Players Books

A wonderful well written history of basketball's greatest
players. Any serious fan of the game needs to have this
in their collection.

simple, factual, insightful...this book has it all!!Before reading it I did not know much about the great players, but after reading this book I feel like an expert. Great to compare the past with the present. Kudos!!

This book is fantastic. All the great players are here, and the legendary games.

"Basketball: The Legends and the Game" is a wonderful book for any sports fan. It is well researched, well written and has wonderful photographs. I read the book during the N.B.A. lockout and found it to be a very suitable replacement for the actual game. I highly recommend this book to any basketball aficionado who is interested in learning a great deal about the history of the game.

This hardcover book by Mallozzi is one of my most treasured books. It is a large hardcover book with a glossy front and glossy dustjacket. It features about 300 of basketballs all time great players. Each featured player is allocated a page which has some narrative about the player and his career. There is a 'fact file' on each player which lists : Birthdate, height, length of NBA career, major teams, records/awards. Each feature also had a large photo, generally of the player in action and a smaller photo of the player where available. The photos are in glorious colour apart from the earlier photos of legends such as 'Pistol Pete' Maravich. There are also a number of 'special features' in the book highlighting some great basketballing moments. Full of facts and action photos this book will not disappoint basketball fans. For the older reader this book will bring back fantastic memories. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Superb, essential purchase for basketball and sporting fans alike.

this is delightful reading. There are stories told by the subjects -- and some of them are great story-tellers -- then narratives by the authors summing up each subject's life and career.

This is certainly inspirational in the sense of overcoming obstacles, but it isn't icky. The obstacles include racial prejudice, poverty, health, etc and the subjects range from long-retired players (Mudcat Grant retired after the 1971 season) to current ones (Juan Pierre). The lessons are really aimed at the young adult audience, but as an adult I am enjoying it also.

A fun read!

This book was great fun and appeals to baseball fans of all ages.

It comprises 20 true life stories of baseball players (and one executive) from various eras, allowing the reader to jump around if he chooses selecting to read first the stories of players he remembers best. You really get a sense of each player's personality, making it a quick and fascinating read!

This book is one of the greatest books I have read in a while. I could not put it down once I started to read it. I recommend this for all people, especially baseball fans! Each Chapter is exciting and worded just perfect. All in all, this is a fabulous read and an all-around good book!!!

Great book. Meet the author at a Nationals basebaal game. He has been great e-mailing my son to talk about the book and baseball.

Amazing what the authors coaxed out of their interview subjects. Baseball greats like Whitey Ford share childhood memories likely never before committed to print. In the case of some, like Ron LeFlore, they're not just memories, but admissions.

Since the players covered range from Hall of Fame greats to today's stars, there's something for fans of all ages. My son is consuming this book as fast as I am.

In fact, "Before the Glory" walks in the Sasquatch-sized footsteps of one of baseball's first great classic books: "The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It" by Lawrence Ritter (published in 1966). It was an oral history of the likes of Rube Marquard and Smoky Joe Wood.

I wouldn't be surprised if "Before the Glory" comes to occupy the same cherished place in readers' minds as "The Glory of Their Times" did in mine. A great gift for any young baseball player -- as well as yourself.

This is a great read for any baseball fan. The stories span generations and give you a look into the history of the game and players. Makes you appreciate the nostalgia of America's game.

Since its start in the early-1940s, Baseball Digest has been a credible source for current information and historical recollections on the sport.

This compendium is a terrific tour of the coverage in print and photographs that has been chronicled over the many years. This is an absolute must for a baseball fan or for any reader who is seeking accurate history on the life and times of "The Grand Old Game."

Baseball fans who have a literary love of the sports will appreciate over sixty years of classic baseball stories by the game's leading writers and players in The Best Of Baseball Digest. This is no light treatment: over a hundred articles gathered from issues from the 1940s to modern times appear here, along with over eighty photos: many of them rare. Relive the major plays, players and events of the baseball world in a powerful 'you are there' account; one of the best baseball collections available.

