Players Books

On a recommendation I purchased PLAYERS - the first offering from Steven M. Siemens. I was promised an enjoyable Grisham-type read, what I received was much more. PLAYERS offers an entertaining view into the Califorian lifestyle - politics, lawyers, gangsters, corruption, love, lust, and even polo!

The story circles around the shady effort to open a Las Vegas style casino in Los Angeles. We can all guess what this leads to - murder, blackmail and excitement!. It is so well developed and researched that you find yourself wondering if this could really happen. Yet, this is not the real pull of the novel. Its true strength comes from how the subplots and character development takes on a life of their own, while still remaining truthful to the whole.

I am looking forward to his next book.

I found players to be very fast paced, and easy to read. It held my interest, even though i don't know much about polo. I purchased the book for my adult chrildren, and they enjoyed it very much. Hope the author finishes another book soon.

Players is the story of a shady businessman's plot to open a Las Vegas casino in Los Angeles. He hires a lawyer to help him, but when the plan includes political bribery, the Mafia, blackmail, and murder, the lawyer begins to form his own plan. The action is fast-paced, and the many sub-plots weave themselves together well. Lots of local color, too. I read it in one sitting!

Playing To Win: The Story of Althea Gibson is a children's picturebook biography of Althea Gibson, an African-American female tennis player from Harlem. Growing up in the 1930s, Althea discovered she had natural talent at tennis - but in that era, tennis was primarily a sport played at wealthy clubs that excluded African-Americans. But Althea refused to give up, and dedicated herself to becoming a record-setting, world-famous sportswoman. "In 1955 the U.S. government asked Althea to become a goodwill ambassador as part of a traveling tennis team. The team of two men and two women journeyed around the world playing tennis. It was the best thing that could have happened for Althea's career. It allowed her to play lots of tennis while touring Southeast Asia." An inspirational tale of a positive role model.

Having seen Althea Gibson play at Forest Hills in the '50's, Ms. Deans' book brings her back to life, albeit in a child-like fashion, it would also appeal to anyone who remembers what a remarkable life Ms. Gibson lived (overcoming many white stereotyped obstacles) and how remarkable she was with a racquet in hand. The illustrations by Mr. Brown are exquisite, as well.

Can't wait for the next Karen Deans' book depicting any subject she chooses.

This is a book for ALL Ages. I am a 'Tennis' Loving 'Grannie!, and found that this book was so entertaining, you can just visualize everything and hear the balls as they hit the racket!

I like the vernacular for which this book was written in, because it depicted a certain 'era' in her life. This books makes you laugh, as well as bring tears in ones eyes. All in all I think at least every "Grannie" should have it so that they can read it too their grand children.

~Enjoy!

As a child of the forties and fifties, I have rich memories of sitting by the radio listening to the exploits of my baseball heroes, collecting baseball cards (my mother, unawares, later threw them out), and reading and rereading baseball magazines. I loved the game and its icons.

Mr. Heyde obviously loves the game as well. This is not a book written by an author who decides to write about baseball. It is a book written by a man pursuing his quest of meeting and talking with his own childhood baseball heroes. We are allowed to accompany him as he makes contact with these men, one by one, over an eleven year period and asks the questions he's always wanted to ask them. We are given intimate glimpses into how they live, what their favorite baseball memories are, and how the intervening years have treated them.

Pop Flies and Line Drives is both a great nostalgic read and a personal account reference of the lives of more than 75 former major league baseball players.

I enjoyed the stories about these players very much even though I am not a baseball fan. The reports of the in-home visits are well written and so very personal. I recognized many more names than I expected. POP FLIES brought back so many memories of past decades. And there was lots of baseball "gossip" about the big-name stars. It's like a friendly "60 Minutes" interview with each player.

The players tell about their careers, home lives, and family situations. They have funny stories about themselves, other players, the managers, and the big games they won or lost.

Today I mailed my copy to a former co-worker who played in a seniors' baseball camp in Florida one year. He will be thrilled to read POP FLIES.

If you want to get "That Special Feeling" of baseball and the `50's again you've got to read Pop Flies by Jack Heyde. It brings back the kinds of memories set forth below, and each of you must have similar ones if you are born around the Second World War.

But mine are pretty much what Heyde's are because I'm the same age.

I have a black and white picture of the opening pitch of the 1954 Cincinnati Reds season taken from down the left field stands.

I took it with my Dad's Kodak 35mm camera.
It's at old Crosley Field; (from Dayton you took Route 48 to Lebanon, jogged right onto Route 42, glided down Reading Road to Crosley Field - about a two-hour trip I believe).

