No comments about David Beckham (Xtreme Athletes).

2 comments about Ty Cobb: Safe at Home.

1. The author takes up the defense of Ty Cobb, probably the most disliked man to ever play major league baseball. What motivates this defense is hard to tell - only a few minor references to Cobb's bad reputation sneak into the book. If you're looking for stories about baseball in the golden age, this isn't going to please you. If you want minute details about Ty Cobb's life at home and his activities outside baseball, this is what you want. I doubt that very many people actually want that.



2. Great book. I cannot put it down. Has a lot of facts of Cobb's life which I never read in any other book on the great baseball player.

5 comments about Albatross.

1. I first saw this story on the discovery channel and could not wait to read the book.
   I was so glad to find a copy on Amazon.
   This story is true and very sad you will feel as if you are in that raft with Debbie and Brad they were lost at sea for about 5 days and had to fight off sharks and stay alive. It started out with 5 John Mark Meg Debbie and Brad.
   only Debbie and Brad made it. This book will keep you reading well into the night to finish.
   It is a great read!



2. I received this book today and have read it in one sitting, just couldn't put it down. It is both a fasinating and horrific true story of this womans fight for survival in the open seas. It is written in an easy to follow style. Definately worth the read!!



3. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I had seen Deborah and Brad's story on "I Shouldn't Be Alive" series, where they showed re-enactments and now and then broke away to the two actual survivors telling their story. I just knew she had written about this, so I looked it up on Amazon.
   
   The story is told in very colorful prose. I could hear the sailboat slicing through the water, could see the pewter waves and dark sky. I could almost feel the sharks bumping the underside of the rubber raft with their rough skin.
   
   Debbie is brutally honest, which adds to the credibility and interest of her story. She opens up and really lets us into her ordeal, and adds extra bits of information and impressions, like when she had her head under water looking for sharks and saw the beauty of the school of doradoes. So descriptive, I could see it.
   
   This is also a story of triumph, as Debbie deals with strong emotions in the months and years after the tragedy. I'm glad she pulled through it all and wrote the book. I recommend this book for teens as well as adults.



4. Heard ALBATROSS: THE TRUE STORY OF A WOMAN'S SURVIVAL AT SEA by Deborah Scaling Kiley and Meg Noonan . . . it is the tragic tale of what was supposed to be a simple boat trip that wound up as a nightmare . . . several of the crew members perished; what was more interesting to me was the story of how the survivors made it.
   
   I've read other "how I survived at sea" books before . . . this was the first one, though, that I've come across written by a woman . . . what I'll remember: when your instincts tell you something, listen . . . Scaling Kiley, unfortunately, did not.
   
   I liked her special introduction at the beginning of the cassette tapes . . . I also liked the work of Karen Allen--a talented actress that I don't see nearly enough--who did an excellent job with the narration.



5. ALBATROSS is a gripping story of survival and agonizing death at sea--the sinking with the loss of three lives of the yacht TRASHMAN off the Carolina coast. The author pulls no punches and tells a tale of human suffering, weakness, and malice that left this reader shaken by its bluntness, realism, and intensity.

   The story is told in a direct and clear manner that inescapably draws one in to its nightmarish hell. Besides a sea story it is also a story of a young person's stuggle with her own demons.

   Why read such a painful book? One important life lesson that we must learn from this account is not to leave port unprepared. In some ways, I would urge all boaters to read this book just to have that lesson hammered in. As a boater I came away with the deep conviction that I don't ever want to come anywhere near going through anything like what the crew of TRASHMAN went through.

   As presented by the author, the tragedy was entirely the result of the incompetence, alcoholism, and carelessness of the captain and other crew members. I must confess, however, that when I reflected on the author's tale I could not help wondering how objective it was. She is so unremittingly critical--bitterly critical--of John and Mark that I began to doubt the clarity of her vision. I would love to get the account of the other survivor. There are several mysteries about the tragic sinking of TRASHMAN that remain troubling and unresolved.

   Nevertheless Debby's tale is one that will move in and rearrange your mental furniture, especially if you are a boater or have ever been to sea in a small boat.

4 comments about Addie Joss: King of the Pitchers.

1. I received the book quickly and enjoyed reading it. I even had an opportunity to email the author. It was a hard book to find, other than through Amazon, and I love having it, as this baseball player, though rather unknown, is a favorite of mine.
   I'm very appreciative.
   Paul Francis



2. I hadn't heard of Addie Joss when I first picked up this book. It's a small, thin book. It looked to be a pleasant way to spend an evening.
   
