|
African Americans in Sports
|
|
Say It Loud: An Illustrated History of the Black Athlete
by Roxanne Jones
A lavishly photographed tribute to African-American sports history is a tribute to the accomplishments of its athletes and other contributors who risked their well-being to promote social and legal changes, in a reference that includes coverage of such figures as Jesse Owens, Arthur Ashe and Jackie Robinson.
|
|
|
The Negro Baseball Leagues, 1867-1955: A Photographic History
by Phil Dixon
More than a decade of research went into the making of this coffee table-style book. The first comprehensive history of black baseball, it follows Simpson Younger, the first black player to play college baseball, to Jackie Robinson breaking the Major Leagues' color barrier after World War II & the subsequent death of the Negro Leagues in the mid-1950s. There's a lot of little-known history along the way.
|
|
|
Color Blind: The Forgotten Team That Broke Baseball's Color Line
by Tom Dunkel
Taking readers back in time to 1947, an award-winning journalist chronicles an integrated baseball team in Bismarck, North Dakota. A decade before Jackie Robinson broke into the Major Leagues, car dealer Neil Churchill signed the best players he could find, regardless of race, and fielded an integrated squad that took on all comers in spectacular fashion.
|
|
|
Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season
by Jonathan Eig
April 15, 1947 marked the most important opening day in baseball history. When Jackie Robinson stepped onto the diamond that afternoon at Ebbets Field, he became the first black man to break into major-league baseball in the twentieth century. He was an unlikely hero. He had little experience in organized baseball. His swing was far from graceful. And he was assigned to play first base, a position he had never tried before that season. But the biggest concern was his temper. Robinson was an angry man who played an aggressive style of ball. Jonathan Eig tells the story behind the national pastime's most sacred myth and presents a fresh portrait of a ferocious competitor who embodied integration's promise and helped launch the modern civil-rights era.
|
|
|
Rickey & Robinson: The True, Untold Story of the Integration of Baseball
by Roger Kahn
In what he declares to be his last book, a noted sportswriter unearths his notebooks from the 40s and 50s—a time when sportswriters were known to "protect" players and baseball executives—to give an unvarnished, and likely to be controversial, account of Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey and the integration of baseball. By the best-selling author of Boys of Summer.
|
|
|
First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson
by Jackie Robinson
A selection of never-before-published letters offers an intimate portrait of the legendary baseball star and his role as an advocate for racial justice and equality at the highest levels of American power, featuring his correspondence with--and replies from--Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and others until his death in 1972.
|
|
|
Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball
by Lawrence D. Hogan
An illustrated history honoring Negro League baseball and its remarkable players brings together historical anecdotes, biographical essays, archival photographs, and other artifacts that pay tribute to the players and teams that transformed American sports culture, from the nineteenth century to the integration of the Major Leagues in 1947.
|
|
|
The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron
by Howard Bryant
In the years since his retirement, Henry Aaron’s reputation has only grown in magnitude: he broke existing records (RBIs, total bases, extra-base hits) and set new ones (hitting at least thirty home runs per season fifteen times, becoming the first player in history to hammer five hundred home runs and three thousand hits). The Last Hero chronicles Aaron’s childhood in segregated Alabama, his brief stardom in the Negro Leagues, his complicated relationship with celebrity, and his historic rivalry with Willie Mays—all culminating in the defining event of his life: his shattering of Babe Ruth’s all-time home-run record. Bryant also examines Aaron’s more complex second act: his quest to become an important voice beyond the ball field, his rediscovery by a public disillusioned with today’s tainted heroes, and his disappointment that his career home-run record was finally broken by Barry Bonds during the steroid era.
|
|
|
Ernie Banks: Mr. Cub and the Summer of '69
by Phil Rogers
Discusses the life of the legendary Chicago Cubs shortstop and looks at the 1969 season, which saw Banks chasing a career 500 home runs, a feat he would achieve in May 1970, as well as uttering his famous, upbeat quote "Let's play two," during a particularly hot summer game.
