Sports Books

Rec'd book on time; cheaper than area bookstores. This is not the first time I purchased items from Amazon and I plan to continue. Great job! Thanks!

This is a book that you'll love. There's a lot of things to learn in it and some terms you probably can't listen anymore. A perfect book for a really baseball fan !

This is a book that you'll love. There's a lot of things to learn in it and some terms you probably can't listen anymore. A perfect book for a really baseball fan !

This baseball dictionary is clear, concise and helpful, particularly for people like me. I love baseball, but when I was growing up, girls weren't raised on sports, so I became a fan with sketchy knowledge of the rules and nuances of the game. Since I bought this book, I've learned a lot about pitching maneuvers, stats, history of the sport, slang terms and dozens of other things that make baseball more and more interesting to watch. I'm very glad I own it.

In baseball, what is a crackerjack? A cradle? A drawing Card? Feel the apple means what? What happens when you go to the pump? Who made up Murderers' Row? Open the New Dickson Baseball Dictionary and you'll find out.

This A to Z complete listing of baseball term is about the best book on the subject there is. Paul Dickson has put together over 570 pages of facts, terms, definitions and trivia that are sure to please every baseball fan.

Filled with over 100 photos and illustrations you are sure to find just about every baseball word you can think of. Also included are a thesaurus, a section of abbreviations and a fully annotated bibliography.

The baseball purest is sure to love this book as a gift, and it is priced to meet most budgets. Overall this book is great reading and makes the perfect handy reference book!

One Fall is a novel that will appeal to wrestling fans mostly, but also to those who know nothing about wrestling. Extremely well-written, I found it hard to put down. The characters are compelling, and the storyline is solid. An entertaining read, and hopefully the first of a series.

This is one of my favorite books. The characters are real and the plot is really good.

I wrote a paper about One Fall for a media studies class. The way the Internet, a live crowd and a TV audience all interact with each other in the story's big finish is a totally cool idea and a sign of the times. Wrestling was one of the first forms of entertainment where the Internet had a big impact and this book uses that history to make a fascinating story.

My copy has been passed around my friends and everyone's read it. It's just one of those books that you don't want to put down.

Pro wrestling has hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. It is shown on national television in dozens of countries. It has a long, storied history, both good and bad. And judging by the quantity of wrestler biographies out there, it has a lot of readers in its audience.

But no one has written a really good, credible novel about wrestling. Until now.

One Fall is a fantastic novel that knows wrestling. It is to wrestling what The Natural is to baseball, a great book for fans to read.

Like a great wrestling match, One Fall starts out quiet, but suspenseful, then builds to a crazy climax, where we all can mark out at the twists and turns of the finish. Joey Mayhem, a new wrestler, has shot to the top of the world with a great television appearance. But just when he's about to conquer the wrestling world, an old demon, the reputation of carelessness, comes back to haunt him when he seemingly screws up in a championship match. Meanwhile, a web columnist discovers a conspiracy to bring down the world's largest wrestling league. When he learns how Joey Mayhem's career is the centerpiece of the conspiracy, chaos ensues.

This really is a great story for wrestling fans. It's more fun to read than any of the wrestler biographies, and honestly, is more interesting than anything happening in the WWE right now.

Like other reviewers on here, I was surprised at how good this book is. There have been lots of positive reviews on wrestling web sites since it came out, so I was expecting to enjoy it. I didn't expect to get so completely wrapped up in the story, though. I was absolutely hooked right from the opening chapter, when Joey Mayhem becomes an instant star, and makes a major mistake all on the same night.

What really impressed me was how every detail in all the storylines became significant as the book raced to its finish. There are several plot threads going in the novel, and they all come together in a really satisfying conclusion. This little novel about wrestling is more tightly wound than most thrillers on the bestseller list.

One Fall is well-written, well-informed, and totally entertaining. I'm recommending it to all my friends who like wrestling.

Since Mick Foley's first autobiographical book reached tremendous success, most pro wrestling books have been biographies about some of the biggest stars. This book is a fictional work (although mirroring some real life situations) and the first real novel in the fiction pro wrestling genre.

