Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler Review

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Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler ReviewThe story of Kid Delicious is great fun and a look into the world of pool, hustling, gambling and life on the road that most of us have no idea even exists. The author brings the cast of characters to life and for someone like me with a 9 to 5 job, wife and kids it was stunning to read how these guys lived on the road for months with only their wits and pool skills to keep them going. I was afraid this book would be another pumped up magazine article, but there was much depth and backstory throughout so I never got that feeling. The book is well researched and the writing is crisp and to the point. I highly recommend this book.Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler Overview

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Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France Review

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Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France ReviewI am guessing that the people who gave Flyod the benefit of the doubt will ask for their money back now.
and please Amazon can this piece of garbage be moved into the fiction section. I really don't know why
anyone would believe a cyclist whenever he claims to be drug free.Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France OverviewTHE SERIES OF EVENTS surrounding Floyd Landis's 2006 Tour de France was as improbable as anything in the history of sports: He showed up nine seconds late for the race's opening prologue, donned the leader's yellow jersey twelve days later, and lost his lead only to regain it in remarkable fashion just before the Tour's final stage into Paris. Winning the Tour should have been the culmination of a life's dream, but a mere three days later, Landis was accused of using banned performance-enhancing drugs. Released by his team and threatened with the removal of his Tour title, Landis went from winning the most prestigious race of his career to being unfairly labeled as a cheater, a liar, and a doper.Positively False is at once a memoir and a powerful indictment of the unchecked governing bodies of cycling that have compromised theintegrity of the sport as a whole. From leaving the Mennonite community of his youth in order to pursue hispassion for cycling, to riding alongside Lance Armstrong for three years -- with whom he shared the same work ethic and competitive desire -- Floyd Landis details the highs and lows of his career with unabashed honesty. It is this samehonesty with which he will clear his name once and for all, as he lays bare the inner workings of the cycling world -- a place where athletes are subject to the antiquated science, flawed interpretive protocols, and draconian legal processes of the anti-doping agencies -- and finally lays to rest the scandal that threatened to destroy everything he's worked so hard to achieve....--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain Review

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Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain ReviewWhen I was a youngster, I was a huge fan of Thurman Munson.
To this day, if I close my eyes, I can quickly remember the feeling of sitting in Yankee Stadium, as a 13-year old, with my father, watching the Yankees play with Munson at bat and runners on base.
During these moments, my heart would race - where it felt like it was about to jump out of my chest (because it was beating so hard and fast). Why? Because I wanted Thurman to come through...as he was "my guy."
And, more times than not, Munson did the job.
It's been so many years, but, in this memory, I can still see Munson slapping a line drive into right field, as if he was picking the ball out of opposing catcher's mitt with his bat, waiting until the last minute to go the other way with the pitch, with Yankees runners rounding third and coming home to score...man, talk about pure exhilaration...that was it.
Being such a Munson fan, I was (and still am) very interested in learning more about him. And, for the last three decades or so, I've been waiting for the ultimate book covering the entire story of Thurman Munson.
Now, thanks to Marty Appel, with his new book "Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain," we have what I have been waiting for...all these years. With this book Appel provides us with the complete account of Thurman Munson's life and untimely passing...with no holds barred.
With this work, we get to see the many facets of Munson's life: Thurman as a ball player, a friend, the family man and a real estate entrepreneur. And, we get to see the good and the bad sides of the man. This includes getting to see Thurman as the everyday likeable guy who eats Oreos and milk for breakfast, watches the Three Stooges, sings commercial jingles to himself, has a terrible sense of fashion, and who would go out of his way to help people (with no fanfare whatsoever). But, we also get to see Thurman as someone who was somewhat insecure at times, cursed at sportswriters, gave the fans "the finger" during a game, cut many of the dysfunctional family members out of his life, and who once fired a gun in the Yankee Stadium parking lot.
Also, with this biography, Appel provides a superior account of the complete Thurman Munson timeline - bringing us from Munson's youth, through his time with the Yankees, to covering his tragic death in terms of the event itself and the impact it had on many (both inside and outside the Munson circle).
But, what I enjoyed most about "Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain" is how the story is told. In the book, Appel uses his own voice as well as those of many others who knew Thurman - including his teammates and friends. And, many of these sources are people who most were never aware (until now) as being a big part of Munson's life or parties that you would not expect to have some insight on the Munson story.
In summary, I would offer that "Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain" is a must read for any Yankees fan over the age of forty, a highly recommended read for Yankees fans of any age, and a recommended read for anyone interested in baseball and a very well-done story about one of more notable players from the last half-century of the game's history.
This book will engross, entertain, enlighten and "touch" you all at the same time. It's too bad that we had to wait 30 years for a book like this on Thurman Munson. But, now that its here, I cannot imagine a better one ever being done compared to the job Marty Appel did with "Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain."Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain Overview

