Sports Books

Like the previous volume, Back Kick, this book will really improve your kicking ability. Imagine a whole book devoted to a single technique!! First of all, I like the analogy of this kick to the swing of a golf club. I had never thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense. The basic description of the kick is filled with various check points at all of the steps of the technique so that you can check to make sure you are performing the kick properly.
As with the first book, my only complaint is that the section on applications has mistakes that the reader is supposed to find rather than showing correct form.
In spite of this one flaw, this book is a keeper!!

I read this book and at first glimpse I thought it was boring. Then one of the references early in the book started to make since. Shawn said that learning to kick is like learning to swing a golf club or something like that. Then it started to click. These books are to be used in conjunction with training. They are your coach and instructor away from class. They will help you to reconstruct your kicking style. You will kick better and perhaps stronger, with correct technique, than you ever have before.
I have only read two of the books in the series but they are both excellent and I hope to get the complete series. I recommend these books to all students and especially to new instructors that may not have all the technical knowledge to teach kicking techniques. I see why they refer to Shawn Kovacich as "the Professor of kicking".

Wheel Kick (Achieving Kicking Excellence, Vol. 2) is, like the 1st volume in the series, an incredibly scholarly work.

Though some issues arise for owners of multiple books in the series (namely, a few sections which are nearly direct cut-paste jobs in each manual), nothing is so detrimental as to make it a poor purchase. On the contrary, I believe these to be incredibly important books, as this kind of scholarly approach to a specific technique is very rare, but very useful. Every practitioner could benefit from having a catalogue of this type of work available for each of the techniques in his/her art. Perhaps someday that will be a reality.

The pictures throughout the book are clear, and the diagrams of muscle/bone relationships and how they relate to the kick are very informative and helpful.

Unlike the first volume in the series, I didn't notice nearly as many editing errors in this volume, making it far easier to read.

This series is incredible in the sheer amount of technical detail it imparts, and is truly unique amongst its peers for that reason. I highly recommend Achieving Kicking Excellence to every martial artist who seeks to enrich his/her kicking skills.

(This review based on a final copy of the book provided by the publisher)

The author in writing, "Wheel Kick, Achieving Kicking Excellence", has provided the martial arts practitioner with a good resource for improving their kicking techniques. Much of the opening chapters on Anatomy, and warm ups is repeated from the Authors Back Kick book. I believe this is a good idea, as it allows a person to only purchase the books on the kicking techniques the practitioner is interested and still get this valuable information.
The author starts out with the basic principles of the kick and moves to the basic turning wheel kick. From there, the variations of the wheel kick are described in detail. The author goes on to include training methods, troubleshooting guide and applications of the wheel kick.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their wheel kick and have found the other books in the series to be very helpful in my training as well.

The technical accuracy and detail of this book is phenomenal. In my experience, most training books that detail technique are too vague to be of practical importance, but this book is the exception. Some of the movements are broken down into forty or fifty elements so that you can go right down the line to correct problems in a logical and sequential manner. There are ample progressive photographs, diagrams and illustrations to effectively guide your training and foster great improvement. I can't think of anything that is missing here from discussions of anatomy and biomechanics, all the way through troubleshooting and Q and A. The writing style is concise and quite lucid. If I could have just one training series to help me with my kicking technique, this would be it.

This is a great resource for teaching kids to hit. Easy to follow, laid out very well.

This is by far the best resource that I've found, and I've seen many, for teaching players the proper swing and approach to hitting. Get it and use it, you won't be disappointed. Appropriate for all age groups.

This book has a lot of good advice. It has additional information for "advanced" hitters, so the separate section does not overwhelm the reader for the majority of applications.

The pictures are clear and very helpful. Each section requiring one has one or more. There are many nuggets hidden here -- I learned one that I had not known in about 15 years of playing and "coaching" (as the author puts it).

Especially good for kids in Little League, so check it out!

It works very well. Our 9-10 girls just finished in 2nd in the state LL tournament. I was the batting coach and our girls carried a team average of .362 against state-level pitching! I have a shelf full of books and tapes. If I had to pick a keeper, this would be it. The first tape is excellent, too.

