrestlingIndiana University OlympiansSourcesPhoto captions and credits
£45.00
Indiana University Press Indiana University Olympians From Leroy Samse to
Book SynopsisFeaturing profiles of 49 athletes who attended IU, Indiana University Olympians celebrates over a century of Indiana University Olympic competitors.Table of ContentsTable of contentsPreface1. BasketballSteve Alford, 1984Quinn Buckner and Scott May, 1976Walt Bellamy, 19602. Track and fieldDerek Drouin, 2012, 2016David Neville, 2008DeDee Nathan, 2000Bob Kennedy, 1992, 1996Jim Spivey, 1984, 1992, 1996Dave Volz, 1992Sunder Nix, 1984Willie May, 1960Milt Campbell, 1952, 1956Greg Bell, 1956Fred Wilt, 1948, 1952Roy Cochran, 1948Charles Hornbostel, 1932, 1936Don Lash, 1936Ivan Fuqua, 1932LeRoy Samse, 19043. SwimmingLilly King, 2016Cody Miller, 2016Blake Pieroni, 2016Gary Hall, 1968, 1972, 1976Jim Montgomery, 1976Mark Spitz, 1968, 1972Mike Stamm, 1972John Kinsella, 1968, 1972Charlie Hickcox, 1968Don McKenzie, 1968Chet Jastremski, 1964, 1968Kathy Ellis, 1964Fred Schmidt, 1964Frank McKinney, 1956, 1960Mike Troy, 1960Bill Woolsey, 1952, 19564. DivingMichael Hixon, 2016Mark Lenzi, 1992, 1996Cynthia Potter, 1972, 1976Lesley Bush, 1964, 1968Ken Sitzberger, 19645. SoccerBrian Maissoneuve, 1996Steve Snow, 1992John Stollmeyer, 1988Angelo DiBernardo, 1984Greg Thompson, 19846. Other sportsMichelle Venturella, 2000, softballMickey Morandini, 1988, baseballDick Voliva, 1936, wrestlingIndiana University OlympiansSourcesPhoto captions and credits
£17.99
University Press of Kansas The Boundless Game
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£19.99
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Tyson Nurture of the Beast
Book SynopsisBeast. Monster. Savage. Psycho. The glowering menace of Mike Tyson has spooked us for almost two decades. And still we remain fascinated. Why? Ellis Cashmorea s answer is disturbing: white society has created Tyson as vengeance for the loss of privilege produced by civil rights.Trade Review“A terrific read! This a fascinating study of a central figure in American life. Meticulously researched and perfectly timed, Tyson does more than any previous work to put Mike Tyson's story in its proper sprawling context.” Grant Wahl, Sports Illustrated “Ellis Cashmore has gone beneath the persona of Tyson with intelligent sensitivity. He has pointed us towards the motives in the psyche of an extraordinary figure in the history of sport and analysed why Tyson remains such a figure of fascination to so many people.” John Goodbody, The Times “Ellis Cashmore’s book will fascinate and frustrate an unusually wide range of readers. He juxtaposes the biography of Mike Tyson against mini-narratives of other prominent athletes and celebrities, African American leaders, and contemporaneous incidents, allowing biographical narrative to unfold almost seamlessly into analysis and cultural history. In situating Tyson in his times, Cashmore offers an uncompromising critique of late twentieth-century US race relations, as well as presenting a compelling account of an intriguing career and life story.” Douglas Hartmann, University of Minnesota "His account is a well-written and fascinating attempt to help us understand this. It will undoubtedly appeal to a large readership. It is not a purely academic read, but neither is it a trashy hagiography. As such it deserves a broad audience outside of what is traditional for an 'academic' book." Guy Osborn, University of WestminsterTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii one INTRODUCTION: I WILL KILL YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS? 1 two IF YOU’D BE KIND ENOUGH, I’D LOVE TO DO IT AGAIN 13 three ARE YOU AN ANIMAL? IT DEPENDS 29 four LIKE WATCHING A SERENGETI LION RIP INTO A WARTHOG 43 five HIS VITAL ORGANS IN EXCHANGE FOR FORGIVENESS 60 six GOD’S PLANNING TO SCREW HIM 87 seven TO RAPE THE VIRGINAL BLACK PRINCESS 108 eight IN HANDCUFFS IN THE BACK OF A POLICE CRUISER 131 nine THEY BELIEVE WHITE MEN HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR BLACK SUCCESS 144 ten TIME TO LEAVE THE WHITE MAN’S WORLD 162 eleven FACTS ARE LOST IN THE PRECONCEPTIONS OF RACIAL GRIEVANCE 191 twelve GIVE HIM ENOUGH TIME AND THE NIGGER WILL COME OUT IN HIM AGAIN 213 thirteen THE DEBT OF THE GHETTO BOUND 231 fourteen YOU’D STILL LOOK AT ME AS A SCUMBAG 245 Bibliography 256 Index 260
£15.19
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Beckham
Book SynopsisThe Beckham enigma continues. Since the publication of Cashmore's challenging social biography in 2003, the working-class kid from the East London has left Manchester and conquered the world. Undisputedly one of the world's most famous men, Beckham has transcended sport to become an all-purpose cultural icon for the twenty-first century. What are the sources of Beckham's godlike status? Why does someone who looks good, but speaks in platitudes and does little but play football, command the adulation of the planet? By dissecting his life and setting it in context of the age of celebrity, Cashmore argues that Beckham has been turned into a product, a commodity that can be bought and sold like any other piece of merchandise. There is not just a person named Beckham: there are countless Beckhams that exist independently of time and space, constructions of peoples' imaginations. The second edition of Beckham updates the original's arguments, covering the eventsTable of ContentsIntroduction. 1. OF FROGS AND PRINCES. 2. DISASTER OR DELIVERANCE?. 3. INTO THE WHIRLPOOL. 4. ARTISAN AND ARTIST. 5. THE WORLD IS JUST ABOUT ENOUGH. 6. VICTORIA’S MACHINE. 7. MANCHILD IN PURGATORY. 8. SEX, MASCULINITY AND THE TEMPTATION OF GAY MEN. 9. CUSTODIANS OF THE IMAGE. 10. MADONNA’S PACT. 11. AN AD, A PRODUCT AND A BRAND. 12. YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES ARE ALMOST UP. BIBLIOGRAPHY
£49.50
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Beckham
Book SynopsisThe Beckham enigma continues. Since the publication of Cashmore's challenging social biography in 2003, the working-class kid from the East London has left Manchester and conquered the world. Undisputedly one of the world's most famous men, Beckham has transcended sport to become an all-purpose cultural icon for the twenty-first century. What are the sources of Beckham's godlike status? Why does someone who looks good, but speaks in platitudes and does little but play football, command the adulation of the planet? By dissecting his life and setting it in context of the age of celebrity, Cashmore argues that Beckham has been turned into a product, a commodity that can be bought and sold like any other piece of merchandise. There is not just a person named Beckham: there are countless Beckhams that exist independently of time and space, constructions of peoples' imaginations. The second edition of Beckham updates the original's arguments, covering the eventsTable of ContentsIntroduction. 1. OF FROGS AND PRINCES. 2. DISASTER OR DELIVERANCE?. 3. INTO THE WHIRLPOOL. 4. ARTISAN AND ARTIST. 5. THE WORLD IS JUST ABOUT ENOUGH. 6. VICTORIA’S MACHINE. 7. MANCHILD IN PURGATORY. 8. SEX, MASCULINITY AND THE TEMPTATION OF GAY MEN. 9. CUSTODIANS OF THE IMAGE. 10. MADONNA’S PACT. 11. AN AD, A PRODUCT AND A BRAND. 12. YOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES ARE ALMOST UP. BIBLIOGRAPHY
£15.19
Johns Hopkins University Press Major Taylor
Book SynopsisBased on ten years of research-including extensive interviews with Major Taylor's 91-year old daughter-this is the dramatic story of a young black man who, against prodigious odds, rose to fame and stardom in the tempestuous world of international professional bicycle racing a century ago.Trade ReviewAs Andrew Ritchie's excellent biography demonstrates, [Taylor] became a cycling star not only through natural talent. He also had what one might call a force of dignity. -- Tim Hilton Times Literary Supplement A point made by Mr. Ritchie... in this earnest and well-researched study is that Taylor, only the second black after the boxer George Dixon to win a world championship, hardly left a trace that he had passed. -- Samuel Abt New York Times Book Review Member of an oppressed race, hero in a nation with limited historical memory, this man, who had been so well known and whose life was so interesting, has been virtually forgotten. Ritchie's book admirably recaptures the story for us. -- Elliott J. Gorn Journal of American HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsChapter 1. PrologueChapter 2. Early Guidance and InspirationChapter 3. Bicycle Boom and Jim CrowChapter 4. Precocious Teenager, Colored Champion of AmericaChapter 5. Rising StarChapter 6. New Horizons, New OppositionChapter 7. The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the WorldChapter 8. Champion of America at LastChapter 9. SuperstarChapter 10. World Traveler and International CelebrityChapter 11. Comeback and DeclineChapter 12. Difficult AdjustmentChapter 13. Autobiography and IllnessChapter 14. Chicago TragedyAuthor's PostscriptAbout the PhotographsIllustrations, Picture Sources, and CreditsNotes and SourcesGlossary of Bicycle Racing TerminologyBibliographyIndex
£24.22
MQ - University of Nebraska Press Kokomo Joe The Story of the First Japanese
Book SynopsisThe first Japanese American jockey, Kokomo Joe burst like a comet on the American horse-racing scene in the summer of 1941. As war with Japan loomed, Yoshio ""Kokomo Joe"" Kobuki won race after race. His is a story of the American dream catapulting headlong into the nightmare of a nation gripped by wartime hysteria and xenophobia. His story is at once inspiring, deeply sad, and richly ironic.Trade Review“Christgau masterfully unearths a story about a small man with a giant spirit struggling to realize a dream in the midst of racial hatred and war.”—Satsuki Ina, producer of From a Silk Cocoon“John Christgau has given us the bittersweet story of ‘Kokomo Joe’ Kobuki, who carried the American dream on his tiny shoulders, and of those whose fear of others tried to wrest the dream from him.”—Stephen Fox, author of Fear Itself: Inside the FBI Roundup of German Americans during World War II"Through his detailed writing Christgau makes Kokomo Joe's rise representative of the rise of Japanese America."—Kerwin Berk, Nichi Bei TimesTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgments1. The Pocket Baby2. Kokomo Joe3. Mister Charley4. Brilliant Queen5. The Yankee Doodle Boys6. Joltin' Joe7. The Railbird Witch8. The Oriental Invaders9. Lumberjacks and Truckers10. Joe Btfsplk11. Miserable Saboteurs12. Nipponese Dynamite13. Hoover's Lists14. Fibber McGee15. The Whiz Kid with the Jive Drive16. The Canadian Mounties17. Chester from Gunsmoke18. StargazersSources
£16.14
University of Nebraska Press George Allen
Book SynopsisThe biography of George Allen, one of the greatest and most memorable coaches in NFL history and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Trade Review"This biography of Allen by Michael Richman is a wonderful tribute to the coach."—Guy Who Reviews Sports Books“Every chapter reveals intriguing, motivational stories about the spirit of the innovative maverick George Allen. Mike Richman provides fresh, inspirational perspectives giving readers meaningful life lessons and understanding of why for indefatigably driven George Allen—the future is always now!”—George Felix Allen, son of coach George Allen and former governor of Virginia and U.S. senator“In his exhaustive biography, Mike Richman captures the life of the ultimate Cold War coach from football’s golden age, George Allen. This is the story of a man both consumed and capable, a big winner who could only be defeated by his own flaws.”—Jack Gilden, author of Collision of Wills: Johnny Unitas, Don Shula, and the Rise of the Modern NFL“We set out to do a thirty-minute documentary on George Allen. We realized thirty minutes wasn’t enough, so we expanded it to an hour. But you need a book to tell Allen’s story. Mike Richman has written a great one.”—Ray Didinger, senior producer, NFL FilmsTable of Contents List of Illustrations Foreword by Dick Vermeil Preface Prologue: Driven to Succeed 1. Humble Beginnings 2. The Roots of His Genius 3. From America’s Heartland to Southern California 4. At the Car Wash 5. Doing It George’s Way 6. “Allen Never Should Have Left” 7. Erasing a “Country Club” Image 8. An Addiction to Winning 9. “Merry Christmas, You’re Fired” 10. A Bear and a Moose 11. Mr. Allen Goes to Washington 12. Waking a Sleeping Giant 13. His Crowning Moment 14. Cruising with George Allen 15. “Two Major Egos Clashing” 16. The Fourth Estate 17. Motivation—George Allen Style 18. “He’s All They Have” 19. The Beginning of the End 20. “Someone Has Cut Out My Heart” 21. Uncharted Waters 22. A New League Comes Calling 23. “Are You Kidding?” 24. An “Almost Impossible” Task Epilogue: The Ultimate Honor Acknowledgments Appendix A: All-Time Coaching Record Appendix B: Coaching Tree Notes Bibliography Index
