Players Books

Review: Legends of the Dallas Cowboys

Monk, Cody. Legends of the Dallas Cowboys, Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing LLC. 2004 184p, illus. list: 24.95, ISBN 1-58261-707-4

This lavishly illustrated "coffee-table" sized book covers the greatest legends of the Cowboys, starting with Tom Landry. It includes chapters for some of the original Cowboys like GM Tex Schramm, QB Don Meredith, DT Bob Lilly, MLB Lee Roy Jordan, DB Mel Renfro, and WR Bob Hayes.

Stars from the 70s who made the Cowboys "America's Team" include QB Roger Staubach, twin safeties Cliff Harris & Charlie Waters, LB Hollywood Henderson, DE Ed Jones, DT Randy White and RB Tony Dorsett.

The book closes with the "Triplets" of the 90s, Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. As expected of a coffee-table book, it is lavishly illustrated.

© Fred Goodwin, Feb 23, 2008

My husband was thrilled to get the book and is enjoying reading it.

I love this book. As a life long Bengals fan I can read this book over and over. It's well written and provides lots of interesting information on the clubs greatest ever players. This book should be of interest to all Bengal fans, particularly if you are a young fan or have recently began supporting the team and have never heard of great players like Bill Bergy, David Fulcher etc...It is not very expensive and is definately worth 20 dollars

Chick Ludwig does a very nice job taking you through the history of the Bengals via firsthand looks at the players. He covers the key franchise players, even if they weren't there all that long.
There is a nice summary of where they are, gametime recollections and ample pictures from his Dayton Daily News reporting trove.

Evoked a lot of great memories and filled in some of the holes from the early Bengals era for me. Stofa, Cook, Esiason, Anderson, Munoz, Ickey, Gregg, Wyche and a lot of recent history
rather forgotten. There aren't many books about the Bengals but this one definitely is worth putting on your bookshelf.

Now if Nflfilms would start bringing out some Bengals dvds of the Bengals 80/81/88 seasons. Need something to tide us over until they reach the pinnacle again.

Thanks Chick for a great book!

I wanted a book which would provide a good introduction to the Leningrad - to get my bearings - and found that this did a very good job. The lay out was very helpful, an opening chapter introducing some prominent themes, and a succinct move tree in the final pages well indexed to the text. The major variations are examined in closely annotated chapters each keyed to one complete top class game with sub-variations given as they have occurred in GM play, but these last games are not given in redundant entirety - the results are indicated. It is always very clear what each diagram refers to, not always the case with opening books. The author is a high-class German GM with, evidently, years of experience with the Leningrad, and not at all reticent in giving his views and recommendations, which I like because it gives something to test and challenge. The Leningrad does seem to be very rich. On the Leningrad itself the book would seem to be fairly comprehensive if that's what you want - though I find a thematic approach more useful - at times there are black resources that are far from obvious, and it's these that I want to be shown and where this book seems strong. As a repertoire book, and the title of 'A complete weapon..' indicates an intention in that direction,there are, furthermore, chapters on early white deviations, Staunton, 2.Nc3 and Bg5; these were good, but I also have Williams 'The Classical Dutch' which was particularly good on these and other possibilities. There is an interesting chapter on the well known Carlsen-Dolmatov game, where D's Leningrad was destroyed after he played the leningrad against 1.Nf3. Kindermann is not a fan of the Stonewall, though he recommends a sort of Leningrad/Stonewall hybrid in some situations. I also have the Aagaard book on the Stonewall which I thought terrific.With the three booksmentioned and this one in particular I think one has a tremendous amount of interesting material to examine and play. Apparently Artur Yusupov cracked that 'objectively speaking the best second move in the Dutch for black would be f5-f7', or words to that effect; however, armed with the Kindermann Leningrad arsenal in addition to previous knowledge of the Dutch I am ready to hit d4 with f5 whatever my mood!