|
|
|
If You Love This Game: An MVP's Life in Baseball
by Andre Dawson
Reflecting on his accomplishments, his colleagues, and the future of baseball, Andre Dawson tells the story of his four-decade career as a player and executive in this intimate memoir. Seriously injured at a young age, Dawson struggled with chronic pain throughout his career and was only seriously scouted by the Montreal Expos during college. Overcoming these odds, he went on to be named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1977, earn eight All-Star appearances, eight Gold Gloves, and a Most Valuable Player Award. This behind-the-scenes look at a dedicated player's journey from a segregated Miami neighborhood to the fabled halls of Cooperstown offers fans a window into the psyche of a fan favorite.
|
|
|
Doc: A Memoir
by Dwight Gooden
One of the bad boys of the 1986 World Series-winning Mets discusses his life. Known for his triumphs on the baseball field and his excesses off of it, Gooden was a soft-spoken, dominating wunderkind who tallied a mountain of strikeouts while leading the 1986 bad-boy New York Mets to a World Series win. Even at that pinnacle, Gooden had already succumbed to a cocaine addiction that would short-circuit his career and personal life.
|
|
|
Reggie Jackson: The Life and Thunderous Career of Baseball's Mr. October
by Dayn Perry
Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson earned the nickname "Mr. October" for the crucial clutch hitting that led his teams to the World Series six times and won him two series MVP awards. A cantankerous man full of swagger with a fearsome talent to match, Jackson was an outspoken iconoclast as a player. As large a presence on the field as he was outside the ballpark, Jackson backed up his talk by establishing himself as one of the best sluggers the sport has ever seen. Yet Jackson's story is about more than sports prowess. His life reflects a time, between Jackie Robinson and Ken Griffey, Jr., when black ballplayers were accepted but still considered inferior to their white teammates. There were unspoken rules to keep the racial waters still; Jackson not only ignored such conventions, he demolished them—paving the way for true equality for all black players.
|
|
|
Becoming Mr. October
by Reggie Jackson
A candid, high-energy account of the two years when the Baseball Hall of Fame athlete transformed from an outcast to a Yankee legend describes his strained relationship with a mercurial Billy Martin, the rumors that damaged his reputation and the steadfast beliefs that enabled his World Series achievements. Co-written by the best-selling author of Dreamland.
|
|
|
Fergie: My Life from the Cubs to Cooperstown
by Ferguson Jenkins
A tremendous all-around athlete who has always been proud of his roots and representing his country during a lifetime in the game, Jenkins established a reputation as one of the greatest pitchers of not only his era but of all time. A strikeout king who whiffed more than 3,000 batters, Jenkins earned the trust of his managers as a pitcher who completed what he started. This is the story of a man who refused to be leveled by sadness and disappointments away from the playing field. It is also the story of behind-the-scenes good humor in clubhouses and what takes place on baseball teams as they live and play together for months at a time.
|
|
|
Willie Mays: The Life, the Legend
by James S. Hirsch
Willie Mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still revered for the passion he brought to the game. He began as a teenager in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was the headliner in Major League Baseball’s expansion to California. Mays was a transcendent figure who received standing ovations in enemy stadiums and who, during the turbulent civil rights era, urged understanding and reconciliation. More than his records, his legacy is defined by the pure joy that he brought to fans and the loving memories that have been passed to future generations so they might know the magic and beauty of the game. With meticulous research and drawing on interviews with Mays himself as well as with close friends, family, and teammates, Hirsch presents a brilliant portrait of one of America’s most significant cultural icons.
|
|
|
Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend
by Larry Tye
A portrait of the Negro League pitcher evaluates the role of discrimination in limiting his career, covering such topics as his near-defeat of a young Joe DiMaggio, the Jim Crow biases that prevented his signing with the big leagues until he was in his forties, and his lasting legacy.
|
|
|
Inside Power
by Gary Sheffield
The baseball All-Star recounts his life and career in the sport, including his Little League glory to nearly being shot to death, to playing with and for characters like A-Rod, Jeter, Lasorda, Leyland, and Torre.