The pidgeon-toe stance and the inward turn (we call it "tuck") will improve bat speed, power, and balance.

My son is really starting to get into baseball, so I wanted to make sure I knew enough about hitting to get him started in the right direction.

Dusty Baker's book is teriffic because it breaks down the swing into several components. My boy is only 5, so it would be counter-productive to try and cram every component down his throat. Instead of doing that, I was able to keep him focused on one thing at a time - basically, building his swing from scratch. Important basics like "head down, eyes on the ball," and generating power with your lower body are explained well, and given drills or mnemonic devices to help retention, etc.

After working with him for one month, using Dusty Baker's book as my guide, my son had a noticeably better swing, and (amazingly for a 5-year old) better focus at the plate. He was always good at making contact, but this book helped put his swing together and give him better power without sacrificing his ability to get the bat on the ball.

Whether you know a lot about hitting, or you were a novice like me, this book really does live up to its title. Even my wife has picked up on the components of a swing, and can remind my son of something when he's playing around and I'm not there. There are other books that get more philosophical and go deeper (like Charlie Lau, Sr.'s), but for a FIRST book, that helps you teach, this one is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I first saw this story on the discovery channel and could not wait to read the book.
I was so glad to find a copy on Amazon.
This story is true and very sad you will feel as if you are in that raft with Debbie and Brad they were lost at sea for about 5 days and had to fight off sharks and stay alive. It started out with 5 John Mark Meg Debbie and Brad.
only Debbie and Brad made it. This book will keep you reading well into the night to finish.
It is a great read!

ALBATROSS is a gripping story of survival and agonizing death at sea--the sinking with the loss of three lives of the yacht TRASHMAN off the Carolina coast. The author pulls no punches and tells a tale of human suffering, weakness, and malice that left this reader shaken by its bluntness, realism, and intensity.

The story is told in a direct and clear manner that inescapably draws one in to its nightmarish hell. Besides a sea story it is also a story of a young person's stuggle with her own demons.

Why read such a painful book? One important life lesson that we must learn from this account is not to leave port unprepared. In some ways, I would urge all boaters to read this book just to have that lesson hammered in. As a boater I came away with the deep conviction that I don't ever want to come anywhere near going through anything like what the crew of TRASHMAN went through.

As presented by the author, the tragedy was entirely the result of the incompetence, alcoholism, and carelessness of the captain and other crew members. I must confess, however, that when I reflected on the author's tale I could not help wondering how objective it was. She is so unremittingly critical--bitterly critical--of John and Mark that I began to doubt the clarity of her vision. I would love to get the account of the other survivor. There are several mysteries about the tragic sinking of TRASHMAN that remain troubling and unresolved.

Nevertheless Debby's tale is one that will move in and rearrange your mental furniture, especially if you are a boater or have ever been to sea in a small boat.

I received this book today and have read it in one sitting, just couldn't put it down. It is both a fasinating and horrific true story of this womans fight for survival in the open seas. It is written in an easy to follow style. Definately worth the read!!

Heard ALBATROSS: THE TRUE STORY OF A WOMAN'S SURVIVAL AT SEA by Deborah Scaling Kiley and Meg Noonan . . . it is the tragic tale of what was supposed to be a simple boat trip that wound up as a nightmare . . . several of the crew members perished; what was more interesting to me was the story of how the survivors made it.

I've read other "how I survived at sea" books before . . . this was the first one, though, that I've come across written by a woman . . . what I'll remember: when your instincts tell you something, listen . . . Scaling Kiley, unfortunately, did not.

I liked her special introduction at the beginning of the cassette tapes . . . I also liked the work of Karen Allen--a talented actress that I don't see nearly enough--who did an excellent job with the narration.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I had seen Deborah and Brad's story on "I Shouldn't Be Alive" series, where they showed re-enactments and now and then broke away to the two actual survivors telling their story. I just knew she had written about this, so I looked it up on Amazon.

The story is told in very colorful prose. I could hear the sailboat slicing through the water, could see the pewter waves and dark sky. I could almost feel the sharks bumping the underside of the rubber raft with their rough skin.

