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Ali and Liston: The Boy Who Would Be King and the Ugly Bear
by Bob MeeThree months after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, two prizefighters named Charles "Sonny" Liston and Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. stepped into a boxing ring in Miami to dispute the heavyweight championship of the world. Liston was a mob fighter with a criminal past, and rumors were spreading that Clay was not just a noisy, bright-eyed boy blessed with more than his share of the craziness of youth, but a believer in a shadowy cult: the Nation of Islam. Neither could be a hero in the eyes of the media.Against this backdrop of political instability, of a country at war with itself, in a time when ordinary African-American people were maimed and killed for the smallest acts of defiance, Liston and Clay sought out their own individual destinies. Liston and Ali follows the contrasting paths these two men took, from their backgrounds in Arkansas and Kentucky through to that sixteen-month period in 1964 and 1965 when the story of the world heavyweight championship centered on them and all they stood for. Both Ali and Liston's tracks are followed as their paths diverge: Ali going on to greatness with his epic fights and Liston catapulted back into oblivion until his mysterious death in 1970. Using original source material, it explores a riveting chapter in sports history with fresh insight and striking detail. Liston and Ali is a valuable addition to the literature about these world icons and their opponents.
Ali on Ali: Why He Said What He Said When He Said It
by Danny Peary Hana AliThe Greatest—in his own unforgettable words. This collection of quotes is accompanied by family photographs and the stories behind the sayings by Ali's daughter and biographer, Hana Ali. A book of inspiration, humor, and Ali’s inimitable way with words, it’s a unique look at a unique and beloved person.
Ali vs. Inoki: The Forgotten Fight That Inspired Mixed Martial Arts and Launched Sports Entertainment
by Josh Gross"Inoki can use his bare fists. He can use karate. This is serious. There's $10 million involved. I wouldn't pull a fraud on the public. This is real. There's no plan. The blood. The holds. The pain. Everything is going to be real. I'm not here in this time of my life to come out with some phony action. I want you to know this is real."-Muhammad Ali, June 14, 1976, The Tonight ShowMuhammad Ali fought in a mixed-rules contest against iconic pro wrestling champion Antonio Inoki for the so-called "martial arts championship of the world." Broadcast from Tokyo to a potential audience of 1.4 billion in 34 countries, the spectacle foreshadowed and, in many ways, led to the rise of mixed martial arts as a major sport.The unique contest was controversial and panned by wrestling and boxing supporters alike, but the real action was behind the scenes. Egos, competing interests, and a general sense of apprehension over what would happen in the ring led to hodgepodge rules thrown together at the last minute. Bizarre plans to "save" Ali if the fight got out of hand were even concocted.In Ali vs. Inoki, author Josh Gross gets inside Ali's head leading up to the match by resurrecting pre-fight interviews. Gross also introduces us to Inoki, the most famous face in Japan who was instrumental in shaping modern mixed martial arts.
Alice Fantastic: A Novel
by Maggie EstepAlice Hunter is a thirty-six-year-old professional gambler living in Queens, New York. She is modestly successful as a horseplayer and enjoys her work. Though avidly pursued by her lover, Clayton, who she refers to as The Big Oaf, Alice's closest companion is Candy, a small spotted dog, and Alice likes it that way. When Clayton's overzealousness leads Alice to ask one of her racetrack cronies to intimidate Clayton into leaving her, a few things go wrong and Alice turns to her half-sister Eloise, a toy maker, whose own lover has just been killed in a freak accident. There is fierce love between Alice, Eloise, and Kimberly (their unconventional mother), but it takes Alice's accidental discovery of an awful secret Kimberly has been keeping to truly bring three eccentric women, seventeen dogs, and assorted lovers together. Maggie Estep has published six books, including Hex, a New York Times Notable Book of 2003.
