Sports Books

I received this book in excellent condition at a good deal. This a great book that shows a sensible and easy way to improve your swing. This is one book I always recommend for those asking for help.

I have read many books and taken many lessons, but this is the first book on the golf swing that finally has made sense. Although taking a personal lesson would be best, this book explains in plain English what the golf swing is about. Study it and it should help your golf game.

I started playing golf 2 years ago and have spent a lot of money trying to learn from local pros and on other books. I bought John Redman's book and a couple of months later I spent a rainy Saturday reading this book and practicing in my den. You wouldn't believe how it change my swing. It is SIMPLE and PURE! Went to the range on the following Sunday and practiced John's techniques. I hit the ball straighter and longer than I ever have. Buy it and read it.

Great book! Very simple and easy to understand. Redman teaches a relatively strong grip which will help you SQUARE the club face effortlessly and stop slicing. He will also teach you to become tension-free and SWING the club instead of hitting at the ball. This will help you avoid coming over the top so your previous slilce does not turn into a pull. I play way to little to be really consistent but on good days - and using 'the Redman swing' - I hit the ball squarely, cleanly and with a fairly low, penetrating trajectory.

I happened to catch about 10 minutes of Mr. Redman on the Golf Channel. Every word he spoke rang true. After reading his book I rediscovered many of the swing feels I had accidentally discovered during my first three months playing but could never consistantly replicate. Three years and many lessons involving "modern" swing theory later, I have come home. This is the simplest and least physically demanding swing out there and Mr. Redman explains it in a way that any duffer can understand and quickly implement. I also appreciate the fact that he steered me towards Percy Boomer's book. The only drawback is that I can't find a golf pro locally who teaches this method. Right now I don't feel like I need a pro. This book is like having a teaching pro on my bookshelf. BUY THIS BOOK. It will take a few weeks to "unlearn" all the modern crap you've learned, but you'll end up with a more consistant, powerful, and easily repeatable swing. I'd give it six stars if they'd let me.

This book is a great read for anyone who is a student of life, not just of a martial art. It is philosophical, historical, and somewhat autobiographical in nature, and its lessons can apply to everyday life. I found the short chapter entitled "YU" or "Bravery" particularly relevant and moving to me personally.

Peter writes that "There is a grace, a depth and a character to the movement of the expert, akin to the fit of a well-broken pair of boots." Peter personifies this. He seems to glide gracefully through life. He is always the gentleman; always the master willing to lend his hand and expertise to the willing and eager student. At times, even in his own well-worn pair of boots! It is an honor to know a man of his character.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Kishido: The Way of the Western Warrior" by Peter Hobart. The book can be read pretty quickly. It contains 50 short chapters in 161 pages and then includes a short Glossary of Japanese terms used in the book as well. While the chapters are short, the contain some very important lessons.

The book is a series of lessons that Hobart's martial art master passed to his students while not only teaching martial arts, but teaching virtues embedded in all traditional martial ways. The instructor taught through example that conduct is just as important as ability. He exemplified integrity, dignity, courtesy, chivalry, truth, trust, benevolence, and wisdom. He passed these lessons to his students, and now Hobart has written them down so the reader can blend the philosophical and spiritual concepts found in martial arts with the physical and technical training of their specific art.

The lessons include:

Part I: Foundation

1. Kishido The Way of the Western Warrior
2. Bumon Lineage
3. Shoshin An Open Mind
4. Junshin A Pure Heart
5. Fudoshin A Determined Spirit
6. Ihtaram A Civil Code
7. Enkyoku The Winding Way
8. Ganshiki Insight
9. Discretio Mater Virtutis Restraint
10. Noblesse Oblige Obligation

Part II: Range

1. Bangei Versatility
2. Bunbuichi Sword and Brush
3. Bokuden, Ima Anachronism?
4. Koji The Master Texts
5. Nihongo The Lingua Franca
6. Shika, Doka, Renga Expression
7. Heiho Strategy
8. Koan Mumonkan
9. Kanpo Healing
10. Garyotensei The Eyes of the Dragon

Part III: Strategy

1. Yohei Mercenaries and Merchants
2. Gi Right Decision
3. Yu Bravery
4. Jin Benevolence
5. Rei Right Action
6. Makoto Truth
7. Meiyo A Matter of Honor
8. Chugi Loyalty
9. Ichigo, Ichie The Power of One
10. Hanare Time to Let Go

Part IV: Harmony

1. The Dao Interconnectedness
2. Docere Versus Ducere Instructors and Educators
3. Primum Est Non Nocere First Do No Harm
4. Chaqun A Son Gout Horses for Courses
5. Shojin Demagogues and Curmudgeons
6. Stare Decisis Tradition
7. Girei Professional Courtesy
8. Kiki Opportunity
9. Kouhei No One is Above the Law
10. Tatsutoriatowonigosazu Leave Things a Little Better Than You Found Them

Part V: Void

1. Kotan Elegant Simplicity
2. Heisei Serenity
3. Fuga Refinement
4. Enryo Reserve
5. Panache A White Plume
6. Gyakute The Unexpected
7. Hokosaki Advance and Be Recognized!
8. Okunote The Other Hand
9. Matsunen The Final Days
10. Renzoku Passing the Torch


As you can see, there are quite a few topics with quite a range of lessons. I think some of the most important are illustrated in the final chapter, those of gi, yu, jin, rei, makoto, meiyo, and chugi; or Right Decision, Bravery, Benevolence, Right Action, Truth, Honor, and Loyalty.

