Players Books

"All Heart" is not only the title of this book, but also an apt description of Michael Clemons. The book is written by Michael himself and he handles himself in this book with the same grace and dignity with which he plays football and lives his life. Clemons is a player who always speaks well of others and those who know him only from media interviews might expect this to be a sugar-coated book. Not so. Michael speaks honestly about the people and issues he has encountered in football. How can this man be so happy all the time? Read the book and you'll know his secret!

All Heart, the new book from Michael Clemons, gives us an insight into one of the finest athletes and human beings on the Canadian sporting scene. Pinball shows us again what a wonderful guy he really is. The antithesis of the modern pro athlete, he combines talent, humanity, humour, and class. All Heart is a journey through the professional and personal growth of an all-time Argonaut. You''ll see why this man is always smiling !!

The book contains many illustrations and information on goalie stars of the early 90's. My son seems to find the information fascinating.

I read this book about a year ago and its a great book. I never thought that I would learn about being on the Ice and yet having fun at the same time. Great book for any child that wants to be a hockey player

this book made my love hockey even more and know more about the howe family and there lives and i live in mich and gordie in on of the most see people in ths town and state

I am not an avid reader, but this book kept me glued to every page. Gordie and Colleen Howe share many interesting stories of not only their life with hockey but also of their family. I recommend this book for everyone, especially hockey fans.

Like the "Dieux du Stade" series of calendars, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLERS NAKED FOR A CAUSE 2008 Calendar is an oversize, brilliantly photographed, high-quality collection of poster-sized pictures of nude and semi-nude athletes. Is it something in the water? Without exception, each man (average age 22) is stunning! Australian Photographer PEDRO VIRGIL's choice for the cover, 21 year-old WILLIAM ZILLMAN, reminds us of Matt Damon. Jordan Bannister, player for the Carleton Blues, is a young Bruce Springsteen. Chris Knights, stares at us in a way that recalls Keanu circa "River's Edge". Six packs, square jaws, ample butts (all that running and kicking) abound in the provocative, ethnically-diverse collection. The calendar DRIPS WITH TESTOSTERONE! Women (and men) who appreciate the male nude, especially when they're masculine movie-star material, will love AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLERS NAKED FOR A CAUSE. The calendar benefits the McGrath Foundation, an Australian breast health charity.

I recently bought a copy of the calendar and OMG, the guys are HOT and the images were simply stunning! What a great job done by the photographer, Pedro Virgil! Compared to other calendars I have seen or bought, this one really is a top of the range, premium quality product. The high gloss images seem to make the guys leap of my wall! (I wish!). I love the way the photographer has captured these real sportsmen in a way which is so sexy without looking contrived. Far sexier and more real than the French rugby calendar which I also bought. I hadn't heard of the photographer before but I'll be watching out for more of his work now if it's like this. The Naked for a Cause calendar just oozes sexy, sultry, straight-guy masculinity. An awesome buy!

Although geared towards young adults, I think that everyone who is a hockey fan can benefit from reading this book. It is an inspirational story of someone who despite daily facing unjust restrictions and attitudes, persisted in pursuing a career in the game that he loved most: hockey.

I liked this book because I play hockey and I am African-American. Willie O'Ree was a great guy and I never heard of him before reading this book.

This is a book about a legend. He more than any other player changed the game and made it America's national pasttime. After being the greatest pitcher of his time for Boston he was traded to the Yankees where he went on to begin making the home run synonymous with his name. In the house that Ruth built' Yankee Stadium along with Lou Gehrig he lead the Yankees of the 1920's to a string of pennants and World Series. Both on and off the field the Babe was outsized, and seemed to be unstoppable. He was the greatest player the game ever had and probably ever will have. He was in some sense a babe all his life, childlike and uncontrollable but he was also famous for acts of kindness, including the famous homerun hit on request by a young fan fatally ill. His love of the game and his love of life are now apart of America's legendary heritage.

The book contains 48 photo's of the Babe. First edition printed. 1948 by Dutton Publishing. Hand AUTOGRAPHED by BABE RUTH himself, using a fountain pen. Authentication of signature. How much is this book worth ? It's like new.

Aimee Bratt's book is one of the most entertaining I have read in many years. All of us go to the movies and would love to see ourselves on the big screen - even just walking across the set for 2 seconds.
Ms. Bratt brings us into the world of film extras in a book that's full of fun and information. This book is great for yourself and as a gift.

Ms. Bratt does it again. Background Player is fascinating and engaging. Watching movies is a richer experience after reading her account of life as a bit player. Ms. Bratt pays tribute to all those extras whose names we don't know but who are vital to the movie industry. The well-chosen photographs illustrate the author's delightful narrative. This is a truly enchanting tale. I look forward to Ms. Bratt's next book.

This is a wide ranging look at Sherlock Holmes' life from childhood until the end. It provides a totally fresh insight and is a must for every Sherlockian. But they might not like Mitchelson's meticulously researched, but controversial, conclusions.