£27.90
University of Nebraska Press The Summer Game
Book SynopsisThe Summer Game, Roger Angell’s first book on the sport, changed baseball writing forever. Thoughtful, funny, appreciative of the elegance of the game and the passions invested by players and fans, it goes beyond the usual sports reporter’s beat to examine baseball’s complex place in the American psyche.Trade Review“This collection of essays takes you into the heart of baseball as it was in the 1960s, conveyed with humor and insight. . . . The key here is that Roger Angell is a stunning writer. He is also in many ways a highly cerebral one and yet utterly down to earth—a writer who can translate the nuances of the game with perfect clarity.”—Tim McCarver, The Wall Street Journal“Page for page, The Summer Game contains not only the classiest but also the most resourceful baseball writing I have ever read.”—New York Times Book Review“Only Angell’s love of language surpasses his passion for baseball. . . . A splendid book.”—Newsweek“A decade’s worth of meditations and observations . . . searching for the Higher Game, the cosmology behind each pitch, each swing, each ‘shared joy and ridiculous hope’ of summer’s long adventure.”—New York Review of Books"Fans know that Angell, fiction editor for The New Yorker, is one of the heavy hitters of baseball writing. Dating back to 1977 and 1972, respectively, these are two of his finest collections. Essential for public and academic libraries."—Library Journal
£15.19
University of Nebraska Press Stengel
Book SynopsisOne of the most endearing of American heroes, Casey Stengel guided the New York Yankees to ten pennants in twelve seasons. In this book, the brilliant manager is stripped naked - the person underneath all the clowning, mugging, and double-talking. It also shows us Casey at twenty-two, famous from his very first day in the big leagues.Trade Review"A superb book. . . . Creamer has set a standard of excellence for sports biographies."—Sports Illustrated"Exemplary . . . by scaling down the legend of Stengel to human proportions, Mr. Creamer has made it seem all the more vital."—New York Times Book Review"Full of energy and surprises and laughter. . . . In Creamer’s wonderful portrait, the real man is even more likable than the legend."—Washington Post Book World
£18.99
John Wiley & Sons Jim Thorpe
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£18.86
University of Pennsylvania Press God Almighty Hisself
Book SynopsisWhen the Philadelphia Phillies signed Dick Allen in 1960, fans of the franchise envisioned bearing witness to feats never before accomplished by a Phillies player. A half-century later, they're still trying to make sense of what they saw. Carrying to the plate baseball's heaviest and loudest bat as well as the burden of being the club's first African American superstar, Allen found both hits and controversy with ease and regularity as he established himself as the premier individualist in a game that prided itself on conformity. As one of his managers observed, I believe God Almighty hisself would have trouble handling Richie Allen. A brutal pregame fight with teammate Frank Thomas, a dogged determination to be compensated on par with the game's elite, an insistence on living life on his own terms and not management's: what did it all mean? Journalists and fans alike took sides with ferocity, and they take sides still. Despite talent that earned him Rookie of the Year and MVP honorTrade Review"I've been writing for several years that there was a very good book to be written about Dick Allen and why he isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now that book has been written. God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen by Mitchell J. Nathanson, a law professor at Villanova University, is, in my opinion, one of the half-dozen or so best baseball books published so far this century." * Allen Barra in Truthdig *"The story of his career is fascinating. True, Allen wrote an engaging memoir, Crash, but we suggest Nathanson’s tremendous biography for an even fuller portrait of a legendary player." * Esquire *"God Almighty Hisself provides new insight into a complex man who stood up against a system that was hopelessly stacked against him...Nathanson's clear and fluid writing style provides an extensive, in-depth look into a complicated figure making his way through a complicated time in a complicated profession, and, in doing so, shows the reader how sports acts as a microcosm of society at large in dealing with social, political, and economic issues." * Pennsylvania History *"An excellent and unflinching examination of the tragedy that ensued when the first baseball superstar insistent on full racial equality joined one of the last baseball teams to integrate." * Keith Olbermann *"Nathanson gives us an unapologetic view of the collision between the ultra-talented and complex Dick Allen and Major League Baseball's tumultuous postintegration era. He adeptly illuminates that Allen was a driver, passenger, and innocent bystander, all in one conflicted soul." * Doug Glanville *"I loved Dick Allen for reasons that I could never totally explain. Maybe it was his big bat and electric presence at the plate; maybe it was his individualism and outspokenness; maybe it was that image of him using his cleats to dig BOO into the dirt near the first base bag in Philly. Now, with Mitchell Nathanson's penetrating and revelatory book, I appreciate the full dimensions of this mysterious baseball rebel." * David Maraniss, author of Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero *Table of ContentsPrologue. Baseball's Way Chapter 1. The Individualist Chapter 2. The Double Standard Chapter 3. A Job, Not a Game Chapter 4. What Fight? Chapter 5. Rules Chapter 6. Seniority Don't Drive in Runs Chapter 7. When I Don't Like Something, I Rebel Chapter 8. A Threat to the Game Chapter 9. I Am My Own Man Chapter 10. Public Relations Men, Not Ballplayers Chapter 11. Dick, Not Richie Chapter 12. The System Chapter 13. The Return Chapter 14. No Apologies Chapter 15. Free Agent Epilogue. His Way Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments
£27.90
University of Hawai'i Press Gaijin Yokozuna A Biography of Chad Rowan
Book SynopsisChad Rowan left his home in rural Hawaii for Tokyo with visions of becoming a star athlete in Japan's national sport, sumo. Five years later, he became the first gaijin to advance to sumo's top rank, yokozuna. This book chronicles the events leading to that improbable scene, tracing his life from his Hawaii upbringing to his retirement ceremony.
£37.46
University of Hawai'i Press Gaijin Yokozuna A Biography of Chad Rowan A
Book SynopsisChad Rowan left his home in rural Hawaii for Tokyo with visions of becoming a star athlete in Japan's national sport, sumo. Five years later, he became the first gaijin to advance to sumo's top rank, yokozuna. This book chronicles the events leading to that improbable scene, tracing his life from his Hawaii upbringing to his retirement ceremony.
£21.56
St Augustines Text Ed Notre Dames Era Of Ara
Book Synopsis
£14.00
Johns Hopkins University Press Arthur Ashe
Book SynopsisDrawing on coverage of Ashe's athletic career and social activism in domestic and international publications, archives including the Ashe Papers, and a variety of published memoirs and interviews, Hall has created an intimate, nuanced portrait of a great athlete who stood at the crossroads of sports and equal justice.Trade ReviewHall's elegant and well-paced narrative teases out the contradictions of one of tennis's most enigmatic characters. Times Literary Supplement Eric Allen Hall's biography of Ashe is assiduous in giving context, ever-traceable in its sources, to the tennis player's life: his childhood in segregated Richmond is recounted with a summary of how de jure segregation ruled the lives of American children; his coming of age as an athlete and ROTC member includes sketches of the Civil Rights Era on campus and in Vietnam; his ascendance to a globe-touring professional with public demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa includes glosses on the competitive structure of world tennis and the Cold War arrangement of power between the segregated nations of America and South Africa. Rain Taxi Review of Books A strong book on an outstanding topic, it serves as a reminder that Ashe's tragic death has to some extent eclipsed his life's work on behalf of racial equality. Wall Street Journal A portrait of Arthur Ashe that shows the fullness of his character-his broad interests, his impressive talents, and his missteps. New Books in Sports A remarkable book that will serve as a model for future works in this genre. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography Arthur Ashe is a scrupulous and lively book that should achieve the difficult task of satisfying both academics and non-specialists. Anyone interested in how the mixture of sport and politics has become cultural common sense will benefit tremendously from reading it. The Allrounder Hall's meticulous research of extensive archival materials allows him to uncover the complexities of Ashe's relationship with his own athleticism and race... This kind of collection is almost unique in sports history and Hall's capable use of it lends Arthur Ashe a depth of private detail unprecedented among athletic biographies, scholarly or otherwise... Meticulous, honest, and straightforward, the book itself might act as a tool by which other cultural critics, building on Hall's research, can bring refreshed and renewed attention to this intersection between sport and political activism, racial or otherwise. H Net Hall's book expertly builds on... previous representations [of Arthur Ashe], and features an impressive analysis of primary data--including Ashe's personal diary--in an overall effort to offer the most critical and comprehensive historical account of his life to date. He succeeds in remarkable fashion... European Journal for Sport and Society An invaluable resource... It's a solidly researched book. Inside Tennis Makes clear how difficult it was to stage the kind of civil rights politics and protests found across the board in American sports in the late 1960s in the traditionally patrician showground of tennis. Hall's accessible history restores much of the necessary context and conclusion to ensure that Ashe is understood on his own terms. Journal of American History This book is more than a biography; it is a window into the wider world that existed when Ashe was alive. Hall's research is meticulous, his contextualization of a life is impressive, and he writes his story clearly and deftly. Choice ...This biography will appeal to a genral audience. Hall closely examined the relevant primary and seconday sourses. The Journal of African American HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Richmond2. UCLA3. An Emerging Activist4. Bright Lights and Civil Rights5. Tennis Wars6. Defeat and Victory in South Africa7. Transitions8. The Comeback9. Triumph and TragedyConclusionNotesEssay on SourcesIndex
£23.85
Johns Hopkins University Press Winning with Diabetes
Book SynopsisDon't let diabetes send you to the bench. These motivational stories of top athletes with diabetes will inspire you to live your best life. Shortlisted for the American Book Fest Book Award in Health: Diet & Exercise by the American Book FestAn ultra-marathoner, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, a major league pitcher, and an NFL star. What do these elite athletes have in common? They reached the top of their fieldall while living with diabetes. Essential reading for people who have diabetes and their families, Winning with Diabetes highlights the challenges, perseverance, and successes of sixteen elite athletes living with the disease. From mountain climber Will Cross, to college softball champion Kylee Perez, to NBA legend Dominique Wilkins, and many more, these are the real-life stories of diagnosis, adapting new day-to-day routines, finding support, training, competing, and connecting with communities of other people living with diabetes. The book features advice for facing comTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. The Diagnosis of Diabetes: Why me?2. Learning about Diabetes: Where did it come from?3. Living with Diabetes: How will I manage day-to-day?4. Self-care in Diabetes: How can I prevent complications?5. Finding Support: What will other people think?6. Winning with Diabetes: Can I accomplish my life goals?7. Building a Community: How can I give back?Author BiosIndex