The book is full of stories and examples of how the master not only taught the lessons, but lived them as well. I'll say again, you can read through this book quite quickly, but it will mean more if you savor each lesson and look to see if you are applying it to your own life. I know I related many of the lessons to teachings that I've had from my instructors and I looked for ways that I could better live by the code outlined in this book to make me a better teacher as well. I hope to be an example of these traits to my students also, and I truly believe if you are going to teach someone skills that can hurt or kill someone, you must also instill the positive character traits so that person will only use those skills if necessary and will never misuse the teachings.

I highly recommend this book. I believe the teachings Hobart has shared from the wise master will enhance your own martial art journey.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice.

This collection of short stories is very philosophical and eclectic spanning a wide range of topics that all have to do with personal growth. The story Ihtaram: A Civil Code takes place takes decades ago on the Arabian Peninsula. The author incorporates Bushido principles as he tells of a good host allowing a murder to happen rather than violate the code of hospitality. The point of this extreme story is to show that the host chose to find resolution by working within the mandated code. I don't exactly agree with this viewpoint but the story was intriguing. I also loved the calligraphy and the quotations.

....ask those who have gone before. Sometimes, I struggle to blend eastern thought with everyday western living. Peter Hobart helps by taking years of experience and distilling it down to an essence over a few pages. Pick out either an idea or concept listed, and gain a new thought (or revisit an old one semi forgotten) to work on. Not just for the martial artist, also for those who wish to live, rather then exist.
The chapters may be thin, so what?! Never say in 300 words what can be said in 30.So, if you are wanting to stetch your mind, or just want a degree of clarity in everyday living, then perhaps this is the book for you.

Kishido: The Way of the Western Warrior
I've been studying martial arts for over 35 years (karate, aikido, iaido, and tai chi), and I'm also an amateur historian. Along the Way I've read a good deal (in translation largely) about budo and the historical contexts in which it evolved.

Recently I went in search of books to give as gifts to some of my students, and largely based on reviews at Amazon I picked 'Kishido'. However, to assure that it was 'worthy' for my purposes, I read it before presenting it. I could barely put this book down until I finished it. I've found little else that I've read that has touched me so profoundly and captured the essence of the martial arts, including autobiographies of the masters of the past century.

Not only did I present this to my students, I've now shared it with my peers and teachers, as well as added it to my library. This is one book I'll read more than once, and I highly recommend it to anyone who shares my love of budo.

Although I have never been to Charlotte Motor Speedway, after reading this book I felt as if I had.

and now I feel like I could drive it. This is the book that lays it all out in a logical order, explains the terms, the rules and the strategies while taking you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Will the car qualify for the race? You can feel the tension because for that week Huler lived it. This isn't a book full of old stories that drivers told a writer - this is an observation, full of detail - it's good old particaptory journalism like Plimpton wrote, talking to (and about) everyone from the owners and spnsors to the fans and the scalpers. What a great book!

I'd never heard of NASCAR, never wanted to know anything about it. But when I heard a short reading by Huler (the writer) from this book, I had to buy/read it. His writing could be on any topic: ice, dirt, race cars... it's just facinating in an accessable, fun, fast read. I'll read anything he writes now, and gain an appreciation of worlds I never knew. Great read. I just may join the 200,000 on site NASCAR fans next year because of it!

If you want to read one book about NASCAR, I recommend this one. Not because it's a hand-holding introduction, but because it's the best. It just does such a great job describing so many aspects of NASCAR. The organizing principle of the book is to examine a week in the life of Kenny Wallace's Square D Racing Team, but along the way, the author looks at NASCAR's personalities, history, technology, tracks, and fans. Huler has a real flair for description, and a genuine but not fawning affection for the sport.

I've also read Shaun Assael's "Wide Open" and Paul Hemphill's "Wheels," which are similar in many ways but to my mind are both inferior. Assael's book seemed flat compared to Huler's, though fans of Dave Marcis and Bobby Hamilton may enjoy the coverage that those drivers receive in "Wide Open." Hemphill's book spent a lot of time on a thesis that I soon found repetitively handled: NASCAR was once the province of the Southern working man but is now corporate entertainment. Both Assael and Hemphill follow NASCAR for a whole season and seem to get bored with it. Huler stays focused on a shorter timespan to much better effect.

I've read some more technical approaches to NASCAR as well, and found that Huler almost always snuck the information in those books into "A Little Bit Sideways."

Although I find this the best introduction to NASCAR because it's so engaging to read and so comprehensive in the bargain, those who are interested in learning more about NASCAR might also try "NASCAR for Dummies" by Mark "Awesome!" Martin and Juliet Macur. That book lacks Huler's style and story-line, but it does have a lot of interesting information about NASCAR, including some tidbits on strategy and technology that I haven't seen elsewhere.

I lived in the South all my life, always aware of NASCAR, watching races every now and then. Even so, I haven't tuned into to a NASCAR race in probably 25 years. Because of this book, I will when the next season starts.

One can truly begin to understand the mystique of NASCAR after reading A Little Bit Sideways. Scott Huler's obvious love for the material really shines through. His writing transforms what, in lesser hands, could have been a dry and boring recitation of minute details into an interesting and compelling human interest story.

Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Sifu Starr's book is an experience suitable for any martial art practioner. His vivid descriptions of training, when a youth with W.C.Chen are very special. I await the release of his next writing.

I had the good fortune to train under Sifu Starr for a couple of years in the early 90's before time and circumstance took my life in other directions. From personal experience, I can attest both to his great skill as a martial artist and healer, and to his teaching presence in the dojo. I will always remember him with great fondness and respect, which is odd when you consider that he spent most of my time in his school kicking my butt with old school traditional kung fu training protocols. I think that is what the Zen tradition calls "grandfatherly kindness" - where a lot of martial arts diploma mills just put you through the motions and handed you your black belt, Sifu Starr assumed that you were worth the investing the time and effort to really TRAIN.

This book brings back a lot of memories from that time; it is very much written in Mr. Starr's "voice", and it showcases his wry humor, zest for life and training, and his larger than life personality. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in what really goes into the training of a real martial artist. I also hope that the book brings Sifu Starr some of the recognition and acclaim he deserves after a long, distinguished career.

Pete reminded me that it has been over 38 years we have know each other, and I stand corrected. On the third reading of the book I began to remember myself as one of Pete's students and how he taught us with the nearly same mannerisms of his teacher. I having no experience then in the arts, learned not only the physical rigors of the training but of the philosophical aspects as well. What age has taken from me, the knowledge still remains strong .

Now it has been almost 40 years later and I still can visualize the teachings, both mental, spirtual as well as physical. This book is valuable for the stylist as well as a parent wishing to know how to work with or understand their teenagers. The method and learning is the same nurturing Chen gave to Pete, and Pete sharing it with us.

I gave a copy of it to one of the people I work with and it is a copy in my classroom as well for my more difficult students to read as well.

This was an absolutely wonderful text. It really drives home what the martial arts teach. The stories are thought provoking, entertaining, humorous and motivational. Thanks Sifu Starr!

As a ShoDan-level assistant karate instructor, I'm always looking for good books to help me become a better teacher and practitioner. I've found martial arts-based memoirs to be particularly helpful and encouraging. I recently stumbled across "The Making of A Butterfly," and it was no exception.

Phillip Starr began his martial arts journey in the 1950s. His family moved a lot due to military service, so he studied at a couple of different clubs. In 1961, his parents finally settled into a more permanent living situation in McLean, Virginia. There, the author began looking for yet another dojo (they weren't easy to find back then). He finally found a karate school and resumed his training. However, Mr. Starr was fascinated by kung-fu, and so after more searching he discovered a Chinese Sifu (master) who taught out of his home.

Mr. Starr approached Sifu Chen and respectfully asked for instruction. After some initial rebuffs to test his resolve, he was taken on as Sifu Chen's only Caucasian student. Sifu Chen demanded much from his students, so the training sessions were often physically and mentally challenging. Despite some resentment from the other Asian students, Mr. Starr eventually earned their grudging respect. And more importantly, he became a surrogate son to Sifu Chen and his wife Mei. He often learned as much at their dinner table as he would during a typical class.

Mr. Starr writes well - the book is an easy and informative read. Each chapter encapsulates a principle learned from Sifu Chen, such as chi, discipline, and courtesy. Of course, these lessons were usually learned the hard way. Sifu Chen used many methods to impart both his knowledge and his character to the author. I found the inclusion of Mr. Starr's thought responses toward his teacher (denoted by italics) to be quite fascinating. It was easy to identify with his honest internal expressions of incredulity, or appreciate ah-ha! moments when a lesson hit home.

Unfortunately, Sifu Chen passed away in 1971 from a kidney ailment. But in 1982 Mr. Starr took what he learned from Sifu Chen and created another martial art called Yilichuan (One Principle Boxing), thereby continuing his teacher's legacy. "The Making of A Butterfly" lets us in on Sifu Chen's timeless martial arts principles, and provides insight into a good student's mentality. It's a recommended addition to every martial artist's library.

Bought this as a gift and never got to read it personally, however, was told it was a great book. Marv's a legend, and any Bills fan should take a read, capturing those "glory years" of the Bills.

Extremely hokey and a tad bit hurried through the end, but a pretty good book covering his life of football. *Mr. Levy really needs to lay off the use of superlatives as almost every player or team he has coached was the greatest at one particular thing or another. Also, I don't think Mr. Levy intended that the descriptions he has written regarding his locker room motivational speeches were to betray the fact that the players most likely considered the gravely serious war metaphors that he was constantly drawing on as a little too serious to be applied to a football game. No wonder why they consistently fell silent as he left them to contemplate his words. I can hear in my mind a player asking another "Like, we're playing a game here, right?" as Marv proudly leaves the locker room. Marv comes off as a classy guy hoping to coach again. I hope he gets his wish.

If one were to look outside of one's immediate family for a role model, Marv Levy would be a wise choice. Marv Levy is not all about football, although he has spent most of his adult life in one capacity or another in the game. His body of work is as a human being, caring for his players and family. In this era when books usually have some axe to grind against those who "done someone wrong," Levy seldom has a bad word about anyone, and any are usually absolved before the end of the paragraph. His book details his life, the good times and bad, the celebrations and defeats, and the fights and absolutions. He is a unique man who has written and interesting and worthwhile book about his experiences, written in a positive light about incidents that helped him grow as a man and a leader. For those looking for a good football book, an inspirational book or inpiration of life, read Marv's book. It's well worth it.

