Sportsbiografier

In Holding Serve readers get a unique glimpse at Team Chang, Michael's powerful family unit that he credits with much of his success. Michael also shares the story of how he became a Christian and the central role his faith has played in his achievements.

In the Trenches delves into the heart of an amazing athlete who balances an array of extremes.

Interwoven with Bob 'Bull' Watson's life story is an informative and entertaining discussion of all things baseball, how a hitter thinks, how to manage the personalities and egos in the game, and how the game has changed over the years.

For the first time, the real Rudy shares his story of floundering through school with undiagnosed dyslexia and finding himself mixed up with a rough and rowdy crowd. 'Football was my salvation in high school,' Rudy believes, and while he dreamed of playing for Notre Dame, he never believed he was smart enough to make it to the elite group of higher education.

''The 2009 season brought my club to a new low. Heed the warning: "Adandon all hope, ye who enter here."''Second City,'' is the follow up to Neal Horgan''s critically acclaimed account of Cork City FC''s 2008 season, entitled ''Death of a Football Club?''This book chronicles Cork City FC''s infamous 2009 season. Horgan brings you into the dressing room as club chairman, Tom Coughlan, attempts to explain to the players just why it is that the Revenue Commissioners are seeking to wind up Cork City FC in the High Court.  Horgan mixes contemporaneous diary entries together with retrospective commentary. In the latter he concludes that the absence of a plan by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) for professional football in Ireland was the root cause for the ''annus horribilis'' experienced by Cork City FC in 2009 as bounced cheques, delayed payments, evictions, pay cuts and a return to part-time football become the issues that dominate the players'' lives.  In the unfolding drama, that quickly turns from comedy to tragedy, there are fleeting appearances from Roy Keane and Ipswich Town, Dermot Desmond and Glasgow Celtic, and Christiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid in a sporting story which wil have a deep resonance for Irish football fans.

In 1933 Johann Trollmann won Germany's light-heavyweight boxing title. The Nazis would not accept him as the winner because he was Sinto. Many Sinti and Roma (or "Gypsies") had long been involved in the sport, but Nazi ideology demanded that only Aryans excel as fighters.Trollmann used his visibility in the ring for shocking and aggressive protest, turning boxing into politically charged performance art. He fought for his country, and against its prejudice.Roma and Sinti were victims of fascism, but they also were soldiers, activists, and underground resistors. Since World War II, there has been a struggle to obtain greater recognition of this past.From underground fight nights to Madison Square Garden, from secret partisan meetings to concentration camp uprisings, across several continents, this is a hard-hitting look at forgotten history.

One of the earliest and most important inventions of fledgling mankind was that of the bow. The bow and arrow changed man's history because it increased his ability to survive in what was often a hostile environment. Whether for good or evil, the bow and arrow became an integral part of expanding civilization until it was replaced by gunpowder. Today, archery is practiced both as a sport in itself and for hunting purposes. Archery is a skill. It can be taught. But it must be practiced and it requires a good eye and steady hands. Every enthusiast of an art or skill enjoys not only performing that art or skill but also reading about it. The collecting of books on a subject is a natural adjunct to performing and reading. The archer wants to have more than just his personal knowledge. He wants to have at his side the accumulated knowledge and history of all other archers. This small bibliography will help in that endeavor.

"Are you going to the pros? It is the intent of most high school and college athletes to play professional ball. There are questions that need to be answered. What if you are not fortunate enough to make it to the pros? Do you have a Plan B? Have you checked the statistics? What percentage of athletes make it to the pros? Robert Hogg, Jr, a former high school and college athlete shares his story. Use his experience and experience of several sport figures as a learning lesson to bring good fortune to you and your family. The information they share is priceless! THIS IS A MUST READ BOOK. It enlightens you to the "Untold Story" of a student athlete's career journey"--

The definitive collection of trout fishing adventure and advice, lore and legend   Spanning almost a century of American angling, here is a book that you will read and reread, whatever your mood, for adventure, for humor, for the sheer joy of it. This veritable who’s who of trout fishing, drawn from the pages of Field & Stream, describes the joy and pain, the camaraderie and solitude, the strategy, the patience, and the triumph of one of the great sporting challenges of the Great Outdoors.   Emlyn Gill on smuggling the dry fly technique from England; Zane Grey on skill, luck, and the Rogue River’s fresh-run steelhead; G. M. L. LaBranche on the still-deadly “curved” cast technique; Nick Lyons on catching his first trout—and telling his first lie; Peter Kaminsky on finding brook-trout paradise in Labrador; and more than forty of fishing’s greatest men, moments, and memories.   The best of Field & Stream. The best the sport has to offer. A book for all those days you’d rather be fishing.

