Barbara Washburn never set out to become a mountaineering pioneer, but in 1947, defying social conventions, she became the first woman to climb Alaska's Mount McKinley.

When Tina Basich grabbed her rented snowboard and headed to the mountains in Lake Tahoe, snowboarding wasn't even considered a sport ... yet. It was the beginning, and could have easily gone the way of many other sports and become dominated by male-driven competition.

But not with Tina on the scene ...

Comments like "You're pretty good ... for a girl" only pushed her harder to be the best and to prove she was more than just a token player on the slopes. Representing for women everywhere, she became a snowboarding all-star, started her own signature board and clothing lines for women, founded Boarding for Breast Cancer, and followed her heart, which led her on the adventure of a lifetime.

This is her story.

'Life's A Ball' charts the ups and downs of a football experience that has rarely been dull Ian Liversedge's story comes from the very heart of the game - the manager's office, the dug-out, the boot room and the treatment table. Ian describes his relationships with managers and players at every level from non-league to international as well as the changing role of a physiotherapist in a sport that has become ever-more intense. There are many anecdotes about a lifestyle away from the football pitch that Ian found both attractive and magnetic. He has blazed a trail and the book deals honestly with his shortcomings, including encounters with the police and the adverse effect on his family life.

The Looniness of the Long Distance Runner is one comparatively unfit 39-year old Londoner's humorous account of his attempt to run the New York marathon from scratch. (He chose the pre-Thanksgiving race in the Big Apple to avoid adding to his ordeal by having to train during the British winter.) Inspired by the charity running of friends, Russell Taylor set himself the challenge of doing what Pheidippides first had done. But to spare himself the post-event trauma of trying to extract money from the reluctant grasp of his sponsors, he decided to write a book about his experiences and donate the royalties to charity instead. This book follows our intrepid road-runner from the treadmills of a north London gymnasium via his first tentative fun run to the mean streets of the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan. Along the way, we encounter indescribably tasteless isotonic drinks, sweaty singlets, sports injuries, personal bests, split times, anxious queuing for the public toilets and an unfeasibly large quantity of bananas. We also discover what lurks within the breast of the endurance athlete: an unreasonable hatred of his fellow runner (except the nubile females of the species), a contempt for the idiocy of stadium announcers and a strange fear of spectators who line the route inanely shouting "Keep Going!" by way of encouragement. The narrative is interspersed by jocular reviews of films about running - not least The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner - and a tongue-in-cheek description of the history of the marathon from its Ancient Greek origins to its modern-day revival as an Olympic event. Written with considerable panache and a self-deprecating sense of humour, this illuminating tale of obsessive and foolhardy sporting endeavour will make entertaining reading for (in descending order of athletic accomplishment) manic ultra-marathon runners, dedicated pavement pounders, occasional joggers and the simply curious alike.

THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR The Sunday Times bestseller is 'brilliant, gripping, beautifully written, real,' says Jonathan Northcroft. So, you think you know Joey Barton. Think again. No Nonsense is a game-changing autobiography which will redefine the most fascinating figure in British football. It is the raw yet redemptive story of a man shaped by rejection and the consequences of his mistakes. He has represented England, and been a pivotal player for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, Marseille, Burnley and Glasgow Rangers, but his career has featured recurring controversy. The low point of being sent to prison for assault in 2008 proved to be the catalyst for the re-evaluation of his life. No Nonsense reflects Barton's character - it is candid, challenging, entertaining and intelligent. He does not spare himself, in revealing the formative influences of a tough upbringing in Liverpool, and gives a survivor's insight into a game which, to use his phrase, 'eats people alive'. The book is emotionally driven, and explains how he has redirected his energies since the birth of his children. In addition to dealing with his past, he expands on his plans for the future. In this updated edition he speaks frankly about the gambling addiction that has left him facing a hefty ban. The millions who follow his commentaries on social media, and those who witnessed him on BBC's Question Time, will be given another reason to pause, and look beyond the caricature. 'Compelling' Donald McRae, Guardian 'Brilliant' Matt Lawton, Daily Mail