£17.10
Temple University Press,U.S. James Naismith
Book SynopsisTrade Review"All of us who played, coached or enjoyed watching the game of basketball owe a great debt of thanks to James Naismith for devising a game that gave people the opportunity to play inside during the winter." -Bob Knight "Dr. Naismith was so much more than the inventor of the sport and James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball is a well written documentation of his outstanding attributes as an educator, religious scholar and leader of young people. Naismith lived his entire life without regard for personal glory or financial rewards, but rather for setting examples of integrity and perseverance for all to follow. Everyone who reads this book will have a better understanding of the evolution of the game, but more importantly, they will realize that when we follow Dr. Naismith's general life principles, we and the game become the real winners." -Billy Packer "The original Dr. J played rugby, not hoops, and rocked a handlebar mustache, not a 'fro. That Doc is the subject of a spiffy new biography...More breezy bio than thatched thesis, Rains traces the foundation of basketball to "Duck on the Rock," a game Naismith played as a child growing up in Canada. Years later, then-YMCA employee Naismith summoned basketball at the 11th hour to win a bet he could invent a new indoor game. If you want to get really old school, James Naismith is where it's at." -SlamTable of ContentsForeword by Roy Williams Introduction by Hellen Naismith Dodd Carpenter 1. Growing Up 2. The College Years 3. The Springfi eld Challenge-and a New Game 4. The Game Is Born 5. A New Frontier 6. KU Bound 7. The Student Arrives 8. A Revolution Calls 9. A Raging War 10. Happy Homecoming 11. Becoming a Mentor 12. Olympic Pride 13. The Changing Game 14. Death of a Legend 15. A Great Game 16. The Man, More Than Basketball Index
£18.99
Temple University Press,U.S. The Evolution of a Cricket Fan
Book SynopsisSamir Chopra is an immigrant, a voluntary exile, who discovers he can tell the story of his life through cricket, a game that has long been an influencereally, an obsessionfor him. In so doing, he reveals how his changing views on the sport mirror his journey of self-discovery. In The Evolution of a Cricket Fan, Chopra is thus able to reflect on his changing perceptions of self, and of the nations and cultures that have shaped his identity, politics, displacement, and fandom.Chopra's passion for the sport began as a child, when he rooted for Pakistan and against his native India. When he migrated, he became a fan of the Indian team that gave him a sense of home among the various cultures he encountered in North America and Australia. This shapeshifting exposes the rift between the Old and the New world, which Chopra acknowledges is cricket's greatest modern crisis. But it also illuminates the identity dilemmas of post-colonial immigrants in the Indian diaspora. Chopra's thoughts abou
£25.19
Temple University Press,U.S. The Audacity of Hoop
Book SynopsisWhile basketball didn't take up residence in the White House in January 2009, the game nonetheless played an outsized role in forming the man who did. In The Audacity of Hoop, celebrated sportswriter Alexander Wolff examines Barack Obama, the person and president, by the light of basketball. This game helped Obama explore his identity, keep a cool head, impress his future wife, and define himself as a candidate.Wolff chronicles Obama's love of the game from age 10, on the campaign trailwhere it eventually took on talismanic meaningand throughout his two terms in office. More than 125 photographs illustrate Obama dribbling, shooting free throws, playing pickup games, cooling off with George Clooney, challenging his special assistant Reggie Love for a rebound, and taking basketball to political meetings. There is also an assessment of Obama's influence on the NBA, including a dawning political consciousness in the league's locker rooms.Sidebars reveal the evolution of the president's plaTrade Review"The cool, the flow, the edge, the drive, the individual and the team, the black and white - all of that is Barack Obama, playing basketball, the American game. To those who consider the president a mystery, The Audacity of Hoop offers a key to understanding him, through Alex Wolff's fluid prose and Pete Souza's evocative photographs."--David Maraniss, author of Barack Obama: The Story"The Audacity of Hoop—like the game of basketball it evokes and the political icon who memorably plays it—is a beautiful and timely book that moves in the graceful rhythms of the hardwood that President Obama has embraced. Basketball has not only taught Obama to be a fierce but disciplined competitor; it has also offered him a swagger and a vocabulary of physical cool and mental toughness that have carried him from street games to the biggest court in the world: the American presidency. Wolff’s brilliant and lovely pickup game of a book is a fitting metaphor to explore the racial and cultural dimensions of a man who used basketball to conquer the world and then used that power to play, as often as he could, wherever he was, the game that he—and the nation he leads—loves."—Michael Eric Dyson, author of The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America"The Audacity of Hoop reveals not only how Barack Obama’s first love shaped his character and fired his ambitions but also how, even now, the president’s pickup game is ‘a kind of polygraph of the heart.’ With poignant analysis and sparkling prose, Alexander Wolff shows us how basketball helped our forty-fourth president become as skilled at consensus building as he is at trash-talking. I love this book." —Don Van Natta Jr., ESPN Investigative Reporter, Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Times best-selling author of First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush, co-author of Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton, and author of Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias"Alexander Wolff, with grace and marvelous insight, has written a beautiful basketball book that fans of the game will love. Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, The Audacity of Hoop will enthrall you. Wolff vividly explores basketball’s influence on the identity of President Obama and in the process reveals something magical about the sport itself."—Kevin Merida, Managing Editor of the Washington Post and co-author of Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs "A highly informed and fascinating look at the intersection of sports and politics that led me to unexpected realizations about Obama, the presidency, and the world of basketball. Smart and fun."—Gerald Early, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, Washington University in St. Louis"In the book—which features large-scale photographs of the President at play, many taken by the official White House photographer, Pete Souza—Wolff breaks down the particulars of the President’s game.... Presidents are endlessly scrutinized, and must constantly calibrate their self-presentations to appeal to the electorate. Basketball, for all of its cultural complexity, has arguably been, as Wolff writes, one way for Obama 'to let the public see exactly who he was.'"--The New YorkerTable of Contents1 Basketball Jones2 Hoop Dreams from His Father Gaming the President Out The First Brother-in-Law3 Running Game “The Little Brother I Never Had” Obama, One-on-One Players’ Choice4 Power, Forward Baracketology Hardwood Cabinet The Secretary of Schoolin’ People Center Circles Lip Service Ding-Dong Diplomacy The World’s Most Elegant Locker Room The Loyal Opposition The Inevitability of Golf5 The Game in the Age of Obama Shooting the First ShooterTimelineAcknowledgmentsNotesSelected BibliographyIndex
£30.40
Temple University Press,U.S. Biz Mackey a Giant behind the Plate
Book SynopsisThe best all-around catcher in black baseball historyCumberland Posey, Owner of the Homestead GraysNational Baseball Hall of Fame catcher James Raleigh Biz Mackey's professional career spanned nearly three decades in the Negro Leagues and elsewhere. He distinguished himself as a defensive catcher who also had an impressive batting average and later worked as a manager of the Newark Eagles and the Baltimore Elite Giants. Using archival materials and interviews with former Negro League players, baseball historian Rich Westcott chronicles the catcher's life and remarkable career in Biz Mackey, a Giant behind the Plateas well as providing an in-depth look at Philadelphia Negro League history. Westcott traces Mackey's childhood in Texas as the son of sharecroppers to his success on the baseball diamond where he displayed extraordinary defensive skills and an exceptional ability to hit and to handle pitchers. Mackey spent one third of his career playing in Philadelphia, winning championshi
£20.89
Temple University Press,U.S. Biz Mackey a Giant behind the Plate
Book SynopsisThe best all-around catcher in black baseball historyCumberland Posey, Owner of the Homestead GraysNational Baseball Hall of Fame catcher James Raleigh Biz Mackey's professional career spanned nearly three decades in the Negro Leagues and elsewhere. He distinguished himself as a defensive catcher who also had an impressive batting average and later worked as a manager of the Newark Eagles and the Baltimore Elite Giants. Using archival materials and interviews with former Negro League players, baseball historian Rich Westcott chronicles the catcher's life and remarkable career in Biz Mackey, a Giant behind the Plateas well as providing an in-depth look at Philadelphia Negro League history. Westcott traces Mackey's childhood in Texas as the son of sharecroppers to his success on the baseball diamond where he displayed extraordinary defensive skills and an exceptional ability to hit and to handle pitchers. Mackey spent one third of his career playing in Philadelphia, winning championshi
£11.39
Temple University Press,U.S. Never Ask Why
Book SynopsisAn inside look at the struggles Ed Garvey and his small group of supporters faced in bringing true professionalism to football playersTrade Review“Ed Garvey was a man of vision and unafraid to be the first to challenge the league with a relentless and aggressive approach to ensuring our players’ rights. When I became executive director [of the NFLPA], Ed was one of the only persons who had served in this role, and his wisdom, brilliance, and humor were exactly the counsel I needed. Even today, he continues to be a guiding light for our union. Never Ask ‘Why’ is a firsthand testament to why union leaders should never have to ask why the mission is so important, and why the role of unions, even one as small as an NFL players union, remains critical for working people.”—DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the NFL Players Association"This is a very important and easy-to-read work that will shed light on the many previously misrepresented accounts given by the owners and commissioner-controlled public communication. It has the potential to change the business world."—Library Journal"Published posthumously, Ed Garvey’s autobiographical account of his role, primarily in the 1970s, as executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) details his fight for players’ rights and the mission to end the so-called Rozelle rule restricting free agency. Much has been written about this period, and this book contributes Garvey’s firsthand account and interpretations, with previously unknown conversations, of the negotiations between the union and the NFL.... The book makes evident Garvey's clear disdain for sports journalists for what he saw as distorting the truth and working for the owners. The Mackey v. NFL case (1976) runs throughout much of the book and is an interesting legal study.... Summing Up: Recommended."—Choice
£26.59
Temple University Press,U.S. The NFL OffCamera
