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Bird Dream
by Matt Higgins"[R]iveting... a must-read. A highflying, electrifying story of a treacherous sport in which every triumph is an eye blink away from becoming a disaster." --Kirkus (STARRED) A heart-stopping narrative of risk and courage, Bird Dream tells the story of the remarkable men and women who pioneered the latest advances in aerial exploration--from skydiving to BASE jumping to wingsuit flying--and made history with their daring. Bird Dream shows that recent decades have witnessed an unprecedented revolution in human flight. By the end of the twentieth century BASE jumping was the most dangerous of all the extreme sports, with thrill-seeking jumpers parachuting from bridges, mountains, radio towers, and even skyscrapers. Despite numerous fatalities and legal skirmishes, BASE jumpers like Jeb Corliss of California thought they had discovered the ultimate rush. But all this changed for Corliss in 1999, when, high in the mountains of northern Italy, he and other jumpers watched in wonder as a stranger--wearing a cunning new jumpsuit featuring "wings" between the arms and legs--leaped from a ledge and then actually flew from the vertiginous cliffs. This dude's flying, thought Corliss with a start. This changes everything. What Corliss had witnessed was a wingsuit, an innovation more flying squirrel than bird or plane. Wingsuits were not new; they had fascinated men for centuries. Yet a modern design had improved safety and performance, allowing wingsuit pilots to leap from a helicopter or high cliff and soar for miles--using little more than their bodies--before deploying a parachute to reach the ground safely. The best pilots could fly close to the earth, rapidly navigating narrow canyons and mountain ranges. Still, colossal dangers remained, and the beauty of exploring human flight with such unprecedented grace would exact the ultimate cost for some pilots--they would pay with their lives. Drawing on intimate access to Corliss and other top pilots from around the globe, Bird Dream tracks the evolution of the wingsuit movement through the larger than life characters who, in an age of viral video, forced the sport onto the world stage. Their exploits--which entranced millions of fans along the way--defied imagination. They were flying; not like the Wright brothers, but the way we do in our dreams. Some dared to dream of going further yet, to a day when a wingsuit pilot might fly, and land, all without a parachute. A growing number of wingsuit pilots began plotting ways in which a human being might leap from the sky and land. A half dozen groups around the world were dedicated to this quest for a "wingsuit landing," conjuring the pursuit of nations that once inspired the race to first summit Everest. Given his fame as a stuntman, the brash, publicity-hungry Corliss remained the popular favorite to claim the first landing. Yet Bird Dream also tracks the path of another man, Gary Connery--a forty-two-year-old Englishman--who was quietly plotting to beat Corliss at his own game. Accompanied by an international cast of wingsuit devotees--including a Finnish magician, a parachute tester from Brazil, an Australian computer programmer, a gruff hang-gliding champion-turned-aeronautical engineer, a French skydiving champion, and a South African costume designer--Corliss and Connery raced to leap into the unknown, a contest that would lead to triumph for one and nearly cost the other his life. Based on five years of firsthand reporting and original interviews, Bird Dream is the work of journalist Matt Higgins, who traveled the world alongside these extraordinary men and women as they jumped and flew in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Offering a behind-the-scenes take on some of the most spectacular and disastrous events of the wingsuit movement, Higgins's Bird Dream is a riveting, adrenaline-fueled adventure at the very edge of human experience. Library Journal (STARRED) "[A]ction-packed... An engrossing and exhaustively researched account of extremists who challenge failure and death on a regular basis. High...
Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching the Game I Love
by Larry Bird Jackie MacmullanLarry Bird captured the imagination and admiration of basketball fans throughout his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics with his trademark style of creative, intelligent, exciting, and hard-nosed play. And last year, in just his rookie season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, he remarkably managed to turn around a slumping franchise, lead the team to the conference finals, and was subsequently named the NBA's "Coach of the Year." Now, this beloved sports legend shares his thoughts on the game he loves: From dissecting offensive and defensive strategies to assessing the talent of NBA players and coaches to describing how he manages today's temperamental and overpriced players, it's all here -- a must-read for every fan.