[Four of Four stars] Marv Levy of Chicago
and Iowa is sort of the Red Auerbach of
Pro Football. A journeyman, who maintained
his class and sense of humour which is not
just soundbytes in NFL films clips.

Mr Burns does us an injustice below in his
review by criticising the very fine Montreal
Alouettes of the CFL, but CFL fans will love
the chapters on our favorite League, particu-
larly, "My Grey Cup Runneth Over". The only
knock that one can have on Levy, and it's a
slight one, is that he hung too long onto
Kelly at QB (Frank Reich should have started
one of those Super Bowls) and Thurman (fumbles)
Thomas, who was simply an overrated player.

One spot in Marv's fine book, he maintains one
of the hardest things he ever had to do was
keep lightning quick Steve Tasker (one-time
Kansas Jayhawk) on the bench! Tasker, like Levy
is a class act who deserves to be in the NFL
Hall-of-Fame and could have been one of the
greatest RBs or WRs of alltime. Marv, as bad
as the NFL is getting even having you back in
the League at 81, again with the Bills (this
time at G.M.) is a breath of fresh air. Thanks
for all the memories. Your dad and my granddad
chewed a lot of the same turf in World War I.

Recent history has been kind to Marv Levy as the magnificence of having won four consecutive AFC Conference championships is now replacing the earlier bitter pill of lost Superbowls. Marv Levy has become the ceremonial uncle of professional football today. He is to pro football what George Foreman is to pro boxing, the friendly enduring face of a brutal sport.

This is a campfire book, a grown-up bedtime story about a bright young lad from Chicago, one of those lucky folks who got paid to do what he liked. It is a tale remarkably devoid of rancor or regrets but rather a mixture of self-deprecating humor, a bit of self-serving forgetfulness, colorful characters, and the pleasures of the jocular world of organized football. In his preface Levy advises us that his writing style is the re-creation of the pleasures of his memory. Take away the Kansas City Chiefs and he would have had the perfect life.

But before arriving at Kansas City, there were the minor matters of World War II, college, and building a resume. Levy entered the Army Air Corps with the help of a friend who, shall we say, understated Levy's vision impairment. When this problem was later detected, Levy was scratched from pilot training and spent much of the war in Florida as a weather observer. After the war, already in possession of a bachelor's degree from Coe College, Levy began his much heralded graduate work at Harvard. In truth he opted out of the law school in three weeks, choosing instead to earn a masters in history and collecting inspiring anecdotes for use in the Buffalo Bills' locker room years later.

Levy had abandoned law school because of his desire to coach football. After a stint as assistant coach back at Coe for the mighty "Kohawks," Levy over the next fifteen years crafted a highly respectable resume of work as head coach of generally mid-range college football teams, primarily New Mexico, California, and William & Mary. It was a stunning upset of the nation's number one team, Navy, by an undermanned William and Mary crew in 1967 that brought Levy to the attention of NFL, and eventually to the staff of George Allen in Washington as special teams coach.

Levy could not help but be influenced by his Redskins boss. Allen referred to his defensive linemen as "rushers," benched the popular pass-happy Sonny Jurgensen for the workmanlike Billy Kilmer, and played for the least mistakes. A running offense, a veteran opportunistic defense, and juiced up special teams play were his trademarks. Allen seems to have taken to Levy because of the latter's own imaginative thinking about the critical nature of special teams' play, which comprises about 30% of an average NFL game. Moreover, Levy could not have missed how Allen cultivated an image and played the psychological card adroitly.

Levy, a man not without ambition, was anxious to run his own ship, and in 1973 became the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes. Once the flagship of the Canadian Football League, the Alouettes were an artistic, aesthetic, and organizational shipwreck, bedeviled by an atrocious stadium, poor attendance, and impossible weather. Levy guided Montreal to the Grey Cup final in his first year and a league championship the following season. His five successful campaigns in Canada brought an invitation to come back south of the border and take the reins of the young Kansas City Chiefs.

In many ways the Chiefs Levy inherited in 1978 were very much like the present day Chiefs-a potent offense with a porous defense. He also inherited an overbearing club president, Jack Steadman, who did not understand Levy's priority of drafting for defense [Art Still, Mike Bell, Gary Spani, among others], nor his coach's penchant for a tough ground game a la his contemporary "Ground Chuck" Knox. Perhaps reflecting the thinking of his old mentor George Allen, Levy believed that an adequate quarterback could direct the Chiefs, as Billy Kilmer had in Washington. At Kansas City Levy inherited the aging QB Mike Livingston and drafted Clemson's Steve Fuller. Steadman--and Lamar Hunt himself-- created what was probably an unnecessary controversy in their criticisms of the quarterbacking position, a situation aggravated by the arrival of yet another QB, the gunslinger Bill Kenney.

The Chiefs improved, and the defense became stellar, but neither Hunt, Steadman, nor many of the fans were satisfied with a .500 team. Released from the Chiefs in 1982, Levy would always remember how a meddlesome front office and instability at the quarterback position could undermine an otherwise flawless rebuilding program. Thus, when Levy accepted the Buffalo Bills' call in midseason 1986, it is no coincidence that he had already over the years cultivated friendships with owner Ralph Wilson and his executive staff of Bill Polian and John Butler, and that the quarterback situation was quite stable under the maturing Jim Kelly. Clearly a unity of respect and purpose among all levels of Buffalo management marked Levy's years with the Bills and allowed the team to focus entirely on drafting, development, and execution.

