Traveling, a passion of this author, has prompted me to share my experiences with others, especially senior readers. This group of people, of which I am a part, has not always been privileged to take time out to travel, for various reasons. Granted, it is an expensive venture, or hobby, however, it is great fun, adventurous and a wonderful opportunity to meet people of different cultures and living standards. As creatures of habit, we love to stay put and seldom find interest in leaving home, regardless of the occasion. This book, "The Vagabonds," tells the story of the travels and adventures of a couple, husband and wife, who truly love to travel. It encompasses places here, in the United States of America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada, South America, New Zealand, Australia and many other places, including various islands and villages. This author is confident that this story will capture your attention and imagination. Surely you will be anxious to share it with relatives and friends. Once you've read this book, it will be as though you have taken the venture with us. My mission, and hope, is that more seniors will become interested and venture out on cruises, or other modes of travel, to places they have never trod before. Forget about Disneyland for a while. Be a "Vagabond" at least once in your life. My wife, Frances J., is the cruise mistress. She started me on the cruise circuit instead of land touring. This author sailed for twenty years, while in the U. S. Navy, and thought sea life was over for me. If anything, I should be thankful that my wife loves to sail, because we cruise together, as often as we can, and it is such a relaxing mode of travel. She inspired me to undertake this work, and is my personal editor. Her inspiration is very infectious. It was a success.

Traveling, a passion of this author, has prompted me to share my experiences with others, especially senior readers. This group of people, of which I am a part, has not always been privileged to take time out to travel, for various reasons. Granted, it is an expensive venture, or hobby, however, it is great fun, adventurous and a wonderful opportunity to meet people of different cultures and living standards. As creatures of habit, we love to stay put and seldom find interest in leaving home, regardless of the occasion. This book, "The Vagabonds," tells the story of the travels and adventures of a couple, husband and wife, who truly love to travel. It encompasses places here, in the United States of America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada, South America, New Zealand, Australia and many other places, including various islands and villages. This author is confident that this story will capture your attention and imagination. Surely you will be anxious to share it with relatives and friends. Once you've read this book, it will be as though you have taken the venture with us. My mission, and hope, is that more seniors will become interested and venture out on cruises, or other modes of travel, to places they have never trod before. Forget about Disneyland for a while. Be a "Vagabond" at least once in your life. My wife, Frances J., is the cruise mistress. She started me on the cruise circuit instead of land touring. This author sailed for twenty years, while in the U. S. Navy, and thought sea life was over for me. If anything, I should be thankful that my wife loves to sail, because we cruise together, as often as we can, and it is such a relaxing mode of travel. She inspired me to undertake this work, and is my personal editor. Her inspiration is very infectious. It was a success.

The enthusiasm that I have for sports has led me to bring forth a work, encompassing many sports in which African Americans were not always privy to participate. In the effort to overcome this inequality, many challenges and struggles were experienced, because of the deprivation, and have been addressed within these pages. Much has been achieved as a result of the endurance of these many African American, legendary athletes. It is very disturbing to know what we, as African Americans, went through to arrive at where we are, and now appear to be losing ground. Staying abreast of the various sports has alerted me to the declination in numbers and deterioration of African Americans in the sports arena. This declination is a documented fact and must be expressed in bold terms. My primary purpose in writing this book, "Ebony Legends in Sports," is that it will certainly be a wake-up-call, for action, in the total African American community. My hope is that it will inspire the youth of this, and future generations, to return to the glory of the games, that they will become members of athletic programs, in mass, in their schools, follow through with their endeavors and persevere, as our legends did.

The enthusiasm that I have for sports has led me to bring forth a work, encompassing many sports in which African Americans were not always privy to participate. In the effort to overcome this inequality, many challenges and struggles were experienced, because of the deprivation, and have been addressed within these pages. Much has been achieved as a result of the endurance of these many African American, legendary athletes. It is very disturbing to know what we, as African Americans, went through to arrive at where we are, and now appear to be losing ground. Staying abreast of the various sports has alerted me to the declination in numbers and deterioration of African Americans in the sports arena. This declination is a documented fact and must be expressed in bold terms. My primary purpose in writing this book, "Ebony Legends in Sports," is that it will certainly be a wake-up-call, for action, in the total African American community. My hope is that it will inspire the youth of this, and future generations, to return to the glory of the games, that they will become members of athletic programs, in mass, in their schools, follow through with their endeavors and persevere, as our legends did.