Birding Under the Influence: Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery
by Dorian Anderson"One hell of a ride."—Nick Offerman, actor, woodworker, New York Times bestselling author "Candid and often moving reflections . . . make for absorbing reading. . . . [This is] a memoir of a journey that was more than just a chase after numbers."—Booklist (starred) At a personal and professional crossroads, a man resets his life and finds sobriety, love, and 618 bird species, cycling his way to a very Big Year. In Birding Under the Influence, Dorian Anderson, a neuroscience researcher on a pressure-filled life trajectory, walks away from the world of elite institutions, research labs, and academic publishing. In doing so, he falls in love and discovers he has freed himself to embrace his lifelong passion for birding. A North American Big Year—a continent-spanning adventure in which a birder attempts to see as many species as possible in twelve months—is a massive undertaking under any circumstances. But doing it on a bike while maintaining sobriety? That’s next level. As Dorian pedals across the country, describing the birds he sees, he confronts the challenges of long-distance cycling: treacherous weather, punctured tires, speeding cars, and injury. He encounters eccentric characters, blistering blacktop, dreary hotel rooms, snarling dogs, and an endless sea of smoking tailpipes. He also confronts his past struggles with alcohol, drugs, and risky behaviors that began in high school and followed him into adulthood. Birding Under the Influence is a candid, honest look at Dorian’s double life of academic accomplishment and addiction. While his journey to recovery is simultaneously poignant and inspiring, it is ultimately his love of birds and nature that provides the scaffolding to build a new and radically different life.
Birds of Pray: The Story of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Faith, Brotherhood, and Super Bowl Victory
by Rob Maaddi Carson WentzHigh Stakes, Deep Faith, and Unbreakable BrotherhoodThey were the first No. 1 seed in NFL history to enter the playoffs as an underdog. Their star quarterback was out with a season-ending knee injury. Five-time Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots towered over them. But public opinion didn't matter to the Philadelphia Eagles. They believed in each other. The band of Christian brothers on the team believed in the God of the impossible, and they played for an audience of One.The most extensive book to explore the Christian faith shared by many of the team's players, Birds of Pray details the incredible inside story behind the Eagles' capture of the biggest prize in professional sports: the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Through exclusive interviews with the players, never-before-seen photos, and insider accounts of the miracle season's most memorable moments, Philly native and Associated Press sportswriter Rob Maaddi reveals a side of the team the world has yet to fully witness.From an impromptu baptism in the team's cold tub to weekly Bible studies and pre-game prayers, to the unique friendship between star quarterback Carson Wentz and back-up-then-MVP Nick Foles - the Eagles excel in the unexpected. Birds of Pray follows the deep faith shared among players, the high stakes they faced together, and their relentless reliance on Christ who gives all strength in moments of crisis and celebration alike. The result is a boldly inspiring, entertaining read that will challenge readers to go deeper in their faith, dream bigger, and live with renewed courage for whatever odds life stacks against them.
Birth Advantages and Relative Age Effects in Sport: Exploring Organizational Structures and Creating Appropriate Settings (Routledge Research in Sports Coaching)
by Adam L. Kelly; Jean Côté; Mark Jeffreys; Jennifer TurnnidgeRelative age effects (RAEs) refer to the participation, selection, and attainment inequalities in the immediate, short-term, and long-term in sports. Indeed, dozens of studies have identified RAEs across male and female sporting contexts. Despite its widespread prevalence, there is a paucity in the empirical research and practical application of strategies specifically designed to moderate RAEs. Thus, the purpose of this book is to situate RAEs in the context of youth sport structures, lay foundational knowledge concerning the mechanisms that underpin RAEs, and offer alternative group banding strategies aimed at moderating RAEs. In order to enhance our knowledge on birth advantages and RAEs to create more appropriate settings, key stakeholders, such as coaches, practitioners, administrators, policy makers, and researchers, are required to understand the possible influence of and interaction between birthplace, engagement in activities, ethnicity, genetic profile, parents, socioeconomic status, and relative age. Thus, in addition to RAEs and alternative group banding strategies, Birth Advantages and Relative Age Effects in Sport also examines the role of additional birth advantages and socio-environmental factors that young athletes may experience in organized youth sport. Drawing from both empirical research and practical examples, this book comprises three parts: (a) organizational structures, (b) group banding strategies, and (c) socio-environmental factors. Overall, this book broadens our understanding of the methodological, contextual, and practical considerations within organizational structures in sport to create more appropriate settings, and strive to make positive, impactful change to lived youth sport experiences. This book will be of vital reading to academics, researchers, and key stakeholders of sports coaching, athlete development, and youth sport, as well as other related disciplines.