Book SynopsisDuring his four-decade career at NFL Films, writing and directing segments for weekly highlight shows and national telecasts, Bob Angelo saw and heard things thatnever made their way into his productions.Now, inThe NFL Off-Camera, Angelo mines the thousands of interviews he conducted to compile a revealing collection of short, insightful essays profiling his favoriteand least favoritepro football players, coaches, team owners, executives,and broadcastersall of whom he interacted with personally. Angelo effuses about his meeting with the larger-than-life Jim Brown and appreciates the trash talking John Randle. He poignantly reflects on Bullet Bob Hayes, the world's fastest man who could not outrunhis demons, and showcases the mercurial Duane Thomas and the free-wheeling Tony Siragusa.The NFL Off-Camerareveals why Angelo sparred with Hall-of-Fame player turned broadcaster Frank Gifford and demonstrates why Super Bowl champion head coach Sean Payton is his least favoriteperson in pro Trade Review“If you really are a true NFL fan and love the game, you will really enjoy reading about the different personalities that helped develop the tremendous fan base that exists today. Within this book, there are eleven different coaches I personally coached against during my career and twenty-nine different players that lined up and played against my teams! Only three players you are going to read about played on a team I coached—David ‘Deacon’ Jones, Morten Andersen, and Jared Allen. All unique complex personalities with Hall of Fame talent and a pleasure to really get to know! I believe you will enjoy getting to know these people as I did when you read Bob Angelo’s The NFL Off-Camera. Enjoy!”—Coach Dick Vermeil, Pro Football Hall of Fame 2022“If you love football and storytelling, this book is for you. Bob Angelo was a brilliant cinematographer and producer for NFL Films, which gave him first-hand, inside access to the game for forty-three years. The NFL Off-Camera regales us with his unvarnished insights into, and recollections about, the most memorable figures in pro football history—stories you’ve never heard before and couldn’t hear from anyone else.”—Andrea Kremer, Pro Football Hall of Fame journalist“No one told NFL stories as a writer, cameraman, and director better than Bob Angelo. The way he documented the history of the NFL and its players, revealing each player’s personality, whether mine, my brother’s, or any of our teammates’, makes him special. While profiling the 2001 Baltimore Ravens, Bob provided a glimpse of what training camp life was like for rookies and veteran players like myself, Goose [Tony Siragusa], Ray Lewis, and Rod Woodson, while allowing our personalities to shine through on Hard Knocks.”—Shannon Sharpe, NFL Hall of Fame tight end and cohost of Skip and Shannon: Undisputed
£22.79
University of Texas Press Freddie Steinmark
Book SynopsisFreddie Steinmark tells the story of a legendary University of Texas football player whose courage on the field and in battling cancer still inspires the Longhorn nation.Trade ReviewThe authors . . . capture Freddie's cheerful essence, vividly recreate key games and posit his life against the canvas of history. . .Yousse and Cryan . . . have written a deeply informed and proper tribute to the little Texas Longhorn with Heart. -- Jane Sumner * The Austin American-Statesman *Table of Contents Authors' Note Part One: 1929–1967 Chapter 1: The All-American Boy Chapter 2: Rough Riders and Farmers Chapter 3: He's My Brother Chapter 4: The Most Important Game of Our Lives Part Two: 1967–1969 Chapter 5: The Silent Heart Chapter 6: You Have No Friends on the Field Chapter 7: Nobody Does It Better Chapter 8: Worlds Collide Part Three: 1969–1970 Chapter 9: Running His Own Ship Chapter 10: Like Parachuting into Russia Chapter 11: The Game of the Century Chapter 12: The Game Changer Part Four: 1970–1971 Chapter 13: No Time to Lose Chapter 14: The Greatest Day Chapter 15: On the Road Again Chapter 16: The Rainbow Chapter 17: This Endless Life Epilogue: September 1, 2012 Acknowledgments Appendix: The Fred Steinmark Award Notes Index
£20.89
New York University Press 42 Today
Book SynopsisExplores Jackie Robinson's compelling and complicated legacy Before the United States Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools, and before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, Jackie Robinson walked onto the diamond on April 15, 1947, as first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, making history as the first African American to integrate Major League Baseball in the twentieth century. Today a national icon, Robinson was a complicated man who navigated an even more complicated world that both celebrated and despised him. Many are familiar with Robinson as a baseball hero. Few, however, know of the inner turmoil that came with his historic status. Featuring piercing essays from a range of distinguished sportswriters, cultural critics, and scholars, this book explores Robinson's perspectives and legacies on civil rights, sports, faith, youth, and nonviolence, while providing rare glimpses into the struggles and strength of one of the nation's mTrade Review"[Michael] Long and his contributors attempt to separate the man from the myth and show how his influence continues to extend ...These pieces embody all of what made Robinson special, assessing him through many different lenses...give[s] a towering cultural figure his due beyond the baselines."" * Kirkus Reviews (starred) *"This collection of essays explores baseball legend Jackie Robinson’s complicated legacy, his impact on society and the inner turmoil that came with his historic achievements." * USA Today *"[Michael] Long, along with 13 contributors, explore lesser-known aspects of the life of Jackie Robinson, who became the first Black American to play Major League Baseball when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...Even those who know nothing about Robinson will take something inspiring away from this excellent anthology." * Publishers Weekly *"Juxtaposing events in the sports world from the ‘40s to now, 42 Today recalls Robinson’s legacy and establishes how he paved a way for future civil rights activism, from Black Lives Matter to Colin Kaepernick." * TheRoot.com *"Whether you consider yourself a baseball scholar or not, 42 Today has something to teach you. With 13 essays as well as a foreword by Ken and Sarah Burns and David McMahon and an introduction by the editor, there is no shortage of information about the man’s life, some well known and some obscure. In addition to correcting the errors in what we know about Robinson, there is also detail of how Robinson and his legacy affected groups beyond the typically male-dominated realm of baseball fans." * CoveringtheCorner.com *"2021 marks the 75th anniversary of Branch Rickey signing Jackie Robinson to the Montreal Royals, which integrated organized baseball for the first time since the 19th century. Anniversaries of important historical events offer opportunities to reflect on their significance, and this collection of essays makes use of the occasion to explore Robinson's activism in civil rights, politics, and sports." * Choice *"The value of this collection is in its breadth and accessibility… an excellent addition to an undergraduate course on baseball, race, and American history." -- Sarah L. Trembanis (University of Delaware) * Journal of African American History *
£33.25
University of Nebraska Press Present at the Creation
Book SynopsisTrade Review"A highly enjoyable book that should be on every football fan's reading list."—John Maxymuk, Library Journal starred review"This book is certain to be enjoyed by fans of all stripes."—Guy Who Reviews Sports Books"Upton Bell, son of Philadelphia Eagles founder Bert Bell, the game’s greatest innovator who saved the NFL from ruin after World War II, reminded me once again that, when you think you know just about everything that’s important, you miss quite a few critical things. . . . Throughout the book, there are so many memories, anecdotes, recollections and asides that you wonder if he had a big, thick journal with names and thoughts and belief systems that he wrote down his entire time in football. I don't know how he remembers it all, but it's here: the personalities that shaped the league that literally is America's No. 1 sport."—Andrew Andrews, True Review"Upton Bell's memoir of his NFL days is a valuable and entertaining addition to the literature available on the NFL during its formative years."—Richard C. Crepeau, ARETE“This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes story of a young man who was beside his father, NFL commissioner Bert Bell, through all the major events as pro football became America’s No. 1 sport; he then became the chief scout of the Baltimore Colts’ championship teams and then the general manager of the New England Patriots. A must-read for any fan of pro football.”—Ernie Accorsi, former general manager of the New York Giants“Upton Bell did not grow up like you and me. Your father was not the NFL commissioner who created the draft model now followed by all professional sports. Your mother was not a Broadway star. His parents were each of those things. You were not a thirty-three-year-old general manager of a pro football team, or a radio and TV host. I can say with certainty you have not met the people he’s met or had the experiences he’s had. And, no offense, I doubt you are as funny or insightful as Upton Bell is on a variety of topics. This is an extraordinary life story of a unique individual. The epilogue alone is worth the price of the book.”—Bob Ryan, Boston Globe sportswriter, author, frequent ESPN panelist, and recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame “An extremely informative, definitive work by a dynamic personality who witnessed firsthand the development of the NFL, from his father’s contributions to his own personal achievements that helped cement the foundation of what has today become the most popular sport in the United States.”—Ron Wolf, former general manager of the Green Bay Packers and Pro Football Hall of Fame member “It didn’t start with Joe Namath or Joe Montana or Tom Brady leading an impossible comeback in Super Bowl LI in Houston. This is the history of professional football in America. If you ever played football, played fantasy football, or just tossed a few bucks in an office pool, this is the book for you. Upton Bell lived it and Ron Borges covered it. A stronger combo than Belichick and Brady.”—Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe columnist and New York Times bestselling author “Upton was the best, and we always worked well as a team. He and Carroll Rosenbloom were the best thing that ever happened to the Colts in the 1960s, and he covers it all here.”—Lenny Moore, Baltimore Colts running back (1956–1967) and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Table of Contents1. On Any Given Sunday 2. A Long Ride to Baltimore 3. Welcome to the Colts 4. The Great Ticket Heist Was My Kickoff in Baltimore 5. A Scout’s Life Is for Kit Carson but Not for Everybody 6. The Making of an NFL Scout 7. Spy vs. Spy Settles NFL-AFL War 8. The South Is Burning! 9. Running My Own Show in Baltimore 10. Worst Loss in the History of Losses 11. Some Things Can’t Be Fixed 12. Why Did You Ever Come Here? 13. Everybody’s Got to Serve Somebody 14. A New League, a Second Chance 15. No More Fish in the Sea 16. Scouting for QBs, the Most Important Position in Sports 17. Only One Moses Wore a Whistle 18. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire Epilogue Bibliography
£18.99
University of Nebraska Press Citizen Akoy
Book SynopsisAkoy Agau led Omaha Central High School to four straight high school basketball state championships (2010-13) and was a threetime AllState player. He's also a South Sudanese refugee. In a fluid, intimate, and joyful narrative, Steve Marantz relates Akoy's refugee journey of basketball, family, romance, social media, and coming of age at Nebraska's oldest and most diverse high school.Trade Review"Marantz’s book is a subtle plea for another path, a path of openness and inclusion that recognizes a common humanity across cultural divides. For basketball fans and readers interested and invested in Omaha’s past, present, and future, Citizen Akoy should be of great interest."—Paul Emory Putz, Nebraska History“[Citizen Akoy] is a mesmerizing and enjoyable story of Akoy, his family, his romance, his trials and tribulations, and most importantly, of America. This well-researched book is a gift to lovers of basketball. It is a must-read for basketball fans.”—Washington Book Review “I’m convinced that the greatest basketball player in the next one hundred years will be a Dinka tribesman originally from southern Sudan. Size and grace will win the day. Akoy Agau will be mentioned as one of the building blocks in this history. Here is his amazing story. Magic abounds.”—Leigh Montville, author of Manute: The Center of Two Worlds and Sting Like a Bee“Akoy’s amazing journey from refugee to basketball star isn’t just about sports. It’s a story of growing up, transcending race, and pursuing dreams, and Marantz tells it well.”—Henry Cordes, staff writer for the Omaha World-Herald and author of Unbeatable and Devaney“The antidote to anti-immigrant rhetoric, Citizen Akoy tells the vivid story of the refugee as the hero of our time, one Akoy Agau, a teenage basketball star who becomes an ambassador for sports-crazy white Nebraska. Thrilling—a must-read for anyone excited by what it takes to be an American today.”—Terese Svoboda, author of Anything That Burns You: A Portrait of Lola Ridge, Radical Poet Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Refugee 1. Adaw 2. First Thanksgiving 3. Street of Dreams 4. Prophecy 5. Central 6. Trust 7. Stardom 8. To Absent Moms 9. “True Faith and Allegiance” 10. @ZerotheHeroAkoy 11. Families 12. Perfection 13. Basketball and Business 14. Temptation and Decision 15. Standing Bear and Brando 16. Dynasty Blues 17. Four! 18. Spring Prom 19. Repatriation 20. Getting It Right 21. Beyond Postscript: Pop Notes Index