Alien in the Outfield: Perseverance (How to Be an Earthling #6)
by Lori Haskins HouranActing like an Earthling isn&’t easy! Follow the adventures of Spork the alien in the How to Be an Earthling series. Each book covers a different character trait to help kids think about what they say and do. Fifty states! The class has to learn them all, but Adam barely remembers five. Even Spork knows more—and he&’s from a different planet! Luckily, Adam has baseball . . . and yubble, the cosmic new sport that Spork is teaching everyone. Why can&’t learning the states be as easy as playing ball? Every How to Be an Earthling title includes fun back-of-book activities that build on story themes. (Character trait: Perseverance)
Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors (P. S. Series)
by Piers Paul ReadThe #1 New York Times bestseller and the true story behind the film: A rugby team resorts to the unthinkable after a plane crash in the Andes <P><P>. Spirits were high when the Fairchild F-227 took off from Mendoza, Argentina, and headed for Santiago, Chile. On board were forty-five people, including an amateur rugby team from Uruguay and their friends and family. <P><P>The skies were clear that Friday, October 13, 1972, and at 3:30 p.m., the Fairchild's pilot reported their altitude at 15,000 feet. But one minute later, the Santiago control tower lost all contact with the aircraft. For eight days, Chileans, Uruguayans, and Argentinians searched for it, but snowfall in the Andes had been heavy, and the odds of locating any wreckage were slim. <P><P>Ten weeks later, a Chilean peasant in a remote valley noticed two haggard men desperately gesticulating to him from across a river. He threw them a pen and paper, and the note they tossed back read: "I come from a plane that fell in the mountains . . ." <P><P>Sixteen of the original forty-five passengers on the F-227 survived its horrific crash. In the remote glacial wilderness, they camped in the plane's fuselage, where they faced freezing temperatures, life-threatening injuries, an avalanche, and imminent starvation. As their meager food supplies ran out, and after they heard on a patched-together radio that the search parties had been called off, it seemed like all hope was lost. <P><P>To save their own lives, these men and women not only had to keep their faith, they had to make an impossible decision: Should they eat the flesh of their dead friends? <P><P>A remarkable story of endurance and determination, friendship and the human spirit, Alive is the dramatic bestselling account of one of the most harrowing quests for survival in modern times.
Alive and Kicking: A Story of Crime, Addiction and Redemption in Glasgow's Gangland
by David BryceFrom running with the infamous Calton Tongs to running Calton Athletic, David Bryce's life story is a remarkable account of crime, violence, alcoholism and drug addiction in Glasgow's gangland.A respected 'hard man', Bryce worked his way through most of HM's prisons in Scotland before an epiphany in 1977 made him realise that he was a hopeless alcoholic who needed help. A five-year battle followed, during which he sank into the abyss of heroin addiction before finally getting clean. In 1985, in an effort to help others who were struggling against substance abuse, Bryce set up Calton Athletic, a football team and social group made up solely of recovering drug addicts. Reformed gangster Jimmy Boyle was one of the first to have faith in Bryce and Calton Athletic, but the club eventually won widespread respect. Gordon Brown, then a young MP, was so impressed that he wrote an article for The Observer which led to a TV film starring Lenny Henry and Robbie Coltrane. In the '90s, Ewan McGregor, Irvine Welsh and the Trainspotting crew sought Bryce's advice and friendship during the making of the internationally acclaimed cult film, while Robbie Williams begged to switch nationality and play for Calton Atheltic in an 'England v. Scotland' celebrity charity match.Bryce's uncompromising belief that the only way to come off drugs is to go cold turkey and stay completely clean saw him clash with government agencies over the 'harm-reduction' policy of recent years. The club's statutory funding was withdrawn in 1998, but today Calton Athletic are still providing an invaluable lifeline while the 'official' drugs policy has become increasingly discredited.Alive and Kicking is an inspirational tale of survival and success against the odds.