Levy assumes that most readers know of the exploits of the Bills in their glory years, and as a rule he paints with a broad red, white, and blue brush. As a history major himself, he has forgotten or omitted some situations that still intrigue knowledgeable observers: his protest of Cincinnati's no huddle offense to the NFL Commissioner prior to the 1988 AFC Championship [a style of play which, ironically, would become the hallmark of the Bills, the K-Gun] or Thurman Thomas's missing helmet episode at the opening of the 1992 Superbowl. But there is self-revelation as well. Levy was over 60 when hired by the Bills; he admits that he had begun to doubt whether he would ever coach again. How could he know then that his best days were yet to come?

The Pitch That Killed was first published in 1989 and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. It's still in print almost 20 years later. Author Mike Sowell does of masterful job of telling the story of Ray Chapman, Carl Mays and the 1920 pennant race.

He provides the interesting backgrounds of Chapman and Mays, two players that probably couldn't have been more different. Everyone loved Chapman, while Mays had no friends and plenty of enemies. Both players are brought to life by Sowell's thorough research, his insight into their personalities and interesting observations.

Although the fatal beaning doesn't occur until page 173, Sowell keeps the reader totally engaged up to that point.

After Chapman's death, Cleveland manager Tris Speaker went into a deep depression and he called the incident, "the hardest battle I ever had in my life."

Even though the fatal beaning was ruled an accident, many players threatened to boycott games if Mays pitched for the Yankees, based on his past actions. Many felt that he had intentionally thrown at Chapman.

Despite their grief and the absence of Chapman, their starting shortstop, the Indians stayed in the thick of the pennant race. Light-hitting Harry Lunte filled in admirably for Chapman until he suffered a pulled muscle, forcing him out of the lineup and opening the way for rookie Joe Sewell.

The rise of Sewell, the exciting pennant race, what happened to Mays after the incident and what happened to Chapman's wife and daughter, make for an interesting final fourth of the book.

This book should be part of every baseball fan's library.

Since I was born and raised in Cleveland, I am well aware of the demise of Ray Chapman in a beaning by Carl Mays on August 20, 1920 in New York's Polo Grounds.
What Mr. Sowell has documented is a season of baseball which in itself stands as the most incredible epoch in Major League history. Consider these facts.
1. Babe Ruth set a remarkable record in the dead ball era of hitting 54 home runs.
2. The Black Sox were discovered and the fate of the game stood in the balance.
3. Ben Chapman was struck by a baseball to his head and died.
4. Carl Mays was a great pitcher who probably belongs in the Hall of Fame but was stigmatized by this one pitch.
5. Joe Sewell who replaced Ben Champman ends up in the Hall of Fame.
6. Tris Speaker the player manager of the Cleveland Indians, was totally devastated by Chapman's death, gathers himself and his team and leads them to a World Series triumph.
Not much has been talked about this World Series. In fact many books have been written of so called great games ie "The Shot Heard Round the World", or Kurt Gibson's "I don't believe what I've just seen" home run. But take it from me, October 10, 1920 in game five of the World Series three incredible things happened in one game.
1. Jim Bagby became the first pitcher to hit a home run in the World Series.
2. Elmer Smith hit a grand slam home run which was also a World Series first.
3. Bill Wambsganss turned the only unassisted triple play in World Series history.
All this happened on the corner intersection of East 66th and Lexington the location of League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Sowell has gone beyond the basics to recreate a time of American History. This book is indeed an American Classic about baseball. This truly was the most incredible season.

Everything that the other reviewers have said is dead on. This is a fascinating story, simply on the surface, but Sowell digs deeper and finds so many more interesting storylines. Even if you're not an Indians fan, there's a lot to love in this book. The 1920 season is amazingly fertile ground.

The only reason I'm holding back that last star is more because of a technical issue. While the book is clearly a non-fiction story, there are moments that Sowell writes about as if they happened, when there's no way he could know that. There's a scene early in the book between Babe Ruth and Carl Mays that has to be fictionalized as there's no way Sowell could know what these two said to each other. It's just strange to read because it's laid out as fact, when it's clear it isn't.

That said, it's a minor point. The book is fantasic.

To this day, Ray Chapman remains the only player to have died as a result of injuries sustained on a baseball field. While the intentions of pitcher Carl Mays may be open to debate, Mays threw the pitch which fractured Chapman's skull and ultimately caused his death. In his book, Mike Sowell documents the events that preceded and followed this catastrophe.

Ray Chapman was the sparkplug type of player that seems to will good teams to win. In marrying the mayor of Cleveland's daughter, he also seemed to be living a charmed life. Chapman's life came to a sudden end when one of Carl Mays' underhand style pitches struck him in the head and eventually killed him. While baseball seems to fade in importance in the shadow of the death of another human being, the Indians continued their successful drive to the pennant. It would seem a fortunate twist of fate for the Indians that a future hall of famer named Joe Sewell would replace Chapman in their successful run to becoming champions. It almost make the plot of the book seem surreal or a work of fiction.