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Rome 1960: The Summer Olympics That Stirred the World Review

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Rome 1960: The Summer Olympics That Stirred the World ReviewI bought this book after hearing an interview with Maraniss on NPR. Normally, this isn't my kind of book. I'm not an athlete. I'm not a fanatic about the Olympics. I'd rather knit or read a cozy mystery that I can breeze through in a night. And yet, I love this book.
Each chapter is like a short essay on some facet of the 1960 Olympics: the controverial decision in the men's swimming event, the Tigerbelles' encounters with racisim on their road the Olympics, the political controvery between China and Taiwan, and more. Maraniss paints a picture of the world's political and social climate to show how those factors affected the 1960 Olympics and how the 1960 Olympics affected the world.
Each story is compelling--48 years later, I feel minor outrage that Lance Larson wasn't awarded the gold for men's swimming. I understand the terror Rafer Johnson must have felt outside of Lenin Stadium when the Russian crowd surged toward him after his defeat of Kuznetsov. Maraniss deftly captures the human stories and makes this reader care. I'm only 5 chapters into the book, but I wish I could skip work today to finish the rest of the book.
Before reading this book, I hadn't watched the Olympics in over 20 years. Now, I'm psyched for 2008 Summer Olympics!
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Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion Review

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Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion ReviewThis is an outstanding book! Author John Wilcockson has written an absolutely fascinating, wonderfully informative, and totally engaging biography of one of the premier sports figures of our (or any) time, Lance Armstrong. The story of Armstrong's humble childhood (he was the product of a broken family) through his initial successes as a triathlete and eventually, a bicycle racer, is especially engrossing--as is the story of his absolutely incredible comeback after having one of the most severe cases of cancer his doctors had ever seen. One really gets a sense of the incredible grit and tenacity that would lead Armstrong to an unprecedented seven (and at this time, a possible--or probable--eight) victories in the Tour de France. Wilcockson fills out the biography with extensive quotes derived from interviews with all of the major protagonists in Armstrong's life: his family, friends, coaches, romantic interests, professional colleagues--this gives a wonderfully rich texture to the book and lets us really know the man rather than just the sports icon. In addition, Wilcockson doesn't shy away from addressing Armstrong's personal "foibles" (e.g., a certain recklessness and hauteur) and especially, the "doping" controversies that have surrounded Armstrong and many other successful athletes in the sport--he gives a fair and balanced picture of this thorny issue and convinces the reader that a combination of careful and relentless training, unyielding support from family, friends, and teammates, and the almost fanatical will to overcome obstacles has alone propelled Armstrong to the pinnacle of his success. In the final analysis, this book is a real inspiration (whether the reader happens to be athlete or not) and is very highly recommended indeed!Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion Overview

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The Education of a Speculator Review