Birth of a Dynasty: The 1980 New York Islanders
by Bob Nystrom Alan HahnThe National Hockey League saw the birth of a new dynasty in 1980. The New York Islanders had been an expansion franchise in 1972 in the New York City suburbs of Long Island. For years they played in the long shadow of the big-city New York Rangers and were considered the league's laughingstock during their first season. Miraculously, eight years later, they were champions. Despite their mercurial rise in the 1970s'-which included a first-place overall finish in the 1978-79 season'-the Islanders were still considered chokers because of playoff failures. The most frustrating failure of all came at the hands of the rival Rangers, who beat them in 1979 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. A year later they stumbled through an injury-plagued and inconsistent regular season. When the playoffs arrived again, however, they were ready. Bolstered by the late-season addition of speedy center Butch Goring and the bitterness of the previous year's defeat, the Islanders overcame their past failures and put together an exhausting and dramatic run to their first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. In the Finals they met the still-dominant Philadelphia Flyers, two-time champions in the 1970s. The ensuing battle demonstrated not only the promise with which the Islanders had always teased their fans, but also the maddening struggles that seemed to hold them back every year. That is, until Game 6, when Bob Nystrom, an everyman's everyman, scored the clinching goal at 7:11 of overtime to make history in both the NHL and on Long Island. It is a moment that, 25 years later, still lives in the hearts of Islanders fans and in the annals of Long Island, as a region and a community. It is a moment that spawned a run of four consecutive championships, the longest by any United States-based professional team and a run that has since gone unmatched. Birth of a Dynasty: The 1980 New York Islanders is the story of how it happened, how it came together, and what it felt like to be there.
Birth of a Dynasty: The 1980 New York Islanders
by Bob Nystrom Alan HahnThe National Hockey League saw the birth of a new dynasty in 1980. The New York Islanders had been an expansion franchise in 1972 in the New York City suburbs of Long Island. For years they played in the long shadow of the big-city New York Rangers and were considered the league’s laughingstock during their first season. Miraculously, eight years later, they were champions. Despite their mercurial rise in the 1970s—which included a first-place overall finish in the 1978-79 season—the Islanders were still considered chokers because of playoff failures. The most frustrating failure of all came at the hands of the rival Rangers, who beat them in 1979 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. A year later they stumbled through an injury-plagued and inconsistent regular season. When the playoffs arrived again, however, they were ready. Bolstered by the late-season addition of speedy center Butch Goring and the bitterness of the previous year’s defeat, the Islanders overcame their past failures and put together an exhausting and dramatic run to their first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. In the Finals they met the still-dominant Philadelphia Flyers, two-time champions in the 1970s. The ensuing battle demonstrated not only the promise with which the Islanders had always teased their fans, but also the maddening struggles that seemed to hold them back every year. That is, until Game Six, when Bob Nystrom, an everyman’s everyman, scored the clinching goal at 7:11 of overtime to make history in both the NHL and on Long Island. It is a moment that still lives in the hearts of Islanders fans and in the annals of Long Island, as a region and a community. It is a moment that spawned a run of four consecutive championships, the longest by any United States-based professional team and a run that has since gone unmatched. Newly revised, Birth of a Dynasty: The 1980 New York Islanders is the story of how it happened, how it came together, and what it felt like to be there.
Biscuit Flies a Kite (My First I Can Read)
by Alyssa Satin CapucilliFor fans of Clifford and Spot, welcome everybody’s favorite little yellow puppy, Biscuit, in an I Can Read adventure!It seems like the perfect day to fly a kite, until—oh, no!—the wind begins to blow the kite away!Join Biscuit, that sweet puppy, and his friend Puddles as they put their furry heads together to save the day. Woof woof! Bow wow! The gentle and appealing Biscuit books are a wonderful first introduction to reading for little pups, and this My First I Can Read friendship tale is perfect for shared reading in a classroom or at home. Books at this level feature basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers. The active, engaging stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.
Biscuit Plays Ball (I Can Read)
by Alyssa Satin CapucilliBiscuit is excited to be at the ball game, but no dogs are allowed in the game itself. He doesn't just want to watch, though--Biscuit wants to play ball, too.
