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Books > Biography > Sport
In Copying It Down, Harvey Dorfman recounts his experiences in the
world of sports. From his childhood sickbed, Dorfman went on to
achieve a myriad of successes, including goalie on a national
co-champion soccer team and coach of a high school basketball team
that won a state championship, and is a possessor of four World
Series Rings (three with Oakland; and one with Florida). He
eventually attained a status of world renown in the field of sport
psychology. Here, in the second of three volumes, Dorfman shares
anecdotes that include the fourteen years spent in the dugouts of
three major league teams. The book concludes in 1998, when his
professional associations with major league baseball organizations
ended.
Paperback edition available October, 2003. Billy Sunday was among
the greatest of American evangelists. During the first quarter of
the twentieth century his sermons reached hundreds of thousands of
people, and he was widely quoted and admired. He was an influential
social leader who supported and popularized conservative causes,
and he was an ardent champion of Prohibition. But this was not all
Billy Sunday was noted for. He was also well known as a former
professional baseball player. During the heyday of Ty Cobb and
Christy Matthewson, he set base-stealing records in the 1880s and
to have been the first baseball player to refuse to play on
Sundays. Many say his reputation as a baseball player was not
rightfully deserved. Although his skill alone may not have topped
the charts, he was exceptional in his personality, behavior and
exciting style of play. In this work, Wendy Knickerbocker explores
Sunday's professional baseball career to examine the coming of age
of an interesting and important character in American history.
Detail is given to the entirety of his career as well as his
playing style. She includes his struggles and accomplishments in
his professional career as well as his religious one. A
bibliography encourages further reference.
A searching and at times harrowing re-appraisal of the life of Evel
Knievel, the seventies American icon and the greatest daredevil
motorcyclist that ever lived. Now fully updated in paperback with
the story of the last few years of his life and his death in 2007.
Stuart Barker's definitive biography captures the super-star status
that Knievel held and also examines the marketing phenomenon of a
man who once boasted he 'made $60 million and blew $63 million'.
Born in the town of Butte, Montana in 1938, Robert Craig Knievel
was an outstanding athlete, ski jumper and ice hockey player at
school. His early jobs included working in the copper mines and
driving a bus as well as a stint in the US Army, but he always
subsidised his income through crime ('I could crack a safe with one
hand tied behind my back quicker than you could eat a hamburger
with two.') He used bikes to escape from the police and eventually
hit upon the idea of jumping them after seeing a stunt driver jump
cars at a state fair. His first jump took place over two mountain
lions and a box of rattlesnakes, and he soon developed his act into
the 'Evel Knievel Motorcycle Daredevils' before embarking on a solo
career. Knievel suffered 37 breaks and fractures during his
daredevil career. In 1967 he spent 29 days in a coma after an
attempt to jump over the fountains outside Caesar's Palace casino
in Las Vegas. While recovering, he decided to make his goal to jump
the Grand Canyon, an attempt he was forced to abort by the US
Government; and later was paid $1 million for jumping over 13
double-decker buses at Wembley Stadium. Now, a quarter of a century
after he last stepped off a motorcycle, he has been reborn as the
originator of Xtreme sports. This, alongside his love of gambling,
women and drinking, ensure his legend will live forever. Life of
Evel is the story of a truly extreme personality.
He was featured on the covers of both Sports Illustrated and ESPN
The Magazine. He has the scouts of every pro basketball team
drooling. He has been touted wildly on national TV by basketball
experts from Dick Vitale to Bill Walton. He has a reported $20
million dollar shoe contract pending.
And he's still in high school.
Why the big deal about LeBron James?
The odds were against LeBron from the start. Born in poverty to a
16-year-old, drug-addicted single mom, without a father, raised by
various family and neighbors . . . he could have become just
another scarred product of a rough childhood in the projects.
Instead, he's the darling of the sports world--and he plays the
part well.
Sportswriter David Lee Morgan has covered the LeBron phenomenon for
the Akron Beacon Journal since the kid's freshman year and has been
granted unequaled access to LeBron, his family, and his close
friends. He's seen the exceptional play on the basketball court.
But he's also seen how surprisingly well LeBron has handled the
pressure, the scrutiny, the criticism that arrived with the early
onset of stardom. (Just imagine how most of us would have handled
that as a teenager )
An unusual inside look at the rise of sport's hottest young
prospect, now poised at the brink of superstardom.
