Biography: sport Books

Book SynopsisThe man who can't stop scoring goals for funIn his debut season with Manchester City, Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland has set the footballing world ablaze. The 23-year-old striker, known for his unique blend of speed and strength, has redefined the art of goal-scoring.Highly regarded football journalist Lars Sivertsen follows Haaland’s meteoric rise to stardom in this biography, a tale that begins in the small Norwegian town of Bryne where they both grew up. Born to former Manchester City player Alfie Haaland, Erling started his journey at hometown club Bryne FK in 2016 and later moved to Molde FK, Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund before Manchester City announced his arrival in the Premier League.In his first Premier League season with Manchester City, Haaland has shattered records and achieved his ultimate dream: winning the treble in his first season with the club. This accomplishment solidifies his status as one of the most exceptional talents in football history, and demonstrates that a boy from Bryne can indeed conquer the world of football.In Haaland, Sivertsen delves into Haaland's roots, providing insights from those close to him, and gets to the heart of what makes him tick.

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Book SynopsisThe man who can't stop scoring goals for funIn his debut season with Manchester City, Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland has set the footballing world ablaze. The 23-year-old striker, known for his unique blend of speed and strength, has redefined the art of goal-scoring.Highly regarded football journalist Lars Sivertsen follows Haaland’s meteoric rise to stardom in this biography, a tale that begins in the small Norwegian town of Bryne where they both grew up. Born to former Manchester City player Alfie Haaland, Erling started his journey at hometown club Bryne FK in 2016 and later moved to Molde FK, Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund before Manchester City announced his arrival in the Premier League.In his first Premier League season with Manchester City, Haaland has shattered records and achieved his ultimate dream: winning the treble in his first season with the club. This accomplishment solidifies his status as one of the most exceptional talents in football history, and demonstrates that a boy from Bryne can indeed conquer the world of football.In Haaland, Sivertsen delves into Haaland's roots, providing insights from those close to him, and gets to the heart of what makes him tick.

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Book SynopsisIn celebration of the National Football League’s 100th season in the fall of 2019, noted NFL historian Chris Willis brings to life the story of Red Grange, the nation’s first professional football star, in this definitive biography. Harold “Red” Grange became a national sensation as a junior halfback at the University of Illinois in the 1920s. He quickly joined other great athletes of the Roaring Twenties such as Bobby Jones, Jack Dempsey, and Babe Ruth in enthralling audiences on the radio and in newspapers on a daily basis. A year later Grange stunned the country by dropping out of school after his last collegiate game and going pro with the six year old NFL, signing with the Chicago Bears. In Red Grange: The Life and Legacy of the NFL’s First Superstar, Chris Willis tells the remarkable story of a humble football player who rose to fame in the 1920s and became an icon. With unlimited access and complete cooperation of the Grange family, Willis offers new insight into Grange’s rags-to-riches story, including details about his tomboy mother who died when Grange was six years old and never-before-published information on Grange’s barnstorming tour with the Chicago Bears that instantly gave credibility to the fledgling NFL. With over fifty original interviews, personal letters to and from Grange, and more than forty photos, this definitive biography reveals in intimate detail the life of a sports pioneer. Whether as a player, coach, broadcaster, pitchman, Hall of Famer, ambassador, or icon, Red Grange was, and still is, the face of the early NFL and one of the greatest athletes of all-time.Trade ReviewThere is no better way to understand the 100th season of the NFL than to begin with the remarkable story of Red Grange, whose singular talent changed the way football was marketed and consumed at a time in this country when people of all walks of life were starving for big stars on the big stage. Chris Willis of NFL Films, the brilliant biographer of our national obsession, has told this story as only he can—with unparalleled scholarship and in entertaining detail. -- Sal Paolantonio, National Correspondent, ESPN, and author of How Football Explains AmericaChris Willis didn’t know Red Grange. He didn’t see him play. But, if there is anyone who might make you believe he did, it’s Chris Willis. Truly one of pro football’s leading historians, Willis combines well-researched facts with a human touch and an unequaled understanding of the game and the era of which he writes. Few others have his appreciation for the unquestionable impact Grange had on professional football during its formative years. During a time when college coaches like Amos Alonzo Stagg were calling the pro game “a menace to college football,” Willis chronicles how Grange—a model of good behavior and sportsmanship—converted pro football naysayers to enthusiastic supporters. There is no one better suited to tell the tale than Chris Willis. -- Joe Horrigan, Executive Director, Pro Football Hall of FameThere are few figures in football history more mythic or more seminal than Harold "Red" Grange. In his carefully-researched new biography, Chris Willis expertly puts Grange in the context of his times, showing his outsized influence on the collegiate game and the immense importance of his arrival in the fledgling universe of the National Football League. The heart of the book is Willis's portrayal of Grange's punishing 1925-26 coast-to-coast barnstorming tour with the Bears—aptly described by one writer as a "national hysteria"—when the biggest star in college football helped legitimize the NFL. -- Michael MacCambridge, author of America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation

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Book SynopsisThe World Marathon Challenge—seven marathons on seven continents in seven days—is the ultimate race for adventurous runners. It tests the athletes to their limits, going from biting cold Antarctic conditions one day to dry desert heat another. To survive the onslaught of sensations—fear, fatigue, depression, elation—takes a special sort of determination and strength of will. Few would take on such a challenge, and fewer still would finish it. Relentless: Seven Marathons, Seven Continents, Seven Days is David Gething’s amazing story of his journey from a middle-aged couch potato to a World Marathon champion. Gething gives a deeply personal and candid view of what it is like to compete in one of the most demanding amateur sporting events on the planet, including the sacrifices made just to get to the start of the race and what it takes to win. He describes in detail each individual contest—originating in Antarctica and ending in Australia—and the physical, emotional, and psychological sides of this grueling stage race. Far from just depicting the event itself, Gething also delves into the interpersonal relationships, rivalries, and bonds that form on this adventure that is like no other. Featuring photographs taken during the event from Gething’s personal collection, and including private emails to and from the author and his family and friends, Relentless gives a truly unique and intimate view into the inner workings of this punishing ultra-endurance battle. Marathon runners, sporting enthusiasts, and anyone with a dream and a determination to succeed despite the odds will find Gething’s journey a fascinating and inspiring story.Trade ReviewIn 2007, the author’s pregnant wife pointed out that he was getting a little soft: too much bad food, not enough exercise, perhaps not quite the right role model for their soon-to-be-born child. Gething took her observation to heart and vowed to get into shape. He started running, eventually graduating to marathons, and, in 2015, he entered and won the very first World Marathon Challenge, which is just as hard as it sounds: seven full marathons in the space of a week in Antarctica, South America, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It sounds like an incredible ordeal, the kind of thing you wonder why anyone would subject himself to, and indeed that’s a big part of this memoir: the author explaining how and why he went, in the space of less than a decade, from an ordinary, out-of-shape guy to a world-class marathon runner. Full of interesting and surprising stories—it really was quite a journey, and it’s populated by an engaging cast of real-life characters—the book should appeal to runners of all kinds, from newbies to veterans. * Booklist *This is the autobiographical story of a man who transforms himself from a ‘middle-aged couch potato’ into an athlete who attempts to complete ‘seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.’ The book is organized into separate chapters for each marathon. . . .It is difficult to imagine undertaking such a grueling challenge, but the author's recollection of details and his thoughts throughout the seven events provide readers with an insight into the experience. There is no bravado one might expect from a recounting of an adventure of this scale. Instead, readers are provided with a narrative that is self-deprecating and honest. The author writes of when his wife confronts him about his drinking, smoking, and weight issues, which propel him to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Eventually this leads to his competing in increasingly grueling races that culminate in the events detailed in this book. Though it obviously recounts the story of the marathons, it is also an interesting story of how a man transformed himself from a sedentary and unhealthy person into a world-class marathoner. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. * CHOICE *The ambition and dedication that David Gething demonstrates in his remarkable achievement shows that he has the true spirit of an IRONMAN: Anything is Possible with the right amount of dedication and commitment. -- Andrew Messick, CEO of IronmanA wonderfully told adventure about pushing your limits—for runners and non-runners alike. I couldn't put it down. -- John Ellis, Ultra RunnerDavid Gething has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of the event—the characters, courses, logistics, the internal dialogues and doubts, the issues and ethics and, in the end, the sheer magnitude of it all. Yet, like Ultraman, despite its length and relatively small number of competitors, Gething draws the reader into the art and heart of what it means to be a champion. Gething translates the nuances of such a multi-day challenge into an exciting finale both on and off the pages of the book. I was totally impressed and engrossed. An excellent read—I would totally recommend the book. -- Steve King, Ironman, Ultraman, and Ultramarathon legendWhen David first approached me about racing the 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents challenge, I first wondered how it was even possible. But then I also realized that David is one of those special athletes with the physical strength to handle the punishment that would need to be endured—and even more importantly, the mental strength to stay focused and keep pushing right to the end no matter how much suffering he would have to endure. -- Nigel Gray, elite professional triathlete and coach, NRG Performance TrainingTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION: The Story of the Beginning Chapter 1: THE STARTING LINE Chapter 2: MARATHON 1: ANTARCTICA: Union Glacier: A Trial byFire in the Coldest Place on Earth Chapter 3: MARATHON 2: SOUTH AMERICA: Punta Arenas, Chile: The Shakedown Chapter 4: MARATHON 3: NORTH AMERICA: Miami, United States of America: The Forging of the Alliance Chapter 5: MARATHON 4: EUROPE: Madrid, Spain: The Painful Test Chapter 6: MARATHON 5: AFRICA: Marrakech, Morocco: The Unraveling Chapter 7: MARATHON 6: ASIA: Dubai, United Arab Emirates: When to Win Alone Would Have Been a Loss Chapter 8: MARATHON 7: OCEANIA: Sydney, Australia: The Final Showdown EPILOGUE APPENDIX: The Final Standings INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Book SynopsisI really do believe I would be way up at the top of everything if I hadn’t been injured. When I was healthy, I really believe I was the best of anyone I ever saw play.