Sportsbiografier

At age 16 Chris Kopczynski carved the words "Everest/Eiger" into the handle of his ice axe, marking his goal to climb the two mountains known as the "highest and the hardest." He accomplished that goal by the age of 33, becoming the ninth American to summit Everest and the first American to summit both the North Face of the Eiger and Mt. Everest. With the climbing addiction in his blood, he set new goals and became the twelfth in the world to climb the highest peaks on seven continents. Chris'' lifelong odyssey to the top of the world includes the climbs, attempts and summits of every continent''s highest, hardest, and most significant mountains. He gives readers stories of perseverance and survival as he achieved his dreams on Robson in the Canadian Rockies, Chimney Rock in Idaho, the Pamirs and Elbrus in the USSR, Denali in Alaska, Makalu in Nepal, Antarctica''s Vinson, Chile''s Aconcagua, Kosciuszko in Australia, and Africa''s Kilimanjaro.

An incredible story of extreme perseverance, unimaginable grit, and of what it takes to keep going despite countless obstacles.

Presents the story of baseball pioneer J.L. Wilkinson (1878-1964) and the team he founded and owned, the famed Kansas City Monarchs. A white man, Wilkinson earned respect throughout the world of African American baseball by treating his players with fairness and respect.

The book follows the colorful career of Frank Lane, who as baseball''s busiest general manager during the 1950s made the deals that turned the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians from losers into pennant contenders almost overnight. He also worked--or tried to--as general manager of the Kansas City A''s (Lane lasted eight months in 1961 under first-year owner Charlie Finley) and for the Milwaukee Brewers, where his boss was Bud Selig. He is best known for having traded 1959 American League home run champion Rocky Colavito to Detroit for the AL''s 1959 batting champ, Harvey Kuenn, and for trading Indians manager Joe Gordon to Detroit for Tigers manager Jimmy Dykes. During his brief absence from baseball (1962-1964), he signed on as general manager of the National Basketball Association''s second-year expansion team, the Chicago Zephyrs. He became a ""superscout"" for the Baltimore Orioles for several years and, after leaving Milwaukee, had the same job with the Texas Rangers and, finally, the California Angels. He completed well over 500 major- and minor-league transactions in his career. Joe Garagiola put it best: ""They used to say that the toughest job on any club Frank Lane was running belonged to the guy who had to take the team picture.""

Steve Hislop was one of the most famous motorcycle racers in the world. He had always been a controversial and outspoken character having had many famous clashes and splits with teams and riders over the years, not always to his advantage. Season 2003 was no different. Steve's life was incredible, funny and ultimately tragic.

In a frank, poignant and often hilarious account of Fran Hilton-Smith's time in women's football, A Song for Banyana charts Banyana Banyana's rise from dusty pitches in the townships to the biggest football stadia in the world.

Mike Leach is back by popular demand.The words and random thoughts of college football's most interesting coach are chronicled inSquib-Kick It to a Fat Guy, Volume II ... and 701 more memorable quotes from the playbook of Coach Mike Leach.This collection is the sequel to the original Squib-Kick It to a Fat Guy... and 699 more memorable quotes from the playbook of Coach Mike Leach, which hit the (book)stores/online in the summer of 2016.Since that time, after successfully rebuilding the Washington State football program, Leach has moved on from Pullman, Washington, to Starkville, Mississippi, as the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the powerful Southeastern Conference.Along the way, he has left us with a pirate's treasure of fresh quotes and observations, that, quite frankly, coupled with his Air Raid offense, make the game of college football more entertaining and enjoyable for everyone.Volume II covers the "Best of Leach'' for the past five years, as well as dipping back into his earlier days of coaching for some classic and unique perspectives on football and life.About the AuthorAlan Burton has more than 35 years of experience in the field of media/communications. He currently serves as the special assistant to the president/director of university communications at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He has been associated with the Durant, Oklahoma, school in various capacities for the past twenty years.Burton was director of community relations for the Sherman (Texas) Independent School District for eleven years, and prior to that, was sports editor of the Sherman Democrat.The Sherman native has received writing awards from the Associated Press, Texas School Public Relations Association, and the Oklahoma College Public Relations Association.Burton is a 1979 graduate of Texas Tech University, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in English.Squib-Kick It to a Fat Guy, Volume II is his eighth book; previous subjects have included Texas celebrities, sports and music quotes, and a history of college football radio broadcasting in the Lone Star State.

The inspiring story of Pauline Davis, a Bahamian sprinter who fought through poverty, inequality, and racism to compete in five Olympic Games and become the first woman from the Caribbean to win Olympic gold. She would inspire an entire nation and go on to become the first Black woman elected to the international governing body of athletics.

The electric and daring independent wrestling tag team share their inspiring story of how two undersized, ambitious athletes from Southern California became the idols of millions of popular sports fans, coveted among the ranks of AEW's elite wrestling lineup.

Breakout NFL star Deshaun Watson, quarterback for the Houston Texans, shows readers the lessons that have driven him to become a leader and to put others first.

Legendary jockey, Frankie Dettori, shares his remarkable life story in this astonishingly intimate autobiography.

Mariner is Plymouth Argyle legend, an FA Cup and UEFA Cup winner with Ipswich Town, a scorer for England at the World Cup and a former Arsenal and Portsmouth striker. A true front man in every sense - talented, brave and fearless - but his toughest fight was yet to come when he was diagnosed with brain cancer in October 2020. This is his story.

Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably Britain's greatest ever football manager. In the year that he celebrates his 80th birthday, this new book from experienced journalist and author John Richardson will offer an original insight into what makes the Scot tick, his unique way of operating and how his genius changed the footballing landscape.