Men wore Stetsons back then. Photographers wearing them were on the field, at least for the opening pitch. You can see four of them almost obstructing the basepaths.

This photo has my handwritten printing in India Ink on the back, printing learned from Mr. Ferguson's Mechanical Drawing class.

Let's look again at the black and white photo. Opening Day! Milwaukee 8 Cincinnati 9. I can't remember the details of that game, but Jack Heyde would know that it is Billy Bruton leading off. I can still remember the feeling of relief that the Reds safely won the Opening Day game, which, back then, for one day, was the focal point of the nation - Opening Day in Cincinnati and nowhere else. Even today I feel relief that the Reds won that game. Each game won, after all, shows us that the world works in our favor.

Looking back in the broader scheme of things it wasn't a local team that endures as the mind-grabbing story of baseball in the 1950's. Nor, as far too many story-tellers of baseball in the 1950's seem to believe, was it the drama that began and ended with the subway ride between Brooklyn and the Bronx.

It was Milwaukee.

Now let's go back to that curled up picture. Is there anything else about it that's important?

I'll give you some hints in the revered voice of Paul Sommerkamp. "Wearing Number 5 on the Back of his Grey Traveling Uniform" was a rookie who had no place on the team when the Braves started spring training. But Bobby Thompson slid into second base in Spring Training and broke his leg in three places so this player and Joe Pendleton had their shots in the outfield.

This player eventually won the job for Opening Day.

On Opening Day, 1954, this rookie struck out twice, grounded out, hit into a double play, and fouled out.

Unknown to me at the time, this picture is of the very first pitch, of the very first game, that Henry Aaron ever played in the Major Leagues.

Do the math: 250 pitches
both sides
152 games per year
20 years

It's the very first of at least 760,000 or so pitches made in games over Aaron's career.

Jack's book will bring back memories like this.

This is a wonderful book written by a daughter about her father. The father happens to be Jackie Robinson, an important man in baseball and in African-American history. She remains down to Earth and describes the life the family led and how her father affected the family and history. Jackie Robinson was a giant among men and knew what he was doing. It is a credit to Robinson that he was able to make himself above reproach and acceptable to the white public. It had to be very stressful to him and his family to try to be perfect but somehow he was able to make it. A very moving story, simply told by a loving daughter.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I have the soft-cover edition, over-sized - abt 9" x 10", double-spaced, with scads of pictures. Sharon did a wonderful job of writing and selecting the pictures to include. I learned things about her dad that I hadn't known before, and found my love and respect for him as an outstanding ball player and dignified man, a true gentleman, greatly increased. I stand in awe of him. What an example he has set for human beings of any and all races & colors! If I had sons, I'd want them to use Jackie Robinson as their model to follow in this life. His daughter Sharon deserves much credit for writing about his life, his sorrows, trials, & accomplishments in the face of ridicule and worse from ignorant people, for sharing all this with his now-adoring public. He proved that if you do what is right in spite of great opposition and threats, you'll come out ok in the end. I'm sure that his faith had a lot to do with his demeanor and positive attitude towards his trials.

I strongly recommend this book to all who enjoy reading true stories about those who have successfully overcome almost unsurmountable obstacles. Thrilling!

from Susan, an 87-year-old white life-long baseball "nut".

Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America

In this wonderful biography,Sharon Robinson shares her father with us as a daughter who held her father in high regard not only for his achievements in breaking the color barrier in baseball, but also for his hard won victories in politics, busines, civil rights and as a family man. Through love letters to his wife Rachel, photos from the family's archive and Sharon's deft writing hand, readers get to spend time with Jackie Robinson and come to understand how he navigated his way through the treachery of racism to become an integral part of creating another important chapter in the social contract with America.

As the Vice President of Educational Programming for Major League Baseball and an author, Sharon Robinson continues to preserve her father's legacy--well.

Brian Cooper's book, Red Faber, is more than just a biography of a great baseball pitcher. It is filled with insights into the baseball world of Faber's era -- the era of the spitball, Babe Ruth and the infamous "Black Sox" scandal of 1919, among other things. Cooper tells a story that begins in the little town of Cascade, Iowa, weaves its way through a baseball career that saw Faber win 254 games, and peaks when Faber was elected to the Hall of Fame. It is a thoroughly enjoyable book that makes the reader realize that Red Faber was one of those "what if" ballplayers. What if he had not been sidelined for the 1919 World Series? Would the White Sox have won, despite the fix? What if he had not played for such bad ballclubs in the 1920s -- would he have won 300 games? One thing is for certain. This book belongs on every baseball history buff's bookshelf.