|
|
|
Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone, the First Woman to Play Professional Baseball in the Negro League
by Martha Ackmann
From the time she was a girl growing up in the shadow of Lexington Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Toni Stone knew she wanted to play professional baseball. Curveball tells the inspiring story of baseball's "female Jackie Robinson," a woman whose ambition, courage, and raw talent propelled her from ragtag teams barnstorming across the Dakotas to playing in front of large crowds at Yankee Stadium. Toni Stone was the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro League. Playing alongside some of the premier athletes of all time including Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Buck O'Neil, and Satchel Paige, Toni let her talent speak for itself. Curveball chronicles Toni Stone's remarkable career facing down not only fastballs, but jeers, sabotage, and Jim Crow America as well.
|
|
|
Uppity: My Untold Story about the Games People Play
by Bill White
A baseball great shares never-before-publish stories about his rise from the minor leagues of the Deep South to the major leagues, despite the racism he had to deal with along the way, as well as the legendary figures he met, in a book that also discusses his career as a broadcaster and president of the national league.
|
|
|
Billy Williams: My Sweet-Swinging Lifetime with the Cubs
by Billy Williams
One of the most popular Cubs of all time, Williams reminisces about his early years, his Hall of Fame career, and his five decades in the game in this inspirational autobiography. In Billy Williams: My Sweet-Swinging Lifetime with the Cubs, he remembers the sturdy values and selfless devotion of the people from Whistler who helped shape his character; people like Lilly Dixon, his grade school principal, and Virgil Rhodes, his high school coach, both of whom he remembered in his Hall of Fame induction speech, and also his father who lived long enough to see his son play in the big leagues.
|
|
|
42
Depicts the early career of Jackie Robinson as he became the first African American Major League Baseball player when he was signed to the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers.
|
|
|
The Jackie Robinson Story
THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY stars the baseball legend in a biographical drama about the player and man who integrated major league ball.
|
|
|
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
by Kadir Nelson
The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball. Using an “Everyman” player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. Illustrations from oil paintings by artist Kadir Nelson.
|
|
|
Stars in the Shadows: The Negro League All-Star Game of 1934
by Charles R. Smith
In 1934, Chicago was the setting for one of the most fascinating ballgames in history: the second annual East-West Games. Come step back in time to see the best of the best Negro League players take each other on in this All-Star Game. This exhilarating play-by-play is a tour de force: a complete imagining of the radio broadcast of that thrilling game. You'll meet the legendary players, step into the stands with the fans, and even hear the radio commercials! Coretta Scott King Award Winner Charles Smith, Jr has written a must-have for any baseball aficionado. Beautifully packaged and with incredible black-and-white illustrations by Frank Morrison, this is a rare and momentous book.
|
|
|
Hank Aaron
by Jamie Poolos
Examining the lives of celebrated baseball players both past and present, this candid series--which includes stats and photos--chronicles each player's childhood and family, his introduction to the sport, challenges and setbacks, and more.
|
|
|
Ken Griffey, Jr.
by Stew Thornley
Discusses the personal life and baseball career of award-winning outfielder and hitter Ken Griffey, Jr., who became the youngest player in the major leagues on opening day in 1989.
|
|
|
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America
by Sharon Robinson
Written by the daughter of this famed athlete and complete with period photos and letters, a biography offers an intimate look at the life and accomplishments of this historic figure who was the first African-American baseball player in the National League, noted civil rights activist, and family man.
|
|
|
The Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues
by Walter Dean Myers
Teenager Biddy Owens' 1948 journal about working for the Birmingham Black Barons includes the games and the players, racism the team faces from New Orleans to Chicago, and his family's resistance to his becoming a professional baseball player. Includes a historical note about the evolution of the Negro Leagues.
|
|
|
Satchel Paige: Don't Look Back
by David A. Adler
A fascinating sports biography traces the life of Satchel Paige, one of the best African-American baseball players in the Negro Baseball Leagues, who triumphed over adversity to play in the major leagues.
|
|
|
Stealing Home: Jackie Robinson: Against the Odds
by Robert Burleigh
Although in 1947 Major League Baseball was only open to white players, the extraordinary talent of Jackie Robinson could not be denied and, after being given the opportunity to play, proved to everyone that he was just as capable--sometimes even more so--than the rest.