Biscuit Plays Ball (My First I Can Read)
by Alyssa Satin CapucilliFor fans of Clifford and Spot, welcome everybody’s favorite little yellow puppy, Biscuit, in an I Can Read adventure!Biscuit is excited to be at the ball game, but no dogs are allowed in the game itself. He doesn't just want to watch, though—Biscuit wants to play ball, too! Can the determined puppy find a way to join in the fun? Just right for the youngest of readers—and for anyone who has ever wanted to play along with the big kids—Biscuit's ball game adventure will prove supremely satisfying.Biscuit Plays Ball is a My First I Can Read book, which means it's perfect for shared reading with a child.
Bishop: An Arizona Vengeance Novel (Arizona Vengeance #1)
by Sawyer BennettMeet the Arizona Vengeance, hockey’s hottest new team. They’re burning up the ice—until a one-night-stand with the coach’s daughter freezes one player in his skates. Bishop Scott, co-captain. Not too shabby, huh? It’s all part of my fresh start with the NHL’s latest expansion team, and that means new teammates, a new coach, a new city, and a big new contract. Basically, I cannot f***ing wait to show my old squad what they’re missing. But first, I decide to check out the town before the grind begins. Turns out Arizona chicks are totally smokin’, and I’m fortunate enough to meet one who’s looking for the same thing I am: a night of anonymous, unforgettable, no-strings-attached sex. Fast forward to the Vengeance arena. It’s the last place I expect to see her again—let alone in her own office. Then bells go off and I finally realize who this girl is: Brooke Perron. My new coach’s daughter. All of a sudden, we’re picking up right where we left off, which means our hands are all over each other. That’s when her dad—my boss—walks in. And before I can get a word out, Brooke’s introducing me as her fiancé. Sure, she just saved my ass. So why do I get the feeling Brooke’s going to turn my world upside down? Maybe it’s because this fake relationship feels way too real. . . .Praise for Bishop “With unforgettable characters and an invigorating plot, Bishop is sure to get your blood pumping. November cannot come soon enough. I cannot wait for Erik and more Arizona Vengeance.”—Crazies R Us Book Blog The Carolina Cold Fury series from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett can be read together or separately: ALEX GARRETT ZACK RYKER HAWKE MAX ROMAN LUCAS VAN REED MAREK The Love Hurts series features sexy standalone novels: SEX IN THE STICKS JILTED And the Sugar Bowl series is one treat you’ll want to read in order: SUGAR DADDY SUGAR RUSH SUGAR FREE Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
Bittersweet
by Sarah OcklerFrom the author of Twenty Boy Summer, a teen pushes the limits to follow her dreams--and learns there's a fine line between bitter and sweet....Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she's a girl who doesn't believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom's diner and obsessing over what might have been. So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life--and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She's got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who's been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done. It's time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she's willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....
Bittersweet
by Sarah OcklerFrom the author of Twenty Boy Summer, a teen pushes the limits to follow her dreams--and learns there's a fine line between bitter and sweet....Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she's a girl who doesn't believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom's diner and obsessing over what might have been. So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life--and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She's got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who's been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done. It's time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she's willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....
Bittersweet
by Sarah OcklerFrom the author of Twenty Boy Summer, a teen pushes the limits to follow her dreams--and learns there's a fine line between bitter and sweet....Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she's a girl who doesn't believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom's diner and obsessing over what might have been. So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life--and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She's got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who's been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done. It's time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she's willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....