'One Fall' centers around young wrestler Joey Hamilton aka Joey Mayhem. Without revealing any important storylines (and there are a lot), Mayhem has a history of being wreckless in the ring and he receives a tryout with one of the "Big Two" promotions, the GWA.

The story takes on twist after twist after a slow beginning. Joey has to put up with mishaps inside the ring and the hostilities the locker room show him. He must deal with a sloppy promoter in Duke Correlli and many other characters who you'll grow your own opinions on.

A sideplot of the book follows internet writer Steve Garcia as he has to compete in the large world of internet wrestling news sites.

Overall, this is a very engaging book and it is hopefully a sign of things to come in a previously untouched genre.

Excellent book. I am not a golfer, but admire Phil Mickelson because it has always seemed to me that he has his priorities straight. His wife and his children are uppermost in his list of what life means to him. Must confess that I merely skimmed the details of the hole to hole play in the Masters tournament being described since I had purchased the book to read about his personal life. However, my husband, who IS a golfer, very much enjoyed the "play by play" in addition to more information on the personal side of Phil. This is an athlete children can look up to and admire without parents fearing an ugly, hidden side. That simply doesn't exist in this athlete. I have always enjoyed watching him play; now I will enjoy those tournaments even more.

This was a very personal book that brought you very close to the life of Phil Mickelson. When he describes his final round at the 04' Masters you feel like you were there with him every step of the way.

It was so good I got a audio copy for my husband.

i find this book very good , iam a golf player and i think that every golf player will enjoyed to read this book , phil mickelson biography is very interesting for a golfer , phil teach : thinks can do when you work hard .

If you are a golf fan, this is a must read. My wife read it too and she doesn't even like golf but she loved it too. Great insights into Phil's personal life, family, and values. Definitely worth the read.

Terry Pluto has written an excellent book and as an Indians fan for 70 years I can easily relate to his personal story and to the history given of the Cleveland Indians. It is an excellent history for the most part, written as only a sports writer can, though he contradicts a couple other writers a few times. I espeically like the emphasis on the heroes of my childhood, Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, Larry Doby and others on the famous 1948 team. I disagree with his contention that the l948 championship team was not one of the greatest championship teams ever and this is disproved in the detailed book An Epic Season by David Kaiser. Also for a really complete history of the Indians before and leading to 1948, Franklin Lewis wrote a book titled Clevland Indians published in 1949. Sadly, I don't know if that one can still be found or not, even through Amazon. It is more a history. Nonetheless, Our Tribe: A Baseball Memoir is a very good read and brings back the agony of the countless opportunities that former owners of the Indians let get by them. And the new owners may be doing that again today. :( As a personal story it is superb.

Absolutely wonderful weaving of an at times diffcult father-son relationship (congrats for telling it like it was!) and the history of the Cleveland Indians. Never gets bogged down in year-to-year stats and his way of comparing Shoeless Joe and Manny Ramirez's careers was brilliant. The stories about Manny are priceless.

Like all his other sports books, Terry Pluto is easily the best sportswriter on the planet.

This is a superb book because it goes beyond being a great sports book. Terry Pluto's weaving of his relationship with his father into his lifetime love of the Cleveland Indians makes it a book that readers will think about long after they've finished reading it. It's not necessary to be a Tribe fan to enjoy this book. I'd even go as far to say that a reader need not be a baseball fan to feel empathy and self-reflection on his or her parent-child relationship, regardless of whether the person is the parent or the child. I've also read the author's "Loose Balls", a wonderful look back at the American Basketball Association, and recommend that to those who remember the ABA (go Oakland Oaks!) and to those who weren't around to enjoy those years.

This is a fantastic book for any Indians fan who grew up watching games at the old Stadium. It's for all of us who grew up rooting for a sad team who had never won anything before and was never likely to do so in the future. It helps us to remember those days when the important thing wasn't how good the team was or if they had a chance at the Series, but rather spending time with our fathers watching the game. Maybe, just maybe, this book will help us to remember what is really important once again.

This book is as much a story about a son and his relationship with his father as it is about baseball, and tells each of those stories wonderfully. For basball fans it is an entertaining history of the Cleveland Indians and is full of colorful players, managers, and even owners. From the perspective of this one baseball team, the reader has a ring side seat on how much our country, society, and professional sports have changed and grown over the last 75 plus years. Just from the standpoint of the baseball Terry Puto is as good as Ken Burns or George Will.