|
|
|
Willie and the All-Stars
by Floyd Cooper
When a group of old men tell him stories of the great players in the Negro League and explain that he can never join the Major League because of the color of his skin, Willie is disheartened and sad, but when he attends a game where the two leagues play each other, Willie learns an important lesson about determination that forever changes his life.
|
|
|
Just as Good: How Larry Doby Changed America's Game
by Chris Crowe
An African American family in Cleveland, Ohio, listens on their new radio to the first game of the 1948 World Series, in which Larry Doby, the first black player in the American League, won the game for the Cleveland Indians.
|
|
|
Jackie's Bat
by Marybeth Lorbiecki
While working as the batboy for the Dodgers, young Joey is told by his father to serve all the players but one, yet as friendships are formed and prejudices put aside, the young boy realizes that some rules were meant to be broken and soon treats Jackie Robinson just the same as all the other players.
|
|
|
Shooting Stars
by LeBron James
A leading NBA star presents the story of his inner-city Ohio youth basketball team on which players overcame challenging hardships to qualify for a national championship while learning key lessons about teamwork.
|
|
|
Hoop Dreams
by Ben Joravsky
For nearly five years Arthur Agee's and William Gates' remarkable lives were chronicled by a team of filmmakers. Roughly 250 hours of film were devoted to their journeys from the playgrounds to high school competition to college recruitment and -- whittled down to three hours -- it became the award-winning film Hoop Dreams. This companion book vividly brings to life the struggles of Arthur Agee and William Gates to win college scholarships and positions on professional teams and examines the impact their aspirations had on themselves, their families and their relationships.
|
|
|
The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball
by John Taylor
Set against the backdrop of professional basketball's golden age during the 1960s, an intriguing study focuses on the sport's greatest rivalry, between Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics and Wilt Chamberlain, who played on the Warriors, the 76ers, and the Lakers, which came to an epic climax during the 1969 championship.
|
|
|
Dave Bing: A Life of Challenge
by Drew Sharp
When Dave Bing lost sight in one eye, he didn't let it stop him. Through dedicated practice and honed skills, he became one of the top 50 NBA players of all time. With limited business experience, he built a start-up company into a thriving corporation, while at the same time reaching out to black youths lacking father figures. In Dave Bing, Detroit Free Press sports columnist Drew Sharp chronicles the compelling story of a figure whose sheer will to succeed, refusal to make excuses for setbacks, and efforts to contribute to society set him apart. His path from Washington D.C. to Syracuse to Detroit is sometimes tumultuous, blazed by hard work, perseverance, and savvy. Much more than the stereotypical tale of celebrity ex-jock who does good, this is a story about a black male who, even as a youngster, determined to conquer whatever challenges came his way.
|
|
|
Doc: The Rise and Rise of Julius Erving
by Vincent M. Mallozzi
The first complete biography of Julius Erving--also known as Dr. J, one of the greatest and most popular basketball players of all time--draws on interviews with his childhood friends, family and teammates and coaches at all levels.
|
|
|
Dr. J: The Autobiography
by Julius Erving
With his flights of improvisation around the basket and his towering afro, Julius Erving became one of the most charismatic (and revolutionary) players basketball has ever known. But while the public has long revered this cultural icon, few have ever known of the double life of Julius Erving. Dr. J traces the inner lives of the nearly perfect player and the imperfect man—and how he has come to terms with both.
|
|
|
Driven from Within
by Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan's relentless determination produced six NBA Championships and some of the most spectacular performances in sports history, while his enduring grace and unique sense of style made him equally famous in the worlds of fashion, business, and marketing. In this book, he makes it clear that the basis for his phenomenal success came from the inside out, thanks in part to those who guided him along the way. His skill, work ethic, philosophy, personal style, competitiveness and presence have flowed from the basketball court and into every facet of his life. This is a book about the power of collaboration and teamwork, the energy generated when people combine their creativity and passion, and a fearless desire to lead.
|
|
|
Michael Jordan: The Life
by Roland Lazenby
Describes the life of one of the most legendary basketball players in the history of the sport, drawing upon interviews with Michael Jordan's friends, family and teammates and following his career from college to the pros.