In 1962, following two losing seasons, Coach John McKay was fighting for his job. The 1962 team was undersized but smart quick and tough. Although underdogs in four games, including the Rose Bowl, the Trojans finished with an 11-0 record and defeated Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and become national champions. Although the 1962 Trojans were the least talented of Coach McKay's four national championship teams, their success enabled USC to once again become a football power. You'll meet the players from this team and learn about their joys and sorrows as well their successes and failures.

The team included tempestuous end "Prince" Hal Bedsole, who still holds USC's season and career records for most yards per reception. Fleet Willie Brown, whose clutch plays on offense and defense preserved an undefeated season. Fiery Trojan captain Marv Marinovich, whose athletic techniques have become legendary, and Fred Hill, whose daughter, Kim, became the inspiration for the Ronald McDonald House.

""Gridiron Gumshoe"" My life in and out of the NFL Films' Vault" by Ace Cacchiotti is a Pro Football Fanatics' guide to my literal life working with the most accomplished producers who have lent their artistic values to all that follow the game and who live vicariously through one who contributed to the company by "Paying attention to detail and Finishing like a Pro." From young Steve Sabol's "They Called it Pro Football" produced in 1967, to "Joe and the Magic Bean" again written and produced by Steve in 1976, "75 Seasons"; "The Story of the National Football League" in 1994 to "America's Game" from 2005 and to the late NFL Films' President's tribute; Steve Sabol, "The Guts and Glory of Pro Football" on February 12th, 2013, the game of Pro Football is watched by hundred of millions through the camera eye of what is without a doubt the measuring stick for all others when it comes to capturing passion in and on any field. This author was given a wonderful opportunity to express himself and by doing so left a legacy with not only my peers but with my late loving boss; my friend Steve Sabol.

I hope you will be able to experience through the ""Gridiron Gumshoe"" a most rewarding Pro Football Journey.

Enjoy;

Ace Cacchiotti

The definitive account of the life and tragic death of baseball legend Lou Gehrig.
Lou Gehrig was a baseball legend--the Iron Horse, the stoic New York Yankee who was the greatest first baseman in history, a man whose consecutive-games streak was ended by a horrible disease that now bears his name. But as this definitive new biography makes clear, Gehrig's life was more complicated--and, perhaps, even more heroic--than anyone really knew.
Drawing on new interviews and more than two hundred pages of previously unpublished letters to and from Gehrig, "Luckiest Man" gives us an intimate portrait of the man who became an American hero: his life as a shy and awkward youth growing up in New York City, his unlikely friendship with Babe Ruth (a friendship that allegedly ended over rumors that Ruth had had an affair with Gehrig's wife), and his stellar career with the Yankees, where his consecutive-games streak stood for more than half a century. What was not previously known, however, is that symptoms of Gehrig's affliction began appearing in 1938, earlier than is commonly acknowledged. Later, aware that he was dying, Gehrig exhibited a perseverance that was truly inspiring; he lived the last two years of his short life with the same grace and dignity with which he gave his now-famous "luckiest man" speech.
Meticulously researched and elegantly written, Jonathan Eig's "Luckiest Man" shows us one of the greatest baseball players of all time as we've never seen him before.

