Nearly a century after his final major league appearance, Christy Mathewson is still considered one of the greatest right-handed pitchers in the history of baseball. Mathewson ranks in the top ten among pitchers for wins, shutouts, and ERA, and in 1936 he was honored as one of the inaugural members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Playing in the early twentieth century, Mathewson was the nation's first All-American hero, a man of Christianity inspiring the values of millions while bringing dignity to a game that had previously been reserved for rougher characters. In Christy Mathewson, the Christian Gentleman: How One Man's Faith and Fastball Forever Changed Baseball, Bob Gaines delivers a close and personal look at the extraordinary life and soul of a gifted man living in a unique time. After growing up in a loving, Christian home and attending Bucknell University under the careful watch of his childhood pastor, Mathewson struggled to find his footing in the unsavory world of professional baseball. Seen as an "intellectual college boy" whose shy personality was misinterpreted as an aloof arrogance, Mathewson's faith and character were put to the test. Through strong will and an unusual partnership with John McGraw-a manager his exact opposite in everything but a desire to succeed and a fervent belief in God-Christy became the most admired and respected man on his team. Christy Mathewson, the Christian Gentleman features details on Christy's childhood and college years not documented by other sports historians-information discovered by the author in Mathewson's hometown, the churches he attended, and college archives. Including timeless images, this book brings to life Mathewson's amazing career, faultless character, and unwavering faith.

Written by world renowned rock climbers and veteran Falcon authors John Long and Bob Gaines, this slim volume will be the go-to resource for the necessities of rock climbing safety. By getting back to basics, it will be a great resource for both beginners and experienced climbers looking to brush up on their skills.

How to Rock Climb!, now in its fifth edition, is the most thorough instructional rock climbing book in the world. All the fundamentals-from ethics to getting up the rock-are presented in John Long's classic style. Thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the modern standards of equipment, technique, and training methods, this guide includes sections on face climbing; crack climbing; ropes, anchors, and belays; getting off the rock; sport climbing; and much more. It is the essential how-to book for rock climbers everywhere. Now with more than 300 color photographs and illustrations, this is the most thorough and complete upgrade this best-selling title has seen since first publishing more than a decade ago.

Designed for quick use by climbers on site, this book shows how to properly place and configure natural anchors, passive chocks, mechanical chocks, fixed gear, knots, belay anchors, toprope anchors and rappel anchors. This field guide is up to date with the essential knowledge every climber can depend on.

- hundreds of favorite routes, many of moderate difficulty, at Tahquitz and Suide Rocks- Trivia and route history sidebars- Stunning action photos- color topo maps with detailed directions to parking areas (GPS coordinates included)Best Climbs Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks is part of FalconGuides' Best Climbs series, appealing specifically to nonlocal climbers and locals with minimal time on their hands, all of whom seek visually appealing, to-the-point guides that filter out the very best climbs in some of America's most popular climbing destinations, with an emphasis on moderate routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.10.

In "Rappelling" you'll find everything you need to know about descending a rope, from the most basic to advanced techniques, including knots, rigging strategies, rappel devices, and more. Included is a comprehensive discussion of ropes, slings, and all the hardware used in rappelling. Rappelling techniques for climbing are covered in detail, including multi-pitch rappelling methods and rope management. Single rope fixed line rappelling techniques used in caving, canyoneering, and for industrial applications are also discussed, along with improvised rope ascending techniques ("prusiking") and ascending a fixed rope with mechanical ascenders ("jumaring"). Rappelling accident analysis and prevention is also included, along with a section on rappel back-ups and safety checks. Inside you'll find information on:

• Ropes
• Rappel devices
• Slings and webbing
• Knots and hitches
• Rigging rappel anchors
• Rappelling methods
• Rope retrieval techniques
• Rappelling accident analysis
• Rappel safety back-ups
• Working with fixed lines
• Rope ascending techniques

This completely revised and updated edition with all new color photos brings together in a single volume the anchoring systems most popular among climbers. Most climbers today learn their craft on artificial climbing walls and on sport routes with fixed protection. Their first efforts to lead on trad routes often come as a rude shock--they find that they haven't the skills and training to safeguard the climb or to set up solid belays. This new edition of Climbing Anchors is the climber's complete and authoritative source of information on protection, from fundamental knots to sophisticated rigging and equalizing skills.