|
|
|
Wheelchair Warrior: Gangs, Disability, and Basketball
by Melvin Juette
The author describes how, at the age of sixteen, he became paralyzed after a gang-related shooting and went on to become a college graduate and a star athlete on the U.S. National Wheelchair Basketball Team.
|
|
|
Billy "the Hill" and the Jump Hook: The Autobiography of a Forgotten Basketball Legend
by Billy McGill
Growing up on the hardscrabble streets of LA in the late 1950s, Billy McGill stood out. At eleven he was dunking. At fifteen he was playing in pickup games against Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain—and holding his own, in part because he invented the jump hook shot, which no one could defend. The first African American to play basketball for the University of Utah and the highest scoring big man in NCAA history, McGill was the first pick of the 1962 NBA draft. But the injury that would undo him—a knee injury in his junior year of high school—had already occurred, and it would worsen year after year until his career faded away. A cautionary tale, written with a candor and authenticity rarely seen in pro athletes, his book is also the incredible story of one of the greatest unknown basketball players of all time.
|
|
|
Shaq Uncut: My Story
by Shaquille O'Neal
NBA star Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most recognizable figures in sports during his career, both because of his skill as a basketball player and because of his larger-than-life personality. His memoir covers his childhood and youth, his success in college basketball, and his stellar professional career. A skilled entertainer (who even had a brief career in rap), O'Neal presents himself in a very positive light. He also offers insight into what it's like to play a team sport that requires balance among standout players and those who play supporting roles. Publishers Weekly says that Shaq's recollections shed light on "the knotty psychology behind the swagger."
|
|
|
Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph
by C. Vivian Stringer
In an inspirational memoir, the coach of the Rutgers University women's basketball team describes how perseverance and acceptance have helped her deal with the challenges of life, from her youth as one of six children of a coal miner, to her daughter's devastating illness and husband's sudden death, to become one of the most successful coaches in women's basketball history.
|
|
|
I Should Be Dead By Now
by Dennis Rodman
Whether it was helping Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win three-straight NBA titles in the 1990's or showing up to a book signing in a dress and full makeup, Dennis Rodman has always distinguished himself as one of the great and most polarizing personalities in the sports world. The new book details Rodman's struggles in life since he stopped playing in the NBA, including the breakup of his marriage to movie and TV star Carmen Electra and his problems with alcohol. I Should Be Dead Now is a look at the life of one of America's most recognizable sports stars since the lights of professional basketball stopped shining as brightly, and how Dennis Rodman hopes to make a successful return to the game that made him famous.
|
|
|
For the Love of the Game
by Michael Jordan
More than two hundred full-color photographs combine with Jordan's personal anecdotes and reminiscences to chronicle the life and times of the NBA's greatest player, detailing his college and professional career, the murder of his father, the business of basketball, and more.
|
|
|
Black Hoops: The History of African-Americans in Basketball
by Fredrick McKissack
Surveys the history of African Americans in basketball, from the beginning of the sport to the present, discussing individual teams and players and the integration of the NBA. By the co-author of Black Diamond: The Story of the Negro Baseball Leagues.
|
|
|
Carmelo Anthony
by Jon M. Fishman
Follows the life of basketball player Carmelo Anthony from his childhood struggles with asthma to his NBA success.
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant
by John Albert Torres
Kobe Bryant entered the NBA straight out of Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania. He was an All-Star by his second season. The son of Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant, a forward of the Philadelphia 76ers back when the franchise was a league power, Kobe has basketball in his blood. He spent seven years in Italy while his father played professional ball in the Italian League. He speaks fluent Italian. In December 1999, he purchased a 50 percent ownership in Olimpia Milano, the team his father played for in Italy. By the time he was 21 years old, Kobe was an NBA superstar and an entrepreneur. With his whole life ahead of him, this talented young man with the confident smile is enjoying every moment.
|
|
|
Kevin Durant
by John Bankston
Profiles the life of the professional basketball player and discusses his college and professional career.
|
|
|
Day by Day with Lebron James
by Tammy Gagne
A profile of the former NBA Rookie of the Year who won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. Drafted by the NBA straight out of high school, LeBron James quickly became one of the most admired players in professional basketball.