The single-handed sailing pioneer and his vessels
For anyone interested in single-handed sailing the name of R. T. McMullen and his book, 'Down Channel'-an abiding classic of sailing literature and considered to be essential reading for any yachtsman sailing in coastal waters-require little elaboration. The principal value of this special Leonaur edition is that it includes all of McMullen's writings in a single volume. Published singly McMullen's books contain some repetition of the text, for this edition Leonaur's editors have removed the duplication to create a single cohesive and complete volume of McMullen's writings about his pioneering voyages and his vessels. We have also enhanced and enlarged the original maps and diagrams to provide clear information to the contemporary reader. This is an ideal book for any library on sailing.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

Cyrille Regis' story is a compelling one on so many levels. The story of his migration from the French Caribbean to a racially divided West London in the 1960s, his development as a semi-professional footballer and his subsequent move to a top-flight Football League club, followed by national recognition and glory, while still facing racial hatred is a tale in itself. The book begins at Buckingham Palace in 2008, when Cyrille Regis received his MBE, recognition for his services to football and the community. This fascinating autobiography describes the battles Cyrille faced as a child and teenager before he turned professional and achieved great things as a footballer. As well as detailing the glorious moments in his career, it studies the impact that he and his black teammates had on the sociological outlook of football fans. The book concludes with a review of Cyrille Regis' life after he retired as a footballer and his work in the community.

Many have called him the greatest dirt-track Sprint car driver of all time. This exciting biography of Tommy Hinnershitz, by veteran writer Gary Ludwig, is a superb account of the life and times of this racecar driver who became an auto-racing legend. This beautifully printed hardcover book is a fascinating history of the Sprint car, telling how it evolved, beginning during the first few years of the 1900s, to become the true American race car. You'll read about the drivers, mechanics, owners, and promoters who spent their American ingenuity and willpower to invent, innovate, and engineer the development of the automobile through high speed rough and tough competition. You'll learn about the early champions, including Ted Horn, Joie Chitwood, Jimmy Bryan, Johnny Thomson, and many more, who were Hinnershitz's rivals during his career that began in 1928 and spanned five decades. Racing and winning on the dusty dirt horsetracks at state and county fairs across America earned him a chance to race in the Indianapolis 500.He was there at the beginning, one of a handful of daredevil athletes, the champions who invented the broadslide; going in low and coming off high, or vice versa. After leading the way, setting the pace, and developing the syle, Hinnershitz set himself apart from all the others; he went in high and stayed there.This history of his life and amazing career includes over 20 pages of photographs and his complete race by race career statistics. This first ediion book is a treasured collector's item for thousands of Hinnershitz's fans.For the modern race fan this book serves as a catalyst for a better understanding of the men who had to overcome awesome obstacles to achieve success during the early years of auto-racing. Hinnershitz raced during an era without safety equipment or concerns. It was before seat belts, roll-bars and cages. He and his contemporaries seemed to embrace a greater lack of fear, adopting the adage that tragedy can't happen to them, only to the "other guy." Because of this lack of safety equipment and much less sophisticated racecars, many drivers died young. Tommy Hinnershitz was there through it all, and he was one of those that survived. He was a true pioneer of American auto-racing. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, and honored by numerous other organizations.

Excerpt: "We could get partly undressed-so that we had only such clothes as would be delicious to hug & squeeze in & then you could sit in my lap & we'd kiss & hug & squeeze & cuddle each other until we couldn't stand it any longer. . . ." Ronald A. Smith, a well-known sport historian and emeritus professor at Penn State University, has published several books in sport history, including an edited diary belonging to the subject of these love letters. "Big-Time Football at Harvard, 1905: The Diary of Coach Bill Reid" chronicles the most important year in college football, when the crisis in brutality led to the creation of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the legalization of the forward pass. Bill Reid had another side to his life, however-a passionate one in which he and his girlfriend, fianc, and wife exchanged intimate love letters for well over a decade. The passionate nature of Bill and Christine's letters during the late Victorian period and early twentieth century are rare and distinguish them from other collections. Bill and Christine wrote intimate love letters when they first met, through their engagement and a lengthy separation while Christine took an eight-month voyage with her parents to Europe, and especially after their marriage and the birth of their first three children. The explicit love letters of upper-middle and upper class individuals are an exceptional find, and they broach issues between couples that are almost universal, often appearing timeless. The love letters of Bill and Christine not only illuminate aspects of life in the early twentieth century, but also they make us reflect on our own lives.