72 results for "Biography"

Rockin' Steady A Guide to Basketball and Cool

Walt Frazier,Ira Berkow
For millions of basketball fans in the 1970s, Walt “Clyde” Frazier defined the word cool . An iconic piece of basketball history and sports journalism, this meticulously documented account tells the story of one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and how he led the Knicks to their only two championships with a style and flair that was wholly his own. Now, three decades later, Rockin’ Steady is back with an all-new introduction, afterword, and everything that made it one of the most unusual sports books of all time.
Triumph Books 2013-04 144 pages

Out of the Blue

Victor Cruz,Peter Schrager
Victor Cruz, the Super Bowl-winning and record-breaking wide receiver, is best known for his explosive plays and salsa touchdown celebrations. While his meteoric rise in the NFL looked like the result of a magical year, it was actually a lifetime in the making. Raised in Paterson, New Jersey’s gritty Fourth Ward, Cruz overcame numerous setbacks through hard work, perseverance, and the support of his loving family—from his grandmother who gave him his signature dance moves; to his late father, a former firefighter, who introduced him to football and taught him how to play; to his hard-working, single mother who never let him give up in the face of a challenge. In this inspiring and candid account, Cruz pays tribute to the people and places that made him the man he is today, recounts his most defining moments, and illustrates how his hardships ultimately unleashed his impenetrable will to win. INCLUDES A NEW EPILOGUE
National Geographic Books 2013-07-02 336 pages

Dr. Z: the lost memoirs of an irreverent football writer

Zimmerman, Paul
During his nearly 50 years of sportswriting, including 28 at Sports Illustrated, readers of Dr. Z came to expect a certain alchemical, trademark blend: words which were caustic and wry, at times self-deprecating or even puzzling, but always devilishly smart with arresting honesty. A complex package, that's the Doctor. The one-time sparring partner of Ernest Hemingway, Paul Zimmerman is one of the modern era's groundbreaking football minds, a man who methodically charted every play while generating copious notes, a human precursor to the data analytics websites of today. In 2008, Zimmerman had nearly completed work on his personal memoirs when a series of strokes left him largely unable to speak, read, or write. Compiled and edited by longtime SI colleague Peter King, these are the stories he still wants to see told. Dr. Z's memoir is a rich package of personalities, stories never shared about such characters as Vince Lombardi, Walter Payton, Lawrence Taylor, and Johnny Unitas. Even Joe Namath, with whom Zimmerman had a legendary and well-documented 23-year feud, saw fit to eventually unburden himself to the remarkable scribe. Also included are Zimmerman's encounters with luminaries and larger-than-life figures outside of sports, notably Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch, and Hunter S. Thompson. But not to be missed are Zimmerman's quieter observations on his own life and writing, witticisms and anecdotes which sway between the poignant and hilarious. No matter the topic, Dr. Z: the Lost Memoirs of an Irreverent Football Writer proves essential, compelling reading for sports fans old and new.
Triumph Books 2017 280 pages

Foxcatcher The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John Du Pont's Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold

Mark Schultz,David Thomas
"The riveting true story-soon to be a high-profile film-of Olympic wrestling gold medal-winning brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz and their fatal relationship with the eccentric John du Pont, heir to the du Pont dynasty On January 26, 1996, Dave Schultz, Olympic gold medal winner and wrestling golden boy, was shot three times by du Pont family heir John E. du Pont at the famed Foxcatcher Farms estate in Pennsylvania. Following the murder there was a tense standoff when du Pont barricaded himself in his home for two days before he was finally captured. Foxcatcher is gold medal winner Mark Schultz's memoir, revealing what made him and his brother champion and what brought them to Foxcatcher Farms. It's a vivid portrait of the complex relationship he and his brother had with du Pont, a man whose catastrophic break from reality led to tragedy. No one knows the inside story of what went on behind the scenes at Foxcatcher Farms-and inside John du Pont's head-better than Mark Schultz. A movie based on Mark's memoir, also titled Foxcatcher and directed by Bennett Miller of Moneyball and Capote fame-starring Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, and Mark Ruffalo-is scheduled to release nationally Fall 2014. The incredible true story of these championship-winning brothers and the wealthiest convicted murderer of all time will be making headlines this fall, and Mark's memoir will reveal the true inside story"--
Penguin Publishing Group 2015-10-13 320 pages

Lincoln's Grave Robbers (Scholastic Focus)