This book is very interesting to read, I enjoyed this book because of the history, the writing of the time and pictures of the players. It has so much to cover, this book could of been twice the size and still not cover all the history. It has a lot of facts and so many great stories of the players, umpires and families of the players. It is a great book to go back to and use for a reference. I give it 5 stars.
If you enjoy this book get the magazine "Baseball Digest" for more great stories.

"The Best of Baseball Digest" is truly the bargain of the century considering it's incredible content. I expected alot from this book and when it finally arrived it exceeded all of my expectations. There are over 116 enjoyable articles on baseball dating back to Baseball Digest's start in 1942. This massive collection of 453 pages is presented in a fashion in which the reader can read an article a day, yet it is entertaining enough to where you may have difficulties putting it down. Some of the baseball articles in this book are: Ty Cobb, How Connie Mack passed up the Babe, The Mickey Mantle I Know, When a Midget Batted as a Major Leaguer, Reggie's Moment, Rickey Henderson, The Day I Collected Babe Ruth's Autograph, When the Red Sox Terminated the Curse of the Bambino, Ichiro Suzuki a Hitting Sensation, and so many more. Not only are these articles written by some of the best in baseball and sports writing, but this book also contains close to 100 pictures that are both rare and shocking. This is truly one of the best baseball book purchases I have ever made. This one will be on my shelf forever to later pick up and be read once again. Robert Pedersen www.fatherachildsright.org

I believe this book is one of the best bridge books I have ever looked into, and I have read or scanned many. My highest recommendation. I bought three.

Well organized and quite cnmplete, this is aa terrific "bible" to have by the bridge table. When we discuss how a hand was bid or played, this becames an invaluable aid.
Too complex for the beginner.

I don't play bridge. My mother, who just turned 80, started playing a few weeks ago. She was studying these handouts that she got from the church's bridge club. I felt she needed a good reference book, with clear illustrations. English is not her first language, and I didn't want something too complicated and not easy to understand. Needless to say, she LOVES this book. Best gift I could have given her. People that have been playing a long time are quite impressed how fast she is learning the game and becoming an accomplished player in just a few weeks. If you're a beginner or advanced player, this book is a must have for your library. Or if you know someone who likes to play, this book will make a Great gift too!

If you're a bridge player you know just how many bridge books are on the market today - but THE BRIDGE PLAYER'S BIBLE offers something different: over 300 examples of how to bid, play, and defend on a range of hands. You can learn strategies, rules, and approaches from key players' techniques and advice, from signals and valuation to planning and deceptive card playing. And each technique receives full illustration for easy learning for novices, too.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The Bridge Player's Bible is a great reference source for the beginning to intermediate bridge player. The book is covers both bidding and the play of the hand. Hundreds of scenarios are covered, ranging from the most basic concepts like a preemptive three bid to more complicated concepts such as numerous types of squeeze plays.

The book is very readable. Each page has two or three subsections, complete with very colorful illustrations and examples. Not only will most players benefit from reading the book from cover to cover, but the bible will continue to be a resource to check on your play and learn how various situations should have been played.

Five stars.

First, the book is very well written and presented. It was entertaining to read. There were some amusing quips.
Second, the hands are excellent. There are a large number of double squeezes, so if you look for them, you can maybe find some of them. Of course these were made at the table under pressure.
Third, the book will make you think about what the hands will look like after a certain number of tricks have been played (i.e. a suit run)

I was a bit surprised at some of the poor defense plays. Perhaps top level card play has improved in 40 years.

Fun, enjoyable book to read. Highly recommended.
If you are not familiar with Double squeezes and Criss Cross squeezes you probably wont get much out of the book. Study for a while and come back in a couple of years.

This is a classic book that everyone should read for the sheer genius of declarer play and defence. Remember these hands were played at this elevated level AT THE TABLE against world-class opposition. It is a shame that Amazon doesn't have this book. For people desperate to read this and who don't want to pay high used prices, it is available new at Baron Barclay's for about twenty-five dollars.

This book deserves us to read it more than three times. Which level the best bridge are? You can find it in this book.

I agree. This is a large collection of hands that were played double-dummy AT THE TABLE. Many themes and combinations come up including squeezes, deceptive plays and defense.

