Recreation Books

The New York Yankees are the most popular and successful franchise in major league baseball history. They have boasted such legendary performers as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Reggie Jackson. Those great players and teams can all be found in The New York Yankee Encyclopedia, the most complete record of Yankee baseball ever published.

An in-depth volume that include statistics on every Yankee player and manager, more than 250 classic photos, chapters on different Yankee eras, rivalries, ball parks, and much more

The New York Yankees are the most popular and successful franchise in major league baseball history. They have boasted such legendary performers as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Reggie Jackson. Those great players and teams can all be found in The New York Yankee Encyclopedia, the most complete record of Yankee baseball ever published. From their humble beginnings in 1903 as the Highlanders through nine decades of unforgettable players, teams, and classic games, noted baseball author and historian Harvey Frommer has compiled everything about the history and lore of this fabled club in the one book no true Yankee fan can afford to be without.

Here is the ultimate reference for baseball's most storied team.The "Bronx Bombers" have won 35 American League pennants and 24 World Series championships, and have boasted such legendary performers as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Reggie Jackson. 250 photos.

I bask in the loveliness of being the fan of the baseball team of the millenium! The Yankees have won for three consecutive years and there is no stopping them! I have Yankee fever. I like a book that describes the history of this amazing team and its past accomplishments. I marvel at the fact that so many great players have been part of this team. I also enjoyed reading the stats of past players and the rookies. This is a book that every Yankees' fan should own. Go Yankees!

This book kept me up for several nights straight. It is not a long book by any means and the average reader can go cover-to-cover in a few hours. However, one WILL find one or two things they missed upon every subsequent reading of the book.

This book is not written by a "Hard-Core" fisherman. Rather, it is the story of a "Hard-Core" fisherman. Mr. Cinquemani, a former NYC English teacher employs his grasp of the English language and writes in a way that is not only understandable, but entertaining to his readers. While the book is about fishing, it is not a "How-to" book and Mr. Cinquemani's choice to not focus on the technical aspect of fishing (i.e. equipment, knots, strategy), combined with his writing skills, does not leave one feeling empty upon the first completion of the book, or all subsequent completions for that matter.

Night Tides is about Billy "The Greek" Legakis, a legend in the striped bass fishing world. It is the story of this man's ongoing pursuit for the "Largest" striped bass. Stories of this man's introduction to this fish, his obsession with this fish, and his unparalleled pursuit of this fish grace the pages of this book. Several pictures are also included in the book, adding to the whole experience.

Having read the book several times, I am not only astonished by the sometimes unbelievable accomplishments of this particular fisherman, but grateful that the paths of these two gentlemen crossed when it did. While the stories of "The Greek" are truly amazing, without Mr. Cinquemani's abilities, these stories may very well have been untold. My utmost gratitude to Mr. Cinquemani and Mr. Legakis for choosing to share their stories with the rest of the world.

The book is a very easy read. BTG is a unique man with a true obsession with the straiped bass and the sea. A great book if you are not a fisherman and an even better one if you are. I let a buddy borrow it and he is not a fisherman. He is three quarters finished on the second day of his read. Go for it!

A quick read for anyone who enjoys catching a few "Strippahs" from their local haunts. Billy has certainly mastered the art of catching the big ones, but it also comes at a price - Fishing is 1st - everything else, I mean everything else comes after. Catching 2,500 fish with a rod during a slow season was mind boggling to me, I had to do the math twice and was sure there was an extra zero in the numbers, but low and behold this guy is a true master of the species.

It was an inspiration to read and even got me up in the middle of the nite to go for the cows under a full moon and a high tide - I got skunked and humbled.

A great gift with some terrific photos.

If you are a striped bass fisherman, this book will not let you down. I read it in 2 days. Eccentrics like Billy make life interesting. On a sad note, I can't imagine what it must have been like to fish back in the 60's and 70's before we wiped out the majority of these monster bass.

Michael Cinquemani's bio of striper fishing legend Billy "The Greek" Legakis is an engrossing story. Whether they are committed fisherman or not, readers are bound to recognize in BTG the rare combination of wits, will, and sheer tenacity that marks any person at the top of his or her field. Any die hard fishing fanatic will plow through Night Tides in a single sitting. Casual observers of the sport will love it too. Cinquemani's writing mixes humor and awe to create a realistic portrait of a unique character. The fishing community is lucky to have such a literate, and readable, storyteller!

This is a wonderful book! The photographs are beautiful and the text is honest and touching. Each vignette makes you feel as if you are at the farm with the author that day. This is a must have for every horse lover. I recommend a full box of tissues every time you read this book. It is not a sad book but very moving and full of love an drespect for the wonderful horses represented here. As many of us horse savvy folks know...these are the lucky ones. I Just love it!