Debbie is brutally honest, which adds to the credibility and interest of her story. She opens up and really lets us into her ordeal, and adds extra bits of information and impressions, like when she had her head under water looking for sharks and saw the beauty of the school of doradoes. So descriptive, I could see it.

This is also a story of triumph, as Debbie deals with strong emotions in the months and years after the tragedy. I'm glad she pulled through it all and wrote the book. I recommend this book for teens as well as adults.

This book offers very practical advice in making the transition to free heel skiing. It is very well written.

In spite of all the ridiculous pictures (or because of them?) I've found this small book provides a lot of helpful reminders on how to ski on teles. It's a complex turn to learn, but the book does a good job of showing the beginning tele-skier what might be going on. Take this with you to the slopes and stash it with your things, it could help you puzzle out why your turn isn't working. I'm definitely bringing it with me this season.

I have been telemark skiing for probably 15 years. If you can get the tips in this book into your head you will telemark ski well. Each of the tips are laid out well with great illustrations and humor worthy of Mad magazine. Whether you are an advanced skier seeking improvement or a beginner I doubt there will ever be a better book to help you out to master telemark skiing.

This is the classic comic book version of a telemark skiing text book: brief, clear narrative accompanying excellent cartoon drawings. The book shows both old style (knee down) and new style (no deep dips, feet never widely separated front to back) telemark techniques without really distinguishing between the two but, if you follow the exercises and advice, your skiing will improve. An enjoyable read, an attractive style and price.

You really need Parker's book to understand the tips of this juvenile book. But once you've read Parker's book you immediately realise that this book is just collection of tips from Parker drafted in comics. Without explanations of course. I don't do anything unless I believe the tip is sound and this book does not convince me. Yeah, it's funny for a while but it does not supply the enthusiast the facts really needed to improve in free heels stuff.

Thought this book was really good. Lots of little tidbits of knowledge that you may have heard or didn't ever think about. Presented for all ages and all skill levels.

I teach a beginning backpacking class for adults and have used several books over the past 15 years. This is the 2nd year that I have used the Allen & Mike's book and it is a much easier read. Students and instructors both like the illustrations as it makes it faster to get through the information. Much more enjoyable than standard textbooks, but with a lot of valuable information.

A friend suggested I read this book before my first backpacking trip. It is a very fast and fun read with tons of useful information. My friend, who is a very experienced backpacker and NOLS alumni, was amazed at the amount of knowledge I acquired just from the book and has since purchased his own copy for reference. I highly recommend this book to any beginner or expert who needs a refresher!

The author shares his substantial experience with the reader in a uniquely entertaining manner, and the illustrator complements the light-hearted style of the author with [occasionally] hilarious visuals. The character of this book will attract everyone in the household; even those without camping or backpacking experience will find it easy-to-read and interesting. For those already bitten by the 'outdoor bug', new insights presented by the author force us to reconsider our position on a variety of subjects.

Unlike so many of its kind, this book is comprehensive without being obscure; no lessons on building water bucket baskets or how to skin and dry moose meat for the winter. This handbook addresses the basics of backpacking with enthusiasm, and it proves contagious for the reader.

Reading this book reminds me that it's possible to learn from all types of backpackers. The book is well written and illustrated. The illustrations have ideas that are not always in the text.

Allen O'Bannon clearly is not in the lightweight backpacking camp, which I am. O'Bannon writes about heavy pack loads (how to properly put on a heavy pack) and leather hiking boots. The book is loaded with ideas that will be interesting to all backpackers. I wouldn't recommend the book to someone just starting out with backpacking. For those readers I would give it just two stars. However, I would recommend it for a current backpacker that wants some fresh ideas or a fairly new backpacker that has read a couple books on lightweight backpacking first. The book isn't loaded with a lot of fluff that can be found everywhere. It is also easy to read and not nearly as boring as many backpacking books.

For those acquainted, even indirectly, with the world of rowing, this book represents a fantastic story of a rebellious rower and his desire to win an olympic gold medal on his own terms. After his dramatic loss in the single scull trials on Lake Carnegie, being denied a spot in one of the national selection camp boats, and having to relocate to the east coast despite his west coast upbringing, he somehow won the national trials, made the team, and then won the olympics. He became the best in the world months after being denied a spot as one of the top 6 in his own country. This was, and still is, unprecedented in almost any sport ever. Take that inspirational story and couple it with Lewis' knack for capturing the aggression of a young non-conformist and "Assault On Lake Casitas" becomes the second best rowing book ever. (The best rowing book ever is "The Amateurs" by David Halberstam. If you read either of these books, it is imperative that you read the other. If you've read none, it is imperative you read both.)