But the story within the story is really about the author and his father. That relationship is one that is full of joy and sadness, wonderful memories and yet regrets. The author comes to better understand and appreciate his father after a stroke makes it impossible to talk to his father. In a cruel irony, when the time came that the author was ready and wanted to share stories and talk to his father, he was not able to.
All fathers and sons should read this book.

A final comment on Terry Pluto's writing style. I have read three of Mr Pluto's books and appreciate the way he writes in a clean, no non-sense style and yet fills his books with so much detail and color.

TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER LISTENED TO THE DAN PATRICK SHOW ON ESPN RADIO, THIS IS A TERRIFIC COMPANION BOOK. DAN'S WIT AND AMAZING INTERVIEW STYLE JUMPS RIGHT OFF THE PAGE AT YOU. IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN ANY OF YOUR AVERAGE SPORTS INTERVIEWS. HE COMBINES WIT AND WISDOM TO MAKE THIS AN AMAZING READ

i don't really care much for ESPN the Magazine but i dig Dan Patrick's outtakes.that is always cool.this is so cool finding out what folks really dig off the field or court or track.very interesting.that was the most Creative thing that ESPN The Magazine did at the back.i enjoy reading this.

Fun, Enjoyable and Fast..... You could read whenever you feel like with no pressure of forgetting what happened... Different People with different Things... Big Names....... FUN FOR LOVERS OF THE GAME Patrick is great as usual...fun and Loving]

This is one of the best sports related books I have ever read. I am a subscriber to ESPN the magazine and enjoy reading the outtakes column in every issue. This is a must for sports lovers!

Dan Patrick exemplifies outstanding sports reporting. In Outtakes, he engages his dry sense of humor and mixes it together with his extraordinary knowledge of the sports world. Outtakes is a candid collection of interviews with sports' celebrities of past and present. He is not afraid to ask the questions that everyone truly wants to ask, and the word associations are outright hysterical. Patrick is one of the wittiest people on the face of the earth. Outtakes just shines with this. The book is an easy read, and has a good, steady flow to it. It is one entertaining ride into the insightful mind of Dan Patrick, sports' guru. Just hold on, because the laughs come hard and fast.

The one thing I dread about traveling is dragging my heavy luggage around. I appreciated the author's solid tips on packing lighter. I'm going to try her bundle packing method in 2 weeks and believe it will work just great. I appreciated her lists and pointing out the things I probably could leave behind. She also listed many websites where I could review and buy luggage and packing accessory items. If I follow her advice I think my next vacation will be a little more pleasant than previous ones. Thanks!

First, decide you're ready to travel hassle-free (or as close to it as possible). Next, visualize your perfect carry-on travel wardrobe. Author and packing expert Judith Gilford makes it all a breeze in this readable, oddly interesting handbook. She includes specific lists to jumpstart your thinking about packing for business, vacation and special itineraries - adventure, business or cruise travel, for instance. She offers great tips, from how to pack a layered bundle to keep your clothes wrinkle-free to the best practices for stain removal. getAbstract recommends her guidelines if you want to be able to travel light and still have everything you need upon arrival.

I got this book used, so for me it was a good value. I read it in a day, at least the parts that pertained to me. I did get some useful info. and have dog eared at least 20 pages for my upcoming travel, she mostly talkes about carry on, but it would be helpful to read if you check your bag too. I travel usually 3-4 times a year and each time have slight packing anxiety, what am i forgetting ect. and end up bringing way too much. A helpful guide book.

Provided excellent help to my wife as she prepared for a trip to the Holy Land

All my life I have yearned for some unknown knowledge. Feeling incomplete, I began at an early age to selfishly take in as much information as possible. I read everything I could get my hands on, encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, but nothing could quench this thirst. That is until I found this book. I still remember the day fate brought it to me. Opening its crisp pages I began to take in its glorious advice. Immediately captivated, I read the book uninterrupted from cover to cover, twice. Hours later, as I reluctantly closed the book, I breathed a sigh of relief. My soul at rest, I put down "The Packing Book: Secrets of the Carry-on Traveler".