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The Education of a Speculator ReviewThe Education of a Speculator is a long, sometimes meandering account of the life of speculator Victor Niederhoffer. There is no particular order to this book, at least that I could discern; Niederhoffer jumps from topic to topic, going backwards and forwards in time. The style is almost stream of consciousness, with the main subject of finance digressing into topics as diverse as biology, music and squash (the author is a serious player of squash and other racquet sports). In addition to Niederhoffer's unconventional style of writing, the book assumes a fairly high level of knowledge regarding financial markets. Those (such as this reviewer) who are not well versed in the kind of articles, charts and data found in the Wall Street Journal or Barron's will often find themselves in way over their heads. For all this, I still recommend The Education of a Speculator, even to people not especially interested in the world of investing. Victor Niederhoffer is what may be called a holistic or macro thinker; he could also be called a Renaissance man. He has knowledge of many subjects and sees the connecting links between all events, objects and disciplines. He may not be right about everything, but his perspective is always interesting, intelligent and original. He combines the streetwise instincts of Brooklyn, where he grew up, with the scholarly mindset of Harvard, where he both graduated from and taught. As for investing itself, Niederhoffer, like many speculators (at one point he describes the overlapping definitions of an investor, a speculator and a gambler), has had many ups and downs in his life. When this book was written, he was at the top of his game; shortly afterwards he was wiped out. That, of course, was several years ago and he is still active as a writer (he has recently written a new book) and investor. I have always been fascinated with the world of investing, especially the kind of volatile speculating engaged in by people like Niederhoffer. Even if you don't understand all the details and nuances, the book conveys the dangers and excitement of this unpredictable universe. The author has spent many years compiling and analyzing data concerning markets, and he discusses how difficult it is to make predictions based on past performance. It is easy to look at a chart and, after the fact, describe how stocks or commodities moved in a logical, predictable manner. Often when you try to apply any seemingly logical system using real money, the results are disastrous. Niederhoffer seems to conclude that markets are paradoxical -they are both logical and illogical; sometimes they follow patterns but sometimes they are chaotic. And, most importantly, we can never be sure when order or chaos will prevail. If there is one overall lesson we can take from The Education of a Speculator, it is probably something like this -reality is almost infinitely complex with every part connected to every other part, the whole thing organized by some vast pattern that can only occasionally be comprehended.The Education of a Speculator Overview

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Pete Rose: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters) Review

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Pete Rose: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters) ReviewPete Rose was one of baseball's greatest hitters, but his off-field actions cast a dark light on his achievements, leading to investigations into his gambling and a lifetime banishment from the game which even barred him from induction into the Hall of Fame. His story is told in Pete Rose: A Biography, a hard-hitting sports biography which presents the nature of his lasting legacy and his post-baseball life.
Pete Rose: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters) Overview

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Dusty, Deek, and Mr. Do-Right: High School Football in Illinois Review

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Dusty, Deek, and Mr. Do-Right: High School Football in Illinois ReviewAs a fan of high school football it this book was a very enjoyable read. It was nice to relive some great moments from the past while learning about some others. This book features some of the legendary teams, programs, coaches, and players. It also details some of the legendary games.
I am concerned about the number of errors I found just in the sections pertaining to the school that I am familiar with. At one point it said a player graduated in 1965 then named him as a running back on the 1968 team.
I would recommend this book but also treat it like a movie that is advertised as being based on a true story.Dusty, Deek, and Mr. Do-Right: High School Football in Illinois Overview

From small towns like Metamora, Aledo, and Carthage to East St. Louis and Chicago's South Side, Illinois's high school football fields have been the proving ground for such future stars as Dick Butkus, Red Grange, and Otto Graham. In Dusty, Deek, and Mr. Do-Right, longtime fan and sportswriter Taylor Bell shares the stories of the greatest players, toughest coaches, most memorable games, and fiercest rivalries in Illinois history. Drawing on dozens of personal interviews, Bell profiles memorable figures such as Tuscola's record-setting quarterback Dusty Burk, Pittsfield's brutally demanding yet devoted Coach Donald "Deek" Pollard, and Evanston's Murney "Mr. Do-Right" Lazier, who coached sternly but without prejudice in the racially charged 1960s and '70s. The book also discusses winning programs at schools such as East St. Louis, Mount Carmel, and Joliet Catholic, as well as longstanding rivalries and memorable games in the state playoff and Prep Bowl.