Much has been written about the legendary players and managers of baseball''s Deadball Era (1901-1919). Far less attention has been given to the club owners, like Charles Ebbets. In 1898, after a 15 year apprenticeship, he became president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, taking over a chronic second division team in poor financial condition. Over the next 25 years, he organized four pennant-winning clubs and developed one of the most profitable franchises in the game--while building two state-of-the-art ballparks in Brooklyn. Ebbets was also an effective steward of the national pastime, working tirelessly on innovations that would help all teams, not just his own. Despite his success, his personal weaknesses ultimately undermined much of what he had so painstakingly built. This first full length biography provides an in-depth view of his life and career, filling a critical gap in the history of the Deadball Era and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Raw, vivid and intensely moving, Philly McMahon's inspirational memoir is many things - an epic story of triumph in the face of adversity and loss, a family saga, a tribute to the redemptive power of sport - but above all it's a stirring meditation on the roles compassion and resilience can play in shaping our lives for the better.

Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Bobby Jones, and Bill Tilden were the legendary quartet of the “Golden Age of Sports” in the 1920s. They transformed their respective athletic disciplines and captured the imagination of a nation. The indisputable force behind the emergence of professional tennis as a popular and lucrative sport, Tilden’s on-court accomplishments are nothing short of staggering. The first AmericanΓÇæborn player to win Wimbledon and a sevenΓÇætime winner of the U.S. singles championship, he was the number 1 ranked player for ten straight years. A tall, flamboyant player with a striking appearance, Tilden didn’t just play; he performed with a singular style that separated him from other top athletes. Tilden was a showman off the court as well. He appeared in numerous comedies and dramas on both stage and screen and was a Renaissance man who wrote more than two dozen fiction and nonfiction books, including several successful tennis instructions books. But Tilden had a secret—one he didn’t fully understand himself. After he left competitive tennis in the late 1940s, he faced a lurid fall from grace when he was arrested after an incident involving an underage boy in his car.┬áTilden served seven months in prison and later attempted to explain his questionable behavior to the public, only to be ostracized from the tennis circuit.┬áDespite his glorious career in tennis, his final years were much constrained and lived amid considerable public shunning. Tilden’s athletic accomplishments remain, as he is arguably the best American player ever. American Colossus is a thorough account of his life, bringing a much-needed look back at one of the world’s greatest athletes and a person whose story is as relevant as ever. ┬á

Rafer Johnson''s story is the classic American dream: hard work leading to success, honor, and glory.  Here, he openly writes about his humble beginnings in an obscure African American Texas ghetto, his growing up in the all-white, sun-drenched Californian town of Kingsburg, and his time at UCLA as the president of the student body and an acclaimed athlete.  His talents brought him to dramatic athletic duels in Moscow, Melbourne, and Rome, and to the glamour of acting, broadcasting, and politics in Hollywood, Washington, D.C., and the rest of the nation.Structured around the ten events of the decathlon, Rafer''s memoir vividly describes an exceptional life.  It introduces remarkable people, both unknown and celebrated (the Kennedy family; Gloria Steinem; Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade; Tom Brokaw; and others), who befriended Rafer and affected his life.  It tells of obstacles and tragedies--crippling injuries, an alcoholic father, the assassination of his close friend Robert F.  Kennedy--and what it takes to overcome them.  With tact, integrity, and acute observation, Rafer Johnson shares the intimate moments that have shaped his life and the lives of others.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A revealing biography of the Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps that includes exclusive interviews with his family, teammates, and friends and never-before-revealed details about his life.Michael Phelps is an American sports hero, perhaps the greatest Olympic athlete the world has ever known. His unprecedented eight gold medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics have made him a superstar. But his journey to Olympic immortality is every bit as compelling as his achievements in the pool. From learning to cope with ADHD to the story of how Phelps became the greatest swimmer ever, Phelps' tale is told in full detail here for the first time.The author, Bob Schaller, has known Phelps and his coach for more than eight years, and has extensively interviewed him, along with his mother, sisters, coach, and teammates. Filled with revelations, career statistics, and insightful analysis of how Phelps achieved the seemingly impossible, this is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn the complete story behind the legend.

ESPN''s Tim Kurkjian has spent more than twenty-five years covering almost three thousand major league baseball games and interviewing about that many players, coaches, managers, and executives.In Is This a Great Game, or What?, Kurkjian combines his years of experience, uncanny knowledge, and deep love of the game, to create a book filled with some of the most fascinating insight into Major League Baseball this side of Jim Bouton''s bestseller, Ball Four. Whether he''s explaining what goes through a ballplayer''s mind when he faces a fastball in the chapter "My Face Was Crushed by a Bowling Ball Going 90 MPH," detailing bizarre rituals and superstitions performed by baseball''s greatest players, or taking us into the locker room to see what transpires in the clubhouse of a major league team, Kurkjian''s tales are at times hilarious, other times horrifying, yet always entertaining.Kurkjian has spoken to some of the greatest ballplayers ever over the years, and they have revealed details about themselves and the game they love with a candor that readers won''t find anywhere else. Filled with anecdotes and fascinating insights, this is an essential book for baseball fans or anyone curious about America''s pastime.