Must admit that I am probably biased since my daughter,Dina Dembicki, was involved in the "making" of this beautiful tribute to the drivers and their "kids". Having seen what it takes to put it together makes me appreciate it all the more. Dina spent 12 to 18 hours a day doing the layout and putting the book together. As the Design and Print Production, Graphic Arts person, she spent every moment loving this book. Ryan and Krissie Newman are not only wonderful human beings and loving "pet parents" they are generous with their time and aid for all living animals. The Ryan Newman Foundation is responsible for the Catawba County Humane Society's new housing facility for which this book donated all net proceeds to the new building construction. These are the kind of folks who can be assured to make it to Heaven!! This book is now in it's 2nd printing thanks to all animal and NASCAR lovers who bought one. My thanks to them and everyone else responsible for making this book such an astounding success. By the way, Krissie is even prettier than her photo!

I love this book!! I love the Nascar drivers and how they show their love for their pets!!

This is a BEAUTIFUL book that provides funds for a GREAT CAUSE. NASCAR driver Ryan Newman and his wife, Krissie, have made humane treatment of animals their personal mission. It is encouraging to see a young couple consciously chooses to "GIVE BACK." Buy this book for the cause as much as for the enjoyment!

This is a WONDERFUL book for anyone who loves pets and NASCAR. The photos are wonderful. The stories show these NASCAR people just like families everywhere who love their pets. Great read. Easy book to read "a little at a time".

This book was alot of fun to read and had great pictures. I am a dog lover and a Nascar fan so this book was perfect. It helps you get to know your favorite driver by the type of pet he has and the stories about them. You will not be disappointed by this one.

EXCELLENT book. A Coach or parent must read . Easy to understand with a vast amount of effective baseball knowledge with great illustrations . I especially like section that covers understanding kids emotions and psychological effects of ups and downs on players . Most parents and coaches do not realize how they can have a long term negative effect on a player. This book brings a whole new light on to the subject.

Very well written, very informative down to earth explanations and philosophy.

Gives insight that can be used for any age player. Breaks down to a fundamental level. Recommend for any youth coach.

This book isn't bad. I have not finished reading it, but it does give quite a bit of useful information. However, Cal seems to repeat himself several times in the book. There are many books out there that offer adequate, if not better, knowledge of how to play the game. Louisville Slugger's book is good as well as Coaching Pitchers. I would suggest only buying this book if you are a die hard baseball fan and plan on collecting many books. One good thing about the book is that Cal does give that sense of how to be a good teammate and maybe even a great family member.

I picked up this book at the local sporting goods store while I was buying gloves, bats, socks, pants, and etc. for my two sons who were starting little league baseball.

Just a few weeks earlier, I had declined a spot as an assistant coach due to not being "athletic", and I saw Ripken's book as an opportunity to learn some of the things that other dads had learned as kids.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have not read it cover-to-cover, but have browsed and spot-read it throughout the season.

As a result, I now understand more of the things other dads are yelling out. For example, for those in the field, "keep your eye on the ball" means watch the ball from the beginning of the pitch, all the way to the bat, as it connects with and leaves the bat, then all the way to the glove.

Chapters are given for each of the aspects of the game, pitching, fielding, hitting, catching, running, and so forth. Text narratives are easily understood, avoiding or explaining the sports "jargon" that confuses many beginning players (e.g. "choke up on the bat", "take two"). Pictures explicitly illustrate concepts such as batting and fielding stances.

Ripken's narrative also provides fun training excercises used by coaches (both major and little leagues) to develop baseball skills.

I have kept this book within an arm's reach in my office all summer long. Ripken's baseball insights have enabled me to help my sons develop their own throwing and batting skills.

Maybe next year, I might take that assistant coach position!