The Bittersweet Science: Fifteen Writers in the Gym, in the Corner, and at Ringside
by Michael Ezra Carlo RotellaWeighing in with a balance of the visceral and the cerebral, boxing has attracted writers for millennia. Yet few of the writers drawn to it have truly known the sport—and most have never been in the ring. Moving beyond the typical sentimentality, romanticism, or cynicism common to writing on boxing, The Bittersweet Science is a collection of essays about boxing by contributors who are not only skilled writers but also have extensive firsthand experience at ringside and in the gym, the corner, and the ring itself. Editors Carlo Rotella and Michael Ezra have assembled a roster of fresh voices, ones that expand our understanding of the sport’s primal appeal. The contributors to The Bittersweet Science—journalists, fiction writers, fight people, and more—explore the fight world's many aspects, considering boxing as both craft and business, art form and subculture. From manager Charles Farrell’s unsentimental defense of fixing fights to former Golden Glover Sarah Deming’s complex profile of young Olympian Claressa Shields, this collection takes us right into the ring and makes us feel the stories of the people who are drawn to—or sometimes stuck in—the boxing world. We get close-up profiles of marquee attractions like Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr., as well as portraits of rising stars and compelling cornermen, along with first-person, hands-on accounts from fighters’ points of view. We are schooled in not only how to hit and be hit, but why and when to throw in the towel. We experience the intimate immediacy of ringside as well as the dim back rooms where the essentials come together. And we learn that for every champion there’s a regiment of journeymen, dabblers, and anglers for advantage, for every aspiring fighter, a veteran in painful decline. Collectively, the perspectives in The Bittersweet Science offer a powerful in-depth picture of boxing, bobbing and weaving through the desires, delusions, and dreams of boxers, fans, and the cast of managers, trainers, promoters, and hangers-on who make up life in and around the ring. Contributors: Robert Anasi, Brin-Jonathan Butler, Donovan Craig, Sarah Deming, Michael Ezra, Charles Farrell, Rafael Garcia, Gordon Marino, Louis Moore, Gary Lee Moser, Hamilton Nolan, Gabe Oppenheim, Carlo Rotella, Sam Sheridan, and Carl Weingarten.
Biz Mackey, a Giant behind the Plate: The Story of the Negro League Star and Hall of Fame Catcher
by Rich Westcott“The best all-around catcher in black baseball history”—Cumberland Posey, Owner of the Homestead Grays National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher James Raleigh “Biz” Mackey’s professional career spanned nearly three decades in the Negro Leagues and elsewhere. He distinguished himself as a defensive catcher who also had an impressive batting average and later worked as a manager of the Newark Eagles and the Baltimore Elite Giants. Using archival materials and interviews with former Negro League players, baseball historian Rich Westcott chronicles the catcher’s life and remarkable career in Biz Mackey, a Giant behind the Plate as well as providing an in-depth look at Philadelphia Negro League history. Westcott traces Mackey’s childhood in Texas as the son of sharecroppers to his success on the baseball diamond where he displayed extraordinary defensive skills and an exceptional ability to hit and to handle pitchers. Mackey spent one third of his career playing in Philadelphia, winning championships with the Hilldale Daisies and the Philadelphia Stars. Mackey also mentored famed catcher Roy Campanella and had an unlikely role in the story of baseball’s development in Japan. A celebrated ballplayer before African Americans were permitted to join Major League Baseball, Biz Mackey ranks as one of the top catchers ever to play the game. With Biz Mackey, he finally gets the biography he deserves.
Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes: Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, and the Golden Era of Tennis
by Mats Holm Ulf RoosvaldWritten by Mats Holm and Ulf Roosvald, Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes explains how a small country with 8 million inhabitants like Sweden could become the leading nation in tennis and an example to imitate worldwide. It starts with the legend of Björn Borg, the taciturn and mysterious Swede who became an icon of the ’70s and turned tennis into a global sport, and ends with the Kings of Tennis, the nostalgic senior event part of the Champions Tour held each year in Stockholm. The 1985 Australian Open final, the first (and only, so far) all-Swedish Grand Slam final in the history of tennis, between Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander, is a prominent focus of the book. The classic Davis Cup encounters between USA and Sweden in 1982 and 1984 and the Borg-John McEnroe rivalry are also key story lines. The book also includes off the court details about the players, painting a well-rounded picture of their personalities, as well as context on the politics of Sweden at the time, including the impact of the social Democratic party. The perfect gift for tennis aficionados and history buffs alike!“My experience working with Skyhorse is always a positive collaboration. The editors are first-rate professionals, and my books receive top-shelf treatment. I truly appreciate our working relationship and hope it continues for years to come.” –David Fischer, author
Black and Blue: The Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series That Stunned America
by Tom Adelman"Richly layered ... An entertaining and informative portrait of two underappreciated teams in an unforgettable time."--Boston Sunday Globe. Which is the most surprising World Series ever? Many baseball fans would agree that it was the epic 1966 clash between the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the perennial underdog Baltimore Orioles. The godlike Sandy Koufax had led the Dodgers to victory in two previous World Series, and had finished the season with twenty-seven wins, a personal best. Few outside Baltimore gave the Orioles - slugger Frank Robinson leading a young team of no-name kids and promising prospects - more than a fighting chance against such series veterans as Koufax, Don Drysdale, Maury Wills, and the rest. Experts were betting that Los Angeles would sweep it in four. What transpired instead astonished the nation, as the greatest pitching performance in World Series history capped a redemption beyond imagining. "Guaranteed to score a home run." Essence. "Astonishing ... Adelman goes way past the box scores to get information that makes the players more human and the games more dramatic." San Diego Union Tribune. "Black and Blue delivers good baseball action, ownerly perfidy, and social context." Boston Globe.