|
|
|
Magic Johnson: Athlete
by David Aretha
.A biography of the basketball superstar, from his childhood in Michigan through his record-breaking career with the Los Angeles Lakers to his off-court work promoting HIV/AIDS awareness.
|
|
|
Chris Paul
by Jeff Savage
In his first year of professional basketball, Chris Paul led all NBA players in steals and was named Rookie of the Year. The New Orleans Hornets' point guard is a huge star, but basketball has not always been easy for Chris. As a freshman in high school he stood just five feet tall and spent most of his team's games on the bench. But through hard work Chris soon became one of the world's best basketball players. Follow Chris's rise from his high school team's bench to the top of the NBA.
|
|
|
Derrick Rose
by Michael Sandler
Examines the life and career of the basketball star, focusing on his charitable efforts which include raising money to renovate his childhood playground and donating money to charities supporting victims of natural disasters.
|
|
|
Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran, and the Last Great Era of Boxing
by George Kimball
In 1980, boxing was resuscitated by a riveting series of bouts involving an improbably dissimilar quartet: Sugar Ray Leonard, 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran. This book documents the remarkable effect they had on the sport, and argues that we will never see their likes again.
|
|
|
The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey
by Muhammad Ali
The legendary boxer offers an inspirational study of the spiritual values that have shaped him and continue to transform his life, from childhood to the present day, reflecting on the deepest meanings of life, the principles and practices of Islam, moral courage, belief in God, the responsibilities of fame and family, love, and accepting challenges.
|
|
|
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
by Geoffrey C. Ward
The National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of A First-Class Temperament presents a full-scale portrait that draws on a wealth of period sources, including Johnson's never-before-published prison memoir, of heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson, from his rise to success to his prison sentence and life in exile.
|
|
|
The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring
by Sugar Ray Leonard
Boxing star Sugar Ray Leonard won a gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games and went on to prominence as a professional prize fighter, attracting fans and wealth and enjoying a lifestyle seemingly as golden as the medal he had won. Behind the glitter, though, was a life of drug addiction and infidelity that resembled his unhappy childhood. His insightful memoir describes his boyhood, how he got into boxing, the nature of the sport, and his failures in personal life, as well as his ultimate renewal after shaking the drug habit. For more on Leonard and other boxers in the 1970s and 1980s, read Four Kings by George Kimball.
|
|
|
Floyd Patterson: The Fighting Life of Boxing's Invisible Champion
by W. K. Stratton
Documents the inspiring story of the civil rights activist, Olympic gold medalist and history's youngest World Heavyweight Champion, placing his career against a backdrop of boxing's golden age while analyzing misunderstood aspects of his character.
|
|
|
Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson
by Wil Haygood
Documents the rise of the iconic boxer against a backdrop of the mid-twentieth century, describing his Harlem youth and emergence as a symbol of black America while offering insight into his athletic talents and his relationships with such figures as Langston Hughes, Lena Horne, and Miles Davis.
|
|
|
Undisputed Truth
by Mike Tyson
An unstinting memoir by the former heavyweight champion explores his stereotype-defying life and career, looks back on the notoriety that has overshadowed his successes and recounts his fight back to success and respectability.
|
|
|
Facing Ali
Ten of boxing's best fighters tell what it was like to fight Muhammad Ali.
|
|
|
I Am Ali
An intimate look at the man behind the legend told through exclusive, unprecedented access to Ali's personal archive of voice recordings combined with touching interviews and testimonials from his inner circle of family and friends, including his daughters, son, ex-wife and brother, plus legends of the boxing community including Mike Tyson, George Foreman and Gene Kilroy. Experience Ali's extraordinary story, as a fighter, lover, brother, father.
|
|
|
Muhammad Ali: King of the Ring
by Stephen Timblin
He floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, darting and dancing his way to boxing’s heavyweight world championship. In the process, the fleet-footed and motor-mouthed fighter became King of the Ring and more: a cultural icon who dominated headlines, generated controversy, and enthralled even those audiences uninterested in the sport. Learn the fascinating facts about this dazzling champ, including coverage of his biggest bouts, his involvement with the Nation of Islam, his refusal to fight in Vietnam, and more.
|
|
|
Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson
by Jr. Smith, Charles R.