£19.94
University of Nebraska Press Spirals
Book SynopsisTracks the relationship between college football and higher education through the lens of one family's involvement in the sport. Ranging over almost a century of football history, Timothy Spears describes the different ways in which his grandfather, father, and he played the game and engaged with its educational dimensions as the sport was passed from father to son.Trade Review"This is a terrific book for any college football fan, especially as it covers multiple eras of the game."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Review Sports Books"With a voice that is part memoirist, part scholar, part athlete, as well as father and son, Spears discerns how football is embedded in our culture and came to be the fabric and common language of his family."—Jason Schott, Brooklyn Digest“Professor Spears grew up with a noble football lineage. . . . The author uses that history to think deeply about men and violence, football and masculinity, family and higher education. This is no mere jock memoir. Spirals is one of the most thoughtful books I know about sports.”—Elliott Gorn, author of The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America and Joseph Gagliano Chair in Urban History at Loyola University Chicago“Tim Spears’s Spirals is an elegant meditation on family, generational change, Yale, and—the cord that binds—football. There are rare books that touch your mind and heart—this is one of them. Like his father’s perfect spirals, like the spirals of time and physical decay that happen to all people and institutions, Spears shows the beauty, pain, and lasting hold of the game. In the story of his family is the tale of the football.”—Randy Roberts, 150th Anniversary Professor and Distinguished Professor at Purdue University“With a grandfather who coached Bronko Nagurski and a father who captained his Yale team, Timothy Spears was destined to play football at Yale, too. In puzzling out the meaning of that family legacy, and of the game at its center, Spirals is full of hard-won wisdom—and an enthralling read.”—Michael Oriard, author of The Art of Football and Distinguished Professor Emeritus in American literature and culture at Oregon State UniversityTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments 1. Beginning at the End 2. Family Album 3. Into Cleveland 4. Father and Son 5. Rise and Fall 6. Imperial Brotherhood 7. Legacy 8. The Balance Notes Bibliography Index
£18.99
University of Nebraska Press The Best Team Over There
Book SynopsisFinalist for the 2022 SABR Seymour Medal Grover Cleveland Alexander was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, with 373 career victories during twenty seasons in the Major Leagues. Elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938, the right-hander remains a compelling—and tragic—figure. “Pete” Alexander’s military service during World War I was the demarcation line between his great seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and his years of struggle and turmoil with the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals after the Great War. Indeed, Alexander’s service during World War I has all but been forgotten, even though it dramatically changed his life—and his game. Alexander served in the 342nd Field Artillery Regiment, which included big leaguers and star athletes among its officers and men. Naturally, the regiment fielded an outstanding baseball team, but it also faced hard service during the final weeks ofTrade Review"Leeke's book is well worth reading for anyone seeking to learn about Alexander's war experience."—Dave Bohmer, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"This is a fascinating book that delves into a consequential but often overlooked time in Alexander's life."—Dave Lande, Inside Game"Using letters written by Alexander and his army cohorts and other primary and secondary sources, Leeke does a deft job of taking us through the pre- and post-war lives and war careers of a handful of gifted athletes. It is a tale of patriotism, human limitations, and partial redemption told by a skilled storyteller."—Dave Page, Journal of America's Military Past"In drilling down on one group of field artillery and one star player who was part of it, the effort reads like a sequel to the author's From the Dugouts to the Trenches: Baseball during the Great War (2017), which takes a broader view of the relationship between the game and the conflict. Sports history and military history, of course, are different entities with different intents and strategies, but Leeke weaves them together seamlessly in this new effort, further contextualizing one of the game's great players and the meaning of World War I to those back home in Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri."—Thomas Aiello, Missouri Historical Review"Leeke's writing is straightforward and clear, and his narrative is entertaining. The Best Team Over There is a fine work of sports and military history."—Bob D’Angelo, Sports Bookie"Highly recommended to anyone interested in baseball and the Great War."—Peter L. Belmonte, Roads to the Great War“Jim Leeke hits it out of the park again with the tale of Grover Cleveland Alexander, a Great War ballplayer who tasted the highs of fame, lows of the trenches, and—tragically—just too much booze.”—Dean Karayanis, radio host of the History Author Show in New York City“Coming off his award-winning From the Dugouts to the Trenches, Jim Leeke follows up with the extraordinary story of the Great War, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and ballplayers who became artillerymen. It’s a perfect mix of military history and baseball that will completely absorb you.”—Jan Finkel, 2012 recipient of SABR’s Bob Davids Award“No one writes about the connections between baseball and World War I with more authority and accuracy than Jim Leeke. Now he places Grover Cleveland Alexander under his microscope, following Old Pete from call to service through training to the front lines of a horrific war. The result is a story that will swell you with pride and reduce you to tears.”—Rick Huhn, author of The Chalmers Race: Ty Cobb, Napoleon Lajoie, and the Controversial 1910 Batting Title That Became a National ObsessionTable of ContentsPrologue 1. Alexander the Great 2. Laddies from Missouri 3. Gridiron 4. Chicago 5. Fast Nine 6. Through a Door 7. Camp Funston 8. Camp Mills 9. Justicia 10. Camp de Souge 11. Pauillac 12. St. Mihiel 13. Euvezin 14. Armistice 15. The March 16. Occupied Germany 17. Safe at Home 18. Postwar 19. The Long, Long Trail Acknowledgments Appendix A: Selected Athletes of the 342nd Field Artillery Appendix B: Composition of the 164th Field Artillery Brigade Notes Bibliography Index
£22.79
University of Nebraska Press Bouton
Book SynopsisNamed a BestBaseball Book of 2020 by Sports Collectors Digest Bouton examines the remarkable life of a player and an author who forever changed the way we view not only sports books but professional sports as a whole.Trade Review“Once you start reading, you will not be able to stop. A compelling look at one of the most influential and controversial figures in baseball history. A new generation needs to know the story of Jim Bouton: a man who never wearied of gleefully and hilariously skewering the establishment but who also had the old-school drive to will his dreams into reality. Above all, a lifetime love of baseball shines through in every chapter—a true reflection of Bouton himself.”—Brian Kenny, host for MLB Network and author of Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution"Baseball fans will laugh alongside and, ultimately, feel touched by this look at an iconoclastic, often quixotic man who, despite the charges that his landmark book had hurt the game, loved baseball to the very end."—Library Journal, starred review"An astute writer on the game, [Nathanson] is as at his best on the Bouton-Shecter collaboration—late nights at the Lion’s Head Bar in Greenwich Village; Shecter making sense of Bouton’s scrawls on stationery, envelopes and toilet paper; the pair noodling over the manuscript stripped down to their underwear in Shecter’s airless Chelsea apartment. . . . Nathanson is good, too, with Bouton wisecracks."—Maxwell Carter, Wall Street Journal"When Mitchell Nathanson, a professor of sports law at Villanova, approached Bouton about writing his biography, the pitcher gave his blessing, on one condition: that Nathanson write about him with the honesty he’d tried to bring to the game of baseball. . . . Nathanson moves crisply through the deep back story, though he knows a good detail when he sees one."—John Swansburg, New York Times Book Review"Nathanson goes beyond tracing Bouton’s life, focusing instead on explicating the roots of Ball Four. In so doing, the book becomes an inside-publishing exposé, showing how the publication and selling of Ball Four changed our expectations of what a sports book could be. . . . In addition, the book provides fascinating details about Bouton's post–Ball Four life, including his fling at acting and his turn as an entrepreneur, developing the successful bubble-gum product Big League Chew. A welcome look at one of baseball's signature mavericks."—Mark Levine, Booklist"Nathanson's chronicle of baseball's renowned counter-culture renegade as author of Ball Four in 1970 is a masterful exploration of Jim Bouton's impact not only to major-league baseball but also within the larger societal spheres of the overall sports industry and American culture in general."—Charlie Bevis, Bevis Baseball Research"Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original is one of the best baseball biographies in recent memory. Nathanson is a fantastic storyteller, capable of juxtaposing Bouton's recollections with those of his contemporaries and situating these stories within their historical context. While researching the book, he spent a significant amount of time with Bouton in the final years of his life (Bouton died in 2019), which contributes to the depth with which he renders his subject."—Clayton Trutor, Reason"Bouton is a book that deserves space next to Ball Four on the bookshelf. Nathanson has done a thorough job of presenting the life of a complex man who changed the game of baseball, not by what he did on the field, but what he observed on the field, in the clubhouse and on the road."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie"A well-researched and fascinating read that tells how the free thinking Bouton always marched to the beat of his own drummer."—John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald"Nathanson's source list is deep and insightful and his writing is crisp. And his access to Bouton's Ball Four notes provides answers to some lingering questions."—Dennis Star, Peoria Journal StarTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Prologue: Publication Day Part One: The Bulldog 1. Warm-up Bouton 2. Take a Hike, Son 3. Joliet 4. You Should Write a Book 5. A Long Way from Amarillo 6. Fucking Shecter 7. All ’Bout Bouton 8. A Threat, Not a Fine 9. The Bulldog and the Chipmunks 10. Rebel without a Fastball 11. The Youth of America Is for Kids 12. The End of the Line Part Two: The Author 13. Beginnings 14. From Tell-Some to Tell-All 15. Take Your Pants Off, Bouton 16. Fuck You, Shakespeare 17. Protectors of the Holy Flame 18. Against the Unwritten Rules of Baseball 19. Not Enough Sex 20. The Leni Riefenstahl of the National Football League 21. Taking It Personally 22. Bad Stuff ’bout the Mets Part Three: The Iconoclast 23. Not Selling Refrigerators 24. The Most Famous Vasectomy in New York 25. Are We Rolling? 26. One Smart-Ass and Four Lawyers 27. You’re a Long Time Dead 28. The Battered Bastard of Baseball 29. Gilligan’s Island in Baseball Suits 30. Too Old, Too Everything 31. Magic 32. Dreaming in Baseball 33. Mask of the Bulldog 34. Hey, New York—Bouton’s Back! 35. Lightning in a Pouch 36. The Solo Artist 37. Laurie 38. Existential Bad Faith 39. A Mile in Bowie’s Shoes 40. Cashing Out 41. The Butter-Yellow Box Epilogue: The Cool of the Evening Notes Bibliography Index