It is too bad Amazon take so long to ship this book. It is widely accepted in the bridge-playing community as one of the best collections of bridge hands, if not THE BEST! The amazing thing is that all the hands described in this book were actually played in real life by the Italian Blue Team. They are not ready-made concoctions. Certainly this book is one of my favorites.

A wonderful keepsake for anyone who was--and still is--a Steve Yzerman fan. A man with incredible accomplishments and integrity, he was a dedicated captain and dedicated to his teammates and his fans. His fans, in turn, were just as dedicated to him. And I think I probably speak for every one of them when I say it was a really sad day when he retired. It was almost like the lights went out in Michigan. We would have been happy to see him in a Red Wings jersey for many years to come. We would have been happy just to see him out there skating around. He is a shining example of what every hockey player should strive to be but he was pretty unique and he'll be hard to beat.

Purchased this as a Christmas gift for a BIG fan of Stevie's and she LOVED IT! Worth the money and "cheaper" than the bookstores!

Outstanding book! It really captured the whole history of Yzerman and his legacy plus legend... This is an outstanding book for both Red Wing and alll hockey fans

This book reminds me a lot of my all-time favorite Yzerman book, "The Making of a Champion," which came out about 10 years ago. It's pretty much the same format - reprints of news articles and photos that appeared in the paper, along with some original features.

Whereas "Champion" covered the first 10 or so years of Stevie's career, "The Captain" covers all of it. The articles, written by Detroit Free Press writers Bill McGraw, Mitch Albom, Nicholas Cotsonika and others, follow Steve from his early days as a teenage Red Wing, referring to Steve as "baby-cheeked" and telling us "if he shaves, it's only for practice" (and that he used to order white milk in bars!); as he becomes The Captain; blossoms into one of the NHL's most prolific goal scorers under Jacques Demers and then a three-time Stanley Cup champion under Scotty Bowman. All while playing for only one team - the Detroit Red Wings.

"The Captain" is a great tribute to a man who personifies the words "class" and "perseverance" and the ice is a colder place without him. This book is a must-have for Yzerman fans everywhere, regardless of which team you cheer for.

The tagline to this book says it all..."22 seasons, 3 cups, one team" and that one team may be more important than the three Stanley Cups. In this era of free agency and mega-million dollar salaries, Steve Yzerman was a rarity...a superstar athlete who played his entire career with just one team. You need only mention "The Captain" to any Detroiter and they will know who you are talking about.

This marvelous book from the Detroit Free Press and Triumph books traces the career of one of the greatest professional athletes in Detroit sports history. The word legend is thrown about quite freely these days but it certainly applies to Yzerman. Here was perhaps the most modest superstar you could ever hope to meet. A fierce competitor on the ice, who over came numerous injuries, and a pure gentleman off the ice, Yzerman retired after the 2005 - 2006 season to take a much deserved spot in the Red Wings front office. More than any other player, coach, or owner, Yzerman was responsible for resurrecting a once great hockey team that had fallen on lean times in the 1970's and early 1980's.

We get to see a young Yzerman, just 18 years old as he shakes hands with team owner Mike Illitch after being selected in the first round...only after the Wings first choice, Pat LaFontaine, was drafted one spot earlier. We can all thank the NY Islanders for that! Yzerman was named team captain in 1986, at just 21 years of age, making him the youngest captain in team history.

The book tracks Yzerman's career, season-by-season, reprinting articles by Free Press writers such as Mitch Albom, Keith Gave, and Nick Cotsonika. Re-live those early playoff disappointments including the Stanley Cup finals loss to New Jersey in 1995. Then relive the glory of 1997 as the Red Wings took revenge on the hated Colorado Avs, first in the regular season, and then in the playoffs, on their way to their first Stanley cup since 1955. Yzerman's visit to the David Letterman Show and the tragic accident of Vladimir Konstantinov is also covered as well as Stevie's career achievements and milestones and his laundry list of injuries suffered throughout his career.

This is a must have for any Red Wings fan!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

This book faithfully recreates the world of Frazier Robinson and the Negro Leagues. Outstanding and fascinating. It would make a perfect gift for any baseball fan. Paul Bauer inserts nothing between you and his subject. It is a must have book for any serious fan of the game.