A combination of poetic text and vibrant collage artwork pays tribute to boxer Jack Johnson who, in the early 20th century, rose through the ranks to break the color barrier in the sport of boxing.
|
|
|
The Kids Got It Right: How the Texas All-Stars Kicked Down Racial Walls
by Jim Dent
Documents the barrier-breaking 1964 effort of coach Bobby Layne, quarterback Bill Bradley and receiver Jerry Le Vias to recruit talented black players and build Texas's first integrated all-star high-school football team, tracing their considerable achievements and their triumphant Hershey Park victory.
|
|
|
Captain for Life: My Story as a Hall of Fame Linebacker
by Harry Carson
A 13-year NFL star shares his personal experiences with the joys and drawbacks of playing professional football, describing his transition from a college to professional player, the awe-inspiring feeling of being loved by fans and the debilitating physical and mental aspects of the game.
|
|
|
Ocho Cinco: What Football and Life Have Thrown My Way
by Chad Ochocinco
This memoir from the Cincinnati Bengals’ star wide receiver leaves nothing out in the depiction of his tough upbringing through his path to stardom fraught with egos, competition, money, and partying.
|
|
|
Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton
by Walter Payton
In an inspirational memoir, the late football great describes his love affair with his sport, his achievements on and off the field, his private life, his personal beliefs, and goals, and his battle with the liver cancer that would claim in life in 1999.
|
|
|
Sapp Attack: My Story
by Warren Sapp
A no-holds-barred personal account by the multiple award-winning defenseman and television analyst shares uproarious observations on lesser-known aspects of pro football, tracing his rise through high school and college athletic programs and his relationships with famous fellow players while sharing insights into how the NFL system actually works.
|
|
|
Taliaferro: Breaking Barriers from the NFL Draft to the Ivory Tower
by Dawn Knight
Traces the ground-breaking football career of George Taliaferro, from his role as a star quarterback on Indiana University's great football team of 1945, his role as the first African-American player to be drafted by the NFL, and his record-breaking seasons with teams in New York, Dallas, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, in a biography based on interviews with Taliaferro, his family, and former teammates.
|
|
|
Robert Griffin III
by Jon M. Fishman
Details the life and career of the Washington Redskins' quarterback, covering his youth as the child of Army parents, his early successes in football in high school and at Baylor University, and his accomplishments in the NFL.
|
|
|
Adrian Peterson
by Stephen Currie
Traces the life and accomplishments of the Minnesota Vikings running back.
|
|
|
Jerry Rice
by Jon Sterngass
An introduction to the life and career of NFL great Jerry Rice.
|
|
|
Barry Sanders
by Samuel Etinde Crompton
Recounts the life and career of Barry Sanders, from his childhood and early career in college football to playing professionally for the Detroit Lions and entering the football Hall of Fame.
|
|
|
Emmitt Smith
by Kimberly Gatto
Discusses the childhood, education, family life, and football career of the Dallas Cowboys star running back of the 1990s, Emmitt Smith.
|
|
|
Ladainian Tomlinson
by Michael Sandler
In this series, young sports fans can follow their favorite football stars as they not only break NFL records and win Super Bowls but also donate time and money to help better the lives of less-fortunate children and adults.
|
|
|
Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African-Americans in Golf
by Pete McDaniel
A fast-moving heart-warming narrative on the history of African-Americans in golf. Beginning with the 1896 U.S. Open where blacks first played in national competition, to the invention of the golf tee by an African-American dentist in 1899, to the early clubs and facilities open to people of color, to the service roles that served as an introduction to the game.