Alive and Kicking
by Andy LeggIn 2005 Welsh soccer star Andy Legg's life was turned upside down. Forced to retire after finding out that a lump in his neck was cancer, it seemed that his 15-year career, which included playing for Cardiff and Swansea City, was over. But an operation to remove the tumour was successful and the 42-year-old Neath-born star is now back on the field. "Alive and Kicking" is his emotional account of his fears for his career and his life, and his gratitude for the support of his fans which give him the strength to fight on. About the Author Andy Legg is a Welsh international footballer and one of a select band to play for South Wales arch rivals Swansea City and Cardiff City.Signed by Swansea City in 1988, he turned professional at the age of 22. An aggressive left sided player, Andy made more than 160 League appearances for the Swans, before moving on to Notts County, Birmingham City, Ipswich and Reading. He joined Cardiff City in 1998. His League career totalled more than 600 appearances; he played six times for Wales and made the Guinness Book of Records for his long throw-in. He's coached at Peterborough, managed Hucknall Town and continues to play for Welsh Premier League side Llanelli.
Alive and Kicking (Quick Reads)
by Andy LeggIn 2005 Welsh soccer star Andy Legg's life was turned upside down. Forced to retire after finding out that a lump in his neck was cancer, it seemed that his 15-year career, which included playing for Cardiff and Swansea City, was over. But an operation to remove the tumour was successful and the 42-year-old Neath-born star is now back on the field. "Alive and Kicking" is his emotional account of his fears for his career and his life, and his gratitude for the support of his fans which give him the strength to fight on.About the AuthorAndy Legg is a Welsh international footballer and one of a select band to play for South Wales arch rivals Swansea City and Cardiff City.Signed by Swansea City in 1988, he turned professional at the age of 22. An aggressive left sided player, Andy made more than 160 League appearances for the Swans, before moving on to Notts County, Birmingham City, Ipswich and Reading. He joined Cardiff City in 1998. His League career totalled more than 600 appearances; he played six times for Wales and made the Guinness Book of Records for his long throw-in. He's coached at Peterborough, managed Hucknall Town and continues to play for Welsh Premier League side Llanelli.
Alive and Kicking (Quick Reads Ser.)
by Andy LeggIn 2005 Welsh soccer star Andy Legg's life was turned upside down. Forced to retire after finding out that a lump in his neck was cancer, it seemed that his 15-year career, which included playing for Cardiff and Swansea City, was over. But an operation to remove the tumour was successful and the 42-year-old Neath-born star is now back on the field. "Alive and Kicking" is his emotional account of his fears for his career and his life, and his gratitude for the support of his fans which give him the strength to fight on.About the AuthorAndy Legg is a Welsh international footballer and one of a select band to play for South Wales arch rivals Swansea City and Cardiff City.Signed by Swansea City in 1988, he turned professional at the age of 22. An aggressive left sided player, Andy made more than 160 League appearances for the Swans, before moving on to Notts County, Birmingham City, Ipswich and Reading. He joined Cardiff City in 1998. His League career totalled more than 600 appearances; he played six times for Wales and made the Guinness Book of Records for his long throw-in. He's coached at Peterborough, managed Hucknall Town and continues to play for Welsh Premier League side Llanelli.
All About Bikes (Into Reading, Level K #82)
by Annette SmithTwo wheels … on the road, across the trail, or even in the air. Learn how bikes help get us to where we are going.
All about Football
by George SullivanDiscusses the history, equipment, and techniques of football and includes a summary of the rules.
All About Hockey
by George E. SullivanA clear and comprehensive reference provides explanations of hockey terms, equipment, rules, tactics, and skills, as well as descriptions of the sport's history, organization of the professional leagues, and profiles of some of the greatest players of all time.
All About Horses: A Kid's Guide to Breeds, Care, Riding, and More!
by Kelly Milner HallsLearn how much there is to love about horses—for kids ages 6 to 9 Do you know a young horse lover who dreams of riding a horse? Or loves to learn about what it takes to care for one? All About Horses can teach them! They'll saddle up and become a horse expert as they read up on what horses eat, all the gear that keeps horses strong and healthy, and how to get started with riding. With detailed chapters and gorgeous illustrations, kids will take a look at the most popular horse breeds and what makes them special—like the big and strong Clydesdale and the lean and fast Tennesse Walker. They'll even learn about how horses communicate with humans and how to build a loving bond that lasts a lifetime. Facts and quizzes—Kids will learn fun bonus facts about horses—like how fast they can gallop!—and find quizzes at the end of every chapter, including one about what kind of horse they'd be. Jokes and questions—Discover silly jokes that kids can share with friends and fascinating questions that test their horse knowledge. For newly independent readers—This book features large font, short paragraphs, and chapters broken up into sections so kids feel a sense of success and accomplishment as they read. Any horse-loving little one will enjoy the fascinating facts and illustrations in this colorful book about horses!