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Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip Review

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Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip ReviewThere are problems with Nevin Martell's book, Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip. While the title encourages the reader to think he or she will be reading the story of how Calvin and Hobbes came to be, what we get instead is one man's personal odyssey to score an interview with the elusive creator of the strip, Bill Watterson. It's true that we DO get to read the results of Martell's research (which include lots of tidbits regarding the aforementioned story), and it's often interesting. However, the book suffers from the plethora of personal asides about his wife, prior writing projects, and rock star interviews Martell had done.
Another problem rises due to the fact that Bill Watterson owns "Calvin and Hobbes" lock, stock and barrel. As a result, there are no comics printed in the book. Instead, Martell resorts to taking page upon page to describe individual strips, from first panel to last. While I acknowledge that this wasn't the author's fault, it adds a level of tedium to some sections of the book.
And yet another issue with the book comes in the writing itself. Martell primarily writes for magazines, and that's how this book reads: as a series of magazine articles on the same subject, rather than as a coherent whole. He repeats quotes from earlier parts of the book, summarizes earlier chapters in later ones, and so on. This would be fine if we were reading the book one chapter at a time over several weeks or months, but it doesn't work in book form. Also, his description is sometimes clumsy: "Everything was drenched in pure white, as if God had forgotten to shake the Earth as he would a snow globe." That's a long way to go for a simple image. In addition, Martell sometimes makes errors when discussing the comics themselves. When talking about Calvin's use of the cardboard box (one of the great conventions of the strip), he states that the Atomic Cerebral Enhance-O-Tron is one of the box's many uses. Well, the ACE was a colander that Calvin put on his head. A small error to be sure, but one that a fan will easily catch. Several more are scattered through the book.
However, the book is worth reading. His interviews with Watterson associates are illuminating, and his chapter on how Calvin and Hobbes influenced other comic artists is a must. He rounds up a who's who of current and former comic artists and syndicate bigwigs for these chapters. No one can fault the man's legwork.
Overall, I'm not sorry I read it. It was obviously a labor of love for Martell, and that comes through on every page. The problem is, that often comes through too strongly. It's interesting, but not essential to ones' appreciation for, or understanding of, the wonder that was Calvin and Hobbes. 3.5 stars.Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip Overview
For ten years, Calvin and Hobbes was one the world's most beloved comic strips. And then, on the last day of 1995, the strip ended. Its mercurial and reclusive creator, Bill Watterson, not only finished the strip but withdrew entirely from public life.

In Looking for Calvin and Hobbes, Nevin Martell sets out on a very personal odyssey to understand the life and career of the intensely private man behind Calvin and Hobbes. Martell talks to a wide range of artists and writers (including Dave Barry, Harvey Pekar, and Brad Bird) as well as some of Watterson's closest friends and professional colleagues, and along the way reflects upon the nature of his own fandom and on the extraordinary legacy that Watterson left behind. This is as close as we're ever likely to get to one of America's most ingenious and intriguing figures - and it's the fascinating story of an intrepid author's search for him, too.


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Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon Review