This is a wonderful book that needed to be written. I had the opportunity to meet Frazier while living and I am so glad that his stories live on in this book. It brings back the memory of the time when players played the game for the love of the game and not for what they were being paid. And worrying about what deal they could acquire in the off season. Also in a time when color mattered over talent it should remind us that never again should we engage in human exclusion

This book tells how things realy were back then. When Mr.Robinson told his story, he did not sugar coat anything. You don't find this in alot of the other books that were written about the Nego Leagues. I highly recommend this to book to any baseball fan.

Being a baseball history buff (addict) for the past 42 years, I've read just about everything I could get my hands on. I cannot now think of an autobiographical book to which I could attach a higher recommendation that "Catching Dreams" by Frazier "Slow" Robinson. This true gentleman travelled the dusty roads that connected the sites of Negro League baseball during the 30's, 40,s and even the 50's. Although produced by the University of Syracuse press, there is no attempt to make the book erudite or complicate it with an assortment of exotic literary techniques and obscure words. Instead, the publisher and co-author, Paul Bauer have presented the story of Slow Robinson in language truly spoken by the man himself. When you read this book, you will feel that you are seated beside Mr. Robinson as he speaks with words, terms and expressions uniquely those of a man with little formal education, who gained his lessons in life on the fly and had to learn his own language. His ability to recall a voluminous list of names and anecdotal material from his experiences, and to relate them descriptively, suggest a man who would have had little trouble dealing with a formal post-secondary school education. His relationships with such Negro League stalwarts as Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Leon Day and Satchel Paige are detailed with humour, insight and compassion. He is forthright without offending his old friends, as in Ball Four by Jim Bouton. In his own words, his goal in life was to be remembered as a nice guy; he passed with flying colors. If you choose only one book to read on this subject, you simply cannot go wrong with Catching Dreams.

I consider myself a student of Negro League history, and I read virtually everything I can locate on the subject. I have also developed friendships with many of these players over the years, and many of them have written books/memoirs regarding their playing days. In speaking with these great pioneers of professional sport, one quickly surmises that certain "stars" spent a fair amount of time embellishing legends and perfecting the art of self-promotion once their playing days ended. A handful have even managed to parlay this ability into a modest supplement to their income via baseball memorabilia shows, and I sincerely hope this trend continues for all who have mastered it.

Truthfully however, this group comprises only a tiny percentage of the remaining Negro Leaguers (they're just the loudest, so they garner the most notoriety, I suppose). Should you attend any gathering of former players, you will notice that these "showmen" are generally shunned or otherwise discredited by their peers. That speaks louder than anything I could write here. While these spotlight-lovers' ability to spin a yarn surely brings furthered interest and financial benefit to personal appearances by ALL former players, it likely also speaks to the historical accuracy one can expect from their books.

A select few didn't go the Barnum route -- they were who they were, they did what they did, and, while proud of their accomplishments on the diamond with arguably the greatest ballplayers of ANY era, they continued to live as they always had after their baseball careers ended. I am thankful when any player publishes a book, but when one of these select players leaves a record of what they saw, heard, accomplished and/or overcame, free of hyperbole, that book takes on a "treasured" status on my bookshelf. More than just a treasure, CATCHING DREAMS is flat-out the best of the genre. Buy it, read it, and learn something. I wouldn't recommend it this highly if it wasn't this good. It is.

Kudos to Paul Bauer for his efforts in faithfully documenting what was said and getting it published. I was fortunate enough to know Mr. Robinson well, and this book is an accurate representation of his character and personality -- it's honest, accurate, and self-effacing. You could waste time and money on lesser efforts by better-known players, or you could read something that captures the feel of a private audience with the author (with the added bonus that it's all TRUE!). I knew him well enough to know. I find myself wishing everyone else could have, too. Trust me. Buy the book.