All American: The Rise And Fall Of Jim Thorpe
by Bill Crawford"All American is riveting and grand-that rare pairing of exquisite writing and unassailable research. Crawford delivers you to an age when iconic titans like Jim Thorpe and Pop Warner marched across the planet, and he is the perfect guide to their enormous triumphs and tragedies. This is epic American history at its page-turning finest." <br>-Bill Minutaglio, author of City on Fire and First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty <P><P> He was the greatest football running back of his era, leading his Carlisle Indian Industrial School team to victory over all the great college powerhouses. King Gustav of Sweden called him "the greatest athlete in the world" after he won gold medals for the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games. Yet Jim Thorpe was also at the center of the greatest sports scandal of the twentieth century-a scandal that took away his Olympic medals and banned him forever from intercollegiate sports. <P><P> Now, in this revealing new biography, Bill Crawford captures Jim Thorpe's remarkable rise and fall. From his youth on Oklahoma's Sac and Fox Indian reservation to his astounding feats on the gridiron, from his Olympic triumphs to his complex relationship with coach "Pop" Warner, who mentored, exploited, and ultimately betrayed him, All American brings you up close and personal with the greatest athlete of the twentieth century.
All American
by Steve EubanksIn December 2001, as fires still burned beneath the ruins of the World Trade Center, West Point cadet Chad Jenkins and Naval Academy midshipman Brian Stann faced off at Veterans Stadium in Philadel-phia in what would become the most-watched college football game of the decade: the matchup between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen. At opposing stadiums throughout the season, the Army and Navy teams, used to jeers from their oppo-nents' fans, had instead been greeted with standing ovations from respectful crowds who knew that these young players, military officers in training, were soon going to fight a war in the Middle East. On this day, before this momentous game, President George W. Bush--along with others such as General Norman Schwarzkopf and Senator John McCain--visited both locker rooms before watching the game from the sidelines. When Stann, a Navy linebacker, first came into contact with Jenkins, the Army quarterback, his team was behind by thirteen points. Yet he managed to land the perfect tackle against Jenkins. Though these two players would not meet again for a decade, Stann and Jenkins shared the same path: both went to war. As first-class officers serving several tours of duty, they led soldiers and marines and participated in events they never imagined possible. A moving and fascinating dual profile of honor, duty, courage, and competition, All American is a thoughtful exploration of American character and values, embodied in the lives of two remarkable young men.
The All-American: A Novel
by Joe Milan Jr.“Joe Milan Jr. has rocketed himself into the literary stratosphere.” —Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Introducing a character as viscerally believable and unforgettable as any in fiction, The All-American is a triumph—full of energy, dark humor, suspense, and hard-won wisdom. Seventeen-year-old Bucky Yi knows nothing about his birth country of South Korea or his bio-dad’s disappearance; he can’t even pronounce his Korean name correctly. Running through the woods of rural Washington State with a tire tied to his waist, his sights are set on one all-American goal: to become a college football player. So when a misadventure with his adoptive family leads the U.S. government to deport him to South Korea, he’s forced to navigate an entirely foreign version of his life. One mishap leads to another, and as an outsider, Bucky has to fall back on not just his raw physical strength, but resources of character and attitude he didn’t know he had. In an expat bar in Seoul, in the bleak barracks of his Korean military, on a remote island where an erratic sergeant fights a shadow-war with North Korean spies, and in the remote town where he seeks out his drunken, indebted biological father, Bucky has to assemble the building blocks of a new language and stubbornly rebuild himself from scratch. That means managing his ego, insecurities, sexual desires, family legacies, and allegiances in order to make it back home—wherever that might be—and determine who he is to himself, who he is to others, and what kind of man he wants to become.