Barbara D. Livingston, Old Friends: Visits with My Favorite Thorougbreds (Eclipse Press, 2002)

Reviewing books of photography often makes me feel guilty. As brilliant as someone like Romain Slocombe or Joel-Peter Witkin (for example) is, and as good as his books are, it seems kind of cheating to put a big photography book on one's list of books read for a given year. After all, how long does it really take to get through a book of photography?

Not so with Old Friends. While it is, in fact, packed with the gorgeous photographs of horses for which Barbara Livingston is so deservedly well-known, every horse in here also has a small essay from Ms. Livingston, making this more a trip down memory lane than a photography book. Some of the horses in here are some of the best-known horses on the continent (Spectacular Bid, for example), some are well-known in their region of the States (Zuppardo's Prince, the leading stallion in Louisiana most years), and some even the most hardcore horseplayer has long forgotten, or never heard of in the first place. Livingston treats them all with equal dignity, and by the end of the book, we feel like we know these horses, too.

A number of the horses here, since (and in a few cases before) the book was published, have died, and any of the rest of them are going to succumb to the ravages of old age within the next few years. But while some of their names will live in the lore of horse racing forever, Livingston has here ensured that many of the others will also not be forgotten.

A fantastic book, and well worth having. **** ½

Old Friends sits right next to Hillebrand's Seabiscuit in my equine library. It is a modern day classic.

These noble horses get loving and magnificent treatment from Livingston's prose and photographic talent.

Old Friends is a joy; a treasure. No racing enthusiast should be without this incredible book.

I bought this book after hearing about the death of the great Ferdinand.
This book shows many of the great ones that have come along, many that are still breeding and many that are living out the rest of their days in quiet comfort. Livingston is a fan of all of these horses, writing as if each one is her own. I read this book in one sitting, crying and laughing all at the same time.

I can't help but think of all the horses that didn't make it, the horse that met the same end as Ferdinand. The one's that were bred for speed but couldn't quite turn it on at the right time. The horses in this book were and are all very, very lucky indeed.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author at Gulfstream Park . She was doing a book-signing at the Florida Derby and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. She is a kind and gracious lady. She took her time with everyone who approached her. I was already planning to purchase book and was so happy to get an autographed copy! The pictures are incredible and the grace and dignity she conveys with them is perfect for such beautiful animals as thoroughbred horses. I recommend this book to anyone who loves horses or horse racing. As Ms Livingston signed in my book : Track fever is a good thing!"

A must for all fans of NASCAR, whether casual or hard-core. This book traces the sport through the lens of a witty, sophisticated, Springsteen-loving, private-school-educated woman. Liz Clarke is hardly your average NASCAR writer, and this is far from your average NASCAR book. The brilliant character studies here of champions like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt show Clarke's resolve to part NASCAR's curtain and reveal the men who made the sport so much more than simply turning left. Read it and you will be glad that Clarke -- who has written about the sport for years, starting at The Charlotte Observer and now at The Washington Post -- has embraced this sport with her uncommon insight. What this book needs more than anything else is a sequel!

I'm delighted with the book and had a great "ride" reading it. I recommend it to anyone who is a newbie to NASCAR (like I am) or has enjoyed it's growth.

I saw the book report of this book by the author, Liz Clarke, on BOOK TV a few weeks ago and throughly enjoyed it. I am a NASCAR fan of lots of years so naturally I wanted the book. I am so glad I got it for it is one of the best reads I have ever experienced. I would recommend it to anyone, NASCAR lover or not. I have shared the book with some fellow NASCAR followers and each of them has had the same opinion, GREAT READ!

It's a great book. The best thing is buying online thru Amazon. Delivered right to your home, plus save a few bucks also.

With equal parts sports history, business strategy and social commentary, Clarke tracks the rise of NASCAR by focusing on the personalities that made (and continue to make) the sport grow.

If you're looking for a book that recaps significant races or focuses on racing strategy, this isn't it. However, if you want to walk away with the feeling that you've spent an afternoon on Richard Petty's front porch chatting over a few Cheerwines, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this book. Clarke has clearly invested much of herself in NASCAR and the sport has repaid the debt with the gift of its personalities which Clarke presents here as very few could do.

While Clarke clearly loves the sport, she does not sugarcoat some of NASCAR's historic flaws such as the reluctance to quickly address safety issues. In the end, this fast-paced account will leave you with some great insight and knowledge that will serve you as well in Hueytown, Alabama as it will on Madison Avenue.

I laughed. I learned. I loved Open Net.

Plimpton summarizes (page 254) his experience with the Bruins to Junior Achievers in Edmonton, "I described some of my brief forays into sports as a participatory journalist, and what it was like, and how I envied the athletes their skills and the fellowship, but how I had always left their camps with a faint twinge of relief that I was returning to my own world..."