—Mickey Mantle, reflecting on his career Mickey Mantle is one of baseball’s all-time greats. Playing for the New York Yankees for his entire professional career, Mantle was named to the All-Star team for 11 consecutive seasons, won three MVP awards, and was a seven-time World Series champion. He quickly became an icon who achieved hero status even while playing through injuries for most of his career. In Mantle: The Best There Ever Was, Tony Castro makes the impassioned argument that Mickey Mantle truly was the greatest ballplayer of all time. Acclaimed by the New York Times as the definitive biographer of baseball’s fabled number 7, Castro shares many of his personal conversations with Mantle, demystifying the legend and revealing intimate, never-before-published details from Mantle’s personal life. In addition, Castro offers illuminating new insights into Mantle’s extraordinary career, including the head-turning conclusion based on the evolution of analytics that the beloved Yankee switch-hitting slugger may ultimately win acclaim as having fulfilled the weighty expectation once placed on him: being even greater than Babe Ruth. Drawing from hundreds of interviews with ex-teammates, friends, and family—including Mantle’s widow and longtime mistress—Castro masterfully blends Mantle’s public and private selves to present a fully rounded portrait of this complex, misunderstood national hero.Trade ReviewThe secret love life of Mickey Mantle, the New York Yankee’s fabled baseball home-run hitter and 20th century American icon, was a scoop that veteran journalist Tony Castro swore to keep secret—until now. Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, Castro’s book will take you into a world of myth, magic, and reckless heroism of a bygone era that comes brilliantly alive in this wild, intimate, and astonishing book. -- Rex Weiner, author of Woodstock Census: Nationwide Survey of the Sixties Generation and The (Original) Adventures of Ford FairlaneIf you wish to fully understand the complicated life of Mickey Mantle, Tony Castro has written an extraordinary book. There has been a library of books written on Mantle, but none will explain him the way this book does. For you millions of Mantle lovers, this book is “The Best There Ever Was.” Don't you dare miss it. -- Peter Golenbock, author of Dynasty, The Bronx Zoo, and 7: The Mickey Mantle NovelIn this warm, intimate, and often startling book, Tony Castro relies on his own long relationship with Mickey Mantle, a great deal of research, and a remarkable series of interviews with the woman the Yankees star loved before and during his long marriage to give us an unforgettable portrait of a man whose talent and accomplishments were matched only by the demons he couldn’t escape. Mantle: The Best There Ever Was presents an American sports hero in all his glory, and all his torment. -- Ron Rapoport, author of Let’s Play Two: The Legend of Mr. Cub, the Life of Ernie BanksHow could such a young man from Commerce, Oklahoma, become such a hero to so many? Tony accurately brings to light in great detail the accolades as well as demons that Mickey endured both on and off the field. -- Andrew Vilacky, Safe at Home, Cooperstown, NYBeing a longtime friend of Mickey’s I personally witnessed many of the challenges he encountered in both his personal and professional life. Statistically, Mickey did not have the best numbers of all time, but Mantle: The Best There Ever Was solidifies what a great teammate and friend Mickey was. -- Tom Catal, Mickey Mantle Museum, Cooperstown, NYTony Castro scores a perfect 10 for #7 with his new bio of my childhood hero Mickey Mantle, for whom I took subways with my brothers from Brooklyn to the Bronx in those years when the Yankees were the only team in town. I’ve read many other books on The Mick in the years since but Castro has smacked a grand slam here, the best I ever read about The Best There Ever Was. -- Denis Hamill, former columnist, New York Daily NewsAuthor Tony Castro returns to the life of Mickey Mantle in the third volume of his trilogy about the New York Yankees baseball star, Mantle: The Best There Ever Was—and the reader is swept along on a journey through Mantle’s life, both the personal and the professional. And what a complicated life Castro portrays, including unbelievable success on the baseball field, a difficult marriage, a longtime affair, injuries, and a decades-long struggle with alcoholism. Castro, who as a child idolized Mantle, incorporates his own recollections of meeting and interviewing the then-retired Mantle, introducing a deeper layer to the story. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book. -- Deborah Kalb, writer, editor, and book bloggerIn Mantle: The Best There Ever Was, Tony Castro adds another compelling account to his Mickey Mantle Trilogy. Written with the authority of an insider, Castro adds new detail and dimension to Mantle’s life and career in this well-sourced page-turner. -- Dale Tafoya, autho, Bash Brothers: A Legacy SubpoenaedA handful of baseball immortals—like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Joe DiMaggio—have achieved levels of greatness such that their names are known to even casual fans. Was Mantle the greatest of them all? Author Tony Castro explores this question and makes a compelling case for "The Mick" in Mantle: The Best There Ever Was. Castro describes some of the monstrous seasons Mantle had, charts Mantle’s athletic career, and takes the reader into The Mick's often turbulent personal life. Reading the book, one can only wonder what Mantle may have achieved if he'd taken care of himself the way modern-day athletes do. -- Ruben Castaneda, staff writer, US News and World Report, and author, S Street RisingAn American literary stylistic masterpiece. Tony Castro paints Mickey Mantle through a prism of genius with the pinstripe magic of Gabriel Garcia Marquez phantasmagoria and realism. -- Tom Wolfe, author and journalist