All-American
by John R. TunisWhen a sports rivalry nearly turns deadly, Ronald Perry finds himself caught between what he knows and what he knows is right The long-standing tension between the Academy and the High School often becomes heated, especially when the two schools face each other on the football field. But when Ronald Perry, the star of the Academy team, nearly kills Meyer Goldman, a boy playing for the High School, in a dangerously hard tackle, Ronny is horrified. He swears he'll never play football again. Back in school, Ronny is even more shocked by the attitude of his Academy friends and teammates, who tell him not to be so hard on himself--because Goldman is Jewish. Unable to ignore the remorse he feels, Ronny decides to transfer to the High School. But when his new classmates dismiss him as a snob, he realizes that he'll have to work hard to break down this old rivalry.
The All-American Boy
by Bob Backlund Robert H. MillerBob Backlund began life as a poor farm boy in the little village of Princeton, Minnesota, with a population of just over 2,000 people. He was a below-average student with a lackluster work ethic and a bad attitude, who hung with the wrong crowd and made a lot of bad choices. He was a kid whose life was headed for disaster-until a local coach took interest in him, suggested that he take up amateur wrestling, and offered to work with him if he promised to stay out of trouble.It was in North Dakota that Bob Backlund had the first of several chance encounters that would shape his destiny. While working out at the YMCA gymnasium in Fargo, North Dakota, where he wrestled for North Dakota State, Backlund met a well-known professional wrestler, "Superstar" Billy Graham. The men talked, and at Graham's suggestion, Backlund was inspired to pursue a career in professional wrestling.Less than five years from that day, on February 20, 1978, Backlund would find himself halfway across the country, standing in the middle of the ring at Madison Square Garden with his hand raised in victory as the newly crowned World Wide Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. The man Backlund pinned for the championship that night was none other than Superstar Billy Graham.With interviews from "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and The Iron Sheik, as well as Vince McMahon, the president and CEO of the WWE, The All-American Kid tells the incredible story and career of Bob Backlund, one of the most famous wrestlers since the inception of the sport. From his rough upbringing and rise to fame to his failed run for Congress and revived career, Bob Backlund has traveled the world, learning and seeing more than most people will in a lifetime.
All-American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez, the Superstar Whose Life Ended on Murderers' Row (James Patterson True Crime #1)
by James Patterson Alex Abramovich Mike Harvkey<P>Football coaches, players, and fans called Aaron Hernandez unstoppable. His four-year-old daughter called him Daddy. The law called him inmate #174594. He was a college All-American who became the youngest player in the NFL and later a Super Bowl veteran. He was a star tight end on the league-dominant New England Patriots, who extended his contract for a record $40 million. <P>Aaron Hernandez's every move as a professional athlete played out in the headlines, yet he led a secret life-one that ended in a maximum security prison. What drove him to go so wrong, so fast? Son of a University of Connecticut football hero known as "the King" and brother to a Huskies quarterback, Hernandez was the best athlete Connecticut's Bristol Central High had ever produced. <P>He chose to play football at the University of Florida, but by the time he arrived in Gainesville, he was already courting trouble. Between the summers of 2012 and 2013, not long after Hernandez made his first Pro Bowl, he was linked to a series of violent incidents culminating in the death of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who dated the sister of Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins. <P>All-American Murder is the first book to investigate-from the unique vantage point of the world's most popular thriller writer-Aaron Hernandez's first-degree murder conviction and the mystery of his own untimely and shocking death. Drawing on original and in-depth reporting, this is an explosive true story of a life cut short in the dark shadow of fame. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
All American Speedway
by Bill PoindexterIt began as a rodeo arena with bucking broncos entertaining an annual gathering for the Placer County Fair in Roseville, California, about 10 miles east of Sacramento. The rodeo grounds eventually gave way to a different kind of horsepower in 1955, when a dirt track was built. The original Roseville Speedway later became All American Speedway. The surface was paved in 1972, and three years later, its signature race, the Rose Classic, was born. Future NASCAR drivers Ernie Irvan, Mike Skinner, and more visited the track. The Rose Classic went away in the early 1990s, but NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action lives on each year.