I'm a rower and I didn't know anything about this book before I read it. I met Brad Lewis while I was at the San Diego Crew classic in March 2003 and I was very impressed with his character, so I bought his book. The competetive shark found in the book was chillingly inspirational on what it takes to be a champion, but I must admit that the Brad in the eighties is not the same Brad of today. Ever since he stopped competing, he has calmed that anger within him. I think it has made him a better Journalist because his writing keeps getting better.
Read this book if you are interested in knowing what goes through the head of a competetive rower and the sacrifices Brad made to get that gold medal.

as a long time, fanatic, and not especially talented rower i was pretty surprised i had never heard of this book when lewis himself foisted it on a friend of mine at the 2004 head of the charles. after leafing past the disturbing cover art, the book itself traces his long quest for gold culminating in the 1984 LA olympics. this book is all rowing, so if you are interested in crew, or any seriously competitive athletics, like i suspect you'll find reading it to be the purest pleasure, if not, let's just say there's no love angle to carry it along. but for those in pursuit of excellence: what a tremendous read! lewis is relentless, and he's a superb story-teller. i'm so happy to finally discover a companion to the only other great rowing book i've ever found, also culminating in the 1984 olympics, david halberstam's `the amateurs'.

I bought this book a couple of years ago when I was doing some rowing. I also bought it because of the great reviews at Amazon.com. I will add my voice to those who have written here: this is a very special story and is much more than a book about rowing--it is a book about overcoming obstacles, persevering in the face of unbelievable odds and understanding that the process is as valuable and prized as the final result. It is not a book about the means justifying the ends. It is a book about building a foundation and building upon that foundation and not taking any shortcuts. Lewis is a superb writer and the speed of his narrative matches the strength of his oar strokes. I have given it as a gift to people I really care about.

Brad Lewis' "Assault on Lake Casitas" is bar none the finest book ever written, not just on the sport of rowing, but on the unflaging pursuit of excellence. A powerfully gripping read from cover to cover, Lewis's description of the training, trials, heats and finals of his 1984 olympic campaign captures the essence of competitive rowing. Like many of the other reviewers, I too read Lewis' heart stopping description of his Grand Final race before races-no other book captures with such power the emotions which crew illicits. A triumph of determination and perseverence, Lewis' story is a great, great read.

This was a great read for a person new to the horse breeding and horse racing scene. Lots of interesting information on these 3 great horses and the world of those who love horses.

Linda Hanna's book shares a characteristic with the horses she describes: heart. Her love of the horses and the sport permeates the book. One thing that distinguishes the book is the extensive research that is accurately documented in the 23 pages of bibliography. Based on this research, she has written a highly readable book that introduces readers to the sport of horse racing as well as to the lives of three remarkable horses.

the book was interesting but she kind of wrote it twice within one book, short and easy. read in one day.

I purchased this book over the Internet. I had followed the careers of Smarty Jones and Barbaro as a devoted fan--Barbaro's death really effected me after so many months of hoping and praying.I thought that this book would give me more information on the lives of the owners, the races of the horses and their appeal to the nation. I would have to say that it was much more than that--it is a CLASSIC. I learned SO much about thoroughbred racing, its traditions, its audience, its attempt to help horses and their legacies. What a powerful and wonderful read!!!! Kudos to the author!!

