We often think of Baseball as an American sport. While baseball is considered to be America s national pastime, it is also played all over the world, including Canada, Japan, the Caribbean islands, and South America, just to name a few places. This slow moving, nonviolent game has not only captured the hearts of Americans, but has also spread to other parts of the world. In the United States, baseball is still considered to be the ultimate sport. While the Super bowl, which is the final contest for American pro-football, gets more television viewers than any other event each year, baseball is still followed and watched. Boys and even girls of all ages join little league by the time they are around 4 or 5 years old and learn to play this game. Most American children understand the rules of baseball and have, at one time or another, played this game. The rules of baseball are simple. They have changed little throughout the ages, although there are doubts as to the origin of the game. While historians argue over how and when baseball started, one thing is clear, by the end of the 19th century, it was already America s pastime. Baseball field sizes have changed. The size of the bat has changed as have the size of the balls. The distance between the pitcher s mound has been modified throughout the years as has the distance between the bases. But the main gist of the game has remained the same for over 100 years."

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Global. International. Multinational. These are the words that describe and move business today. Sport is no exception. This text describes the international governance structures that shape sport throughout the world and explains the organisation and development internationally of both professional and amateur sport. International trends in sport and the organisation of international sporting events are among the topics addressed.

Prior to the 1870s, Association Football tended to be enjoyed as a form of exercise at public schools or a game between friends in a local park. However, with the administrative skills of the likes of Charles Alcock, Francis Marindin, Arthur Kinnaird and William McGregor, the game grew to such an extent that it became an important part in the lives of both players and spectators as the century reached its end.The history of the early clubs, international games, as well as the growth of the professional clubs, are all encompassed in this book, including the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United and Liverpool, when they started out as struggling little clubs.

49 walks taking every aspect of this varied land.

Over a period of five years, award-winning photographer Paul Floyd Blake regularly photographed sixteen young athletes in the build up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. His work documents a unique time in British history, and captures the development of a generation of sportspeople as they grow from childhood to adulthood within the intense world of elite sport. Blake's restrained and subtle portraits offer an alternative to conventional sports photography, with its emphasis on dramatic moments of action. Instead, his images pay tribute to the long slog towards glory that is not usually seen or celebrated, whilst excerpts from the athletes' own writings offer insights into their personal hopes and fears. Blake's approach emphasises the individual's own story and motivations beyond the values and structures of competitive sport, as the title Personal Best suggests. These complex portraits bear repeated viewing and will continue to reward the onlooker long after London 2012 is over. With specially commissioned texts by curator Pippa Oldfield, Impressions Gallery, Bradford and Professor Jonathan Long, Leeds Metropolitan University, this book will interest sports fans, cultural historians and those interested in new approaches to contemporary photography.