I have been following automobile racing since 1961 and followed sports car and formula 1 closely in the 60's and 70's with great interest. This is the finest book on sports car racing I have ever read. It's both filled with incredible data as well as anecdotes. If you have any interested in racing buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

This is truly an excellent book. I have an extensive collection of books devoted to motor racing (300+) and I would easily rank this in the top 10. I couldn't put it down. John Horsman was lucky enough to be intimately involved in the development and racing of the two most significant endurance race cars of the 60s and 70s: the Ford GT40 and the Porsche 917. He obviously kept copious and detailed notes during that period and he makes excellent use of them in writing this book. The story is packed with hundreds of tiny details and anecdotes that only a person who was there and lived it can provide. He creates an atmosphere where you feel you are actually there, looking over his shoulder and watching all that is going on. This is exactly what I'm looking for in each racing book I buy; unlike the majority of them, this one actually delivers.
There is another plus associated with this book: it almost free of any errors. It clearly had both an editor and a proof-reader. So many other recent books about motorsports appear to have had neither, and thus end up laced with errors: factual, grammar and typos. This book is refreshingly free of them.
If you only buy one motor racing book this year, this should be the one.

This book highlights the technicalities of racing sportscars at the highest level. Whilst the book focuses on the development of the various cars the author worked with (GT40/Mirage/Porsche 917), it also touches on the various drivers employed by his teams during his career (Rodriguez, Vern Shupan, Derek Bell).

This book provides some fascinating insights into the author's perspective of the Porsche 917 era, particulalry in regards to the rivalry between the Gulf team and Porsche Salzburg/Martini.

A great read, particularly if read in conjunction with Vic Elford's book, which details the Porsche Salzburg side of things.

Highly recommended for those who enjoyed the epic sportscar era.

This is a great book for anyone who grew up on the movie Le Mans (still the best racing movie ever made) and dreamed of racing at night down the Mulsanne straight! The author not only was a part of history, but is a surprisingly engaging writer as well.

Far too many "Three Star" or "Four Star" books are given a "Five Star" rating, but John Horsman's, Racing in the Rain, truly deserves five stars because it is one of less than a handful of automotive racing books that is absolutely first class in informing the reader, and doing it elegantly, of both how and why some racing cars win and others just compete. I put it along side Laurence Pomeroy's, The Grand Prix Car, and Karl Ludvigson's, Mercedes-Benz Racing Cars, as the best of the genre.
Horsman has the direct personal experience and engineering expertise to know and understand what went on in the sportscar racing world from the late 1950s through the early 1980s, a period that coincides with the golden age of prototype sportscar racing. In this era, Aston-Martin, Ford, Porsche, and Mirage battled with Ferrari, Matra, Alfa Romeo, Renault-Alpine, and other marques in endurance competitions that tested designers, teams, drivers and cars. Rule fixing or "performance balancing" was not part of the racing scene then: it was a tough, honest, win-or-lose world, and John Horsman had an insider's view of it all, and, happily for us, provides a clear, well-written, and, most importantly, an informative account of what went on and why.
One learns, for example, exactly how much bhp and at what rpm a Ford engine produced and what its design weaknesses were and what measures were taken to turn an essentially production-car engine into a race-winning proposition, or what the drag and frontal areas of Mirage racing cars were and, thus, what speeds down the Mulsanne straight might expected, etc., and consequently why some cars won, others came close, or still others failed entirely. In particular, he writes with an unusually clear-sighted eye when discussing Porsche, recognizing the firm's real engineering and production strengths, but not in an awe-struck way (as so many do) for he is able to see how, occasionally, blindness and arrogance on the part of Porsche people led to potential victories slipping away. I also appreciated the hard information Horsman provides on myth-shrouded or obscure topics such as the reason why the Weslake-Ford V-12 failed to be used in Mirage cars.
From an engineer, like Horsman, one expects accurate and detailed information on the cars he worked on or of those against which he competed, but he is also good in capturing the essence of the personalities he encountered during a quarter century's involvement in racing at the highest level. Compassion and feeling are shown where deserved, good drivers are respected and the risks that all assumed are not overlooked, while the occasional fools and knaves of the racing car world are given what they deserve.
If you have even the slightest interest in sportscar racing, you should get this book immediately, but even if your motoring interests lie outside this area of the automotive performance world, you will still enjoy reading it -though be warned, it will make other car books seem thin, pale and dull.