Mitchelson's study of the life of Sherlock Holmes is no work of fantasy; based fair and square on the facts, as related by Dr Watson and other Holmes critics and commentators, the result is a cracking good yarn that pulls up the accepted beliefs about Holmes and takes a good look at the roots. Holmes' unhappy childhood, dependence on drugs, and criminal activities are examined in depth, leaving the reader in no doubt that our preconceptions of Holmes, and his portrayal in the media, are very wide of the mark. To read this book is to challenge one's faith in the great detective's ability... but it is an important document, too, since it exonnerates several "crime lords" and "criminal masterminds" of the late Victorian period. I thoroughly recommend this book to any serious Sherlock Holmes fan. Chapter seven, especially, is breathtaking.

this book is an account of jim bouton's 1969 season with the seattle pilots/houston astros. when i began reading it, i couldn't put it down! an insightful behind the scenes look often told with great humor.

When the book "Ball Four" first came out in 1970, it created a major sensation. For it was the first sports book that presented athletes in any light other than as the shining, pristine hero. There had been a tradition in baseball that books "written" by athletes were not to ever mention the dubious escapades of the players. "Ball Four" tore off that veneer, exposing some very questionable activity. What was amazing was that no one ever really disputed what Bouton was saying, only that he had no right to say it. In my opinion, in writing this book, Bouton did baseball and the country a great service.
In "Ball Four", Bouton openly talks about Mickey Mantle's alcohol problems. The fact is that Mickey died an early death from liver disease that was a consequence of his heavy drinking. His life after baseball was largely a miserable one after he retired. In one of his last statements, Mickey said "Play like me, don't live like me." The recent and repeated scandals over extensive steroid use in major league baseball clearly demonstrate that the people who run the game still don't understand the situation. Bouton himself openly talks about getting better performance through chemicals. On page 45, he writes "Baseball players will take anything. If you had a pill that would guarantee a pitcher 20 wins but might take 5 years off his life, he'd take it."
Before I read this book, I had read many sports books, both fiction and non-fiction. Unfortunately, once I read it, I understood that many of those labeled as non-fiction should have been labeled as fiction. Reading it did not turn me off on baseball; that was done by the subsequent nonsense and denials about drug use and gambling in the game. One wonders if we would even have heard about them if it were not for the "writings" of Jim Bouton.

Books about sports stars can be dated in two ways. BBF (Before Ball Four) and ABF (After Ball Four). Before this book came out, sports stars were mythologized in print and the books had a cardboard-style sameness to them. According to the BBF books baseball stars such as Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams did nothing but pull for their team and engage in some occasional boyish antics. In other words, heroes through and through.
The reality was quite different, Babe Ruth was an incorrigible woman chaser, heavy drinker and was verbally cruel to people. There is the classic story of a group of baseball writers playing a game of cards on a train taking the Yankees on a road trip. A naked woman followed by an equally naked Ruth ran past them. One writer remarked, "It is a good thing I didn't see that because otherwise I would have to write about it." Mickey Mantle was a heavy drinker; he often played so heavily hung over that he had trouble keeping his eyes open. Williams was not a team player, he was at times an indifferent fielder and he refused to enlarge the strike zone by even an inch in order to drive in a run that would tie or win a game. There is a classic story that he once hit a home run that got his team back in the game. However, rather than accepting the accolades of his teammates, he sat in the dugout cussing himself for swinging at a pitch that was a ball.
Bouton's book changed all that. He described the players as human, with all their faults. In the early sixties Bouton had one of the best fastballs in the game, his pitching helped propel the Yankees to the American league pennant and some argued that in 1964, he was the best pitcher in baseball. However, in 1965 he hurt his arm and could no longer throw the heat. In 1969, he made a semi-comeback throwing the knuckleball for the expansion Seattle Pilots. Even on a marginal team he was at best a marginal player. This book is a combination of his actions with the Pilots as well as a reflection of his time with the Yankees. Therefore, it is easy to detect a strain of bitterness at the loss of the glory days of the 1964 Yankees. Nevertheless, while many people have decried the book, no one has ever come forward to disprove his statements about the escapades of the players. Many drank heavily and took drugs, most were sexually promiscuous, and at times they were contemptuous of the fans.
Since "Ball Four" came out, the books about sports stars have been more honest. This, in my opinion, is good for the fans, the games and even the players. The nation has become much more knowledgeable and realistic in how it views heroes. It would have been impossible to continue the artificial presentations of the people who so fascinate us when they play for pay.

Although Ball Four was published more than thirty years ago, it remains as true a book now as it was then. Mr. Bouton leaves no subject untouched. Whether writing about the frustration of pitching behind an inferior teammate, "activities" that go on behind the backs of wives and girlfriends, or dealing with the egos of major league star players and managers, Bouton brings the bigger-than-life world of professional baseball down to earth in a funny and sometimes hilarious way.