One of the greatest drivers of his generation, Jim Hall is even better known as an innovator. From his tiny shop in Midland, Texas emerged a series of Chaparrals that changed the face of racing. Here he tells his story - his life, his cars, his relationship with Chevrolet, his battles with sanctioning body bureaucracies - for the first time.

Witty and engaging with a very dry sense of humour, Steve Fenwick's memoirs tell the story of the schoolboy from Nantgarw who became one of the most celebrated players in the rugby world, and his hilarious anecdotes and recollections of a glittering career during a golden age of Welsh rugby will delight and enthral readers in Wales and beyond.

In his first book, Let''s Go! Weekly Devotions for Godly Competition in the Game of Life, author Travis Wilson uses true stories of professional and collegiate athletes and coaches to teach life lessons about competing and winning the game of life-God''s way. Designed to encourage and uplift sports-lovers of faith over the course of a year, Let''s Go! Weekly Devotions for Godly Competition in the Game of Life can be used for individuals or in small groups.

Jerry Izenberg's career as a newspaper reporter and columnist spans generations. From the early 1950s to the present day, he has written about championship teams and Olympic icons, baseball and football superstars and boxing legends. Along the way he became one of the best American sports columnists."Going 15 Rounds With Jerry Izenberg: A Collection Of Interviews With The Legendary Columnist" highlights Izenberg's career and some of his favorite stories.Even as he approached his 90th birthday in September 2020, Izenberg remains an important voice in the sports media world. In a series of conversations with Izenberg, his illustrious career is discussed. Some of the seminal moments of his childhood and adulthood are highlighted with vivid details.A gifted storyteller, Izenberg talks about his close friendship with Muhammad Ali, about meeting Nelson Mandela at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, about the one question he always wanted to ask Cuban leader Fidel Castro. He reminisces about his father's love for baseball, and about his own realization as a young man that he wasn't an aspiring jazz musician despite his love for music. Yes, music played a pivotal role in his life as a writer. But how? That's a topic explored within these pages. He shares tales about newspaper mentors and colleagues, including Red Smith and Shirley Povich, Jim Murray and Stanley Woodward, Dick Young and Jimmy Cannon. He reflects on racism and race relations in the 20th century through the prism of sports. He discusses courage and heroism, using Olympic wrestler Jeff Blatnick and baseball player Jim Eisenreich as examples. He recalls his visit to Grambling University, a historically black university, to observe coach Eddie Robinson's football squad when he was the first white reporter to do so. He brings horse races from the 1970s to life, reminiscing about Secretariat and Canonero II.Jerry Green, Dave Anderson, Ira Berkow, John Schulian, Dave Kindred and Jeremy Schaap, among others, offer their assessments of Izenberg's career and what's made it special. They also weigh in on Izenberg's place in the pantheon of American sportswriters.Not strictly an interview book, this project curates a wide mix of opinions from and about Jerry Izenberg to help people develop a broader understanding of his background, numerous career accomplishments and commitment to the community. He was the founder of Project Pride, which provided scholarships to college-bound students from his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, and also provided a range of sports and academic activities for students for three decades.Cover photo: Jerry Izenberg and Muhammad Ali in 1991. JERRY IZENBERG PHOTO COLLECTION

In 1959 Rusty's well-earned first place medal was ripped away from her because she was a woman. She fought in a judo championship against a man and won, but when the judges discovered her gender, they stripped her of her title. Women were not allowed. From that point on, Rusty had a new goal: to ensure that no woman would ever suffer such an indignity ever again! This vow sparked a fifty-year career fighting for equality-a tireless battle she would take all the way to the Olympics.In her uniquely raw, unfiltered, humorous voice, Rusty recounts the tales of her remarkable life and journey from the rough streets of Coney Island, Brooklyn, to the offices of the political, powerful and persuasive, where she established herself as a major force in the world of women's rights and the sport of judo, securing women's inclusion on the international stage. Rusty's memoir is a love story filled with passion and righteousness-for her sport, her family, and her way of life as a judoka.Often called a pioneer, Rusty was an unsung hero in the fight to give women voice and agency, in life and in sports. She did not see human limitations, only possibilities. The establishment told her "no," but "no" was not a part of her vocabulary. Instead, Rusty fought like hell, and won.In her own words, Rusty decided to "be the hammer," not the nail.

Ike "The President" Ibeabuchi had the boxing world at his feet in 1997 after vanquishing David Tua in a battle for the ages in Sacramento. The Nigerian heavyweight''s subsequent descent into a vortex of mental illness and crime and punishment was as shocking as it was tragic.Was Ibeabuchi a vulnerable man exploited by a ruthless sport and a dysfunctional criminal justice system, or was he guilty-as-charged for his deeds and rightly punished?Somewhere amid a colorful cast of characters including Republican politicians, crooked promoters, and demons hiding in air-conditioning units, lies the uncomfortable truth.In President of Pandemonium, Luke G. Williams vividly recreates Ibeabuchi''s life in and out of the ring. Combining exclusive interviews with those who guided his career and observed him closely, as well as firsthand testimony from "The President" himself, this is a story of brilliance destroyed by dark forces, both real and imagined.

In 1998, Paul Pritchard was struck on the head by a falling rock as he climbed a sea stack in Tasmania. Close to death, Pritchard kept himself going with a promise that he would 'at least attempt to live'. The Mountain Path is an adventure book like no other, an exploration of a healing brain, a test of will and a triumph of hope.