Please find and read books by these authors, too:

Wilmer Fields (another honest account), Monte Irvin (yet another honest account), Effa Manley (difficult to find, but remarkable), Kevin Keating/Michael Kolleth (guide to the Negro League autograph collecting hobby, exhaustively researched and thoroughly enlightening), Phil Dixon/Patrick J. Hannigan (also hard to find, but still the best collection of negro league photos ever, and also well-researched).

"Chess World Title Contenders and their Styles" --Kopec & Pritchett

The first time I bought a Danny Kopec chess book, my game improved immediately. He never analyses a chess game without revealing some little gem. For example, he will show a Sicilian Defense and discuss how the Maroczy Bind emerges and how it helps or hinders. [ He's got one in this book as well ] Kopec in my opinion is one of the better chess writers. He's not too complicated in his presentation.

The games of these "World Title Contenders" serve as excellent examples. For openings, Kopec shows ample games employing the Ruy Lopez opening, the Sicilian Defense, which is not surprising, since he has authored several books on the Sicilian variations..., Caro-Kann, Petroff, French, Dutch, Alekhine's Defense, King's Indian, Grunfeld Defense, Queen's Indian, and Nimzo Indian, and Queen's Gambit, Benoni, Pirc (pronounced "PEER-TZ"...according to Daoud Zupa).

There's an especially nice biography of WALTER BROWNE, of whom Kopec likes to observe:

"Browne is one of the few Western Grandmasters who as a chess professional has been successful in leading a 'normal family life'...etc." p. 67

The Brown biography is especially informative. Kopec tells how Browne spends his time, in day to day activities. (Brown is extremely active, both mentally and physically).

The final chapter, fittingly, covers Gary Kasparov (a favorite of mine, because he has intellectual depth.) With Kasparov's games, it begins with King's Indian Defense, Samisch Variation and Kasparov has Black. In Game 2, Kasparov with White plays Ruy Lopez, Bird's Variation. In game 7, Kasparov has Black playing a Gambit Benoni. There is a lot of material here worth study.

If there were any complaint at all, it might be something mild regarding the preponderance of Sicilian games. They are not a vast majority, but certainly more than any other offering; but this may be considered an advantage, considering that Kopec probably is more knowledgeable concerning the Sicilian than any other opening.

I often am surprised when publishers try a bit of price gouging, kicking an extra 7 or 8 bucks onto a title's list price, but not so here, which is generally the case with DOVER editions. The list price here is $9.95 and for the analysis given, they might as well be handing these books out for free.

BUY BUY BUY!! If this was a stock I would own the company. This is a great book. Games from all kinds of people from Gary Kasparov to the technical master Andersson. I loved reading the blurb about these guys you really get to learn about them as people. This makes chess more human. The games are amazing. They really summarize how the players play. ALso see if their predictions hold up? The one about Kasparov taking on Karpov does!! I learned a lot about the following interesting people and am waiting for their games to help mine: Tony miles (who passed away recently), Jan Timman, Walter browne, Ulf Andersson, Robert Hubner, Zoltan Ribili, Ljubomir Ljubojevic, and Kasparov. I loved the parts about Ljubojevic and Kasparov. They have great styles which are becoming more popular (thank goodness) that is to ATTACK! Enjoy this book its a deal and a half.

I absolutely love books like these. This book reminds me of Irving Chernev's "The Golden Dozen": Interesting bios of players, games chosen for their beautiful, original play, and no freakishly long, boring, mindnumbing analysis (a la 'John Nunn's Best Games')but just analysis in the right places where you can keep your mind on the whole game and not just parts of it. Everyone needs a book like this (game collections) because while your trying to learn all the nuances of a sharp new opening or how to win rook endings, this book will help to relieve all the science of chess and let you focus on the art as well. Also, some of the players in this book I had never heard of before or knew very little about personally or of their games, so now I can sort bridge the time period between Fischer and Kasparov's reign that I knew very little about. Plus its under 10 bucks and you get all of this!! Buy it!