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Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon ReviewIt's been over thirty-five years since all-time great Jerry West retired from the NBA so it's a daunting task to attempt his biography in a way that will seem fresh and meaningful to longtime Jerry West fans... but author Roland Lazenby succeeded in just such a quest. The author has done yeomen's work in combining archival historical articles, books and interviews... along with recent interviews with former teammates... associates... family members... and probably most impressive of all... former fiery members of competitive teams. I was raised to believe the greatest compliments a ballplayer could receive were from his peers... both teammates and competitors. An example of such haloed praise for West was proffered by Boston Celtic Tom Heinsohn who played... coached... or announced the six straight NBA championship series that West's Lakers lost to the hated Celtics: "WEST AND (TEAMMATE ELGIN) BAYLOR WERE TWO OF THE FIVE GREATEST PLAYERS EVER." Despite the fact that Jerry West finally got his elusive championship as a player by defeating the New York Knicks in 1972... a season that included *THE GREATEST CONSECUTIVE GAME WINNING STREAK BY ANY PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ANY MAJOR SPORT IN HISTORY (33-STRAIGHT-GAMES)... Jerry's career both in college as an All-American at West Virginia and as a FOURTEEN-TIME-ALL-STAR for the Los Angeles Lakers... will be remembered by Jerry... as well as by those close to him... by the self-imposed anguish that was his daily life. He... like his Mother... was a perfectionist... and a single loss would nag at him inconsolably for months. It's this festering self-doubt and loathing that led some close to him to observe that despite all he accomplished in his career "HE NEVER SEEMED TO FIND ANY JOY IN IT." This self-imposed psychosis is probably the most amazing thing that a reader who is otherwise overly familiar with Jerry West's accomplishments will take away from this book. Hot Rod Hundley who preceded Jerry as a West Virginia All-American... and also preceded West as a first round selection by the Lakers so aptly said: "WEST ACCOMPLISHED TEN TIMES AS MUCH AS I DID IN MY CAREER, BUT HE'S ABOUT A TENTH AS HAPPY AS I AM."
There are plenty of unmatched statistics such as during the six NBA finals series against the Celtics in 1962,63,65,66,68, and 69... he averaged 31,29,34,35,32, and 38. In the 1964-65 six game Western Conference playoff series with the Bullets, "WEST AVERAGED 46.3 POINTS PER GAME, A RECORD THAT HAS WITHSTOOD THE TEST OF EVEN MICHAEL JORDAN'S BEST." Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan wrote: "NO CELTIC OPPONENT HAS EVER HAD MORE FANS WISHING HE WOULD SWITCH UNIFORMS, AND THAT INCLUDES MICHAEL JORDAN."
*JERRY WEST WAS NAMED THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER OF THE 1969 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES... THE ONLY TIME IN LEAGUE HISTORY THAT THE MVP CAME FROM THE LOSING TEAM!*
The reader will hear no holds barred comments from West regarding such luminaries as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Jack Kent Cooke, Jerry Buss, Fred Schaus, Phil Jackson... and many others. You will learn... or be reminded that West is probably the most loved and respected player to ever come from the state of West Virginia... in fact the author who is also from West Virginia says that his Father worshipped Jerry West. "I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE THAT THERE WERE TWO PICTURES ON THE WALL OF OUR HOME WHEN I WAS A BOY. ONE WAS OF JESUS. THE OTHER WAS OF JERRY WEST. THE PICTURE OF JESUS, I TELL PEOPLE, WAS HUNG HIGHER THAN THE PICTURE OF JERRY, BUT ONLY BY ABOUT AN INCH OR TWO."
The only part of this book from my perspective that was not five star quality was approximately thirty-odd pages near the beginning of the book that went into the history of West Virginia as far back as the 1700's. Perhaps I... like many other potential readers was simply chomping at the bit to immediately get to the main subject... my childhood hero Jerry West. I grew up in Los Angeles while West was playing for the Lakers. I wore his number 44 on my high school team... my junior college team... and on my military team. I practiced day and night imitating Jerry's unstoppable jump shot until mine was one and the same.
In my house... Jerry's picture was higher on the wall than any other.
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Bang Your Head: The Real Story of The Missing Link Review

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Bang Your Head: The Real Story of The Missing Link ReviewFor those who remember pro wrestling before the explosion of popularity fueled by Hulk Hogan and WWF, there was territories where certain wrestlers were the superstars.
Dewey Robertson was one of these stars in regions - especially in Canada and Texas - before and during his gimmick as The Missing Link. In the classic Sports Illustrated story on pro wrestling - which featured Hulk Hogan on the cover - The Link had a photograph that essentially anchored the article on the emergence of pro wrestling in mainstream athletics.
But Robertson's climb through the ranks of the industry came with a price; a too-often told tale by those who sacrificed so much to get to the top. He doesn't blame anyone but himself for the actions that almost killed him.
Robertson - in a style that makes him sound as if he is sitting down and talking with you - does not cut corners in discussing how a variety of addictions left him virtually penniless, homeless for a period of time and estranged from a variety of family members and friends.
It is not a story without its light moments, especially when The Link finds himself in situations where he remains in character within daily settings.
From page one, Robertson stays the course of talking about experiences and individuals from what he recalls. It is an inspirational story, especially since the character remains a favorite with kids today; years after his national appearances in the WWF and WCCW.
There are plenty of wrestling autobiographies on the market, and so many become a means for the person to settle grudges outside the ropes. Robertson keeps the focus on his life and - for that alone - makes it a very special read.Bang Your Head: The Real Story of The Missing Link OverviewA much-loved character of U.S. and Canadian rope operas is revealed in this tale of the true-life events that led to the birth, life, and downfall of The Missing Link. The Link was a bizarre, seemingly primitive character, his body-builder's physique juxtaposed with the dress and manners of a silver screen caveman as he stalked the ring or bashed his head into objects. Dewey Robertson's performance was more than an act, however; it was also a manifestation of his inner demons. In the first part of his career, Robertson won the Canadian Heavyweight Championship belt, but it was only after his move to the U.S. that he transformed into one of wrestling's most popular goons. As the regional wrestling territories began to fold, his career crumbled and his physical and mental states disintegrated due to drug, alcohol, and steroid abuse. A year of homelessness and destitution marked the nadir of his life, but when Robertson returned to Canada for a long recovery he found that his fans had not forgotten him. Written with candor and the wisdom of experience, this account tells of struggles with substance-and with self-and of strength both in and out of the ring.