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Book Synopsis“Rahaman has, at last, written the definitive biography on his late brother, which tells the real Ali story.” —Mike TysonMore words have been written about Muhammad Ali than almost anyone else. He was, without doubt, the world’s most-loved sportsman. At the height of his celebrity he was the most famous person in the world. And yet, until now, the one voice missing belonged to the man who knew him best—his only sibling, and best friend, Rahaman Ali.No one was closer to Ali than Rahaman. Born Cassius and Rudolph Arnett Clay, the two brothers grew up together, lived together, trained together, travelled together, and fought together in the street and in the ring. A near-constant fixture in his sibling’s company, Rahaman saw Ali at both his best and his worst: the relentless prankster and the jealous older brother, the outspoken advocate, the husband and father. In My Brother, Muhammad Ali, Rahaman offers an insider's perspective on the well-known stories as well as never-before-told tales, painting a rich and intimate portrait of a proud, relentlessly polarizing, yet often vulnerable man.In this extraordinary, poignant memoir, Rahaman tells a much bigger and more personal story than in any other book on Muhammad Ali—that of two brothers, almost inseparable from birth to death. It is the final and most important perspective on an iconic figure.

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Book SynopsisA rare glimpse of professional ballplayers, not as pitchers, hitters, managers, and coaches, but as dads and grandads. Sons of major league baseball players grow up in a unique environment, not only because they are raised in part by professional athletes, but also because they are raised by the game itself. They come of age immersed in the distinct sounds and aromas of baseball. The locker rooms, the cinderblock-lined corridors beneath the stands, the dugouts, and the fields are the playgrounds of their youth. In Sons of Baseball, Mark Braff interviews 18 men who share their exclusive stories, ballpark memories, and the challenges and rewards of having fathers whose talents enabled them to reach the pinnacle of their profession. Each chapter is devoted to one son talking about his experiences, from the poignancy of one son’s disclosure that his dad has not been able to acknowledge his son’s sexuality as a gay man, to the humor of another son absconding with the groundskeepers’ cart in Cleveland. Including the sons of well-known players such as Cal Ripken, Yogi Berra, and Mariano Rivera as well as beloved lesser-known players, Sons of Baseball provides a unique, well-rounded perspective on the lives of professional ballplayers and their families. And with father-son photos from the families’ personal collections, this book is a rare, first-of-its kind compilation for all fans of the game. Table of ContentsForeword by Cal Ripken JrIntroduction Chapter 1. Jerry Hairston Sr. & Jr.—Following grandpa and dad into the family business Chapter 2. Roger & Kevin Maris—Still teaching lessons from dad Chapter 3. Larry Dobby Sr. & Jr.—From baseball to Billy Joel Chapter 4. John & Dusty Wathan—Cup ball and stories from Buck O’NeilChapter 5. Henry & David Rodriguez—Seeking dad’s acceptance: “All I wanted was a Barbie”Chapter 6. Mariano & Jafet Rivera—“Come on, Rivera, throw the cutter” Chapter 7. Vada Pinson Jr. & III—Yearning for a father’s loveChapter 8. Yogi & Larry Berra—Fielding fungoes from Mickey Mantle Chapter 9. Dave & Jeff McNally—A national television debut at age seven Chapter 10. Jack & Matt Aker—If it’s Tuesday, this must be LynchburgChapter 11. John W. Powell Sr & Jr—Stealing (and abandoning) the groundskeepers’ cartChapter 12. Gil Hodges Sr & Jr.—Embracing the legacyChapter 13. Tony Pena Sr & Jr.—Poking sleeping players with toothpicksChapter 14. Jim & Michael Bouton—Riding upside down to Yankee StadiumChapter 15. Leo Cardenas Sr & Jr.—“I should have made it” Chapter 16. Bobby & Robby Richardson—Getting past Frank Crosetti, baseball cop Chapter 17. Mike & Andy Hargrove—Fishing off Bo Jackson’s lapChapter 18. Ron & Brandon Guidry—Handfuls of Bazooka and other stadium funAcknowledgments A Note on SourcesAbout the Author