Steve Sheinkin
A true-crime thriller -- the first book for teens to tell the nearly unknown tale of the brazen attempt to steal Abraham Lincoln's body. Reissued in Scholastic Focus, with an exciting new cover. The action begins in October of 1875, as Secret Service agents raid the Fulton, Illinois, workshop of master counterfeiter Ben Boyd. Soon after Boyd is hauled off to prison, members of his counterfeiting ring gather in the back room of a smoky Chicago saloon to discuss how to spring their ringleader. Their plan: grab Lincoln's body from its Springfield tomb, stash it in the sand dunes near Lake Michigan, and demand, as a ransom, the release of Ben Boyd -- and $200,000 in cash. From here, the action alternates between the conspirators, the Secret Service agents on their trail, and the undercover agent moving back and forth between them. Along the way readers get glimpses into the inner workings of counterfeiting, grave robbing, detective work, and the early days of the Secret Service. The plot moves toward a wild climax as robbers and lawmen converge at Lincoln's tomb on election night: November 7, 1876.A dynamic and thrilling tale from critically acclaimed author Steve Sheinkin.
Scholastic, Incorporated 2018-09-11 224 pages

Home and Away Memior of a Fan

Scott Simon
The #1 Los Angeles Times bestseller from the host of NPR's Weekend Edition -- "absolutely spectacular-wise and intimate, often funny, always touching" (Scott Turow) -- now in paperback. In a beautifully written narrative that runs from childhood to adulthood through times of war and peace, Scott Simon movingly tracing his life as a fan -- of sports, theater, politics, and the people and things he holds dear. Sports Illustrated columnist Ron Fimrite says of Home and Away, "Rarely do you find in books of this genre a clearer look into mysteries and confusions of childhood . . . moving and often amusing portraits . . . insights into the complex and often corrupt world of Chicago politics, the city being this book's true protagonist. There are compelling scenes from Simon's years as a war correspondent, roving reporter, and political operative . . . There is also an emotional account of Michael Jordan's last championship season with the Bulls that is a book within a book . . . "The writing is uniformly superb. This is, in fact, a memoir of such breadth and reach it compares favorably with another book that is allegedly about the nature of sports allegiance, Frederick Exley's A Fan's Notes. And that, believe me, is saying something."
Hyperion Books 2001-06-13 384 pages

A View from the Bench

Red Holzman,Leonard Lewin
Holzman has seen all the great ones in action, and here he discusses the unique contributions of such superstars as Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Bob Cousy, Julius Erving, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and others. These are the names that changed the way the game is played today. The heart of the book is Holzman's appraisal of the great matchups, those individual rivalries that have often decided championship series. The model here is Russell, who brought back the concept of defense, against Chamberlain, the greatest offensive force the game has known and virtual owner of the record book. Other matchups such as Bradley vs. Havlicek are chosen to illustrate Holzman's concept of team play. In each case he breaks down the matchup into its physical and psychological aspects, with plenty of anecdotal spinoffs that reflect the intensity of the rivalry. Reading this book is like sitting beside Red Holzman on the bench. His uncensored observations give a whole new perspective on how the game is played by the pros and what to watch for.
W. W. Norton 1980 288 pages

The Agent My 40-Year Career Making Deals and Changing the Game

Leigh Steinberg,Michael Arkush
A New York Times bestseller! The real-life "Jerry Maguire," superagent Leigh Steinberg shares his personal stories on the rise, fall, and redemption of his game-changing career in the high-stakes world of professional sports Leigh Steinberg is renowned as one of the greatest sports agents in history, representing such All-Pro clients as Troy Aikman, Bruce Smith, and Ben Roethlisberger. Over one particular seven-year stretch, Steinberg represented the top NFL Draft pick an unheard of six times. Director Cameron Crowe credits Steinberg as a primary inspiration for the titular character in Jerry Maguire , even hiring Steinberg as a consultant on the film. Lightyears ahead of his contemporaries, he expanded his players' reach into entertainment. Already the bestselling author of a business book on negotiation, the original superagent is now taking readers behind the closed doors of professional sports, recounting priceless stories, like how he negotiated a $26.5 million package for Steve Young—the biggest ever at the time—and how he passed on the chance to represent Peyton Manning. Beginning with his early days as a student leader at Berkeley, Steinberg details his illustrious rise into pro sports fame, his decades of industry dominance, and how he overcame a series of high-profile struggles to regain his sobriety and launch his comeback. This riveting story takes readers inside the inner circle of top-notch agents and players through the visionary career of Leigh Steinberg, the pre-eminent superagent of our time.
St. Martin's Publishing Group 2015-08-25 336 pages

Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life

Hank Greenberg
Once in a great while there appears a baseball player who transcends the game and earns universal admiration from his fellow players, from fans, and from the American people. Such a man was Hank Greenberg, whose dynamic life and legendary career are among baseball's most inspiring stories. The Story of My Life tells the story of this extraordinary man in his own words, describing his childhood as the son of Eastern European immigrants in New York; his spectacular baseball career as one of the greatest home-run hitters of all time and later as a manager and owner; his heroic service in World War II; and his courageous struggle with cancer. Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a secular Jew who, during a time of widespread religious bigotry in America, stood up for his beliefs. Throughout a lifetime of anti-Semitic abuse he maintained his dignity, becoming in the process a hero for Jews throughout America and the first Jewish ballplayer elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC 2009-12-16 320 pages