In 2017, world-class ultrarunner Hillary Allen was at the top of
her sport--and it felt like she was running on top of the world as
she competed in Norway's Tromso Skyrace. Allen was nearly halfway
through the 50-kilometer race when she fell 150 feet off an exposed
ridge, fracturing her back and breaking multiple ribs, both feet,
and both of her lower arms. Beginning with the dramatic story of
her accident and rescue, Out and Back: A Runner's Story of Survival
Against All Odds recounts Allen's fight to return to the life she
loves. With vulnerability that reveals remarkable strength and
introspection that yields wisdom, Allen shares the story of her
recovery both physically and mentally, and hard-earned knowledge
that the path forward is not always linear, that healing takes
time, and that the process of rediscovery is ongoing as she learns
what it takes to survive--and thrive. Out and Back is an
inspiration to anyone who knows what it means to reclaim and
rebuild your life, one day and one step at a time.
'Sunny' Jim Young is reckoned by some Celtic historians to be the
greatest Celt of them all, winning nine League Championships (three
as captain) and six Scottish Cups. Amazingly, he was only capped
once for Scotland, and his tragic death aged only forty plunged the
whole of Scottish football into sadness. This book profiles the
life and career of a Parkhead legend.
"Over two decades, Brett Favre was as compelling a figure as any in
the National Football League. He alone was 'Must-See TV.' In
Gunslinger, Jeff Pearlman provides an extraordinary look at every
facet of the life of a man who performed on sport's grandest stage
and who had one helluva time along the way."--Al Michaels In
Gunslinger, Jeff Pearlman tells Brett Favre's story for the first
time, charting his unparalleled journey from a rough rural
childhood and lackluster high school football career to landing the
last scholarship at Southern Mississippi, to a car accident that
nearly took his life, and eventually to the NFL and Green Bay,
where he restored the Packers to greatness and inspired a fan base
as passionate as any in the game. Yet he struggled with demons:
addiction, infidelity, the loss of his father, and a fraught,
painfully prolonged exit from the game he loved, a game he couldn't
bear to leave. Gritty and revelatory, Gunslinger is a big sports
biography of the highest order, a fascinating portrait of the man
with the rocket arm whose life has been one of triumph, fame,
tragedy, embarrassment, and--ultimately--redemption. "The
compelling, complete story of his legend, and his faults."--Chicago
Tribune
Tony Kelly was football crazy from the age of seven. At sixteen
Nyrere Anthony Kelly was the youngest ever player in the first team
at Bristol City and in his twenties he went professional, playing
for clubs such as Stoke City, Cardiff City, Leyton Orient and Bury
in the second and third divisions of the Football League and
starring in a Swedish side. But his blossoming soccer career was
marred by a series of mishaps and misdeeds which drove him to
disaster. Ruined by an addiction to gambling, he lost his job, his
career, his partner and all his money. Now he has written his story
- as Kelly puts it, to "invite the public, my family and my friends
into my secret hell of racism, despair, depression, stardom,
gambling addiction and ultimately self-destruction". Red Card is a
tragic yet uplifting story of a sportsman's battle with his demons,
on and off the pitch. Published with the kind assistance of the
Professional Footballers' Association
Buck Ewing (1859-1906) was regarded by contemporaries as the
greatest catcher and all-around player of his era, though he is
virtually forgotten today. A lifetime .300-hitter, he played every
position on the diamond and led the league in fielding at two
different positions. The first hitter to reach double digits in
home runs, Ewing once stole six bases in a game, pioneered the snap
forearm throw to catch runners napping, averaged 35 steals a
season, and is the only catcher to lead his team in stolen bases
(53 in 1888). Off the field, Ewing's personality proved as
multifaceted as his playing skills. Considered both affable and
modest, he still received criticism from fellow players for
negotiating contracts directly with the National League and was
accused of faking injuries. This revealing biography provides a
detailed exploration of Ewing's life and career, shedding new light
on one of baseball's most talented and versatile players.
Step back in time to the thrilling year of 1912, where rugby forged its indomitable spirit, and a legendary team emerged to win all five of the international matches they played. "The Forgotten Springboks" takes you on a voyage with this iconic South African national rugby team, as they embark on an extraordinary tour of England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Led by Billy Millar, the tour captain, the Springboks embarked on a quest that would forever change the course of rugby's narrative. As they set foot on foreign soil, they were met with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, but these determined men were ready to showcase the strength of their spirit and the finesse of their game. Yet this remained unrecorded, until now.
The book delves into the heart-stopping moments on the field, where every try, every scrum, and every tackle took the spectators' breath away. With unparalleled unity and skill, the Springboks defeated their opponents, carving a path of triumph wherever they went. Each match was a test of their mettle, and each victory became a testament to their unwavering determination.
Beyond the rugby pitches, the book offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of these remarkable individuals who went on to become soldiers, farmers, miners, and doctors who faced major adversity.