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Book SynopsisA warm and invigorating memoir about a daughter’s love for her father and her appreciation for how he and others changed the game of football forever. Gene Washington’s football career ended long before his daughter Maya was born. She never saw the legendary powerhouse as anything but her dad. She didn’t yet grasp the impact he’d had on the sport—and on America. To understand his historic role in the integration of college football, witness his influence on generations that followed, and fully appreciate his legacy, Maya had a lot of catching up to do. Maya retraces her father’s journey from the segregated south to Michigan State during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement and his journey as an NFL pioneer after the 1967 draft. She reflects on how her father’s childhood—and the racism he faced—shaped her upbringing and influenced his expectations of her. She also discovers how unbreakable the emotional bond between teammates can be. But above all, Maya and her father get to know each other. As their own bond deepens, so does Maya’s connection to the sport that changed the trajectory of her father’s life…and hers.Trade Review“An immensely moving tribute to her father, former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Gene Washington…Readers will be enthralled and heartened by this unique look at the way sports can influence society.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “The book should appeal to college football enthusiasts, especially those interested in how racial issues impacted the sport during the 20th century.” —Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisWith an astounding eighteen medals in eight international championships and team gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1976 and 1984, Jack Le Goff created the standard by which modern-day equestrian teams are measured. But Le Goff's techniques could be unforgiving — tough, brutal, and abrasive — earning him critics as well as converts. In this, his autobiography, Le Goff tells the whole story, from impoverished beginnings in Morocco, to the tragic death of his father, to his successes as a competitive equestrian. Readers will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of high-level international equestrian sport, as well as an entire section devoted to Le Goff's much admired and extremely successful training philosophy.Trade ReviewReaders will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of high-level equestrian sport, as well as an entire section devoted to Le Goff's much-admired and extremely successful training philosophy. Table of ContentsForeword by David O'ConnorPreface Acknowledgements Part 1: The Learning Years 1. Twenty Kilos is All! 2. A Horseman is Born 3. Making the Team! 4. And Off to War I went 5. Women and a Changing Sport Part 2: The Coaching Years 6. The Best Laid Plans 7. Coming to America 8. I Meet the Queen and the US Team Becomes 'A Threat to be Reckoned With' 9. The System 10. 1975 Pan Am Games 11. The Road to Montreal 12. Might Tango 13. Badminton and Burghley and the Olympic Games - Oh My! 14. Luhmuhlen and Los Angeles 15. A new and Different Role Part 3: The FEI Years 16. Judging 17. The FEI Three-Day Eventing Committee Part 4: The Le Goff Philosophy 18. On Dressage 19. On Conditioning the Event Horse 20. On Preparing for Cross-Country 21. On Show Jumping 22. On the Riders 23. On Cross-Country Courses Part 5: The Past and The Future 24. The Crossing of the Desert: The US Three-Day Event Team 1984-1996 25. Where the Sport is Going 26. What it Means to be a Coach, What it Means to be Disciplined Afterword: Retirement, This Time for Good Appendix 1: The Circle of Champions Appendix 2: Lifetime Achievement Record of Jack Le Goff Appendix 3: Development of the Olympic Eventing Format Index