Munson The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain

Marty Appel
Our captain and leader has not left us, today, tomorrow, this year, next … Our endeavors will reflect our love and admiration for him.” —Honorary plaque to Munson in Yankee Stadium Thurman Munson is remembered by fans as the fiercely competitive, tough, and—most of all—inspiring Yankee captain and champion from the wild Bronx Zoo years. He is also remembered for his tragic death, at age thirty-two, when the private plane he was piloting crashed in Canton, Ohio, on August 2, 1979. Munson is the intimate biography of a complex and larger-than-life legend. Written by former Yankees public relations director Marty Appel, who worked closely with Thurman throughout his career, Munson captures the little-known details of the young man from Canton and his meteoric rise to stardom in baseball’s most storied franchise. Appel examines the tumultuous childhood that led Thurman to work feverishly to escape Canton—and also the marriage and cultural roots that continually drew him back. Appel also opens a fascinating door on the famed Yankees of the 1970s, recounting moments and stories that have never been told before. From the clubhouse and the dugout to the front office and the owner’s box, this thoughtful baseball biography delves into the affectionately gruff captain’s relationships with friends, fans, and teammates such as Lou Piniella, Bobby Murcer, Graig Nettles, and Reggie Jackson, as well as his colorful dealings with manager Billy Martin and his surprisingly close bond with owner George Steinbrenner. Munson paints a revealing portrait of a private Yankee superstar, as well as a nostalgic and revelatory look at the culture—and amazing highs and lows—of the 1970s New York Yankees teams. More than a biography, Munson is the definitive account of a champion who has not been forgotten and of the era he helped define—written with the intimate detail available only to a true insider. www.doubleday.com
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group 2010-06-01 400 pages

Living on the Black Two Pitchers, Two Teams, One Season to Remember

John Feinstein
Pitchers are the heart of baseball, and John Feinstein tells the story of the game today through one season and two great pitchers working in the crucible of the New York media market. Tom Glavine and Mike Mussina have seen it all in the Major Leagues and both entered 2007 in search of individual milestones and one more shot at The World Series-Glavine with the Mets, Mussina five miles away with the Yankees. The two veterans experience very different seasons -- one on a team dealing with the pressure to get to a World Series for the first time in seven years, the other with a team expected to be there every year. Taking the reader through contract negotiations, spring training, the ups of wins and losses, and the people in their lives-family, managers, pitching coaches, agents, catchers, other pitchers -- John Feinstein provides a true insider's look at the pressure cooker of sports at the highest level.
Little, Brown 2008 525 pages

The Way of Baseball Finding Stillness at 95 Mph

Shawn Green
Two-time All Star Shawn Green shows how the surprising lessons the game has taught him transcend baseball and compose a life well lived. Shawn Green’s career statistics can be found on the backs of baseball cards in shoeboxes across America: 328 home runs, 1,071 RBIs, .282 career batting average, All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger...but numbers tell only part of the story. In the tradition of Phil Jackson’s Sacred Hoops, Shawn Green illustrates the spiritual practices that guided his career and enabled him to “bring stillness into the flow of life.” In The Way of Baseball, he shares the secrets to remaining focused both on and off the field, shedding light on a signature approach to living by using his remarkable baseball experiences to exemplify how one can find full awareness, presence, and, ultimately, fulfillment in any endeavor.
Simon and Schuster 2012-06-05 224 pages

Strength of a Champion Finding Faith and Fortitude Through Adversity

O.J. Brigance,Peter Schrager
Following a stellar career as an NFL linebacker, O. J. Brigance joined the Baltimore Ravens’ front office. But in 2007, O.J. was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—and given only three to five years to live. As a player, he’d battled hundreds of setbacks, but none prepared him for this. With faith and determination in his heart and his wife, Chanda, praying by his side, O.J. fought back against the debilitating disease, even as ALS robbed him of the ability to walk and speak. He kept working, smiling, and touching players’ lives all the way to the Ravens’ victory at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013—more than five years after his diagnosis. Now, O.J. shares his incredible story, offering lessons in resilience and reflecting on the team that inspired him in turn. With insights into the Ravens’ dynamics from the best seat in the house, O.J. highlights their perseverance, confidence, and leadership, the best that sports can bring out in people. Full of profound revelations and anecdotes, Strength of a Champion is a celebration of the human spirit from a man who left everything on the field.
Penguin Publishing Group 2014-10-07 272 pages