This is an excellent book if a person is interested in baseball and how the game was played years ago. The author did a fantastic job of describing a real baseball talent, Red Faber and his life story.
It was a walk down memory lane for me as I grew up in the same neighborhood as his family on the Southwest side of Chicago. I loved going over to his house and seeing the signed baseballs, the trophies and the numerous signed letters he received over the years.
This is a fun read and the book contains some great snapshots!
Mary Jane Cole

I was born in Dubuue where my father was a sports reporter for the Times Journal. In later years he would relate stories, some of which are brought to life again by this story about RED. I also was in Chi town in August 1933 when the Sox and Yankes went 18. I sat through all 18 and often have wished that I could rememder more. I thought it was still light enough for more, but it was called anyway. I am sure that it was a get away day for the yankees and they had to rush to make the train. I also was a batboy for the Guttenberg Gaints in the late 30'3 when they played in Cascade. What great memories from this great story

I, too, know Ron Modra, and I always look for his credits in any issue of Sports Illustrated. His photos can be counted on to be the best in that issue. It is wonderful to have a book full of Mr. Modra's baseball pictures. The pictures are extraordinary, i.e. excellent photographs which are not the ordinary, garden-variety sports photos. The photos capture wonderful moments with the subject. The commentary is also extraordinary, describing the sport in ways we, as fans, may not have considered. I'll be buying at least two more copies of this book as Chrismas gifts this year.

I've worked on occasion as Ron Modra's assistant (including on one occasion pictured in the book) so I am a bit predjudiced. However, even I was pleasantly surprised by what an interesting and original book this is, which is not easy to do with a subject covered as often as baseball. The photos, as always with Ron's work, are great but it is the text which makes the book so original. Ron's insights and those of Pat Jordan and the players are what holds one's interest and make this book a great "read" as well as a great "see". I particularly recommend Ron's comments on Barry Bonds, Pete Rose and Wade Boggs. Well done.

I've been a subscriber to Sports Illustrated for years, and often tear out great photos from the magazine to hang on my bulletin board. I first noticed Ronald C. Modra's photos when he was covering track and field at the Olympics. I still have a picture he took of Jackie Joyner-Kersee from the L.A. or Seoul Games (I don't recall which...) After that, I started looking for his credit line, and while he always took amazing portraits of men and women in a variety of sports, I soon realized his true love was baseball. I started watching the game with a fresh eye, through his photographs, and now that they've been collected in a single volume, I'm really thrilled to re-experience the pleasure his photos always gave me! This is a great gift for anyone in your life who loves the game of baseball. The text is straight from the hip, but it's the pictures that take your breath away.

This is a really good story about how Sammy Sosa grew up in the Dominican Republic. There are lots of pictures from his home in the Dominican Republic, and it tells a lot about how he learned to play baseball and went to the United States to play professional baseball.

I read Latinos in Baseball (Sammy Sosa) by Carrie Muskat. This book was full of information and excitement. It tells everything anyone would like to know such as his batting averages, homeruns, teamscores, childhood, and problems in his life. I liked this book because it reminded me of all the obstacles that go on in other people's lives. People who are baseball fans would like this book. I really admire Sammy Sosa because of the way he plays the game; he plays for fun, not for money or fame. I'd recommend this book to baseball player's and fans of Sammy because it tells how he expected more out of himself and didn't expect his teammates to make up for him.

This was, without a doubt, the best Sammy Sosa book I have read. The author did an great job telling every aspect of Sosa's life from his childhood in the Dominican Republic to his success as a baseball player. Reading this, I felt as if I were talking to Sammy himself. Excellent writing and a must-read for any Sosa fan!

One cannot help but be moved by this little book of various sayings of and articles about Satchel Paige. Yet this is one of the most delightful reads I have experienced in quite a while. David Sterry and Arielle Eckstut have put together a collection of witicisms and rare articles that will delight the baseball fan and history buff.

Beautifully illustrated with vintage photographs and pictures, this book is a gem. A reader will learn about the spirit of a man who looked Jim Crow in the face and won!