   In fact, it was more than pleasant. I found myself riveted to the book. A well told story about a fascinating man of the early 1900s. I liked this man I had never before heard of.
   
   I met and admired one of the great sports stars of his day, well loved and talented, easily matching the talent and skill of the greats of yesteryear I knew well.
   
   Why, then did I not know him previously? Tragedy took him early from baseball, from his family and from the American consciousness.
   
   The game is what we come to see. The players are people we hope to meet. And when we meet, we hope not to be disappointed. Addie Joss did not disappoint.
   
   Scott Longert skillfully gets out of the way and lets the story tell itself.



3. A very solid and nice effort by Scott Longert. Having myself researched Addie Joss in past, I find Longert's effort even that much more impressive. There honestly is really not much information available on Addie Joss. For the collection of research materials alone, this becomes a solid effort.

   Now to the gristle of the book's content...I found that seasons moved along very fast, too fast. I never really got a good feel for Addie Joss the person, but certainly Addie Joss the player was defined reasonably well. Addie's teammates were mentioned but not really made to be a part of the overall storyline (cast of characters, almost faceless). Before I knew it, the book had ended. Addie's death was truly as fast as anything else in the book, blunt and final.

   I'm not sure if the speed of the book had more to do with what little information actually existed, or whether it was Scott Longert the SABR-Metrician who, although statistically as sound as they come, just could not piece it all together with a sustained storyline. In the end, something honestly was amiss, and I can't quite place it.

   To see a book on Addie Joss rates a four star alone. Scott Longert should be commended on a spirited effort of bringing back one of the games classiest and greatest players. Joss in time!




4. Following the premature death of Cleveland pitching sensation Addie Joss, Hugh Keough of the Chicago Tribune wrote "He pitched good ball..."

   On October 2nd, 1908, precious few games remained on the schedule. The American League pennant was on the line. Confident Chicago spitballer Ed Walsh dueled Cleveland sidearmer Addie Joss in a baseball tilt for the ages. Befuddled by Walsh's sopping wet deliveries, Cleveland scored but one unearned run. The lanky Joss, pitching in front of the delirious hometown faithful at League Park, allowed nary a loud foul ball. Result: a 1-0 Cleveland victory and a perfect game for Joss. All the more remarkable is Longert's poignant description of Walsh and Joss sitting on a wooden bench, chatting before the game. (Cleveland and Chicago narrowly lost out in the race to Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers).

   Baseball historian and Cleveland native Scott Longert faithful recreates this masterpiece and other remarkable pitching feats in the brief life of Adrian Joss. The versatile pitcher was also was one of the very few baseball players to have regularly penned a sports column. Felled by tuburcular meningitis at the age of 31, Joss eventually made the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So loved was Joss that a special benefit "All Star" game was staged to support Joss' widow and family.

   However, Hugh Keough's assessment doesn't stand the test of time. Joss pitched "great" ball.

3 comments about Divas Uncovered (WWE).

1. Who wouldn't want this book? If you're a WWE fan or not, 192 pages of great, glossy photos and witty, well written insights into some of the most gorgeous grappling gals in the ring today!! Another winner from Mike McAvennie, the lucky dawg!
   The book's not overpriced, the previous reviewer obviously wasn't shopping at Amazon! It's a snip at $19.80!
   A great gift for Xmas!



2. I found the photography wonderful and refreshingly different than the usual pin-up shots in other books. The design was terrific and I found myself quickly immersed in the book. It was an unexpected treat!



3. Being a fan of the WWE divas, I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately this is just an OVERPRICED version of the Divas magazine which comes out once a year. A number of the photos have been seen elsewhere and the cliched quotes like "It's what is inside a person that counts" really don't give us any new insight into what these incredible women are REALLY all about.
   If you DO feel the need to purchase this book, wait until it comes out in paperback. Definitely not worth 30 dollars!!

2 comments about Sting Like a Bee : The Muhammad Ali Story.

1. Jose Torres first offering takes us to the point in Ali's career after his reinstatement which include tuneup fights with Quarry, Bonavena and finally to the first fight with Frazier. Interspersed with these narratives is the life of Ali from his Golden Glove Days to the revocation of his license for refusing the draft.
   
   What makes this book unique from all the other Ali biographies out there is that the writer was quite of a boxer himself, a former light heavyweight champion in fact. From this vantage point, he gives us a glimpse of the boxer's psyche - particularly interesting is his anatomy of the knockout punch. Whereas other biographies speak about Ali in reverential tones, Torres puts Ali to task for his bad game plan in the first Frazier fight and his penchant for playing with his opponent.
   