This is a paperback reprint - back due to popular demand. It
includes analysis of his greatest races and the changing technology
of his bikes. It is an in-depth, richly illustrated biography of
one of motorcycling's best-loved characters. Fourth in a series
intended to cover the careers of the world's greatest motorcycle
racing champions, "Bob McIntyre - The Flying Scot" tells the story
of the man who never actually won a world championship - but
certainly deserved to. In many ways he was the two-wheel equivalent
of car racing driver Stirling Moss, who is seen as one of the
greats in his sport although he never won an official world title.
Well over four decades since his untimely death, following an
accident that occurred while racing his 500cc Manx Norton at Oulton
Park, Cheshire in August 1962, Bob McIntyre's memory lives on. An
annual Bob McIntyre Memorial race meeting held at East Fortune
attracts racing enthusiasts from as far afield as Australia. Not
only was 'Bob Mac' a brilliantly gifted rider and self-taught
mechanic, he was also a man of the people, someone who would always
help a fellow competitor or take the time to sign an autograph or
chat to a fan. He was also honest, loyal and modest; his word was
his bond. Unlike the three riders already covered in this series,
John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, Bob Mac was very
much a self-made man; someone who started from the very bottom and
reached the very top in his chosen profession. He was the first man
to lap the Isle of Man TT circuit, the most fearsome in the world,
at over 100 mph; and this was just one of his great achievements.
This in-depth account of his career focusses on the bikes and the
races but also provides an insight in Bob's life away from the
track. Lavishly illustrated with many previously unpublished
photographs, it is a must-read for any motorcycling fan.
Baseball was a rough sport in the nineteenth century and no one
played the game with more vigor (and often violence) than Hall of
Famers Hugh Duffy and Tommy McCarthy, dubbed "The Heavenly Twins."
This book details their professional history playing for Boston
Beaneaters teams and personal experiences with baseball, faith, and
legendary Boston baseball scribe Tim Murnane. The book also traces
their minor league careers and post-professional baseball
activities.
Benjamin Howard Baker - Sportsman Supreme is the first time that
this incredible all-round British sportsman has been immortalised
in print. His achievements covered an era in Britain when the whole
nature of sport was being transformed - from before the first World
War until the 1930s Benjamin Howard Baker is arguably Britain's
finest ever all-round sportsman, and yet his life and competitive
career has never previously been written about at any length. He
twice competed at the Olympic Games as a high jumper and held the
British record for a quarter of a century. He also set an English
record for the triple jump and was a fine hurdler and very capably
threw the discus, hammer and javelin. He played in goal for Chelsea
and for the England professional and amateur international teams.
He was also a water-polo goalkeeper and came close to England
selection in that game. He was a title-winning tennis player. He
was a star turn as an exhibition swimmer and diver. He played
cricket at the highest club level. He rowed, sailed, boxed, and ran
round the streets at night to keep fit long before jogging became a
popular pastime. His achievements covered an era in Britain when
the whole nature of sport was being transformed - from before World
War One until the 1930s - and he remained, remarkably, an amateur
throughout, playing League and international football just for the
fun of it. His flamboyant goalkeeping antics for Chelsea made him a
favourite with the crowds of 60,000 or more who regularly watched
him at Stamford Bridge. His favourite party-trick was a high kick
which set the chandeliers jangling at the numerous social
receptions to which he was invited. He was so famous in his native
Liverpool that express trains from London were stopped specially at
his nearest station to let him off. He lived to the age of 95,
regretting only that he never had the opportunity to try the
'Fosbury Flop' high-jump technique invented more than 40 years
after he retired. No such sporting life as Benjamin Howard Baker's
will ever be led again.
In the most candid and compelling sports memoir since Andre
Agassi's riveting bestseller Open, former San Francisco 49er, Super
Bowl champion, NFL MVP, and Hall of Famer Steve Young gives readers
an unprecedented and stunning inside look at what it takes to
become a super-elite professional quarterback. Steve Young produced
some of the most memorable moments in NFL history. But his most
impressive victories have been deeply personal ones that were won
when no one was watching. His remarkably revealing memoir is the
story of a Mormon boy with a 4.0 GPA, a photographic memory, and a
severe case of separation anxiety. As an eighth-string quarterback
at Brigham Young University, it was doubtful that he would ever see
any playing time. But Young became an All-American, finished second
in the Heisman voting, and was the top draft choice out of college.
Then, after signing the largest contract in sports history, anxiety
nearly drove him to walk away from football completely. In short,
Young's quest in life was always about grit. Now, he shares the
experience of being inside his helmet while he faces down his
toughest adversaries, both on and off the field. "This book is
gold."--Peter King "Intense."--San Francisco Chronicle "Steve Young
is a hero of mine, and his story is a source of inspiration for me.
His perseverance, intelligence, and, most of all, grace under
pressure, NFL-style, make this book a fascinating read. Thanks,
Steve, for sharing your story with one of your biggest fans!"--Tom
Brady
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