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Book SynopsisAdam Taliaferro had it all: smarts, an easy-going personality, and incomparable athletic ability. None of that seemed to matter, however, on that fateful September day when his father was given startling news: Do not expect your son to walk. Ever. Since that numbing day, Taliaferro, the Penn State freshman cornerback who was paralysed after he tackled an Ohio State running back, has defied the odds. Before he had spinal-fusion surgery, he made a vow to his mother: Mom, I'm not going out like this. Three months later, he walked out of a Philadelphia hospital on crutches, determined to complete his amazing recovery, making the name Adam Taliaferro synonymous with courage and perseverance.

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Book SynopsisFor many fans, their lifetime of experience with the Detroit Tigers ensured them that when their team roared, it would be Ernie Harwell's smooth southern voice that would be heard above the din. After 42 years as the "Voice of the Detroit Tigers," the 2002 retirement of Harwell signaled the end of an era. This profile on the famed broadcaster provides the lesser-known details on the background of a Detroit institution. Known for his voice and talent for calling games, fans will be able to know the man himself and what brought him to—and kept him in—the Motor City. The only play-by-play broadcaster to cover games across seven decades, Harwell saw (and accumulated accompanying stories about) everyone from Babe Ruth to Ichiro Suzuki, many of which are shared in this entertaining biography.

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Book SynopsisTo commemorate the 75th anniversary of Bobby Jones' miraculous feat of being the only golfer to capture the Grand Slam comes the most detailed and complete examinations ever on that magical 1930 season. Offering fans and historians every perspective of that Grand Slam season, Lewis delves into the key figures who helped mold Jones' game and mystique, as well as the locations of the rounds and the lasting impression the 'gentleman golfer' left on the game he loved so much.