This is one of the BEST books EVER written about these 3 outstanding, magnificent Thoroughbreds! Their greatness that touched millions, was gone all too soon, tragically for these 3 youngsters...the author captures every aspect and the research done to compile such a GREAT masterpiece, is like no other! Reading this book, makes you feel like you are a part of it and you just can't put it down! As a Thoroughbred owner/rescuer and avid follower of racing greatness, I learned some things that I did not know or fully understand...the book made me see it more clearly. I only wish the author, who could not have then known, that another untimely death in TB Racing, was about to make history...if that story could have also been incorporated into this book. The "Eight Belles" tradgedy...another story of SUPERB GREATNESS needing to be told; another book for Linda to write? THANK YOU LINDA HANNA*****

I've been fly fishing for over 30 years and live in the epicenter of fly fishing in Montana. I learned a ton from this book ("Barr Flies"). I caught more trout over 20 inches this Summer on the Beaverhead than any time in the past. Filled with great, very specific tactics. Thanks John Barr.

I am usually pretty picky on my fly pattern books and get most of them off the internet. This is a reallyg good addition to your tying library and has lots of info, pictures and organized well. I keep it next to my bench when I get ready to go chase the trout or warmwater fish. Great for remembering patterns I had tied or finding new ones to try.

Barr Flies: How to Tie and Fish the Copper John, the Barr Emerger, and Dozens of Other Patterns, Variations, and Rigs
I have purchased and read many books in the last few years regarding tying and fishing,but this book not only is well-written and enjoyable to read but it just may give you some new weapons in your fishing arsenal! The photography is excellent and Mr Barr's flies,tying techniques and practical suggestions as to how to fish these flies is wonderful.You will not be dissapointed with the purchase of this book!

It is hard to imagine that anyone pursuing trout on flies could have walked into a fly shop in the past five years and not have walked out with one of John Barr's flies. Even harder to imagine is that this same angler has never heard of a Copper John or a Barr Emerger. Walking into several fly shops in the past four months around the country, I can attest not only to the popularity of his patterns, but the more than enthusiastic reception this book has received among the fly fishing faithful.

I admit to having tied my own Copper John's for years, now. While I doubt that the effectiveness of my flies will change much now that I tie them in de facto Barr style, the step-by-step instructions and photographs sure have them looking just flat-out better than anything turned out at the vise previously. From a standpoint of personal pride alone, this book may be worth the purchase.

John's commentary on the development of the patterns is good entertainment, but what I found to be of great value were his explanations for why he was driven to imitate the food organisms he has included (i.e. why they are important to the trout), how to fish them best, and overall how these flies are incorporated into his own personal system of fishing. The final pages provide photographs and explanations of four fly boxes (which may have been featured in an issue of "Fly Fisherman" previously - I have not bothered to check) containing the book's patterns in an array of colors and sizes, in addition to a few other popular western fly patterns. I know I stand on thin and melting ice at the mere suggestion of such a notion, but the thought of consolidating one's fly assortment to just four boxes and covering all of the bases likely to be met on-stream just sounds outrageously tempting. Perhaps when I have put 200 days on the water for the next 10 years and have 20 original patterns designed to tackle all of the challenges faced in that time, I will be able to do so. In the meantime, why start re-inventing the wheel? A great book, whether you want to subscribe to a complete fishing system, learn a few new techniques and flies to add to your arsenal, or just make your own flies look better.

I just wanted to put in my two cents about this great book and Barr flies in general. I hesitated to try Barr flies for a long time thinking them "Western" flies that our Eastern trout might find insulting. I tied up some Copper Johns and slumpbusters for a Western trip and they worked great in Northern Idaho. So one day I gave them a try on a tough Eastern stream and they worked super here too(helped me avoid a skunk.) They have definately earned a permanent place in my flybox. I'm sure they will in your's too if you give them a try.

With the backdrop of the emerging black middle-class in segregated Washington, D.C., during World War II, author Brad Snyder tells the compelling story of two baseball clubs and the push to integrate one professional league.

There is Homestead Grays founder Cum Posey, who is looking to relocate his franchise from Pittsburgh before the start of the 1940 season. And there is Clark Griffith, owner of the pathetic Washington Senators, who can briefly shuffle aside his racism for a business deal that will bring a new revenue stream to his bank account when the team is playing away from Griffith Stadium.

This initial tenuous partnership delivered a surprise to Griffith; the Grays exemplary play on the field found them outdrawing the cellar-dwelling Senators and galvanizing a new generation of baseball fans. That success - even with onerous stadium leases common when NLB teams played in facilities used by Major League Baseball clubs - helped propel the integration of MLB in 1947.