   Indeed, Torres acquits himself well as a boxing writer. I wish he could have deferred writing this book for a few years so that the "Rumble in the Jungle" and the next two Frazier fights would be included.



2. This book is great for all readers and is a great biography that puts you in the mind of a writer. You will feel like you are actually there witnissing these masterfull events.

No comments about The Real Football Factories: Shocking True Stories from the World's Staunchest Football Fans.

2 comments about Still A Legend: The Story of Roger Maris.

1. You said he could have been as big as Mark McGuire? I do not thing Roger took steroids my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!



2. As a teenager at Busch Stadium I thrilled to watch Roger Maris play right field during two Cardinal championship seasons. In "Still A Legend" I was introduced to the man wearing number "9". In this work, Harvey Rosenfeld does a good job at projecting the whole Roger Maris. Comparable emphasis is given to Maris the baseball player, Maris the family man, Maris the son of Fargo and Maris the faithful Catholic.
   
   Roger Maris grew up an Fargo, North Dakota where he attended Catholic schools and met his wife, Pat, while developing into a great baseball star. After the minor leagues, Roger continued his march to stardom as a Cleveland Indian and a Kansas City Athletic. Even in Cleveland he was regarded as a surly loner.
   
   After his playing time in his adopted home of Kansas City, Roger was ready for the Yankee pinstripes but not for the glare of the New York press. Although he changed teams, Roger retained a privacy which would forever bar the press from his world and would limit his enjoyment of public adulation. The press would demonize Roger in his pursuit of Babe Ruth's record, while manufacturing the legend of a feud between himself and his roommate, Mickey Mantle.
   
   Throughout the ups and downs of his stormy and injury plagued career, Roger retained his love of baseball which was damped only during the most severe of the onslaughts by fans and media.
   
   This book wears its themes on its sleeve. The main themes are that Roger was not properly appreciated, his purported surliness was merely a justified demand for privacy and that he has been unjustly denied admission into the Hall Of Fame.
   
   Although written by an obvious fan, this book does not do justice to Roger Maris. Too often the story degenerates into a litany of quotes from Roger, his teammates, friends and detractors to be classified as good writing. The sections dealing with the media bias and the injustice of his exclusion from the Hall Of Fame run on too long. This book is more editorial than biography. Still, this book tells much about Roger Maris. It also tells us much about ourselves, the fans. Yankee fans booed the Roger Maris whom they regarded a surly usurper. By contrast, Cardinal fans loved Jolly Roger. This is in keeping with our reputation as the greatest fans in baseball. The story of how the Cardinals restored Roger's enjoyment of the game and delayed his retirement for two years confirm the stories I remember from the time. It is too bad that Roger did not become a Cardinal in 1960. He could have been as big as Mark McGwire.

2 comments about A Prophet with Honor : The Billy Graham Story.

1. While this book ranks as the most comprehensive take on Graham's life and career, it suffers from two shortcomings. William Martin is rather too uncritical of his subject, and, like most other Graham biographers, he depends too heavily on Graham's memory. Graham has repeatedly proven to be an unreliable source concerning his own history as I documented in my own research for THE PRINCE OF WAR: BILLY GRAHAM'S CRUSADE FOR A WHOLLY CHRISTIAN EMPIRE (Brave Ulysses Books, 2007). Unlike Marshall Frady whose BILLY GRAHAM: A PARABLE OF AMERICAN RIGHTEOUSNESS (reissued by Simon & Schuster, 2006) reported out some of the preacher's less admirable endeavors, Martin participates in the general canonization of Graham.



2. If you buy only one book about Billy Graham, this should be it. Wonderfully written, it is an objective view by a writer who had full access to Graham and his staff, and full freedom to write the truth.

2 comments about Heroes of Baseball: The Men Who Made It America's Favorite Game.

1. Never grow tired of reading about some of the men responsible to laying the foundation for baseball.



2. Right off the bat I'd like to say that if you're looking for a reviewer who knows their baseball through and through, I am not your woman. This review will not contain long lamentations over why Mr. Robert Lipsyte did not include such-n-such a player or harbor lengthy critiques of his encapsulations of certain games. I enjoy baseball, of course, but I've always spent more of my time watching minor league games than anything particularly major (Go, Saint Paul Saints!). As for individual players, the bulk of my knowledge, to be perfectly blunt, begins and ends with that episode of The Simpsons where Mr. Burns hires everyone from Daryl Strawberry to Don Mattingly to play in his softball league. In a way, I was a perfect test-subject for Lipsyte's intense and interesting look at what exactly constitutes a baseball "hero". I may not know much about the game, but I know my good non-fiction literature and this book definitely fits the description. Smarter than just a listing of baseball greats, Lipsyte takes the time to ask what it is that makes a hero and whether the men featured in this book deserve such an appellation, so that in bringing up such questions, this book stands apart.
   