First off, I have been torn deciding between the Kings Indian Defence or The Dutch (The Grunfeld is a waste of time as it is hardly seen on GM level and it is highly drawish-not that its a bad opening). I used to play queens gambit declined as it was relatively easy to play but I could not STAND the positions that arouse from it. It lacked excitment. The Kings Indian Defence I experimented with awhile and found everyone played it. Most 1.d4 players had their pet variation picked out against it be it the Four Pawns, Fianchetto, or Samisch. I also found out how hard it is too play and how much time it takes to master this opening plus one has to be prepared for The Colle, London, and The Trompowsky.
Now when I started looking at The Dutch, I immediately saw the Leningrad system, the most bloodthirstiest of the Dutch systems (e.g Stonewall, and Classical). Now I also want to say is how unprepared the average 1.d4 player is against the Dutch. Think about it. If you play 1.d4 your going to spend most of your time preparing for the Nimzo, Kings Indian Grunfeld, Queens Gambit Declined (Tarrasch, Slav, Semi-Slav...ect.) and The Queens Gambit Accepted. Your hardly going to look at the Dutch but then all of a sudden BAM! You bust out your well informed dutch against a cheeky, stupid, boring, positional 1.d4 player and then what does he do? He starts to feel uncomftorable as you lead him into your territory where tactical understanding and dynamic play ruins his hopes for a pathetic, boring positional game as most cases are with 1.d4 players. Even the Kings Indian there are some lines which tend to become positional because of the 1.d4 player's ability to choose from several quiet lines that really mess up the KID player such as the Fianchetto Variation. Seriously its been doing really well against the KID.
With that being said, the Dutch Leningrad is hard to play as well but its well worth it if you put the time into studying it and unlocking its full potential. This book does an amazing job and presenting the ideas and keys moves and plans for black while giving you recommendations for all of white's side lines. Its a fully workably reportiore. Some of the moves in the Dutch are difficult to find if you don't have an idea of the general plan of the variation. This book does an excellent job of that. I have The Dutch for the Attacking Player as well which is also very good. The author scored a Grandmaster norm at the age of 16 using the Leningrad. Although I feel he doesn't provide you with enough explanations of what's going on. This book is newer and up-to-date. My recommendation is to practice extensively with the Dutch before you introduce it into tournament play. Play games online or with your chess program(fritz, ect...I have the superior Hiarcs 10). If you introduce it to quickly without basic undertsand you won't do too well. White will continue with what he knows( 1.d4 2.c4 3.Nc3 4. Nf3 ect...) those are basic logical moves. All im saying is please prepare before you introduce it. I hoped this reveiw helped even though it was more on the opening itself than on the book lol. Im an openings expert and I hoped this aided you on which opening to play against 1.d4. You'll be blasting your oponents off the board. I also play the French and The English... I would seriously look into John Watson's Play the French, 3rd and Tony Kosten's The Dynamic English.

I like this book because of the author's confidence in recommending lines that work. I found the Bg5 and Staunton ideas to be very helpful.

It started well with a section on thematic positions and the associated tactics likely to occur. You could then spot these in the games to follow. The author also suggests lines for white though I like the Karlsbad Nh3 and Leningrad Stonewall ideas for white too.

The publishers have done an excellent job in layout, diagrams, typefaces etc. ('Quality in Chess' eg Experts vs the Sicilian, please take note of how it should be done!)

When it comes to baseball poetry, nobody knows his stuff better than Tim Wiles, and that expertise is evident in the outstanding quality of this collection. Many of the expected poets are here, but so are many I'd never heard of before whose work I am glad to have been exposed to. The poems range in tone from somber and serious to playful and irreverent. One of my particular favorites is the entry by former pitcher Dan Quisenberry, who was a funny guy and had quite a way with words.

I keep this book on my nightstand and try to read one poem each night before I go to sleep. Except I often have a hard time reading just one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. Sometimes with anthologies of sports-related fiction/poetry, I've been disappointed because there seemed to be differing levels of quality. With Line Drives, I was satisfied because all of the poems were worth reading-they offered a consistently high level of quality and all had interesting insights or fun ideas. Then there were a number of them that were among the best baseball poems I have ever read. Katharine Harer's "The Cure" speaks with a tremendous depth of understanding of the game and the emotions that go into our continued obsession with it. Joseph Stanton's "Stealing Home" uses an engaging poetic technique to compare the difficult return to the place where we grew up with that difficult play in the game. Dan Quisenberry's "Baseball Cards" offers an important perspective on players' insecurities and the myriad aspects of their lives that fans never see.

I also appreciated that the poems collected here do not revert to cliché comparisons or images when they connect baseball to life. In fact, some of them work against clichés. David C. Ward's "Isn't it pretty to think so?" challenges the idealization of fathers and sons playing catch and reminds us that individual experience is much more powerful and thought-provoking than any (false) perfect image. The poems felt fresh and that was in large part because many of the poets used personal experience as the starting point, reaching out to the game to make connections between their lives and those of the reader. As a result, I think that even those who are not baseball fans would appreciate and enjoy many of these poems. As a baseball fan, I know I'll enjoy rereading this collection and I think most baseball fans would as well.