On July 4, 2008, I had the unusual pleasure of a quiet afternoon with no plan. My shaggy dog and I piled into the car and drove down to a place that has often brought pleasure, Middleburg. We watched a polo match, had lunch (well, I had lunch -- Annie sat in the car, parked under a shady tree) at the Red Fox Inn, and then wandered around town that has lots of nice memories for me.

One memory was meeting Dick Francis in Middleburg, at the end of a long day of book signing. He's a favorite author, dating back to my first overseas trip, to go to school in England for the summer, discovering Dick Francis novels at the local public library. That introduced me to the world of men who thrill to chase, to the race.

This 4th of July, I discovered a new pleasure, Patrick Smithwick's memoir, Racing My Father. I started reading while sitting in the car with my dog, and I was hooked -- I'm writing this short recommendation the same weekend, having read almost non-stop, with a few tears still clinging to my lashes as I type.

A lovely book of people who are real. Filled with good moments, Moments to laugh, to shake your head ruefully, to wince, to put the book down because you are afraid of what the next paragraph might reveal, only to return within ten minutes with a renewed sense of fortitude and wonder.

A very worthwhile read. My highest compliment.

I have never ridden a horse or seen a steeplechase race. But, I thoroughly enjoyed Patrick Smithwick's Racing My Father. It is several poignant stories well told. It is about a boy coming of age, a father-son relationship, the world of steeplechase racing and character as well as characters.

The book is written with a subtle beauty. Smithwick shares his memories with readers in a vivid, vibrant and engaging style. A couple times early in the book I had to stop and check to make sure I was reading about something that happened more than 40 years ago. It seemed as if it was yesterday. I assume Smithwick relied on journals and some of his earlier creative writings. And, of course, he's a masterful writer.

I felt like I was right in the saddle with Smithwick. It was exhilarating, scary, dramatic and euphoric. He, however, writes as skillfully about his relationships, particularly with his famous father Paddy, and the other parts of his life as he does the races. Racing My Father is an impressive winner.

"Racing My Father" so very elegantly captures the blood bond between the steeplechase titan and his son. Not incidentally, it's the poignant coming-of-age story of a gifted young man who struggles, often recklessly, to find his way. The story is so gripping that I blew through it as I would a thriller novel, eagerly turning page after page. Patrick Smithwick has done a wonderful job bringing to life the steeplechase world of 40 years ago. Since Patrick's uncle Mikey Smithwick died just last spring, after the book was published, it's a timely tribute to him as well. There were so many delightful sub-stories. For instance, I laughed aloud at the description of riding Limbo, the monstrous 18.1-hand Thoroughbred. I hadn't heard that name in decades. My only regret is that my late dad, who chronicled and celebrated the Maryland breeding/racing scene for 40 years, was not here to read this gem. I can hear him right now summing up Paddy Smithwick: "Helluva good guy, and dead game." No higher compliment possible.

One of the rare books that I savored so I could read one enthralling chapter a night before bed. In anecdote after incident Paddy Smithwick emerges as such an extraordinary person that one is left convinced that what made him a sporting legend with the unique stature he is still accorded was a character as exceptional as his riding skills. The text is carefully crafted so that almost every aspect of riding, and specifically, steeplechase riding, is touched upon, and what was interesting to this dressage-oriented reader was how many of the truths, objectives, and techniques are commonly shared by the two branches of the sport. Also thought-provoking to those familiar with the contemporary horse show world's emphasis on winning, often even over riding well and sportsmanship, was the era the author evokes when a competitive drive could still accommodate true horsemanship and sportsmanship. And in the generosity of spirit with which the author relates tales of events and people that probably, in actuality, had less flattering aspects, it is clear that the legacy of Paddy Smithwick lives on.

Knowing some of the real-life characters peripherally, living in the area, and having been an avid Dick Francis reader, I thought I knew what to expect- a testosterone heavy, adrenaline rush, winning at all costs type of sports-hero book, set in a familiar location. I found, instead, an honest, open, gentle, yet exciting and riveting story of a boy's relationship with his famous father, and how his father's career, successes, injury, and death affected his son and the extended family. The writing was understated and unaffected, and the subject completely compelling and spellbinding. I look forward to more from Mr. Smithwick in the future- fiction or nonfiction.