   From A.G. Spalding to Randy Johnson, from 1869 to today, Robert Lipsyte states his goals for this book right from the start. Mentioning how contemporary baseball stars feel like close friends to us he goes on to say that, "After you read this book, I hope you'll also feel you know some of the older heroes of baseball who brought our game to life and kept it alive for us." And so we see baseball grow from its early beginnings as a male diversion to the powerhouse moneymaker it is today. Lipsyte covers the usual suspects (Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Lou Gehrig, etc.) while also sprinkling in a feeling for the times in which they lived. Illustrated by a vibrant design that makes use of copious amounts of colored and sepia-toned photographs, moments both heroic and shameful come to light here with varying results. What you end up with, then, is a complex encompassing of players of every shape and stripe that make up the wonderful game that is baseball.
   
   Part of what I liked about this book so much was the form of the narrative. Right from the start we learn a little about our author's youth, then we move on to some quick thoughts on what makes a baseball hero. Not long thereafter we zoom into the big names in the field and their accomplishments. Credit Lipsyte then with his broad characteristics of what a significant accomplishment might be. For example, in an act of respect for his child readers, Lipsyte explains what the reserve rule was and why Curt Flood was a hero to break it (and at his own expense at that). Plus the range of players Lipsyte is able to pull from is just incredible. He does a top notch job of diversifying the sport, even going so far as to look at where baseball may be going someday. What other book on the topic for kids would spend as much time examining baseball in Japan and stars like Ichiro Suzuki? Or predict something like, "Maybe the next monster talent in the outfield who will make things happen will come from China"? And then to wind down the book with a final look at the attributes that raise a ballplayer's status from star to hero alongside the photos of Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Babe Ruth... well, I'm no sentimentalist, but Lipsyte's work on this book is a class act through and through.
   
   Obviously an eyebrow or two will be raised in terms of the inclusion of Ty Cobb. Even I in my state of perpetual baseball ignorance know that Cobb was a bad bad man. Why celebrate him here? Lipsyte credits Cobb with not being a great person but rather a "great player". At one point he goes so far as to even say of our heroes that, "Some are the players who, with skill and intensity, show us how the game was made to be played (like Ty Cobb)." Which naturally begs the question of whether or not this means that the game is meant to be played down, dirty, mean, and with spikes aimed squarely at the fellows covering the bases. Lipsyte obviously stands by his choice, and that actually makes the book more interesting. If a baseball player is a nasty piece of work, can they still be a "hero" of the game? I guess that may all depend on which team you're rooting for, eh?
   
   The text is punctuated regularly by sidebars that effectively break apart the narrative with a variety of fun facts. One, for example, might give a list of various baseball nicknames and where they came from. Another is entitled, "Records That Will Never Be Broken". I was particularly amused by a section that covered Lipsyte's favorite baseball movies. Some may be a tad old for the child audiences he's recommending them to ("Bull Durham", for example) and "Damn Yankees" is nowhere in sight. Which, in retrospect, is probably a good thing. By the way, is it true that no baseball cards come with gum anymore? And why was Lawrence Peter Berra nicknamed "Yogi"? As you can see, some panels inspire more questions than they answer.
   
   So do people like Mark McGwire, Ty Cobb, and Pete Rose belong in a book like this? You be the judge. Lipsyte's style is endearing partly because he doesn't tell young baseball fans what to think. They can accept or deny these weak men as they lay. Heck, there's even a sidebar entitled, "Pete Rose: You Decide" that puts the facts of the matter before the child reader. As I mentioned before, I'm not a baseball fanatic myself so there could well be facts and opinions missing from Lipsyte's view of some of the events recorded in this book for all I know. Yet somehow, I think this is a lovely piece of work. It hangs together well as a whole, is filled to brimming with superb photographs from every era, contains a great "Further Reading" Bibliography so important in a children's book, has great websites listed, an Index, a Timeline on the front AND back endpapers, and even a Glossary of Terms. Fill in Lisyte's range and great writing and you've got yourself a non-fiction hit on your hands. Great for rookies like myself.