Carl Mays, who was a disliked character even before the beaning incident, achieved further scorn after the incident including threats of a boycott against his playing and death threats. The 1921 and 1922 seasons would see Mays reach the World Series. But accusations after the seasons would invoke the shadow of the Black Sox when it was suggested that Mays took money to throw games. Despite favorable stats, Mays was bitter to never reach the hall of fame. It was suggested that the black cloud over his World Series performances affected his selection more than the beaning.

"The Pitch the Killed" is a tragedy, that keeps readers interested. Even knowing the winners in advance, readers may find themselves pulling for to the Indians as they read. The main plot is a piece of baseball history that fans of the game should discover. It is hopefully, one that fans will never have to relive.

Fascinating look into a little-known event in Major League Baseball. Extraordinary detail. The characterization of Carl Mays and Ray Chapman is outstanding.

Absolutely outstanding and well structured. Gives a proper understanding of the fundamental theories and equation formulations, which are the building blocks for any concept to start with. Highly recommendable!

Good luck finding this much information about vehicle dynamics in any other book, that is as well put together and easy to comprehend as this one. Well suited to those with engineering/math/science related backgrounds but not all of the information is beyond grasp of most people.

A very informative book on the engineering fundementals, it would be good if a second edition with more mordern race vehicles was in the works.

I think i've bought this book a bit too early in my learning curve!
This is a book intended for the Professional Race Engineer, or an extremely motivated amateur.
It contains a wealth of mathematics for vehicle dynamics.
Very exciting, i expect to have years of fun with the various chapters in this book.

Milliken lays down the fundamentals and advanced topic of vehicle dynamics as applied to racecars. The text is not for beginning or nontechnical readers in the slightest manner. Milliken points out many subtle and difficult areas to understand, which take hours of studying to fully grasp. For those seriously considering a career in this field or to the extremely interested reader, this text is the source of information.

Nice, solid mystery for kids, with lots of action, and a couple of great nod-nod-wink-wink bits that readers will love!

I read this book after Mr. Hale spoke at our library last year. Even if you don't like soccer, you'll still love Red Card. It has action and adventure, and it's a really good mystery. I didn't figure it out until the end...

My wife and I always check out the books we give our boys (ages 8 and 10). We grew up on the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and we loved the pleasure those books brought us. Until recently, we'd been unable to find anything new on the market in the way of great mystery/adventure fiction. You know what I mean - pure, unadulterated, fast-paced fun. There are a lot of books out there about kids with "issues", which is fine - they're certainly needed. But if alot of the kids today are anything like my wife and I were when we were young, then there's a need for a modern Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew.

We'd all but given up on finding anything like that, until I noticed a teaser on an uncle/nephew mystery writing team in last week's Apple eNews email from Apple Computer. I checked out the full story on Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot on Apple.com's Pro site. I was intrigued. I ordered both books in the Zeke Armstrong series. I read both Red Card and Green Streak in a single day (when I should have been making sales calls). They blew me away. They took me back to my youth. I gave the books to my wife. She stayed up until 3 AM reading them. They blew her away. They took her back to her youth. We gave them to our boys. They devoured them. For the past two days, all they've been able to talk about is Zeke and Pow Wow, Zeke and Pow Wow, Zeke and Pow Wow. My wife and I have never seen them so excited about books.

At last! In Zeke Armstrong, we have a worthy successor to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Thanks to Apple Computer for bringing him to our attention.

Okay, I got into the Zeke Armstrong Mystery series backward. I read Green Streak first. I loved it. My ten year old son loved it. I ordered Red Card and received it yesterday morning. Like with Green Streak, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I had it finished by the time my son came home from school. He picked it up and kept reading until HE finished it. We both understand why this book won the Agatha Award, and we expect Green Streak to win even more awards. Daniel J. Hale and Matthew LaBrot have definitely got something going with the Zeke Armstrong Mystery series.

Mr. Hale came to our school to tell us about this book. I reccomend it to anybody who likes mysteries. I don't really like soccer, but I still give this book two thumbs up

This is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read--in part b/c it was not written to be that. Bill Hancock's message is so simple...appreciate life. Appreciate the good times because they are good. Appreciate the bad times, because they alone can help you realize the good, and both are part of who you are. He should be commended for his tenacity to stay the course, both his journey in life and cross country biking!! I wish I could thank him in person for sharing his story.

I originally bought this book for friends who lost their 16 year old son in an accident. This last year I bought it for myself and read it. If you have recently suffered the loss of a loved one it is very difficult to get through the first chapter where the author details the loss of his son and the immediate reactions of the family and friends. After the first chapter the book moves into the difficult ups and downs of getting on with every day life with while being gripped by overwhelming grief. There are so many places in this book where the author is able to put incredible perspective on what most people would consider ordinary events. Whether you've suffered the loss of a loved one or not, you will read this book and look at people and things differently than you did before. I hope that I am a better friend to people who suffered a loss because of the understanding this book gives the reader. I found myself disappointed as I was nearing the end, because the book was so well written that I wanted to keep on going with Bill Hancock beyond his cross country bike ride. I "googled" the author and contacted him by e-mail to tell him why I had bought 2 copies of the book and how much it meant to me after reading it. He responded the next day with a very thoughtful e-mail. I highly recommend reading Riding With the Blue Moth by Bill Hancock.