While baseball was a popular game before the 1920's, during that era it became a true national icon. No person did more for a single sport than Babe Ruth, and it was in this decade that he did what is still an amazing feat. He transformed the sport from a one-base-at-a-time form of offense into a power game. Before his power changed the game, the league leader in home runs generally was in the 10-15 range. After that, it was often in the fifties.
However, there were many other major changes in baseball in the twenties. 1919 was a year of great scandal, when several members of the American league champion Chicago White Sox conspired to throw the World Series. Major league baseball was able to repair the damage, but only by engaging in draconian measures against players who were innocent of any physical wrongdoing.
This book is an excellent chronicle of these events, packed with pictures and statistics; it is a thorough description of a decade when baseball underwent dramatic changes, both on and off the field. It is a must-read for all fans of the history of baseball.

"The Lively Ball" volume in the World of Baseball series covers how Babe Ruth transformed the sport in the 1920's. James A. Cox's book sets the stage for the Bambino by looking at the Black Sox Scandal and the establishment of Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the "Competent Despot" installed as Commissioner. After chapters devoted to Babe Ruth and the fan's enthrallment with "Thunder at the Plate," Cox looks at manager John McGraw and Walter "Big Train" Johnson as well as the emergence of radio broadcasts and the minor league farm system. The final pair of chapters look at the most colorful team of the decade, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the most dominant, the New York Yankees. "The Lively Ball" features profiles on the great players such as Rogers Hornsby and Dazzy Vance, as well as sportswriters like Damon Runyon, ballparks like League Park and Yankee Stadium, with statistics for the 1920's tacked on at the end of the book. As with the rest of this imitation Time-Life series, the book is filled with illustrations, not just photographs but cartoons, magazine covers, and statistical charts. Obviously inspired by the interest in the sport following Ken Burns' classic "Baseball" documentary, the World of Baseball series is certainly in that same spirit of love for the game.

Through all her trials and tribulation chris has always emerged as winner. One quote which sums up chris evert career Wimbledon quote "IF YOU CAN FACE TRIUMP AND DISASTER AND TREAT THOSE TWO IMPOSTERS JUST THE SAME THEN YOU ARE A CHAMPION" chris evert face should be engraved in these words.... Thanks, Chris for the Memories

Tim

This book give you a small look at chris evert at her best. She reveals the pain and glory of her career. What makes this book so great was that through all her ups and downs of her career she has maintain her feminity with grace and charm.

Steve Nash, Dallas Maverick #13, at his earliest stage growing up into a great basketball player. This biography is great for all those Steve Nash fans as well as an athlete seeking inspiration from a determined and hardworking pro.

With a personal and business point of view, Jeff Rud encapsulates how hard work and determination can help you succeed. The hard work of Steve Nash helped to fulfill his lifetime dream, setting an example to our youth that in all of us no matter the dream, there is a" Steve Nash."

Hi Chet, Lets hope you have not forgotton me I talked to Doris EDWARDS SHE TOLD ME YOU HAD WRITTEN A BOOK AND I SEE IT IS OUT OF PRINT I WOULD LIKE A COPY DO YOU HAVE A EXTRA ONE? SEND IT TO 1427 CALVIN AVE. MUSKEGON,MICH, 49442 THANKS

Hi Chet, Lets hope you have not forgotton me I talked to Doris EDWARDS SHE TOLD ME YOU HAD WRITTEN A BOOK AND I SEE IT IS OUT OF PRINT I WOULD LIKE A COPY DO YOU HAVE A EXTRA ONE? SEND IT TO 1427 CALVIN AVE. MUSKEGON,MICH, 49442 THANKS

If you are a true Canadian Hockey fan, then you already have this book! Can you imagine Wayne Gretsky whispering in your ear "You're gonna be a legend"! Truly inspiring and very well written. You'll keep the pages turning.

The fact that there was a loonie at centre ice during the Salt Lake City Olympics only makes the double gold that much sweeter.
I loved reading about how the loonie came to be as well as how the Canadian teams perceived it. This story is for the true Canadian Hockey fan and will remain a legend for years to come.

I devoured this short read of Canadian history in one sitting.

Having grown up in the New York metropolitan area as a baseball fan, I was well acquainted with the story of Lou Gehrig. At least I thought I was until I listened to Carol Birch's spirited retelling of his life. I knew of his statistics and his tragic demise, but Carol brought this American hero to life. Too many baseball fans are unaware of those who so gracefully pioneered the game. However, Carol's story will be enjoyed not only by baseball aficionados but also by anyone who enjoys a good story - which covers everyone.

This is an excellent CD. It highlights the life of a man who started with humble beginnings and rose to true greatness. Carol Birch reveals not only the highlights that made Lou Gehrig a superb ball player, but she also paints a portrait of a man who understood humility and viewed his achievements as a gift he received.

It is a fascinating dialog that reminds us that a true hero is one who gives of himself asking nothing in return and faces difficulty with courage. Quite a contrast to the shooting stars of today that receive so much undeserving praise. This CD was enjoyed by everyone in my family.