£25.19
University of Nebraska Press Cobra
Book SynopsisCobra is the autobiography of Dave Parker, one of baseball's greatest and most controversial players in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during the peak of Black participation in Major League Baseball.Trade Review"Cobra is one of the most gripping and revealing baseball memoirs I've ever read. With vivid stories, richly textured characters and unvarnished insights on the good and the bad, Dave Parker and Dave Jordan take the reader on a captivating journey through one of the most compelling careers in baseball history."—Tyler Kepner, New York Times“Dave Parker gets his due in Cobra. One of the greatest to ever play the game of baseball. We get to see what made the first Million Dollar Man. He is a giant among men, larger than life.”—Chuck D, founding member of Public Enemy“Dave Parker played hard and he lived hard. Cobra brings us on a unique, fantastic journey back to that time of bold, brash, and styling ballplayers. He reveals in relentless detail who he really was and, in so doing, who we all really were.”—Dave Winfield“Dave Parker’s autobiography takes us back to the time when ballplayers still smoked cigarettes, when stadiums were multiuse mammoth bowls, when AstroTurf wrecked knees with abandon, and when Blacks had their largest presence on the field in the game’s history. Honest, informative, funny, sad, even at times touching, Parker’s book fills a major void about what a great Black ballplayer’s life was like in the 1970s and 1980s. I highly recommend it.”—Gerald Early, professor of English and chair of the African and African American Studies Department at Washington University in St. Louis“Dave Parker made a lasting mark on the imagination of an entire generation of baseball fans, standing out with his unforgettable combination of swagger, style, and skill. Cobra is a memoir that’s truly worthy of his legend, filled with Parker’s insightful, hilarious, and long-overdue perspectives on the game he played, the era he played it in, and the guys he played it with. I’ve been waiting forty years to read this book, and let me tell you—it was well worth the wait.”—Dan Epstein, author of Big Hair and Plastic Grass“This is a book that transcends baseball. Dave Parker has finally told his story, and it resonates with the strength and soul that have always made him one of the most compelling, and complicated, figures in baseball history. Cobra is a triumph.”—Ricky Cobb (@Super70sSports)“While reading Cobra you will see a portrait of a man with amazing talent, a huge heart, and the will to be great. You will also see a man who seems to have it all but is still searching for peace of mind and love. There are highlights and low moments, excess and loss, brilliance and poor decisions, brotherhood and disagreements, joy and pain.”—Preston Wilson, former MLB All-Star outfielder“Impossibly charismatic, remarkably candid, and as cool as his nickname Cobra, Dave Parker is on the short list of the most compelling ballplayers of his generation. It’s fitting, then, that in his new and overdue memoir in collaboration with Dave Jordan, Parker tells his story in a way reminiscent of his pair of legendary throws in the 1979 All-Star Game: it’s mesmerizing, powerful, and right on the money.”—Chad Finn, sportswriter for the Boston Globe"This is a highly readable and, more importantly, well contextualized work. It provides a chronological recounting of Parker's life, but it also presents insight into what was happening in and around a major league clubhouse during the 1970s and into the next decade."—Jorge Iber, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"Parker's voice is lively, and he has a keen eye for details that bring his teammates to life. Just below the surface of Parker's story is the racism he experienced as a Black baseball player. . . . A straightforward but no less engaging baseball autobiography from an underappreciated legend. A delight for baseball fans of all stripes."—Colin Chappell, Library JournalTable of ContentsPreface Prologue: Pittsburgh, September 11, 1985 1. My Beautiful Balloon 2. Buckeye Battle Cry 3. My Cherie Amour 4. Everybody Is a Star 5. Are You Experienced? 6. Gotta Get Over the Hump 7. Brother, Brother, Brother 8. Mr. Bojangles 9. Here I Am 10. Black Water 11. Higher Ground 12. Me and Baby Brother 13. The Sound of Philadelphia 14. Show Me the Way 15. Starchild Here!!! 16. Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1) 17. Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 2) 18. The Ohio Players 19. One Nation under a Groove 20. Family 21. This Is Your Life 22. Fame 23. Funkytown 24. If You Ever Wondered 25. Trouble Man 26. You Dropped a Bomb on Me 27. The Time Has Come Today Epilogue: Everyday People Acknowledgments
£25.19
University of Nebraska Press Comeback Pitchers
Book Synopsis2022 SABR Baseball Research Award Finalist for the 2022 SABR Seymour Medal The careers of pitchers Jack Quinn and Howard Ehmke began in the Deadball Era and peaked in the 1920s. They were teammates for many years, with both the cellar-dwelling Boston Red Sox and later with the world champion Philadelphia Athletics, managed by Connie Mack. As far back as 1912, when he was just twenty-nine, Quinn was told he was too old to play and on the downward side of his career. Because of his determination, work ethic, outlook on life, and physical conditioning, however, he continued to excel. In his midthirties, then his late thirties, and even into his forties, he overcame the naysayers. At age forty-six he became the oldest pitcher to start a World Series game. When Quinn finally retired in 1933 at fifty, the “Methuselah of the Mound” owned numerous longevity records, some of which he holds to this day. Ehmke, meanwhile, battled arm trouble aTrade Review"As one would expect from authors as experienced and decorated as Spatz and Steinberg, Comeback Pitchers is a well-researched, well-documented, well-illustrated, and well-written account of the up-and-down baseball lives of two accomplished moundsmen, Howard Ehmke and Jack Quinn, whose careers spanned the last years of the Dead Ball Era and the first decade of the Lively Ball Era. Though largely forgotten today, Spatz and Steinberg seek to restore the reputations of Quinn and Ehmke by offering ample evidence of the character and talent which helped each earn the admiration of not only their baseball peers but also contemporary fans and press."—Frank G. Houdek, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"A fascinating look at two pitchers who made their mark, particularly during the free-swinging 1920s. Spatz and Steinberg lift both pitchers out of the haze and obscurity and show them for what they were—very good pitchers in an era that focused on hitters."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie“I might read a book about Jack Quinn himself; I might read a book about Howard Ehmke alone. But a book about both men who beat million-to-one odds and set longstanding records? Written by our leading chroniclers of 1920s-era baseball? Sport, there’s just no might about it.”—Rob Neyer, baseball author and analyst“Steinberg and Spatz—meticulous researchers who spin a riveting yarn while getting their facts right—have pitched a perfect double-header with this dual biography of two of baseball’s least known but most fascinating characters. We will never again see the likes of John Picus Quinn and Howard Ehmke in the game.”—Norman L. Macht, author of the three-volume biography of Connie Mack“I had the good fortune of playing Major League Baseball and having my name attached to Jack Quinn. I became aware of Jack’s story in the latter part of my career when I broke his record of the oldest to start and win a Major League game. The more I learned about him, the more connected I felt. We were both continuously told what we couldn’t do. Jack’s impressive fortitude paved the way for me and others. Read this book about a great man and great pitcher.”—Jamie Moyer, oldest pitcher to win a Major League game, breaking Jack Quinn’s recordTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword by Pat Williams Preface Acknowledgments Prologue 1. Jack Quinn, Man of Mystery 2. From Town Ball to the Big Leagues 3. “I’ve Never Seen a Greater Pitcher Anywhere!” 4. Quinn Gets Sent Down and Brought Back Up 5. Howard Ehmke Hailed as Another Walter Johnson 6. Ehmke’s Tumultuous Season Comes to an End 7. A Wasted Year for Howard Ehmke 8. Another Pitcher Joins the Outlaws 9. Breaking Records in Syracuse 10. “A Fellow to Be Reckoned With” 11. Ehmke and the Tigers Take a Step Backward 12. Quinn Goes to the Pacific Coast League 13. “The Dynamite That Finally Shattered Their Friendship” 14. Navy Service and a Return to Detroit 15. “The Greatest Comeback in Baseball” 16. “Not Content to Accept Fate’s Decree” 17. Yankees Win a Championship but Quinn’s Future in Doubt 18. “A Fellow of Gentle Soul” 19. Playing for Ty Cobb 20. Ehmke Endures a Season of Criticism 21. From the Pennant in New York to the Cellar in Boston 22. Veteran Aces on the League’s Worst Team 23. Ehmke and Cobb Get Physical, and the Red Sox Get New Owners 24. “The Toughest Break a Pitcher Ever Had” 25. A New Beginning for Boston 26. Back to Reality for the Red Sox 27. A Team Going Nowhere 28. From the Cellar in Boston to a Pennant Race in Philadelphia 29. Another Baseball Obituary for Quinn and a Near Tragedy for Ehmke 30. Quinn Gets Off to a Strong Start, Ehmke to a Poor One 31. Ehmke and Quinn Reunited 32. Ehmke Again a Teammate of Cobb 33. Favorites Fall Short, Far Short 34. Chasing the “Greatest Team Ever” 35. A Torrid Pennant Race 36. A Fast Start for the A’s 37. A Pennant for the A’s at Last 38. “The Pitcher Who Was Left Behind May Soon Be the Hero” 39. Ehmke Sets World Series Record in “Surprise” Start 40. “I Am Sorry to Have to Let Ehmke Go” 41. Defending Champions 42. A New League, a New Role 43. An Extraordinary Career Comes to an End 44. A Full and Happy Retirement 45. A Sad and Bitter End Notes Bibliography Index
£27.90
University of Nebraska Press Red Barber
Book SynopsisA Booklist Top 10 Sports and Recreation Book This biography of sports announcer Red Barber (1908–92) puts his life and broadcasting career in the context of twentieth-century American life and explores his own personal journey.Trade Review"The 'Old Red Head' made his fame . . . with the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, where he spiced his calls with folksy Barberisms like 'rhubarb' for arguments and fights on the field, 'the catbird seat' for dominance, and 'the bases are F.O.B.'—'full of Brooklyns.' Now his story is enshrined. . . . It's quite a tale. . . . Red Barber was that voice—with, as the authors write, ‘the unique perspective and gifts of the storyteller’—that burnished baseball in one of its golden ages."—Wall Street Journal"Red Barber is a first-rate biography of an extremely important figure in baseball history."—Spitball Magazine"A compelling portrait of a sportscaster endowed with a rare breadth of social and psychological understanding."—Booklist, starred review"A thoroughly researched work with rich detail."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie"Hiltner and Walker are to be commended for their look into the life of a man who is largely forgotten but whose skills and character influenced sports announcers and fans for decades."—Alan L. Griggs, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"Anyone who wants to know what broadcasting was like before the advent of spin rates and exit velocity, reading Red Barber would be a good place to start."—Chip Ainsworth, Daily Hampshire Gazette“Red Barber is one of the greatest and most influential baseball broadcasters ever to occupy the ‘catbird seat,’ as the ‘Ol’ Redhead’ called it. From Jackie Robinson’s debut to Bobby Thomson’s Shot Heard ’Round the World. From Brooklyn’s beloved ‘Bums’ to the Mantle/Maris Yankees, to mentoring a young Vin Scully, Barber’s life and career are an important part of baseball history and the history of the craft he mastered. This complete and carefully researched biography is both merited and most welcome.”—Bob Costas, twenty-nine-time Emmy Award–winning broadcaster and 2018 Ford C. Frick Award honoree“Red Barber was the lilting voice of the Reds, the Dodgers, the Yankees, and National Public Radio. But more than that, he was the conscience of baseball, a man who believed in the power of broadcast for the good of the game and its listeners. Red was perched in the catbird seat while big-league baseball grew in ways he could barely have imagined; he grew with it, as an announcer and as an American. With Red Barber: The Life and Legacy of a Broadcasting Legend, the authors have given this complicated, important figure the biography he deserves.”