The era is also seen through legendary sportswriters Sam Lacy & Wendell Smith, Buck Leonard - the greatest pro first baseman - and in the offices of MLB, especially the Senators.

Griffith - who certainly could have worked out some type of agreement with the Grays for players to bolster the Senators before the Dodgers signed Robinson - was only a pioneer in segregation, integrating his team seven years after Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers and ultimately fleeing Washington, D.C., relocating his team to the whiter Minneapolis-St. Paul market.

With the success of Robinson came the slow disintegration of NLB - the league that was truly integrated on the field, in the stands and in the front offices - as MLB teams raided the club rosters for established stars and began scouting & signing younger players to contracts.

Snyder has brought this forgotten period beyond the shadows of the simplistic retelling of the past that plagues all levels American history.

Let me be clear, this is a great book, rather than just a very good one. In nine chapters, plus an introduction and conclusion, Washington, D.C., based attorney turned writer has told the powerful and sometimes provocative story of how the Homestead Grays moved to Washington, D.C., and set the stage for the breaking down of the color line in Major League Baseball (MLB). In this important book Brad Snyder moves beyond the singular actions of Branch Rickey's Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson, which most people are familiar with, to explore the broader implications of race relations in baseball during the 1940s.

In telling this story, "Beyond the Shadow of the Senators" is filled with heroes and villains. The most significant hero is unquestionably Sam Lacy, a black writer with the "Washington Tribune," a weekly oriented toward D.C.'s large African American community, who consistently called for the desegregation of MLB. Also heroic are the great stars of the Negro Leagues, especially Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson, all of whom came to Washington to play before large crowds in the nation's capital. They demonstrated through their exploits the quality of talent in the Negro leagues, especially when juxtaposed against the hapless play of the Washington Senators of the American League. The villains include Clark Griffith, the financially strapped owner of the Senators whose willingness to rent Griffith Stadium to the Grays proved lucrative, and Grays owner Cumberland Posey who shifted his team from the Pittsburgh area to Washington to cater to the large middle-class African American community in Washington. Both Griffith and Posey had every reason to keep the segregated system intact because of the money they made. Moreover, Griffith was a blatant racist who integrated reluctantly and eventually moved the Senators from Washington to Minneapolis-St. Paul because, as he said in 1978, "you've got good, hardworking white people here" (p. 289).

Ranging broadly from social history to baseball and back, Snyder captures the essence of the history of the Senators, the Grays, and wartime Washington's racial situation. It is a story of love and hate at the same time, as well as the quest for dignity of the minority population in a divided city. "Beyond the Shadow of the Senators" is a powerful book. Enjoy.

Brad is an excellent researcher and writer. This book is not only enjoyable but educational. I met Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe and Lester Lockett, two former Negro League players, a few years ago and their stories started my interest. Brad fed that interest beautifully. I look forward to Brad's next book on Curt Flood and the reserve clause. His attention to detail is consistent with his legal background.

Tim Moreland, PhD
Salisbury, NC

"Beyond the Shadow of the Senators'' is a must read for any serious student of baseball history. The author put a massive amount of research into this engaging account, of which I knew nothing even though I grew up in Washington not long after these events took place. This is an outstanding work in every regard. I have never met the author and I am not an African-American (not that anybody should care); I am just a fan of baseball and its history. If you are, too: Read this book.

This is a great, and true-to-life (i.e., "complex") story about the institution of 'Negro' League baseball and the various parties who profited and railed against it.

Key people that are introduced and brought to life are:
Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson -- three of the greatest ballplayers who ever lived;
Clark Griffith -- the pioneering, penurious and controlling owner of the Washington Senators;
Sam Lacy -- the ahead-of-his-time, DC-native who tirelessly advocated for the integration of Major League Baseball; as well as
Cum(berland) Posey -- the shrewd owner of the Homestead Grays -- the dominant team of the loosely confederated Negro Leagues during the late 30's and 40's.