The All Americans: From The Football Field To The Battlefield
by Lars AndersonOn November 29, 1941, Army played Navy in front of 100,000 fans. Eight days later, the Japanese attacked and the young men who battled each other in that historic game were forced to fight a very different enemy. Author Lars Anderson follows four players-two from Annapolis and two from West Point-in this epic true story, The All Americans. Bill Busik: Growing up in Pasadena, California, Busik was best friends with a young black man named Jackie, who in 1947 would make Major League Baseball history. Busik would have a spectacular sports career himself at the Naval Academy, earning All-American honors as a tailback in 1941. He was serving aboard the U.S.S. Shaw when it was attacked by Japanese dive-bombers in 1943.Hal Kauffman: Together, Busik and Kauffman rode a train across the nation to Annapolis to enroll in the Naval Academy. A backup tailback at Navy, Kauffman would go on to serve aboard the U.S.S. Meredith, which was sunk in 1942. For five days Kauffman struggled to stay alive on a raft, fighting off hallucinations, dehydration, and-most terrifying of all-sharks. Dozens of his crewmates lost their minds; others were eaten by sharks. All the while Kauffman wondered if he'd ever see his friend and teammate again.Henry Romanek: Because he had relatives in Poland, Romanek heard firsthand accounts in 1939 of German aggression. Wanting to become an officer, Romanek attended West Point and played tackle for the Cadets. He spent months preparing for the D-day invasion and on June 6, 1944 - the day he would have graduated from West Point had his course load not been cut from four years to three-Romanek rode in a landing craft to storm Omaha Beach. In the first wave to hit the beach he would also become one of the first to take a bullet.Robin Olds: The son of a famous World War I fighter pilot, Olds decided to follow in his father's footsteps. At West Point he became best friends with Romanek and the two played side-by-side on Army's line. In 1942, a sportswriter Grantland Rice named Olds to his All-American team. Two years later Olds spent D-day flying a P-38 over Omaha Beach, anxiously scanning the battlefield for Romanek, hoping his friend would survive the slaughter. The tale of these four men is woven into a dramatic narrative of football and war that's unlike any other. Through extensive research and interviews with dozens of World War II veterans, Anderson has written one of the most compelling and original true stories in all of World War II literature. From fierce fighting, heroic rescues, tragic death, and awe-inspiring victory, all four men's suspenseful journeys are told in graphic detail. Along the way, Anderson brings World War II to life in a way that has never been done before.Includes sixteen pages of black-and-white photographs.
All Around Good Habits (Junior Martial Arts)
by Kim EtingoffMartial arts students don't just learn how to fight. They also learn lots of other important things they use every day. They learn good habits, like being on time, respecting other people, and taking care of their bodies. Discover how martial arts can help you form good habits too!
All Blacks (Flash Ensayo): La leyenda del mejor equipo de la historia
by Fermín de la CalleUn trepidante repaso por la historia de los All Blacks, el mejor equipo de todos los tiempos. Los All Blacks no aspiran a ganar a sus rivales, ni siquiera a ganar el mundial y ser el mejor equipo de rugby del planeta. Su objetivo es ser el mejor equipo del mundo, por encima de cualquier otro equipo sea cual sea su disciplina deportiva. Con esta mentalidad, los All Blacks se han convertido en leyenda, y Fermín de la Calle nos ofrece un exhaustivo repaso de la trayectoria de uno de los mayores mitos de la historia del deporte. Más allá de los hakas con los que amedrentan a sus rivales antes del inicio de cada encuentro y sus tácticas y mentalidad demoledoras, los All Blacks se han convertido en un ejemplo a seguir para cualquier equipo, sea cual sea el deporte que practique. Será difícil que tras leer este Flash no te conviertas en fan absoluto de los All Blacks.
All Boats Are Sinking: Navigating Life, Love and Locks on a Narrowboat
by Hannah PierceHaving spontaneously bought a houseboat after a break-up, Hannah is plunged into life on the water, learning quickly how to deal with exploding toilets and disappearing hulls. When life threatens to sink her, Hannah embarks on an odyssey along Britain's canals. An uplifting and hilarious story of a woman trying to keep her boat and life afloat.