Ooops; that is the title of another book out there; but it's still true and I think this is a fairly good book to accompany the book by Lance Armstrong which details Lance's fight with cancer. Both of these fellows having to deal with tragic situations.

The author goes through my home town; so I was fairly bent on not giving him 5 stars just because he did that in his journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic; but I am a cyclist; and I came to think after reading it, this is rather darn good; although, just like some characters that Bill describes, I've gone through some hardship, to the point that it was not easy to concentrate and read this; but I did.

March Madness; the NCAA tournament also, is underway as I write this for the year 2007; you know, it is in a tiny bit of a way a basketball book, seeing how Hancock is involved and connected with the NCAA; and it's things like that, that make this a good book to read. Now, I say this, because I believe the basketball fan could well find this entertaining too; but of course, not a basketball book like say, for example; the book "Pistol" that is currently in the stores.

But I'll keep this short and to the point; I like Dean Karnazes book, The UltraMarathon Man; but I read that and think, I wish Dean gave out more info on his running, diet, etc.

Bill Hancock for some reason, gives a lot of detail, the basic facts of his road trip on a daily basis; I mean saying part of his diet was on any given day, "17 Fritos or 12 Cheezits, 2 gallons of water and a gallon of gatorade" is detail I've never seen anyone relate about before; some of the chapters even has a bit of a question and answer session via email where Bill is asked questions and he gives back answers about his trip. So, it definitely has a real diary quality about it and it is the attention to detail that makes me give it the high ranking; cycling detail but of course the book is much more.

A solid enough book, I like his descriptions of many geographic locales; such as Yarnell hill; I had to look up that mountain on the internet I was so curious; or the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma.

Glad to see the positive reviews for this book; but most of them are rather short to gather people's impressions. I decided to make mine a bit longer. A fine contribution to cycling literature.

I felt like I was along for the ride with Bill Hancock in "Riding With the Blue Moth", experiencing the emotional highs and lows, chuckling at the amusing experiences he had along the way, and shedding more than a few tears. Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a parent more than the prospect of losing a child. The Hancocks experienced every parent's nightmare and the healing of the cross-country bicycle ride was great both for the reader and, I suspect, for the author as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially to anyone who has lost an offspring or is close to someone who has.

I've been reading this book at night for a week now. I shed tears nearly every night, and find myself at the bedside of one or both of my kids thanking God for the privilege I have of being their Dad. This book has almost become a devotional for me. The depth of the writing is stunning.... My prayers are with you Bill and Nicki. Thank you for letting us glimpse enough of your pain so that we can better treasure all that it means to Live.

What a great primer to get me all juiced for the 2008 Olympics. The Olympics are my favorite sporting event. The grandeur and the dramatics are unequalled in any sport. This absorbing book by David Maraniss takes you back in time to the 1960 Olympics in Rome and the smooth flowing narrative makes this a quick read and matches the excitement you would expect from an Olympic Event. You can sense the winds of change sweeping the world as we head into the turbulent 60's. It's all there the racism, the emergence of sports in the communist countries as a propaganda tool, Aparthied, the seperation of Germany, events tainted by drugs, the struggle of the IOC to seperate amateurs from professionals. A fascinating book.

I am not particularly fond, overall, of sports literature and normally do not read in this particular genre, although, I must admit I enjoy watching sports, follow various sports year by year, and indeed, have been an overall participant in various sports, all my life, more so when I was younger. The Olympic games have always occupied a special place for me and the 1960 Olympics was the first one that I became truly aware of what was going on. My age at the time and the fact that I actually was able to watch many of the vents on television had much to do with this. That being said, I will admit to being a history nut and this work by David Maraniss is a history as much as it is a work about a particular sport.

The 1960 Olympics was held at a time when the world was on the cusp of great change. Not only in the United States were these changes about to take place, but the entire world was on the edge, and we were beginning one of those periodic watershed eras that come along every so often. New nations in Africa were being formed. The old Colonial powers had gasped their last and were no more. Governments were changing, attitudes were changing and the world was just beginning to become wired. There were two super powers at that time, the United States and Russia. These two countries were locked in a war, the Cold War and this war was at its height. These Olympics held in Rome, had this struggle of ideas as a constant backdrop and its presents was quite significant. The two Germanys, for the first time, were acting as a single team; not having completely split as they would soon do and the entire contest was not only the United States v/s Russia, but it was East v/s West.
Racism, sexism and all the other old evils of this world were alive and well. The games were still controlled by Avery Brundage and his band of "old guard." Brundage was truly a horrid man and represented the worse of the "ruling class" of the time and treated the Olympic movement as a private fiefdom and all those who participated as his own flock of surfs. Truly, in my opinion, and the author's as well, you could not have found a man, or group of men, who personified racism, sexism, arrogance, privileged class ethos and egotism more than Brundage and his cohorts.

The author's easy writing style makes this an easy, understandable and enjoyable read. As has been pointed out, each chapter is almost a news report, cum essay, on different aspect of these games; addressing individuals, events and the ever present political background. Many of the great names appear is this work; Wilma Rudolph. Lance Larson. Otis Davis, Herb Elliott, Cassius Clay, Rafer Johnson, C.K. Yang, Abebe Bikila, Al Oerter, the Tigerbelles and their coach Ed Temple, and many, many more (to name just a few) of the truly greats are written about, assessed and discussed. The author has given us a real feel for the times and has given us much to reflect over. Communications, training methods, attitudes toward different sexes and races, the beginnings of doping, how the athletes were treated and how various fans responded are all covered in this fine work.