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Book SynopsisFormer horse jockey Randy Romero, winner of the Breeders' Cup, is a Louisiana sports legend still well loved in racing circles today. In 1985 he was at the top of his game, ranked number two in the country. This gripping biography covers the triumphs and tragedies in his exciting career, until his retirement in 1999.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1998 two of baseball leading sluggers, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, embarked on a race to break Babe Ruth’s single season home run record. The nation was transfixed as Sosa went on to hit 66 home runs, and McGwire 70. Three years later, San Francisco Giants All-Star Barry Bonds surpassed McGwire by 3 home runs in the midst of what was perhaps the greatest offensive display in baseball history. Over the next three seasons, as Bonds regularly launched mammoth shots into the San Francisco Bay, baseball players across the country were hitting home runs at unprecedented rates. For years there had been rumors that perhaps some of these players owed their success to steroids. But crowd pleasing homers were big business, and sportswriters, fans, and officials alike simply turned a blind eye. Then, in December of 2004, after more than a year of investigation, San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams broke the story that in a federal investigation of a nutritional supplement company called BALCO, Yankees slugger Jason Giambi had admitted taking steroids. Barry Bonds was also implicated. Immediately the issue of steroids became front page news. The revelations led to Congressional hearings on baseball’s drug problems and continued to drive the effort to purge the U.S. Olympic movement of drug cheats. Now Fainaru-Wada and Williams expose for the first time the secrets of the BALCO investigation that has turned the sports world upside down. Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroid Scandal That Rocked Professional by award-winning investigative journalists Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, is a riveting narrative about the biggest doping scandal in the history of sports, and how baseball’s home run king, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, came to use steroids. Drawing on more than two years of reporting, including interviews with hundreds of people, and exclusive access to secret grand jury testimony, confidential documents, audio recordings, and more, the authors provide, for the first time, a definitive account of the shocking steroids scandal that made headlines across the country.The book traces the career of Victor Conte, founder of the BALCO laboratory, an egomaniacal former rock musician and self-proclaimed nutritionist, who set out to corrupt sports by providing athletes with “designer” steroids that would be undetectable on “state-of-the-art” doping tests. Conte gave the undetectable drugs to 28 of the world’s greatest athletes—Olympians, NFL players and baseball stars, Bonds chief among them. A separate narrative thread details the steroids use of Bonds, an immensely talented, moody player who turned to performance-enhancing drugs after Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals set a new home run record in 1998. Through his personal trainer, Bonds gained access to BALCO drugs. All of the great athletes who visited BALCO benefited tremendously—Bonds broke McGwire’s record—but many had their careers disrupted after federal investigators raided BALCO and indicted Conte. The authors trace the course of the probe, and the baffling decision of federal prosecutors to protect the elite athletes who were involved. Highlights of Game of Shadows include:Barry Bonds A look at how Bonds was driven to use performance-enhancing drugs in part by jealousy over Mark McGwire’s record-breaking 1998 season. It was shortly thereafter that Bonds—who had never used anything more performance enhancing than a protein shake from the health food store—first began using steroids. How Bonds’s weight trainer, steroid dealer Greg Anderson, arranged to meet Victor Conte before the 2001 baseball season with...

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Book SynopsisRespected by his baseball peers and beloved by Chicago fans and teammates, Ernie Banks did everything there was to do in the game he loved. Everything, that is, except play in a World Series. How and why that experience eluded him during one season of particular promise—1969—is a key storyline of this fresh look at one of baseball's legendary players. The life of Banks, who had picked cotton outside Dallas as a youth, ascended from a barnstorming semipro team to the major leagues after Kansas City Monarchs manager Buck O'Neil placed him with the Cubs, is detailed in this biography of Mr. Cub. During his time in Chicago, Banks won two MVPs and received an education far better than the one he received in the segregated schools he'd attended, gaining important life skills while playing the game he was born to play.

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Book SynopsisJosh Bleill tells people he had “one bad day” while on combat patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, on October 15, 2006. That day, an IED struck his Humvee, tearing through the vehicle and killing two of his fellow marines while severely injuring Bleill and his best friend. He awoke five days later with to learn of the catastrophic loss of his two friends and both of his legs. Recovering physically presented a great challenge, but the mental recovery was the toughest battle. For three and a half months he never left the hospital because he didn't want people to see his injured body. In One Step at a Time, Bleill shares the story of his own personal redemption and the many life-changing moments he encountered, from his enlistment to active duty in Fallujah, through two years of intensive rehabilitation, and ultimately to his job as the community spokesman for the Indianapolis Colts. Readers will be inspired by his undying enthusiasm, infectious joy, and sense of humor as he shares his message of going forward, one step at a time.