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My Life in Baseball Review

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My Life in Baseball ReviewOk, so old-timers will recognize my heading as a take off on the 50's Sport magazine article on Robin Roberts which in turn played off the hit 50's Broadway play...Mr. Roberts.
Robin Roberts is in the Baseball Hall of Fame because he was a winner.
His 286 lifetime wins attest to the fact. He is more than statistics however and has a reputation as one of the most intelligent, honorable and classy guys the game has produced.
In 18 years of Big Leage pitching during the Golden Age of Baseball (the postwar 40's,50's and 60's), Roberts competed against many of the best the game has produced; Mays, Aaron, Robinson, Banks, Musial, Matthews, Kiner...the list goes on and on.
He was a pitcher with the heart of an infielder. He would have pitched every day had they let him. And they almost did.
He pitched more innings than anyone during the 50's. Blessed with a low, easy delivery that put less strain on his arm and shoulder than most, he started every 4th day for years and in his heyday would relieve 6 to 10 times a season as well. All the innings eventually caught up with him but he made adjustments later in his career and kept pitching, and pitching well, for 18 seasons.
Roberts and his very able co-author Paul Rogers, a twosome that combined successfully in 1995 to produce the popular story of the "Philadelphia Whiz Kids and the Pennant of 1950", have again relied on Roberts near photographic memory and Rogers research and narrative talents, to create a book that chronicles Roberts career in baseball.
Roberts recollections are legendary among baseball afficionadoes and this book makes them available to the masses. And, what great stories they are! Stories about regular season games and players, All-Star games, off-season barnstorming games, a trip of major leagers to Japan and more. The book reads like a session around the Hot Stove with your favorite Big League ballplayer.
True to his reputation, and unlike many sports books, Roberts does not use his book to settle old scores, establish vendettas or tell tales out of school. It is at once a refreshing and pleasant aproach. Roberts chapter on the development of the Players Association and the selection of Marvin Miller as it's Executive Secretary is the closest he comes to "score-settling" and it is really more an effort to "set the record straight" than the former.
As a matter of fact, Roberts class shows throughout the book. He admits that he was wrong to push for the second All-Star game in the late 50's even though it was for the right reasons (to fund the underfunded player pension plan).
This is a book to enjoy! It is not written to stir controversy but to celebrate the joy of being able to play a "...kids game and get paid for it...". Roberts love for the game past and present shows in every page and every story. Like the author, it is a "keeper".My Life in Baseball Overview

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Barry Bonds: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters) Review

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Barry Bonds: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters) ReviewI don't care what nobody says about Barry Bonds I'll always be cool with the Man,because he is a 5 tool player who can Hit,run,play field,Hit for Power&create a winning situation for his team. Barry Bonds is the Best Hitter.Barry Bonds: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters) Overview
Barry Bonds has emerged, statistically, as the most feared hitter since Babe Ruth. Bonds, winner of a record six MVP awards, holds the single-season record for home-runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and walks, and is the only player ever to have hit 500 home-runs and stolen 500 bases. His statistical performance is beyond reproach, but his public image remains controversial, and recent allegations of steroid use have cast a shadow over his unprecedented accomplishments. This timely book strips away the hype and takes an objective look and Bonds' life and career.



It has been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in professional sports. Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters presents biographies on Greenwood's selection for the 12 best hitters in Major League history, written by some of today's best baseball authors. These books present straightforward stories in accessible language for the high school researcher and the general reader alike. Each volume includes a timeline, bibliography, and index. In addition, each volume includes a Making of a Legend chapter that analyses the evolution of the player's fame and (in some cases) infamy.