Tangential to this story are:
the decimation of the post 1933 Senators, mostly due to finances and an inadequate ballpark;
the relative prosperity of Washington DC during the years of the depression and WWII and the partial equality of African-American government workers that led to a vibrant culture and ability to spend on entertainment;
the move by Posey and his "partner" (many of the Negro League baseball teams were financed by numbers entreprenuers) to Washington from their Pittsburgh home and the welcome of their rental payments and gate pctgs. by Clark Griffith;
Judge Landis' death, the increasing awareness of America's incongruity in its fight for freedom and democracy in Europe while maintaining a virtual apartheid culture at home; and
the greed/opportunity of baseball owners to find the best talent at the lowest price which ultimately led to Rickey's "great experiment");

This book also fleshes out the background and conflict around Jackie Robinson, who was rightly judged to be a great man and the right vehicle for Rickey's efforst, and the shared opinions that he was a good, but not all-time great Negro baseball player. [Check out how well a 42-yr old Satchel Paige pitched for the World Championship Indians in 1948.]

The shifts in attitude between "separate but equal" and complete integration by the various parties reveal primarily self-interest. Judged by the standards of our time, I share many others' great respect for Sam Lacy and his tireless, moral advocacy and feel sorry for the Negro League baseball owners who were mostly left with nothing as they rarely had enforceable contracts that protected their relationship with their players.

Clark Griffith was an "innovator" in attracting inexpensive talent from Cuba. Many of these players represented themselves well on the ballfield but would only be acceptable if they were of "Spanish" descent.

Utterly inconceivable now, but the norm for over 60 years (since Cap Anson helped institute the "gentleman's agreement" against employment of African Americans in the early 1880's) was to allow a Major or Minor League ballclup to employ pretty much anyone (Swedes, Germans, Irish, Italians, Jews, etc.) anyone, except African-Americans.

It has often been discussed that without Jackie Robinson (& the parts played by Branch Rickey, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Ben Chapman, etc.) the 1954 "Brown vs. Board of Education" decision would not have happened as quickly.

This book provides a wonderful companion story to the integration of major league baseball which, in my opinion, is one of the most significant stories of 20th Century United States.

When I read the description on the jacket I thought, "No way will this work. He's going to tell us about the 60 rounds he shot, stroke by stroke, such as.... and on the seventh, a tough par five, I got out my trusty three wood etc., etc., etc." It is that but it is more. Slack shares with us the feeling of what it is like to stand at the first tee of a course you have never played on a beautiful spring morning in New England. He introduces us to the people he meets on the course, from the potato farmers of Maine to the Florida "snowbirds" who flew South to escape the Northern winters. Did the book work? I'm getting my clubs ready to try a West Coast version.

Great book on golf. Gives a great look at courses up and down the east coast. There was, however, too much on the history of the towns instead of more on the history of the course and more on the actual rounds he was playing. Was "On The Road" for the golfing enthusiast.

A perfect blend of of travel journal and salute to public golf. Anyone with a high handicap, who has played with bare-chested strangers with even higher handicaps, on crowded bald fairways with bumpy greens, will appreciate this book.

Blue Fairways is thoroughly enjoyable. Slack's sense of humor, coupled with his self-deprecating writing style, make this a must read -- golfer or not. I laughed out loud and also cringed as he described some less-than-stellar golf moments. For those of us who do golf, who couldn't identify with The Look of Pity? Non-golfers will enjoy the way Slack captures what most of us will never have a chance to witness first hand -- the essence of what remains of small towns and hospitality as they teeter on the brink of chain restaurants and cynicism.

If you've ever topped a drive off the first tee or missed a three-footer on 18 while trying record your career low round, you'll be able to identify with Charles Slack's golf game. When it comes to writing, though, he's scratch. One brief example will suffice. Describing the contrast between the front and back nines at the Ponce De Leon course in St. Augustine Florida, he says, "The back nine plunges into the jungle with the suddenness of a Disney ride, into a lush, dark, secretive world of mangrove swamps and ponds curving tantalizingly like lost lagoons. Moving from the ninght to the tenth holes is like putting down a volume of P.G. Wodehouse and picking up Heart of Darkness, all in one morning."

The book is filled with wonderful insights like that one and reminds us on nearly every page of the real reasons why golfers love this sometimes maddening, often magical, game. For those of us who never will have the pleasure of sharing a round with Charles Slack, this book is a delightful substitute.