—John Thorn, official historian, Major League Baseball“At last a full biography of a legendary sports broadcasting pioneer. Red Barber balanced responsible reporting with charming entertainment. Judith Hiltner and James Walker explain how the Old Redhead retained his personal integrity in a field where baseball, broadcasting, and sponsors want total control.”—Bob Edwards, author of Fridays with Red: A Radio Friendship“Red Barber’s voice was my lullaby. He sang me to sleep from the catbird seat, his honeyed literacy suffusing my dreams and forming the bedrock of my writing life in baseball. When I stupidly sent him my raunchy, fictional love letter to the game, hoping he would embrace it, it showed just how little I knew about this complex and courtly gentleman, the seminal voice of baseball broadcasting. Now, thanks to Judith Hiltner and James Walker, Walter Lanier ‘Red’ Barber has belatedly received the serious and definitive biography he deserves.”—Jane Leavy author of The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He CreatedTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Three Scenes Prologue: Walter Lanier “Red” Barber Part 1. Foundations in the Old South: “I Was Carefully Taught” 1. Cultured Roots 2. Celery Capital of the World 3. Bumming Corner 4. “Certain Aspects of Bovine Obstetrics” Part 2. Cincinnati: Big Break 5. Pay Cut 6. Rising Expectations Part 3. Brooklyn: The Barber of Flatbush 7. Making of a Legend 8. “Blood” on the Radio 9. On the Home Front 10. “Oh, Doctor!” 11. Losing Control, Gaining a Purpose Part 4. Yankee Years: Never at Home 12. Stadium Work 13. Breakfast in Manhattan Part 5. Return to Florida: A Writerly Broadcaster 14. A Developing Writer, A Darker Vision 15. Hall of Fame Broadcaster Part 6. Red’s Renaissance: “Red Barber Moved People” 16. National Public Radio 17. A Closed Family 18. Legacies Epilogue: Walter Lanier “Red” Barber, Revisited Notes Bibliography Index
£26.09
University of Nebraska Press Forty Years a Giant
Book SynopsisHere is the life story of Horace Stoneham, who inherited the New York Giants Major League Baseball franchise in 1936 and owned and operated the organization until 1976. Trade Review"Steve Treder makes an important contribution to the field of baseball history with Forty Years a Giant. Readers will soak up the fascinating story of Horace Stoneham, who, at long last, receives the attention he so richly deserves."—Jason Cannon, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture“No one better understands the Giants of the mid-twentieth century than Steve Treder, so I knew this was a perfect pairing of author and subject. I was not disappointed. This is an absorbing look at one of baseball’s most fascinating teams.”—Mark Armour, author of Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball“Masterful. . . . This richly contextualized book rescues Stoneham from the sidelines of New York City’s baseball world and places him alongside Walter O’Malley in the story of the sport’s success in California, where he belongs. It is a delight.”—Roberta Newman, author of Here’s the Pitch: The Amazing, True, New, and Improved Story of Baseball and Advertising“Horace Stoneham [was] a true baseball pioneer. . . . Giants fans especially will enjoy both Treder’s thorough narrative of the Stoneham years in New York and in San Francisco—the players, the games, the seasons—and his extensive and balanced portrait of the man most responsible for that history.”—Robert F. Garratt, author of Home Team: The Turbulent History of the San Francisco Giants“Horace Stoneham may be one of the most underappreciated baseball executives of the twentieth century. Thanks to Steve Treder we now have a book that recognizes his significance and reflects the Giants’ prominence in many of the fascinating and consequential moments of more than five decades of baseball history.”—Daniel R. Levitt, author of Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees’ First Dynasty“Sometimes you just don’t know what you were missing until you’ve got it. More than players, more than coaches, more than anyone else really, it’s always been the owners who determine the fates of baseball franchises. Which makes it all the more surprising that Steve Treder’s outstanding book is the first comprehensive biography of Horace Stoneham, who owned one of baseball’s titanic teams through forty years of revolutionary change.”—Rob Neyer, author of Casey Award–winning Power Ball: Anatomy of a Modern Baseball Game"Treder's biography of long-time New York/San Francisco Giants owner Horace Stoneham is a thorough exploration of his 40-year tenure in baseball ownership between 1936 and 1976."—Charlie Bevis, Bevis Baseball ResearchTable of ContentsIntroduction Prologue: Sunday, September 21, 1975 1. Horrie, I Bought You a Ball Club 2. Roaring into the Twenties 3. Hard Truths 4. Brooklyn Is Still in the League 5. War, Peace, and Nice Guys 6. We Knew Segregation Was Wrong 7. Horace Stoneham Has Finally Got a Winner 8. We Have No Chance to Survive Here 9. Open Your Golden Gate 10. It’s Bye-Bye Baby 11. No Cigar 12. Certainly the Move Will Hurt Us 13. Resilience 14. I Never Thought I Would Trade Willie 15. You Can’t Get Discouraged Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index
£26.09
University of Nebraska Press Clubbie
Book SynopsisClubbie is a hilarious and illuminating memoir about a starry-eyed baseball fan who accidentally became part of the Minor League system that exploited his heroes. Trade Review"[A] well-written, realistic, and necessary addition to current baseball literature."—Library Journal"Larson succeeds in bringing the reader right into the IronBirds' clubhouse."—Cycle"Does what happens in the clubhouse stay in the clubhouse? No; Larson lets us into the Aberdeen Ironbirds’ inner sanctum. Prepare to spend two full seasons with the Baltimore Orioles' minor-league affiliate owned by Cal Ripken. It is not Disneyland. Teammates brawl, players quit in mid-game, and one-upmanship rules. Clubbie Larson, also a stand-up comedian, offers a truly hilarious view of Double-A ball."—John Vorperian, SABR Newsletter"Clubbie is bittersweet, but it throws a lot of strikes as far as capturing the malaise of minor league ball."—Jon Hart, Stadium Journey“Greg Larson’s Clubbie signals the arrival of an important new voice to American letters. . . . Clubbie is more than a coming-of-age story told via America’s pastime: it is an elegiac requiem for all who fall short of the one million forms of the American Dream.”—Joe Jackson, author of Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary“It’s easy to romanticize baseball. But from the inside, in the trenches of the Minor Leagues, the game is not so pure. With an excellent eye for detail, Greg Larson captures every tobacco stain and dirty sock in this memoir of life as a clubhouse attendant. It’s a well-written, heartfelt chronicle of growing up in a game that doesn’t want to.”—Brad Balukjian, author of the Los Angeles Times best seller The Wax Pack“Imagine Holden Caulfield washing jock straps in the clubhouse of a Minor League baseball team. Then imagine Jim Bouton revealing the secrets of dreamers who struggle to make it to the Big Show. Enter Greg Larson with a voice and secrets all his own. This stunning debut memoir is about baseball and love, about the double edge of dreams. Larson is a natural.”—Michael Pearson, author of the New York Times Notable Imagined Places: Journeys into Literary AmericaTable of ContentsPart 1 1. A Shooting Star 2. The Bottom Rung 3. Lottery Ticket Odds 4. Shadowboxing 5. On a Train Bound for Nowhere 6. The Baseball Gallows 7. The Boatload Mentality 8. Alexander the Great 9. The Dog Star 10. Nightshade Part 2 11. Aphelion 12. A New Era Takes Flight 13. Started from the Bottom 14. Number 75 15. Selling Garbage 16. Lights Out 17. Children in the Outfield 18. Summertime Sadness 19. The Team of Destiny 20. IronNuts! Acknowledgments
£20.89
University of Nebraska Press The Immortal Bobby
Book SynopsisThe biography of Bobby Jones, the only golfer to win the Grand Slam and a key figure in America's Golden Age of Sports.Trade Review"Another engrossing golf read is The Immortal Bobby . . . a welcome paperback release of Ron Rapoport's 2005 biography of Bobby Jones, the only man to win four major golf championships in one year, 1930. The book deserves a wide audience for its lively depiction of both golf and society early in the last century and for several surprising revelations about the most beloved sportsman of his day."—John Paul Newport, Wall Street Journal“Fabulous.”—Leonard Shapiro, Washington Post“An important book about an important sports figure that, typically for Rapoport, goes beyond the confines of sports and fits firmly in the context of our culture.”—Ira Berkow, sports columnist and author of Red: A Biography of Red Smith“Here is Bobby Jones as you’ve never seen him, almost fearful in the fires of competition, and Ron Rapoport shows us how that man became a legend.”—Dave Kindred“The story of Bobby Jones’s singular life is one of the most fascinating in sports history. Ron Rapoport’s thoughtful, graceful style is well suited to telling that story.”—Bob Costas“Just when you think there is nothing new to be said or written on the subject of Bob Jones, Ron Rapoport comes along and proves that theory completely untrue. The Immortal Bobby is wonderfully reported and superbly written.”—John Feinstein“Beyond the grainy newsreels and the confetti falling on Broadway and Peachtree Street, there was an essential Bobby Jones, and Ron Rapoport reveals him splendidly in a portrait as graceful as the man. There’s more here than Grand Slam 1930—the jangling nerves and self-doubt, the towering modesty in response to fame, the complexity of an Atlanta patrician, a life richly lived.”—Gary M. Pomerantz, author of Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn“If you want to learn a thing or three about Jones and the defining times in which he lived, you should read this book.”—Brian Hewitt, thegolfchannel.com“The real strength of Rapoport’s profile of Jones is the uncompromising look at how complex the man/athlete was. Like many greats in any field, both Jones’s strengths and weaknesses were extreme.”—Mike Imrem, the Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)“An exhaustively researched and anecdote-rich tome on Bobby Jones.”—Peter Kerasotis, Florida TodayTable of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Little Bob and Mr. Jones 1. East Lake Days 2. The Jewel of the South 3. The Keeper of the Flame 4. "Emotions Which Could Not Be Endured" 5. "By No Means Fit for the Honourable Company" 6. The Long Lane Turns 7. "My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, Are We Downhearted?" 8. "It Was Perfect and That Is All There Is to Say about It" 9. "Like a Hero Back from the War" 10. "He Belongs to Us All" 11. "You Can Never Know How I Envied You" 12. "Don't Kill the Star in the Prologue" Part II: The Grand Slam 13. Impregnable Quadrilaterals, Then and Now 14. "Your Boy Is Just Too Good" 15. The British Amateur: "They Ought to Burn Him at the Stake" 16. The British Open: Great Men of Hoylake 17. The U.S. Open: "The Lord Must Have Had His Arms Around Me" 18. Homecoming 19. The U.S. Amateur: "Into the Land of My Dreams" 20. Quitting the Memorable Scene Part III: The Best That Life Can Offer ... and the Worst 21. Hollywood, Augusta, and Beyond 22. "White as the Ku Klux Klan" 23. "I've Been Having Some Numbness in My Limbs" 24. "Will Ye No' Come Back Again?" Sources and Acknowledgments Bibliography Index
£17.99
University of Nebraska Press Oscar Charleston