Black and Blue: How Racism, Drugs and Cancer Almost Destroyed Me
by Paul CanovillePaul Canovilles story is one of extreme racist bigotry, shattering career-ending injury, a decline into drug abuse, battles against cancer, family tragedy and a determination to beat the odds. Canoville was Chelsea's first black first-team player, making his debut in 1982. But as he warmed up on the touchline, his own supporters began chanting 'We don't want the nigger!' The racist bile continued whenever he played, but within a year he had won over the terraces with his explosive pace and skill. Canoville fell out with the Chelsea board and moved to Reading in 1986, where injury suddenly ended his career at the age of 24. This started a downward spiral including the death of his baby in his arms, two bouts of life-threatening lymph cancer, drug abuse and homelessness. But Canoville fought back. In this explosive and shocking story, Paul finally explains why, despite everything, he is more positive than ever and has remained a fervent Chelsea fan all his life. This is a story of hope - eventually - overcoming adversity.
Black and Blue: How Racism, Drugs and Cancer Almost Destroyed Me
by Paul CanovillePaul Canovilles story is one of extreme racist bigotry, shattering career-ending injury, a decline into drug abuse, battles against cancer, family tragedy and a determination to beat the odds. Canoville was Chelsea's first black first-team player, making his debut in 1982. But as he warmed up on the touchline, his own supporters began chanting 'We don't want the nigger!' The racist bile continued whenever he played, but within a year he had won over the terraces with his explosive pace and skill. Canoville fell out with the Chelsea board and moved to Reading in 1986, where injury suddenly ended his career at the age of 24. This started a downward spiral including the death of his baby in his arms, two bouts of life-threatening lymph cancer, drug abuse and homelessness. But Canoville fought back. In this explosive and shocking story, Paul finally explains why, despite everything, he is more positive than ever and has remained a fervent Chelsea fan all his life. This is a story of hope - eventually - overcoming adversity.
Black and White
by Richard WilliamsThe fascinating, revealing, and in-depth memoir of Richard Williams, a self-made businessman, tennis coach, and father to two of the greatest athletes of all time--Venus and Serena Williams.Richard Williams had a grand plan for his daughters long before either of them was born, and he went so far as to write a plan for his family's future. His mind was set on raising two of the greatest women champions in professional tennis. Arguably, he executed his plan with laser-like precision. But the source of his vision and the method behind it have remained relatively unknown--until now. In this inspiring memoir, he reveals the full story of his stubborn determination to beat the odds and fulfill his dreams for his family.Born into poverty in Shreveport, Louisiana in the 1940s, Richard was blessed by a strong, caring mother who remained his lifelong hero, just as he became hero to Venus and Serena later on. From the beginning of his life, Richard's mother taught him to live by the principles of courage, confidence, commitment, faith, and love. He passed the same qualities on to his daughters, who grew to love their father and value the lessons he taught them, contrary to public rumors. "I still feel really close to my father," says Serena. "We have a great relationship. There is an appreciation. There is a closeness because of what we've been through together, and a respect."A self-made man, Richard has walked a long, hard, exciting, and ultimately rewarding road for seventy years, surmounting the many challenges to raise a loving family and two of the greatest tennis players who ever lived. Black and White is the extraordinary story of that journey and the indomitable spirit that made it all possible.