The Ring Record Book and Boxing Encyclopedia

Nat Fleischer
The Ring: Record Book And Boxing Encyclopedia is a comprehensive guide to the world of boxing, written by renowned sportswriter Nat Fleischer. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in the sport, as it provides a wealth of information on boxers, fights, and the history of the sport itself. The book is divided into several sections, each of which covers a different aspect of boxing. The first section provides an overview of the sport, including its history and how it has evolved over time. The second section focuses on the boxers themselves, with detailed profiles of some of the greatest fighters in history. The third section is a record book, which lists the career statistics of all the major fighters in the sport. This section is a valuable resource for anyone looking to learn more about the accomplishments of their favorite boxers. The fourth section of the book is an encyclopedia of boxing terms, providing definitions for all the key words and phrases used in the sport. This section is particularly useful for those new to boxing, as it can help them understand the language of the sport. Overall, The Ring: Record Book And Boxing Encyclopedia is a comprehensive guide to the world of boxing. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the sport, whether they are a casual fan or a serious student of the game.1955 Edition.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
Literary Licensing, LLC 2013-08 912 pages

The Echoing Green The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and the Shot Heard Round the World

Joshua Prager
This is the untold story of the secret scandal behind baseball's most legendary moment:The Shot Heard Round the World. A Washington Post Best Book of the Year. At 3:58 p.m. on October 3, 1951, Bobby Thomson hit a home run off Ralph Branca. The ball sailed over the left field wall and into history. The Giants won the pennant. That moment—the Shot Heard Round the World—reverberated from the West Wing of the White House to the Sing Sing death house to the Polo Grounds clubhouse, where hitter and pitcher forever turned into hero and goat. It was also in that centerfield block of concrete that, after the home run, a Giant coach tucked away a Wollensak telescope. The Echoing Green places that revelation at the heart of a larger story, re-creating in extravagant detail and illuminating as never before the impact of both a moment and a long-guarded secret on the lives of Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca.
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group 2008-03-11 544 pages

Pee Wees Confessions of a Hockey Parent

Rich Cohen
A New York Times bestselling author takes a rollicking, personal deep dive into the ultracompetitive world of youth hockey. Rich Cohen, the author of The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse and Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football , turns his attention to matters closer to home: his son’s elite Pee Wee hockey team and himself, a former player and a devoted hockey parent. In Pee Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent , Cohen takes us through a season of hard-fought competition in Fairfield County, Connecticut, an affluent suburb of New York City. Part memoir and part exploration of youth sports and the exploding popularity of American hockey, Pee Wees follows the ups and downs of the Ridgefield Bears, the twelve-year-old boys and girls on the team, and the parents watching, cheering, plotting, praying, and cursing in the stands. It is a book about the love of the game, the love of parents for their children, and the triumphs and struggles of both.
Picador 2022-01-11 240 pages

Moment of Glory The Year Underdogs Ruled Golf

John Feinstein
After winning 6 of the 12 Majors from 2000 to 2002, Tiger Woods struggled in 2003. Four unknown golf players--Mike Weir, Jim Furyk, Ben Curtis, and Shaun Micheel--would seize the day, rising to become champions in his wake . Mike Weir--considered a good golfer but not a great one--triumphed in The Masters, becoming the first Canadian to win a Major. Jim Furyk emerged victorious in the U.S. Open. In the British Open, Ben Curtis became the only player since Francis Ouimet in 1913 to prevail on his first time out, and Shaun Micheel came from nowhere to prevail at the PGA Championship. How does one moment of glory affect the unsung underdog for years to follow? In Moment of Glory , John Feinstein returns to the unlikely year of 2003 and chronicles the personal and professional struggles of these four players. With great affection for the underdog and extraordinary access to the players, he then looked to the 2008 season, giving readers an insider's look into how winning (and losing) major championships changes players' lives.
Little, Brown 2011-05-19 368 pages

Mean Joe Greene Built By Football

Joe Greene,Jon Finkel
Many years before he would anchor the most-feared, most-successful defense the NFL had ever seen, Joe Greene was just a big kid from Temple, Texas who was a timid, self-admitted awful athlete struggling to find his confidence as a teenager being raised by a single mother. In his compelling, eye-opening autobiography, Greene takes readers on an unprecedented tour of his life, explaining the people who influenced him and the events that shaped him, from humiliating high school embarrassments to the grit and guts that led to four Super Bowl titles. Mean Joe Greene: Built By Football is the inside story of how a series of mentors, mindset changes and maybe some luck helped a young man turn a scholarship offer from a small college in Texas into a selection as an All-American, a first-round draft selection in the NFL and a life in in football that would net him six Super Bowl rings, including two as a coach. As the first book in the Football Matters' 'Built By Football' series, Greene discusses how football helped shape his character, his leadership skills, taught him humility and integrity, and helped him learn the lessons he would use throughout his life as a player, husband, father, friend and coach.
Archervision, Incorporated 2017-04-03 178 pages