No comments about The Bird: The Life and Times of Hockey Legend Wren Blair.

5 comments about Messier.

1. There I was, lying in the Italian sun reading about one of the greatest hockey players ever. Hardly a good preset to enjoy such a book but I tried it anyway.
   
   The first thing you should know is that Mark Messier himself did not bother with the writing of this book. Messier doens't like to talk about his personal life and preferrably keeps it out of sight. With this, the book loses its personal touch so much other biographies have where the person is involved.
   
   Everybody who's a hockey fan knows the player Messier. Those who saw him play remember the leader Messier. Unfortunately, this book doens't show you the person Messier enough. But then again, what are the alternatives...



2. This biography is well written, pretty complete (although it was written before Messier retired) and fun to read. But it is unauthorized, as all Messier's biographies until now. So let's hope that some day Mark will tell his own story. That will be even more interesting.



3. Comprehensive. Objective. Revealing. Gives a clear picture of
   where Messier came from, what he achieved, how he persevered,
   failed, resurrected ... his meanness and kindness. Sometimes
   too thorough. Great anecdotes throughout.



4. Love him or hate him (and I love him), Mark Messier was the total hockey player. He could skate, shoot, score, play D and handle himself when the going got tough. The book does a great job of capturing the man who could almost will his team to win by his presence and his play. Klein does a great job of illustrating Messier's "lead by example." mentality. He also paints a fascinating picture of a guy who isn't just a jock, but is well-read, articulate, wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't afraid to shed some tears. I also appreciated the fact that, like anyone, he has shortcomings, and the author didn't overlook them. Any hockey fan will find this book ranks right up there with all the best hockey books.



5. Jeff Klein does a nice job of interviewing not only Messier's legion of supporters but also captures those who were and still are not enamored with Messier's commanding presence as the premier leader in team professional sports today. I enjoyed reading both sides of this biography that I found difficult to put down. A great read, one that all Oilers, Rangers and even Canucks fans who watched Messier over the years should take time to read.

5 comments about Out at Home.

1. I stumbled upon this book recently and read it in about 2 1/2 nights. Milt Pappas was my favorite Oriole pitcher as a kid growing up in Baltimore. The book was very interesting, brought back memories and also filled in a lot of gaps for me. Even though he touched on subjects that were difficult, he presented them in a careful and classy way. I've read other books by ball players like Pepitone's and I didn't much go for the bragging. His book was convincing and made some compelling arguments as to why things happened during his career. I think the book could have used the help of a better editing team. He had a habit of setting the stage for a story and put it off to later in the book which I didn't like, but it didn't deter me from pushing ahead. He was very open about his career and his problems on and off the field. I enjoyed the honesty and glad I had the chance to learn a little more about one of my childhood stars. Thanks Milt!



2. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. MILT PAPPAS IS BRUTELY HONEST AND VERY REALISTIC. THIS BOOK HELD MY INTEREST FROM PAGE 1 TO THE FINISH. HE COVERS HIS PRIVATE LIFE, CAREER, TEAMMATES, AND MANAGERS. HIS EXTRA FLINGS AND AFFAIRS ARE VERY CANDID AND DONE IN GOOD TASTE. HIS LIFE WAS VERY STORMY OFF THE FIELD. HIS DETAILED RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FIRST WIFE IS VERY SAD AND VOLATILE. HE HAD MANY HARDSHIPS, SOME SELF MADE. HE IS HUMAN AND HE DOES A GREAT JOB WITH THIS MUST READ BOOK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.



3. Milt Pappas, a largely forgotten player, has written a fascinating account of how a baseball career can affect a young family and a deadly account of nearly every game he appeared in from 1957-1973. Unless you are anxious to relive the frustrations of the early sixties Oriole clubs or get some vicarioius kick out of how a talent was often minimized by management, then only a few chapters will be of interest.

   This book could also lead to disillusion for the juvenile reader, as it is clear that management and playing personnel are not often pulling together, and that marriage vows are discarded for convenience and the thrill of the chase. Readers will also learn how neglect and boredom can lead to alcoholism and family tragedy. The author would have benefitted from a strong editor and greater self-control.