I do take some umbrage with the assertion that these games change the world. I personally feel that these games were held at a time of change and that those who participated, at ever level, were merely reacting to the changes taking place rather that actually forcing the changes themselves. This is a mote point though and really has little to do with the actually book. It the subtitle upsets you, ignore it.

This was a very informative, well written, well researched work and it as truly a joy to read.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

"Dad! Your name is in this book" That was a pleasant surprise. I bought the book because I was on the U.S. Cycling team for the Rome and Tokyo Olymics. I hadn't started reading it when my son, Chuck, made his discovery. Another book I had read recently dealt with the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as an importabt point in modern Japanese history. Inventing Japan: 1853-1964 (Modern Library Chronicles)Ian Buruma's 5 page prologue highlights that Olympic experience. I saw the marathon on various TV screens as I was going to different banks buying Olympic coins. Abe Bikela was the winner as he was in Rome except he wore shoes this time. The drama was that a Japanese runner, Tsubuya Kokichi, entered the stadium in second place. The crowd roared as he headed into the turn for the last lap. Then an English runner entered the stadium at a much faster pace than Kokichi. There was a very Japanese intake of breath by the thousands of fans. The Englishman passed Kokichi in the home stretch to claim second. Tsubuya Kokichi was one of two Japanese competitors that committed suicide because they felt they had failed to meet expectations.

The book Rome 1960 has enriched and expanded my experience as a participant and a spectator. Even if my name wasn't in the book I appreciated the connections I had with other named athletes and personalities. I succeeded where Rafer Johnson failed. I was in Spartacus, as an extra. The studio hired my NROTC unit to march as Roman soldiers.
Thanks to David Maraniss for his great book.

Wes Chowen

The strong response of Amazon reviewers is definitely justified and cheers are in order for both the author and Simon and Schuster for bringing this book out just in time to coincide with the 2008 games. This is five-star historiography, with the perfect blend of biographical, cultural, political and athletic fact. Maraniss showcases the experience of a number of individuals (for American readers, Rafer Johnson, Wilma Rudolph, Cassius Clay, Avery Brundage, et al.) but situates that experience within its historical moment, a moment replete with racial overtones, cold war implications, doping allegations and other key elements. He tells you about the Roman weather and landscape, about the physical challenges and physical ailments of the athletes, their romantic connections, financial support (or non-support), their equipment, their friendships and their rivalries. He does not attempt to cover every last detail of the 1960 olympics. For example, while he quotes the gold medalist swimmer Bill Mulliken, he does not discuss Mulliken's unexpected, dark-horse victory. Nevertheless, this is a lovely read, with apt illustrations, historical point and significant human interest.

Maraniss defines the 1960 Olympics that changed the world not purely because of the political influence of the Cold War, that was obvious in 1936, but in describing the emergence of Russia as a dominant athletic power where the Soviet Union and the U.S. became the dominant medal winners and where the cold war rhetoric emerged more directly in the Olympics as they increasingly did over the next several. Other issues that came into the spotlight was the battle of the China's, National versus Communist requiring the former to accept a different name, the emergency of drug enhancements that resulted in the death of a Danish cyclist, the contrast in the dominance of black athletes such as Rafer Johnson and Wilma Rudolph and the Tennessee State contingent that included long jumper Ralph Boston with how they were treated in some parts of the country where blacks were still segregated, and the fascinating discussion of what was defined as amateur athletics that meant living virtually in poverty in the U.S. in stark contrast to a professional life style for many athletes in other countries. However, the greatest parts of the book are the individual stories of inspiring competitors such as Rudolph who fought off the effects of polio as a child to become the dominant sprinter in the games and won the crowd with her open and very likable personality. The author also describes the frustration of many athletes who are expected to win such as ray Norton who struggles valiantly but meets the definition perhaps of trying too hard as woman's track coach Ed Norton states that in the sprints, those that strain are defeated by those that can run relaxed. Other great stories and descriptions of great completions include Otis Davis who had very little experience in running internationally but wins a photo finish in the 400 meters. Many other great portrayals include swimmers such as Lance Larson who appears rooked out of a medal and diving champ Ingrid Kraemer from East Germany but on a trumped combined German team, the German brash sprinter Armin Hary who wins the 100 meters, the U.S. basketball team made up of some of the greatest stars of the future like Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, the wide open emergence of Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) who shouts that he will have Floyd Patterson "for dinner!", and of course the Ethiopian that shocked the world winning the marathon barefoot, Abebe Bikila. Bikila's win is ironic because along the course he passes a notable Ethiopian monument that was stolen by Mussolini's forces in the 1930s when Italy invaded Ethiopia. Fittingly, the climax of the book is Rafer Johnson's titanic battle against his college teammate from National China, C.K.Yang that comes down to the very last event, Yang's best. The book is complete with excellent photographs such as Australia's Herb Elliott shattering the 1500 meter field to the most poignant photo of all, Johnson and Yang at the end of their final event, Johnson with his head laying across Yang's shoulder for support as they appear to hold each other up after the exhausting competition, competitors but always friends. This is a highly readable book and it is well written. Obviously, more to the American view but well laced with interviews and discussions of notable athletes from al countries like the "Flying Sikh".