Black and White: The Way I See It
by Richard Williams Bart DavisThe fascinating, &“upfront and unapologetic&” (Kirkus Reviews) memoir of Richard Williams, a businessman, tennis coach, subject of the major motion picture King Richard, and father to two of the greatest athletes and professional tennis champions of all time—Venus and Serena Williams.Born into poverty in Shreveport, Louisiana in the 1940s, Richard Williams was blessed by a strong, caring mother who remained his lifelong hero, just as he became a hero to Venus and Serena. From the beginning of his life, Richard&’s mother taught him to live by the principles of courage, confidence, commitment, faith, and love. He passed the same qualities on to his daughters, who grew up loving their father and valuing the lessons he taught them. &“I still feel really close to my father,&” says Serena. &“We have a great relationship. There is an appreciation. There is a closeness because of what we&’ve been through together, and a respect.&”A self-made man, Williams has walked a long, hard, exciting, and ultimately rewarding road during his life, surmounting many challenges to raise a loving family and two of the greatest tennis players who ever lived. Black and White is the extraordinary story of that journey and the indomitable spirit that made it all possible.
Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA
by Theresa RunstedtlerA vital narrative history of 1970s pro basketball, and the Black players who shaped the NBA Against a backdrop of ongoing resistance to racial desegregation and strident calls for Black Power, the NBA in the 1970s embodied the nation&’s imagined descent into disorder. A new generation of Black players entered the league then, among them Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Spencer Haywood, and the press and public were quick to blame this cohort for the supposed decline of pro basketball, citing drugs, violence, and greed. Basketball became a symbol for post-civil rights America: the rules had changed, allowing more Black people onto the playing field, and now they were ruining everything. Enter Black Ball, a gripping history and corrective in which scholar Theresa Runstedtler expertly rewrites basketball&’s &“Dark Ages.&” Weaving together a deep knowledge of the game with incisive social analysis, Dr. Runstedtler argues that this much-maligned period was pivotal to the rise of the modern-day NBA. Black players introduced an improvisational style derived from the playground courts of their neighborhoods. They also challenged the team owners&’ autocratic power, garnering higher salaries and increased agency. Their skills, style, and savvy laid the foundation for the global popularity and profitability of the league we know today.
Black Baseball, Black Business: Race Enterprise and the Fate of the Segregated Dollar
by Roberta J. Newman Joel Nathan RosenWinner of the 2014 Robert W. Peterson Award for Excellence in Negro League Research from the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, sponsored by Negro Leagues Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research Roberta J. Newman and Joel Nathan Rosen have written an authoritative social history of the Negro Leagues. This book examines how the relationship between black baseball and black businesses functioned, particularly in urban areas with significant African American populations—Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, and more. Inextricably bound together by circumstance, these sports and business alliances faced destruction and upheaval. Once Jackie Robinson and a select handful of black baseball’s elite gained acceptance in Major League Baseball and financial stability in the mainstream economy, shock waves traveled throughout the black business world. Though the economic impact on Negro League baseball is perhaps obvious due to its demise, the impact on other black-owned businesses and on segregated neighborhoods is often undervalued if not outright ignored in current accounts. There have been many books written on great individual players who played in the Negro Leagues and/or integrated the Major Leagues. But Newman and Rosen move beyond hagiography to analyze what happens when a community has its economic footing undermined while simultaneously being called upon to celebrate a larger social progress. In this regard, Black Baseball, Black Business moves beyond the diamond to explore baseball’s desegregation narrative in a critical and wide-ranging fashion.
Black Bass
by John Alden KnightOriginally published in 1949, John Alden Knight's Black Bass enforces the idea that enjoying the sport of bass fishing to its fullest is only possible when one understands every aspect of it, including fish behavior, bass habitat, changing seasons, gear, and different fishing tactics. Gaining greater insight into all facets of the sport will ultimately make for more successful and enjoyable fishing trips.In Black Bass, Knight offers everything fishermen need to know about smallmouth and largemouth bass. He focuses on both equally, as he believed neither is the more superior group. Readers will learn about the life cycles, characteristics, behaviors, diets, and feeding habits of both types of bass. Understanding where and how these fish exist will help all fishermen with the next step: catching them.The second half of Knight's book provides readers with various methods of securing bass while on the water. Chapters are devoted to rods, reels, lines and leaders, lures, and incidental equipment, as well as specific techniques fishermen can use and the advantages and proper handling of each.Black Bass is an entertaining and informative book for bass fishermen everywhere and represents a lifetime of study and fishing in many sections of the United States.