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Book SynopsisLong before Shane Victorino gained fame as a Gold Glove center fielder, All-Star, and World Series champion with the Philadelphia Phillies, he was a precocious child on the island of Maui, frustrating teachers with his inability to sit still and tagging along with older boys to neighborhood ball fields. For Victorino, diagnosed at an early age with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, sports became an ideal outlet for his boundless energy. As the first Maui native ever to appear in a World Series, Victorino played an integral role in giving his team, and the city of Philadelphia, a memory for the ages. In Shane Victorino: The Flyin' Hawaiian, readers will find the compelling story of a young man whose persistence and determination helped him overcome obstacles and emerge victorious at the highest level of his profession.

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Book SynopsisWith his familiar shock of white hair an craggy, prematurely aged face and twinkling eyes, Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson was a one of a kind personality beloved by generations of fans not just in the two cities he led to World Series championships, but throughout the baseball world. When he retired in 1995 he was third on the list of all-time winningest managers, have accumulated 2,194 victories in managing the Cincinnato Reds to two championships in nine years and adding another with the Detroit Tigers whom he managed for seventeen seasons.

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Book SynopsisJoe Paterno has scaled the heights of his profession, winning more than 400 games, a pair of national championships and nationwide respect for the program he built and sustained. In his mid-eighties now, he has vowed to continue with coaching, excited by the prospect of another promising team, and another autumn in Happy Valley. In this exciting new biography of a coaching icon, Frank Fitzpatrick, author of The Lion in Autumn, chronicles the life and career of the winningest coach in Division 1 football history.

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Book SynopsisSpeaking candidly to veteran sportswriter Mike Shalin for the first time about his often tumultuous career in Major League Baseball, Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd recounts a life that began in the Deep South of Mississippi, and the events that led him toward great heights atop the pitcher’s mound at Fenway Park. As part of a stellar rotation alongside Bruce Hurst and a young Roger Clemens, Boyd served a dazzling array of pitches to opposing batters, most notably during the Boston Red Sox ill-fated 1986 World Series run against the New York Mets; and while he was at once brilliant and focused on the mound, off the field—as he affectingly reveals here—Boyd was unraveled by the personal battles he waged with substance abuse and destructive mood swings. As one of the few African American starting pitchers in the history of baseball, Boyd offers a candid, insightful, and often funny portrait of an athlete with boundless passion for the game, his teammates, and the Boston Red Sox.Trade Review"A must-read for all baseball fans, never mind Red Sox fans." -- Providence Journal"Interesting, amusing, puzzling and at times unsettling... [a] blunt, honest and sometimes painful work." --The Tampa Tribune

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Book SynopsisExploring a pitching career that began with a complete-game victory over Hall of Famer Don Drysdale in 1964 and ended when he could no longer control his pitches, this book details the life of Pittsburgh Pirates great, Steve Blass. This insider's view of the humorous and bizarre journey of a World Series champion pitcher turned color commentator will delight Pirates and baseball fans alike. Recounting his first years in the Major Leagues and his battle with the baffling condition that would ultimately bear his own name, Steve Blass tells the story of his life on and off the field with a poignant, dazzling wit and shares the life of a baseball player who had the prime of his career cut short.

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Book SynopsisLong before Shane Victorino gained fame as a Gold Glove outfielder, All-Star, and fan favorite at Fenway Park, he was a precocious child on the island of Maui, frustrating teachers with his inability to sit still and tagging along with older boys to neighborhood ball fields. For Victorino, diagnosed at an early age with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sports became an ideal outlet for his boundless energy. As the first Maui native ever to appear in a World Series in 2009, Victorino played an integral role in the Philadelphia Phillies’ victory. Readers will be compelled by the story of a young man whose persistence and determination helped him overcome obstacles and emerge victorious at the highest level of his profession. This updated edition follows Victorino’s path to Boston, where the electric outfielder has led the Red Sox back to the top of the standings.

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