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A View from a Tall Hill Review

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A View from a Tall Hill ReviewA View From A Tall Hill is an outstanding, unique selection for any avid reader of safari hunting material in general and for those already familiar with Robert Ruark's safari writings in particular. Ruark was an author, columnist, and hunter in the latter 20th century: though his career lasted less than fifteen years, he traveled extensively throughout Africa and produced newspaper reports which enlightened the world. His biography covers the man, his work, and the special attractions of hunting in Africa. Lively and revealing.A View from a Tall Hill OverviewRobert Ruark was the most influential safari writer of the latter 20th century. He was a nationally renowned columnist and author, who inspired both hunters who traveled to Africa and those who could only dream about it. This is a biography of Ruark--about his work, the times in which he lived, and the strange allure that Africa held for him.

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The Tour de France 2006: Triumph and Turmoil for Floyd Landis Review

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The Tour de France 2006: Triumph and Turmoil for Floyd Landis ReviewI only read a part of this book but having read his books on previous years Tour de France I am certain it is worth reading. The author provides much good information and knowledge and of course his own opinions.The Tour de France 2006: Triumph and Turmoil for Floyd Landis OverviewThis exciting view of cycling's great race covers every aspect of the grueling three-week event, with maps, stage reports, and intimate profiles of the top riders — including George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, and Levi Leipheimer — in the peloton. Graham Watson's vivid photographs bring the action up close. More than an annual overview, this book conveys the spirit of the Tour through engaging stories of ambition and courage that pave the road to the Tour and the collision of dedication and fate that await 21 teams and 189 of the sport's greatest athletes.

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When Pride Still Mattered : A Life Of Vince Lombardi Review

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When Pride Still Mattered : A Life Of Vince Lombardi ReviewMy dad was one of the eight men who played under Lombardi for his entire tenure in Green Bay. In fact he is a frequent contributor to Mr Maraniss's work. Now that my some of bias has been revealed I want to say that this is the finest biography I ever read. Mr. Maraniss filled out so much about a character I thought I knew well. I had heard my dad say the things about Lombardi that are quoted in the book, so in some ways the inclusion of his thoughts in the book were its least interesting parts to me. The author's research into Lombardi's early life and his conclusions from that research, not just names and dates, is a thread carefully woven through every chapter to a point that near the end the effect is nearly haunting. Lombardi was not really the myth he is often portrayed as, but rather a man acutely aware of his surroundings in nearly every circumstance who was able to absorb enough positive material from each that when his opportunity finally came he seized it and delivered all he had absorbed in a way no one ever had and maybe never will again. The true inspiration that comes from this book is not what Lombardi became but rather the revelation of the power of something so simple as paying attention to what makes great things great and staying dedicated to those values. I am forty years old and there is picture in my office that is one of my most prized possessions. The photo is of my dad, my brothers, Lombardi and me getting off the plane before the NFL Championship in 1960. It was always important to me because of its unique representaton of that part of my family. Though I never thought it possible, Mr. Maraniss made it more precious to me because of what he taught me about the only guy in the picture who was not a member of my family.When Pride Still Mattered : A Life Of Vince Lombardi Overview

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No Ordinary Joe: A Life of Joseph Pulitzer III (Missouri Biography Series) Review

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No Ordinary Joe: A Life of Joseph Pulitzer III (Missouri Biography Series) ReviewAs you watch the national news it is easy to see how the national organizations have blurred news and entertainment. Any attempt on their part to present all sides of a complex story disappears if they can find a blown up vehicle or an injured person. Politicans have learned that the few second sound byte has to convey the message they want or the message isn't getting on the air at all.
Further, there are only a handfull of newspapers that attempt to provide a full story. During the reign of Joseph Pulitzer III, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was one of that handfull. Politically liberal, the paper prospered during the years that other newspapers were failing, merging or converting to tabloid style.
This biography of Joseph Pulitzer III covers his life, but his life was never far removed from the newspaper. This book presents the story of a man not seen so often. Trained by his father from birth to run the paper he had the problems of employees not liking his style, of friction within the rest of the family, and more. It is a fascinating story, well researched, and well told.No Ordinary Joe: A Life of Joseph Pulitzer III (Missouri Biography Series) Overview