If this was a stock, in 5 days the price would be pushed up so much peaple couldn't buy it. Why? This book is that good. Get this book before it A. goes out of stock B. increases in price. However, even if it goes up like 6 dollars it would still be a buy. Obviously I liked the book. Why? Because I learned some interesting stuff about the players making chess more personalized and Kopec and Prichet really analyze there styles. They say a lot of interesting things about the players, the question is do the predictions hold the test of time. The answer with Kasparov is yes!! These games are very interesting and for people who want to see what style they may have they can do no wrong by taking a look to see which player fits them. The players include: Walter Browne, Kasparov, Timman, Andersson, Ljubovic, Miles (recently deceaced), Ripli and maybe a few others I forgot. Anyway you will find someone you like and can follow and learn from for a long time. So buy this book and learn and enjoy while watching your game improve!!

This book presents the best games of the 1970's from eight of the leading grandmasters of the time, including Jan Timman and Kasparov! Good biographical information included. This is a reprint of a 1980 publication in algebraic notation, and is actually a much better book than most of the new games collections that are currently being published these days.

The author has a good solid grasp on what it means to be a dwarf. Their society in a fantasy world, and how, why, where, and when they do what they do best.
Whether you want to do some fantasy writing, add a new dimension to your campaign, or just want to play a believable dwarf, this is the book you will need.
Its not easy in our world of reality to grasp what life is like under the mountain, but not to worry, with this addition to the 2nd ed system it will be easy enough to see the joy of dwarven life from behind the froth of your mead.

This was the first A D and D thing I bought I think it was good especially for anyone that plans on making a dwarven charecter. I know a guy who did not read it and he made a gully dwarf assassin! This was a good supplent as far as they go it is way better than the wizard's handbook. If You see this book and you like dwarves pick it up!

I bought this book when it first came out and just loved it. There is so much detailed about dwarves in here and different kinds of dwarves that can be played. If you have a dwarven campaign going this is definitly worth having!!

This AD&D (2nd edition) book is an in-depth examination of that pillar of fantasy literature - Dwarves. It has chapters on dwarven mythology, subraces, sociology (so you can better understand how dwarves think), character creation, proficiencies (26 new or specialized ones), kits (24 new ones!), personalities, mining (complete with rules for running your own mine), equipment, strongholds, and designing dwarf campaigns.

Yep, this fantastic book has it all! If you run an AD&D dwarf character, or you are just interested in new kits and ways of running campaigns, then I highly recommend this book to you. It is definitely a must-have for AD&D (2nd edition)!

I've been a long time Elf lover. But once I picked up this book I changed my tune. What I once considered drab angry little creatures are actually quite interesting and enjoyable. I would recommend this book to any player but more so for a DM since it will help flesh out any dwarf holdings in your land.

Terrific way to get a understanding of the basics. I am ready for Vegas after reading this book.

This book is excellent because it guides a player be it a callow nor an experienced, how to play and to win more bets and the author clearly explains about the strategies involved in money management. This book is a must read one for all craps players.

This is a very well-written book suitable for easy, enjoyable reading cover to cover or as a quick reference source to freshen up before hitting the casino floor. A must for interested players of all levels.

Dr. Skaff skillfully presents the rules of craps in a very clear, concise and organized manner. Basic as well as more advanced strategies are presented with their pros/cons and "whys". Like all casino games, craps is governed by mathematical statistics. However, the author does not require of the reader an understanding of statistics to comprehend the "whys" of the game. But if the reader is so inclined, the mathematical basis for the recommendations and strategies in the book are provided in the appendices. Finally, the author does not over-hype the game or the potential for winning. Instead, the author shares his love of the game and how best to enjoy it.

Enjoy the book and enjoy the game!

I am chairman of the department of mathematics and computer science at a university. Dr. Skaff's book is an excellent resource for anyone teaching probability and statistics. It provides a concrete example of using probability and odds in casino gaming. It is written in an easy to read manner for the beginner yet does provide information and strategies for the experienced player. I highly recommend this book.

This book was fantastic - easy to read, not too long and filled with all the information any person needs to be able to play the game of craps. If you've ever been confused about the basic rules of craps, or if you want to hone your skills, this book provides basic strategies that will work for all players. I am not a very mathematically inclined person, but I found Dr. Skaff's explanations easy to follow and implement at the casino. This book is a must have if you're going to be taking a trip to Vegas!