Plimpton is the vanguardist for creative-nonfiction/participatory journalism, and Open Net is the standard by which other hockey books should be measured. I envy not his weak ankles, for they're as instable as his writing is strong, but rather his wit and way of balancing humor and enlightenment.

I didn't grow up in New England, but I suspect those that have will still enjoy the way Plimpton brings back to life the boldness and brashness, the grit and the glory, of the Big Bad Bruins.

From Plimpton's interaction with the likes of "Grapes" and "Taz" and with goalies "Seaweed," and "Cheesy" to our hero's own moment in the crease, you'll want to stand up and cheer!

If you enjoy Ice Hockey, especially from a historical perspective, this is the book to read. Fans of Don Cherry will love this book.

THIS IS ONE OF PLIMPTON'S BEST. I REALLY ENJOYED HIS STORY PLAYING GOAL FOR THE BRUINS. HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS PLAYERS AND COACHES ARE EXCELLENT. HIS DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EVENTS MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE RIGHT THERE ON THE ICE WITH HIM. PLIMPTON DOESN'T WASTE TOO MUCH TIME DESCRIBING HIS SURROUNDINGS LIKE HE DOES IN OTHER BOOKS. HE GOES STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. SOME HIGHLIGHTS ARE DESCRIBING HOW HE PUTS HIS UNIFORM ON IN A DETAILED ORDER, OLD STORIES ABOUT EDDIE SHORE, AND HIS ACTUAL TIME ON THE ICE PLAYING GOAL DURING A COUPLE OF EXHIBITION GAMES MAKE THIS A GREAT READ.

As a big hockey fan, and a goaltender, this was just required reading. Yet, it turned out to be more. This well written, quick read was a gas to enjoy and quote. I will be glad to read others by George Plimpton, and I'm already on the hunt for PAPER LION.
I guess thats my ringing endorcement. If I'm looking to read a book on football, the author must be wonderful. Quick, funny, well written, and vastly enjoyable, you wont regret buying this book, no matter what the price.

George Plimpton once again dons a uniform and plays a game. This time he tackles hockey while training with the Boston Bruins.
Plimpton does a wonderful job of painting a realistic view of life as a goalie. He uses the voices of other players to help the story along, rather than as just filler from big names. He also tells his tale without a lot of false excitement. You can tell he totally loves the experience, yet at times, you can see the effort does drain him (naturally).
His comments about and conversations with the likes of 'Seaweed' Pettie, Garry Cheevers and Don Cheery really add a lot of depth to the book. In conversations I have had with some of these men, I clearly got the point that they enjoyed this as much as Plimpton did and as much as I did as a reader.
This is a great read for the unfulfilled athlete in all of us.

There is a lot of good information in this book, but most of it can be found toward the beginning. The tips on predicting the weather alone could be worth the price of the book. However, the maps of the various waterways were absolutely terrible. I would recommend this book for a general overview and lots of tips and tricks for paddlers, and the two "Canoeing and Kayaking the Streams of Florida" guides for detailed information on specific waterways.

Well, I've typed this twice, I think. Anyway, the writer has a good sense of humor, and I'd like to paddle with her sometime. Each chapter has a story to go with it, from Indian history to digging fossils to fishing to how NOT to cook on a week long canoe camping trip.

I'll use this book often.

I found the book "Paddler's Guide" easy to find ones way around in through a well organized index. The locations that I looked up i.e. Chassahowitzka and Weeki Wachie rivers had all the info that one could possible need to set off on a paddle.
Very important though is to read first the initial chapters on Tips for Paddling. Their is a wealth of information in this book. Congratulations.

After much looking around, this is the first book I actually bought. Its got very detailed, practical information on most of the waterways, but doesn't even mention some beautiful rivers that I've paddled in the central area of the state. While the text was excellent, I found the maps to be confusing and lacking in detail about ramps and access roads, compared to my personal knowledge of the roads and waterways of some areas. Its one of the most recently written books on this subject, so the information is probably the most current. It is not just a dry info book, but includes humorous stories about paddling and camping, altho the author writes as if she would enjoy the outdoors much more without all that pesky wildlife! Still, I highly recommend this book for planning your next outing.

The lady who wrote this book must be a lot of fun to paddle with. Her dry humor shows up in every chapter. I'd like to meet her in person.
Besides a great deal of advice about problems specific to Florida, she gives a number of safety tips. I almost felt like I was being mothered.
Obviously an experienced writer, Sandy Huff has a story to tell about each destination, ranging from history to botany to birding to how NOT to cook while camping. I also intend to put a stick of hot glue and a book of matches in my emergency kit from now on.
Very enjoyable reading, and probably the most comprehensive where-to book ever pubished for canoers and kayakers about Florida waters. I'll go back to this book often

This book was a favorite of my two daughters, and now my 18 month old son loves it as well. The rhythm of the text, and the realistic illustrations, are very appealing to toddlers. Although my son can't say the words yet, he tries to "sing" along. This is one of those books that a child will consistently bring back to you again and again!