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The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron Review

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The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron ReviewDon't get me wrong: All the bits and pieces we all love about baseball are here--the great games, the odd sets of personalities, the drama of a penant race (or two or three) and, yes. the march toward Ruth's record. But Byrant is a voracious reporter. He digs as deeply into the microfiche of Mobile newspapers from the '40s to track the beginnings of a legendary career. And, in doing so, he paints a portrait of the a time and place as fully dimensional as any proper historic treatment. And, in that sense, this isn't just a great baseball book. It's a great book about America--delivered with a sense of authority, a natural story-teller's comfortable grace and elegance, and a healthy sense of humor.The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron Overview

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Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler Review

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Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler ReviewJack Dempsy: The Manassa Mauler by Randy Roberts (Professor of History, Purdue University) is a solidly written biography of the famous Heavyweight Champion of the World who held that title from 1919 to 1926. From Jack Dempsy's childhood and his rough-and-tumble beginning of a boxing career at 16; to his rise to the top -- and eventual defeat; to his retirement from boxing in 1940 with sixty-four victories (forty-nine of them by knockout), and more, Jack Dempsy: The Manassa Mauler is an excellent and very highly recommended contribution to Professional Boxing History, and a "must read" biography for dedicated fans of "the sweet science".Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler OverviewHeavyweight Champion of the World from 1919 to 1926, Jack Dempsey, also known as the Manassa Mauler, began his boxing career as a skinny boy of sixteen, riding the rails and participating in hastily staged saloon bouts against miners and lumberjacks. In this incisive, fast-paced biography, Randy Roberts charts the life and career of a man widely regarded as one of the toughest ever to enter the ring. He details Dempsey's transition from barroom fights to professional boxing and his emerging reputation for fast, brutal knockouts. Roberts draws on a wealth of newspaper articles and interviews to chronicle Dempsey's rise to the heavyweight championship and his six title defenses. Also included are accounts of the eventual loss of his title to Gene Tunney in 1926, and the rematch in 1927, which Dempsey also lost in the infamous "long count." After continuing to fight in exhibitions, Dempsey retired from boxing in 1940 with an astonishing 64 victories, 49 of them knockouts.Roberts tells of the building of this record, including accounts of Dempsey's forays into Hollywood, the controversy over his alleged draft-dodging, his long life after retirement, and his enduring legacy as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history.

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The Roger Federer Story: Quest for Perfection Review

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The Roger Federer Story: Quest for Perfection ReviewWhat a waste of a tree. This book is little more than a narrative of Roger Federer's travel movements and his match scores. Most of it could have been written using the ATP fixtures and match results. The rest could have been gathered from internet news searches.
Despite describing himself as "one of the world's leading tennis journalists", René Stauffer offers little personal insight into Roger Federer, man or tennis player. Nor has there been any substantial research into the views of people who know him well enough to provide such insight.
Federer has stable personal life and he is not a party animal, so there is no expectation by the reader of great revelations in this area. But there are some things the reader of a tennis biography would like to know, such as:
* Why did Federer use a single-handed backhand when most players of his generation use a double-handed back-hand?
* How did he develop that balletic and devastating forehand?
* Did he naturally have great footwork or did he (or someone else) decide to develop it?
* Who taught him to serve that way?
* How has he changed or developed his groundstrokes over the years?
* When does he try to hit a winner?
* What tactics does he use against different opponents?
And so on.
And what was he trying to do in those big matches? What makes Federer tick? This is the essence of biography.
Obviously Federer himself will not reveal his thinking and tactics, but one would expect one of the "world's leading tennis journalists" to provide some analysis - or to get it from others.The Roger Federer Story: Quest for Perfection OverviewRegarded by many as the greatest tennis player in the history of the sport, this authoritative biography is based on many exclusive interviews with Federer and his family as well as the author's experience covering the international tennis circuit for many years. Completely comprehensive, it provides an informed account of the Swiss tennis star from his early days as a temperamental player on the junior circuit, through his early professional career, to his winning major tennis tournaments, including the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. Readers will appreciate the anecdotes about his early years, revel in the insider's view of the professional tennis circuit, and be inspired by this champion's rise to the top of his game.

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