|
|
|
On the Right Track: From Olympic Downfall to Finding Forgiveness and the Strength to Overcome and Succeed
by Marion Jones
For more than a decade, Marion Jones was hailed as the “the fastest woman on the planet.” At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, she became the first woman ever to win five medals at one Olympics. That same year, the Associated Press and ESPN named her Athlete of the Year. She was on the cover of Vogue and Time. She seemed to have it all—fame, fortune, talent, and international acclaim. The trouble began in 2003 when she lied to federal agents about her use of a performance-enhancing drug and her knowledge of a check fraud scam. In 2007, no longer able to live with the lies, she admitted the truth. In a sad end to what seemed like a storybook career, she was stripped of her medals, and her track-and-field records were wiped from the books. This book tells how the famed runner's resilience and faith helped her recover from the aftermath of her actions.
|
|
|
Hard Driving: The Wendell Scott Story
by Brian Donovan
Wendell Scott figured he was signing up for trouble when he became NASCAR’s version of Jackie Robinson in the segregated 1950s. Some speedways refused to let him race. And after a bigoted promoter refused to pay him, Scott appealed directly to the sport’s founder, NASCAR czar Bill France, Sr. France made a promise that NASCAR would never treat him with prejudice. For the next two decades, Scott persevered through crashes, health problems, and money troubles. Hard Driving documents a previously untold chapter in the history of integration, politics, and sports in America. It reveals how France reneged on his pledge and allowed repeated discrimination against Scott by racing officials and other powerful figures. It details France’s alliances with leading segregationist politicians, the reluctance of auto executives to sponsor a black driver; and the inspiring support Scott received from some drivers who admired his skill and tenacity.
|
|
|
On the Line
by Serena Williams
The Grand Slam and Olympic champion traces her rise from a disadvantaged childhood to one of the world's top women tennis players, sharing frank coverage of subjects ranging from her battles with racism and the injuries that threatened her career to her current roles as a philanthropist and media personality.
|
|
|
Black Maestro: The Epic Life of an American Legend
by Joe Drape
Presents the life of the African American jockey, who after winning the Kentucky Derby, emigrated to Europe and became a wealthy horse racer and trainer in Russia and France, until forced by circumstance to return to America and racial discrimination.
|
|
|
Walter's War
Meet Walter Tull, the Jackie Robinson of professional English football before World War I, and survivor of the worst racial slurs his opponents can hurl at him. When the game turns to war in 1914 and the playing field to the Battle of Somme, Tull makes history again as the first mixed-race officer in the British Army.
|
|
|
The Gabby Douglas Story
The story of Gabby Douglas, the first African American to become the all-around champion in gymnastics at the Olympic Games.
|
|
|
Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson
by Sue Stauffacher
Although considered a troublesome child by family and friends alike, Buddy Walker sees the raw talent of this Harlem native and decides to take her under his wing to build her tennis skills--challenging her to become a great player who eventually earns the title of the first African-American to ever play at and win the celebrated Wimbledon Cup.
|
|
|
Speed to Glory: The Cullen Jones Story
by Natalie Davis Miller
Presents the story of Olympian swimmer Cullen Jones, who nearly drowned at age five, yet went on to swim on the USA Olympic swim team alongside such greats as Michael Phelps.
|
|
|
Jesse Owens: Running into History
by Elaine Israel
A biography of Jesse Owens, an African-American track star who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin--where Hitler was determined to prove that Aryans were the superior race--details the challenges he overcame to realize his dreams--and prove a Nazi dictator wrong.
|
|
|
Amazing Olympic Athlete Wilma Rudolph
by Mary Dodson Wade
This biography explores the life of Wilma Rudolph, who overcame childhood polio to become the first American woman to win three gold medals in the same Olympics. After attending the 1956 Olympics, where she won a bronze medal, and the 1960 Olympics, where she won three gold medals, Rudolph became a teacher and mentor to other runners.
|
|
|
Tiger Woods
by Lucia Raatma
Highlights the life and accomplishments of the champion golfer.
|
|
|
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman
by Kathleen Krull
A young reader's introduction to champion athlete Wilma Rudolph discusses her development of polio at age four, an illness that doctors said would prevent her from ever walking, her schooltime achievements, and her gold medal successes at the 1960 Olympic Games.
|
|
|
Michigan City Public Library
100 E. 4th Street
Michigan City, Indiana 46360
219-873-3044
http://mclib.org/
|
|
|
|