My 7 month old LOVES this book. The pictures are beautiful and the words are lyrical. They really keep him captivated!

This is a favorite of my daughter's! When we sit to read, it is one she reaches for again & again! The rhyme makes the book a joy to read & my daughter gets into the "beat"! Now that her vocabularly is expanding (2 yrs old) she loves to "read" the book herself, exclaiming in excited tones the "boom, boom, bang" clatter of pans! A "must-have for a toddlers library, you won't be sorry about this purchase!

This book can be read very quickly for the impatient baby, or savored for the older toddler. The pictures are cute, and the main adult in the story is the father. My toddler liked the presence of the dog and cat. She enjoyed the book since she was 8 months old. It is not one of her favorites now at 2 1/2 but we still read it occasionally since it only takes about 2 minutes to get through. The rhythm and rhyme flow well.

This would make a great baby gift!

Jennifer Clauson

We just received this book as a gift a few days ago and my 2-year old son has asked Mommy to read it no fewer than twenty times already! The sing-song rhyme pattern is lots of fun, somewhat similar to Boynton in Barnyard Dance, another of our favorites. We get loud and crazy when we read this one! The illustrations are lovely and provide lots of scope for discussion and I Spy games. This is a terrific book and I would be surprised if your child didn't enjoy it tremendously!

Very easy to read and well laid out. A brilliant book for beginners like me, keen to learn not just the right techniques, but also the theory behind them.

I think this book shows you the art and science of fly fishing. this one was best among the books I read for flyfishing. It changed what I see at the stream. After this book, the streams were not the same as I had seen before..

A great guide to approaching the river in a strategic way with methods that can be adapted to whatever conditions you face on the water. I think it's the most useful book on the subject, and is great for anglers of any level of skill.

Once you've figured out what rod, reel, line, leader, tippett, etc, to buy and you've learned to cast half way decently then this is THE book to buy. After you've finished reading it, go back and STUDY it. Excellent advice in a very readable straight forward manner.

If you want to learn to catch trout in almost any situation you will encounter then this is the book for you. Written in Tom's low-key style. Solid information. I have been trout fishing, and reading trout fishing books for forty years. I learned more from this book than anything else I ever read. Another must have is Rosenbauer's "Reading Trout Streams.

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.

A fine memoir of a life in and around horse racing, especially steeplechasing. Well-written and moving.

Great book , but it has some bad language in it . I recomend it for people sixteen to thirty , not much of a kids book . I haven't finished it yet , on chapter 12 . Great for someone into extreme sports , like skateboarding , snowboarding , surfing , or BMX .

Wow, what else needs to be said about Mat Hoffman? He's the godfather of pretty much everything bmx freestyle. Whether it be street, ramp, vert, big ramp whatever. Mat was busting out all the biggest and gnarliest tricks and creating this big book of tricks almost the size of your typical yellow pages book. Alot of the stuff Mat did back in the 80s and early 90s-- well it would be rare not to see any rider from today not pulling the same tricks. And he invented most of those tricks. Hell, I do alot of the tricks Mat invented haha. Let's not forget he was also the first person in the world to ever pull a 900 on a vert ramp. Even rollerbladers and skaters weren't doing 900s and their rotations are easier since they don't have the weight of a 30 lb bike between their legs.

Mat did pretty much everything on his bike. He's one of the few vert riders in the world who can probably say there's nothing left to do on his bike anymore, but that's not gonna stop him from riding.

In this book you'll read about his life on and off his bike. I don't want to get into detail here since it covers alot, but even if you don't ride bmx and are looking for something to read about somebody who pushed the limits of gravity and inspired many riders today, then add Mat Hoffman's autobiography to your list.

Let's not forget he was also the first person to pull off the flair and will probably be the only person on the entire planet to pull a no handed 900 on vert... and I'm serious about that. And I'm pretty sure no one else is gonna huck themselves 50 feet in the air being pulled from a motorcycle.

One word to describe the sky flying superman of BMX.....DARING! This man has broken enough bones to have the hospitals on speed dial! Hes amazing in every way a rider living his dreams just like the others. Mat is not just a rider though hes an artist in the sky. His bike is the brush and the ramp is his canvas. He is the creater and godfather of biking today. He is like tupac, always remebered. Mat you have taught me more of how to have fun and get out their. Now i know to never get knocked down without a fight!

ok this book is awsome the only book i have ever enjoyed reading i have read this book 3 times and still doesent get old its cool to see how someone so great go to were he is todaybuy this book as soon as possible i recommend it

My brother, an avid BMX'er, loved this book! He's not much of a reader but I think he liked the short tidbids about Mat Hoffman. A great gift idea for the cyclist in your life.