Book SynopsisThe biography of Oscar Charleston, a Negro Leagues legend and one of baseball's greatest and most unjustifiably overlooked players.Trade Review“A valuable and superb book.”—Joe Posnanski, The Athletic"In this thorough account, Beer has created a definitive work on Charleston's life and accomplishments. The result is a fascinating story and an important piece of sports history."—Gus Palas, Library Journal, starred review"In telling Oscar Charleston’s story, Jeremy Beer has done a remarkable job in finding sufficient evidence in the historical record—box scores, newspaper accounts, interviews, oral histories—to support his thesis that Charleston deserves to be recognized as one of the game’s greatest players. Thanks to Beer’s fine biography, Oscar Charleston will not be forgotten."—Thomas Wolf, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"If Beer set out to write the authoritative biography of Oscar Charleston, he accomplished his goal seamlessly. The book is much more than a biography, it is an exhaustively researched tome about not only Oscar Charleston, but about the rise and fall of Negro Leagues baseball in the twentieth century."—Paul Langendorfer, Inside Game“Beer’s evenhanded narrative makes a convincing case for Charleston as the greatest baseball player who never played in the majors. This is a solid hit for baseball historians and fans alike.”—Publishers Weekly“[Jeremy Beer] has managed to construct a portrait of Charleston that clearly establishes him as a great baseball figure and a pioneer whose career paved the way for many who followed him. . . . An invaluable contribution to baseball history.”—Wes Lukowsky, Booklist "Oscar Charleston fills a void in baseball history, providing context and nuance to a great player who was enigmatic in life—and in death."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie blog"Interwoven with modern statistics calculated from the available box scores and other sources of information, one cannot help to wonder how Charleston would have fared in the major leagues had he been allowed to play. . . . Beer paints a picture of a man who should be considered one of the greatest players ever to pick up a bat and glove. Readers who want to get an informed introduction to Oscar Charleston should pick up this book."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports Books"I miss nothing like I miss baseball, and author Jeremy Beer has delivered a treasure to fill the hours between vintage games on the MLB Network."—Frank Murtaugh, Memphis Flyer"One of Beer’s most extraordinary accomplishments is giving a chronological narrative through the labyrinthine career of Charleston, from military ball in the Philippines, through a score of Negro League teams, winter ball dates in Palm Beach and in Cuba, and various barnstorming ventures, and then on into the managerial ranks and the grooming of younger stars—including Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson—up through to his final gig, managing an Indianapolis Clowns team that had just lost their young shortstop, Henry Aaron, to the big leagues. Beer manages to keep the narrative cogent, with Charleston’s achievements, captured through newspaper accounts and eyewitnesses, stirring the imagination at every turn."—Michael Stevens, Front Porch RepublicTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: Craftsman Chapter 1. Batboy, 1896–1912 Chapter 2. Hothead, 1912–1915 Chapter 3. Riser, 1916–1918 Chapter 4. Star, 1919–1922 Chapter 5. Manager, 1922–1926 Chapter 6. Leader, 1926–1931 Chapter 7. Champion, 1932–1938 Chapter 8. Scout, 1939–1947 Chapter 9. Legend, 1948– Epilogue Acknowledgments Appendix: Statistical Record Notes Bibliography Index
£16.14
University of Nebraska Press Jump Shooting to a Higher Degree
Book SynopsisJump Shooting to a Higher Degree chronicles Sheldon Anderson's basketball career from grade school through his years playing professionally in West Germany and communist Poland in 1987.Trade Review"For readers with a strong interest in personal accounts of life in Cold War Germany and Poland, the book will surely be captivating."—K. P. McDonough, Choice“A delightful, often wry nonfiction basketball bildungsroman, Sheldon Anderson’s Jump Shooting to a Higher Degree is reminiscent of other first-rate sport memoirs. . . . This supple narrative, replete with poignant anecdotes, demonstrates how the love of a game can help shape one’s identity, values, and pave the way for future success. Anderson shoots and scores!”—Daniel A. Nathan, coeditor of Baseball beyond Our Borders and past president of the North American Society for Sport History“Is basketball more than just a game? For Sheldon Anderson, hoops are a sine qua non of life—a prominent theme in this entertaining memoir. Part sport history, part European history, part basketball bildungsroman, part autobiography, Jump Shooting to a Higher Degree reminds us that sport, when played cleanly and fairly and with a respect for one’s opponent, possesses a transcendent power, offering important life lessons and providing opportunities one could have never imagined. Pleasantly written and chock-full of amusing anecdotes, Anderson’s recollection of his experiences in basketball and beyond is an informative, lively read.”—Chris Elzey, coeditor of DC Sports: The Nation’s Capital at PlayTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Prologue 1. Of God and Games 2. City Hoops 3. Playing with Germans 4. An American in East Germany 5. From “Scheiss Preiss” to Bavaria 6. Wild Turkeys, WACers, and Southside Johnnies 7. Basketball behind the Iron Curtain 8. The Shot Doctor of Philosophy Epilogue
£16.14
University of Nebraska Press Winning in Both Leagues
Book SynopsisBest known as the general manager of the New York Mets during their remaking and rise to glory in the 1980s, J. Frank Cashen fills the pages of Winning in Both Leagues with lively stories from his baseball tenure during the last half of the twentieth century.Trade Review“The most versatile man I know; sports, music, writing, the law, he could do it all.”—Tim McCarver“When it came to baseball, Cashen had the magic touch.”—Nelson Doubleday Jr., former president of Doubleday and former owner of the New York Mets“Frank Cashen, through shrewd trades and organizational development, put together two of the most complete pitching staffs in baseball history. Through the use of both the numbers and his great appreciation of the eyes and ears of the game (the scouts), Mr. Cashen assembled iconic franchises. Orioles and Mets fans applaud.”—Ron Darling, New York Mets pitcher in the 1980s“Frank Cashen liked being a sportswriter, liked being a lawyer, liked running a brewery, but loved being a baseball general manager. He took his intellect, people skills, great judgment, and passion and became one of the best baseball GMs ever.”—Jim Palmer, broadcaster and Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame pitcher“Cashen is a hero to the little people in baseball. He believed in scouting and the Minor Leagues and persuaded the big league owners to provide a retirement plan for the forgotten people of baseball.”—Harry Minor, long-time New York Mets scout"[Winning in Both Leagues] delivers a refreshingly compact and unpretentious change of pace."—Henry D. Fetter, Wall Street Journal"Whether you've heard the stories before or whether some of the information is totally new, Cashen's is a good read."—Pete Kerzel, Mid Atlantic Sports Network Table of ContentsForeword by Billy Beane Preface Acknowledgments 1. Beating Boston 2. Call from the Boss 3. Baltimore Beginnings 4. Shocking Developments 5. Parting Gift 6. Four Straight 7. After the Sweep 8. Earl of Baltimore 9. Low Point to High Flyers 10. Negotiating Contracts 11. My First Passion 12. From Studs to Suds 13. Commish’s Call 14. Baseball Trails 15. Casting My Fate 16. Changing the Mets' Image 17. Yellow Pad Parlance 18. Trade Secrets 19. Competing in the Apple 20. Building a Winner 21. Breaking .500 22. Dominating Season 23. Infamous Plane Trip 24. Series Showdown 25. Futures Trading 26. Broadcasting Brilliance 27. New Friends, New Places 28. Traveling Tales 29. Mets Changes 30. New Choices 31. Extra Innings
£15.19
University of Nebraska Press Charlie Murphy
Book SynopsisA biography of Charles Webb Murphy, the ebullient and mercurial owner of the Chicago Cubs from 1905 through 1914.Trade Review"Besides writing a very readable book, Cannon has done the kind of research that a good biography requires."—James E. Overmyer, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"Everything a great biography should be: impeccably researched, fair, eminently readable, and ultimately as satisfyingly instructive as having personally known the subject oneself."—Spitball Magazine"Charlie Murphy is an excellent addition to the existing body of work in book-length baseball biography. Cannon masterfully moves beyond his subject's on-field baseball achievements, often the singular focus of a baseball biography, by providing a well-balanced mix of Murphy's off-field contribution to the baseball industry, his cultural influence, and an exploration of his character."—Charlie Bevis, Journal of Sport History"This is a remarkable book full of baseball information for all fans to enjoy. The book is easy to read and should be on the bookshelf of every baseball fan, baseball historian and especially those with Chicago Cubs fandom."—Tom Knuppel, Knup Sports"As for the complete story of Murphy, from his beginnings to his ownership of the Cubs and the fractured relationships at the time of his ouster, Cannon does a very good job of bringing him to life to the reader and illustrating an accurate picture of the business side of the game at that time."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports Books“Over the first couple of decades of the twentieth century, Cubs owner and general manager Charles Murphy was as significant as any executive in baseball and one of its most interesting characters. Jason Cannon perceptively unwraps the man who oversaw Cubs championship seasons and was a principal actor in some of the era’s most notable controversies and boardroom battles.”—Daniel R. Levitt, coauthor of In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to “Moneyball”“Impeccably researched and masterfully written, Charlie Murphy tells the story of one of baseball’s most well-known, forgotten owners. Only after you’ve read it do you realize how much you didn’t know of Murphy and his impact on the game.”—Willie Steele, editor of NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture“Part exuberant showman and part irreverent iconoclast, Charles W. Murphy eventually aroused the ire of players, fans, and even the baseball establishment with his controversial decisions, which eventually led to his undoing. Jason Cannon deftly uses hundreds of articles, documents, interviews, and other original sources to look past Murphy’s reputation as an egotistical blowhard and reassess both his personal life and professional career. In so doing, the author reveals a detailed narrative of the Progressive Era and a compelling, richly nuanced portrait of one of baseball’s most colorful characters.”—Jack Bales, author of Before They Were the CubsTable of ContentsContents Introduction: “He Was a Showman” 1. Wilmington 2. On to Cincinnati 3. “A Real Wonder-Story” 4. “He Is One of Us” 5. Champions 6. Supremacy Again 7. The War of 1908–9 8. A Pair of Presidents 9. The Final Pennant 10. “Murphy Alone Is My Enemy” 11. “All Is Fair in Love and War” 12. “The Malicious Mistake of Mr. Murphy” 13. Show Business 14. Narratives Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index
£26.09
University of Nebraska Press Bring In the RightHander
Book SynopsisThe tale of Jerry Reuss's twenty-two year career as a pitcher in the Major Leagues.Trade Review"Reuss is a gifted storyteller, and he ably communicates his love for the game in an easy, conversational style that makes for pleasurable reading. His book will appeal to any reader interested in 1970s and 1980s baseball, as well as many other fans."—Library Journal"As he did throughout a career that touched an amazing four decades (1969-1990), Reuss delivers plenty of strikes on the page."—John L. Smith, Las Vegas Review-Journal“In Bring In the Right-Hander! Jerry Reuss delivers a revealing and remarkable performance.”—Fred Claire, former Los Angeles Dodger executive vice president and general manager and author of Fred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue"If you've ever wondered about what goes on behind the scenes in major league baseball, particularly in the clubhouse, this is a must-read book."—Ron Cervenka, thinkbluela.com"Bring In the Right-Hander is a revealing look at Reuss's career, from his start with the Cardinals all the way through his final days as a Pirate."—Cardinal Conclave"If you are a fan of Reuss or any of the teams he played for, take the time to read this book."—Gregg's Baseball Bookcase“Jerry Reuss had one of the great deliveries in baseball. And he has pitched a strike again with an insightful look at a career that transcended the ‘Golden Era’ of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. I couldn’t put it down!”—Steve Garvey, 1974 National League Most Valuable Player and ten-time All-Star Table of ContentsPrologueAcknowledgments1. The Early Years2. Turning Pro3. Life in the Minor Leagues4. Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa5. Meet Me in St. Louis6. Houston, I'm Comin' to See Ya7. Makin' My Way to the Steel City8. California, Here I Come!9. Life after the World Series . . . Big Laughs, Great Times, and Transitions10. Hits, Misses, and Whistle-StopsEpilogueNotes
£16.14