A Season on the BrinkΓÇöa book about Bob KnightΓÇöis the bestselling sports book of all time. Here is the only book that can surpass itΓÇöa book about Bob Knight by Bob Knight.In college basketball, the name Bob Knight is synonymous with greatness and winning. Just take a glance at the Knight file. The numbers and achievements that prove what he has done, not only for Indiana University, but for the game itself, are there in black and white. In this riveting memoir, Coach Knight talks about his extraordinary basketball career, addressing both the public triumphs and the highly publicized controversies, often providing his side of the story for the first time.His story begins with the most public and painful event in his life: his front-page dismissal as Indiana University''s basketball coach after 29 years in that position. But the story of Bob Knight is so much more than that. Above all, it is a story about one man''s tremendous success. How did he become the head coach at Army at the age of 24? How did he build a dynasty at Indiana? What principles has he lived byΓÇöand coached byΓÇöthat kept the best players coming to Indiana to play for him?Knight: My Story reveals a very personal and until now unseen part of Bob Knight''s life. His legions of fans will all line up to learn more about him.Bob Knight has shown time and again that he is the most well-known coach in college basketball:ΓÇó He has won over 700 games (618 with Indiana University)ΓÇó He has been National Coach of the Year four timesΓÇó He coached ten Big Ten MVPsΓÇó He is the only coach who can boast an NCAA Championship, NIT Title, the Pan American Gold, and the Olympic gold medalΓÇó He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991ΓÇó He graduated 98% of his playersΓÇó He retired with a remarkable .709 winning record

Drawing on personal experience as a former pro and interviews with over 120 current and former NFL players, Robert Turner gets behind the bravado to reveal what it means to be an athlete in the NFL and why so many players struggle with life after football.

Imagine that you're lying down, completely immobile-you can't move a muscle. The only part of your body that you can control is your face. Consider, if you're able, that you are forever frozen in this position. Now, with your body paralyzed, there's only one thing left to do-smile. Smile? If you're wondering how anyone could smile in that situation, let me introduce you to Chucky Mullins.

Dirk Dunbar's Confessions of a Basketball Junkie is a compelling read that offers a personal glimpse into the archetypal journey that we are all destined to navigate-from the call, departure, and tribulations to the return to the place and person we are meant to be. Filled with poetry and athletic anecdotes, mystical and humorous experiences, and truth-seeking explorations into our local and planetary purpose, this masterful memoir affirms the grandeur of being at home in the universe. While evoking the wonders of childhood, memories of growing up, and the joys of parenting, Dunbar reveals the challenge and value of a living a well-examined life. He takes us through remarkably relatable experiences that traverse the culture and "feel" of his small Northern Michigan birthplace to people and places in Iceland, Germany, Greece, and Egypt. The voyage ends with his post-basketball life as a teacher, parent, and author/activist in Maine and Florida, highlighting how we are all the sum of our experiences and relationships. In ways that stimulate tolerance and spiritual growth, this delightful account of the human spirit captures the passion of Jesus and Buddha and the wisdom of Native Americans and Daoists as well as offering unique insights into literature, film, and music. All this while recapping a phenomenal, yet injury filled basketball career that is captivating, painful, and inspiring. The ideas are big, but simply and profoundly expressed. This book is sure to touch athletes, incite seekers, and enthrall human-interest readers worldwide. "A walk in the woods never lies," Dirk Dunbar says upfront in Confessions of a Basketball Junkie, and this autobiography by the pro athlete, humanities professor, musician and sometime mystic demonstrates the point. In easygoing, familiar language that belies the depth of his knowledge, Dunbar here retraces the many paths of his life as a promising NBA star, a finely tuned philosopher, and a devoted friend and family m

In the Ring With Jack Johnson - Part II: The Reign by Adam J. Pollack continues the series of the most detailed and thorough books ever written on Jack Johnson. This 880-page book completely covers Jack Johnson's reign and life as world heavyweight champion. As with Part I: The Rise, by utilizing multiple primary-sources, Part II: The Reign enables the reader to experience Jack Johnson's life, both inside and outside the ring, and the world in which he lived. Both black and white-owned newspapers offer their plethora of perspectives on race and boxing. The book includes pre-fight hype and analysis, training, the fights, post-fight analysis, what other boxers were doing, racial incidents and riots, analysis of the significant racial impact of Johnson's achievements, legal impediments, religious and racial objections, and the details of Johnson's many legal struggles, including a chapter covering his criminal trial for violation of the White-Slave Traffic Act, otherwise known as the Mann Act, using the actual trial transcript. The book also is chock-full of ¬nearly 400 rare photographs, cartoons, and advertisements. Boxing fans and historians will obtain knowledge and insight into Jack Johnson's life, career, and world like never before.This is the eighth book in Adam J. Pollack's series on the heavyweight champions of the gloved era, which include: John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, In the Ring With James J. Corbett, In the Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons, In the Ring With James J. Jeffries, In the Ring With Marvin Hart, and In the Ring With Tommy Burns, and In the Ring With Jack Johnson - Part I: The Rise. Adam J. Pollack is a boxing judge, referee, publisher, and member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He also is an attorney practicing law in Iowa City, Iowa.