I'm not much of a baseball fan, and Satchel Paige has always just been a name to me, but a friend showed me this book and I couldn't resist reading it. I do like history, philosophy, and stories about people with integrity who overcome obstacles to do what they love and live by their own standards, and Satchel Sez pleased me on all of those levels. For those of you who are as uninformed as I was before I read this book, Leroy "Satchel" Paige started out with a job carrying suitcases at the age of seven and went on to become the greatest pitcher baseball has ever known, with stats that far outshine the records set by white players who were allowed careers in the big leagues. Satchel played in the Negro Leagues for almost his entire career - he spent a few years in the Major Leagues. He was eventually named the oldest rookie when he was in his sixties. "Age is a question of mind over matter," he said. "If you don't mind, it don't matter." The book is colorful, fun, and easy to read, pairing quotes and anecdotes by and about Satchel with lots of photographs of the man himself. Satchel's humor and easy-going nature are captured here, but at the same time the book portrays his grace and dignity, a side of him that has often been overlooked due to racial stereotypes. Satchel has lots of advice to give on everything from baseball to aging to women to stomach trouble. Some examples are: "Slow down, you last longer," "Be satisfied in your own world," and "Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Home plate don't move." He also offers inspiration, such as, "You have to believe in yourself. When you believe, you do." One of my favorite quotes could be applied to the racism he faced: "It's not what you don't know that hurts you. It's what you know that just ain't so." I'm also impressed by Satchel's goodwill. For sure, he trash-talked and was never modest about his genius, but he was generous at the same time. Once he didn't show up to the Negro League equivalent of an All-Star game because the owners of the teams refused to donated all of the proceeds to returning wounded GIs. When he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (Negro League players were supposed to be recognized separately), he said, "There were many Satchels." I am simultaneously impressed, informed, and inspired by Satchel Sez, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Satchel Paige. Just saying the name brings to mind a personality as vibrant and singular as any seen in the world of baseball. This short, effective book presents a glimpse into the truly marvelous wit and wisdom of the pitcher who seemed terminally young, throwing baseballs with purpose and precision into his 60s. A pitcher who once struck out 24 batters in one game. A player many claim was the ultimate master of the pitched ball. A competitor with constant chatter and quips. A man who was relegated to second-class citizenship because he was African-American, yet with whom all the white teams of the 1930s wanted to play against in the barn-storming games because he was such a draw. Take a peak at this book and you'll glean a new insight into the man who became a legend. The authors have captured the essence of Satchel via quotes about and by Paige, lots of photographs, stats, stories, and memorabilia all wrapped in a wildly successful graphic design.

I read this play for a college comparative literature course and it was great. Moliere is extremely easy to read and his work is very enjoyable. You can't help but be astonished by Arnolphe's views of women, but his ignorance gives you a good laugh. Enjoy!!

Bolt achieves with his translation of Moliere's classic comedy what David Hirson did with his 1991 play, La Bete. While remaining true to the general language of Moliere's time and rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter, Bolt is still able to sprinkle modern touches that make the comedy pop out even more. Bolt's British wit sparkles through the French comedy, making for an enjoyable read as well as performance.

Interesting, too, is Nicholas Dromgoole's introduction, which makes some incredibly interesting points yet also keeps in tone with Bolt's take on Moliere's commedia dell'arte-influenced School For Wives.

Whether you're a fan of Moliere or a novice to his works, Bolt's translation of The School for Wives is a fantastic read that keeps the comedy alive, even after 350 years.

I read this play for a French Lit. class (in the original French)and enjoyed Moliere's sense of humor. I laughed out loud as I watched everyone's plans go horribly awry. A great classic social commentary. It centers around one man's obsessive fear of cuckoldry (when a man's wife cheats on him), and the extremes to which he goes to avoid this. He practically emprisons a girl/young woman so that she can be raised properly and will make a faithful and obedient wife when she finally matures. This of course leads him into a muddle of confusion and coincidences as everything goes wrong . . .

This book was awesome! I recommend it to all children. It is very inspiering.

I loved the book. Even though I'm 15, I bought the book because I have always admired Scottie Pippen. After reading the book, I feel like I know this player, and I like him even more. He's told many stories that you don't expect to hear from a hotshot basketball player in this book, which is why it's so special. He shared the tough stuff he went through, and you respect him more. This book is one of the most cherished books of mine!

Greg Brown has created a wonderful series of books with various athletes. These aren't empty ego trips, they are quality stories with valuable lessons on sportsmanship and responsibility. We have bought several for our grandson, and the special bonus has been that since his Dad is a sports fan as well, he enjoys reading them to him. These books are very good, I was pleasantly surprised by the morals and good behavior advocated and encouraged by these athletes. I highly recommend them.