4. I just finished this book last night. I am a lifelong baseball fan- esp of pitchers. Very good, some gramatical errors, and publishing flaws, but very, very good. I really enjoyed it. Milt Pappas was a fine pitcher nicknamed "Gimpy", who got a bad rap as a guy who did'nt finish games. By the 1960's standards prob true, by todays standards he'd be a great complete game pitcher (about 1 complete game for every 3 starts).



5. not only a mans book but a womens book. the book pulls at your heart strings. the trails and tribulations of milts life on the field and off the field. and what the players had to go through that era and how they paved the way for the players of today to reap the benefits that they recieve today.the players of today dont give a dam about old ballplayers and what milt and the ballplayers did for them. all they care is about themselves. would be an excellent movie.

No comments about Gracie and the Mountain: Growing Young Climbing Mount LeConte.

1 comments about Memories of The Bear: A biography of Denny Hulme.

1. A very interesting biography of the 1967 Formula 1 champion, New Zealander, Denny Hulme. I was a kiwi boy growing up during Hulme's glory days and he was obviously among my greatest heroes. As well as chronicling his successes, this book also opens one's eyes to Denny's weaknesses. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in motor racing in the days before Bernie and his ilk ruined it.

1 comments about The Accidental Adventurer: Memoir of the First Woman to Climb Mt. McKinley.

1. Accidental Adventurer by Barbara Washburn proves to be a well written autobiography. Her husband was late Bradford Washburn, a man of science as well as a explorer. Her book reflects her quiet lifestyle until she married this man and how that marriage totally transformed her, almost by accident, into a world wide adventurer, traveling with her husband from the depths of the Grand Canyon to the top of Mount McKinley (being the first woman to summit that peak in 1947). During the entire time, she was rising children, being a house wife and a teacher. Her life was definitely not boring and reading this book helps us understand how exciting it really was.
   
   I found the book to be entertaining and fun. It shows how a wife can be a true partner with her husband in all things, not just at home but in the field. Barbara Washburn not only embraced her husband but his lifestyle and work. The trials and tribulations of both man and wife proves to be truly extraordinary and the book reflects on that life very clearly.
   
   This is an easy book to recommend to anyone to read.

No comments about Ronaldo: The Journey of a Genius.

No comments about Lou Gehrig: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters).

5 comments about Good Bounces and Bad Lies.

1. Wright's tales are stupendous, but to the point of being absurd. This is one of the few books in years that I finally just put down. He defects from the army to watch Hogan, his house is reduced to rubble but he and his sister miraculously survive; his overzealous buddy grabs a waiter and pulls him outside to beat him senseless...sheesh. I liked Wright as a commentator but leave this book on the shelf.



2. Wright's book basically, after he gets through some obligatory stories about golf in England when he was young, is a tell all about most of the peole he has worked with at CBS Sports. If it is not a tell all, it will do 'til one comes around. Most of the problem is with alcohol...we hear of interventions, wild partys, stupid episodes of behavior...yet through it all...even after an intervention which sent him to Betty Ford...one of the staff told him before he left that he was not an alcoholic but an abuser of alcohol. What that distinction is remains lost to me but was understood by Ben. No matter. You wonder how CBS managed to produce a cohesive telecast of the Masters or any other tournament they were assigned to based on Ben's recollections. He also ran into some world travelers that he thought behaved badly. It is a "tell all" from one who is still in the dog house for telling all about his opinion of women's golf and the difference betwen the men's game and theirs. No matter that he had that just right,,,he was PC'd out and the world of golf broadcasting is the worse for it. I miss him behind the microphone, but the book goes a bit long.



3. Ben Wright does a superb job in taking mere golfing mortals behind the scenes of some famous, and some not so famous, tournaments to give an insight into LIFE in the golfing world. It is a page turner that had me howling with laughter as he strips bare the mystique behind both golf broadcasting and some of the peripheral characters that add to the colour of the sport. Of course in the true style that has endeared him to so many he also takes a few swipes at some brighter lights in the business of golf. Wright has an obvious deep love for the game but he does not let sentimentality get in the way of a good story. I am sure that he must have a stock of untold tales waiting to be let out of the closet and I look forward to the next installment from this very funny, very English and very lovable raconteur.



4. CBS, BRING THIS GUY BACK! If you want a good read that will absolutely make you CRY with laughter. This is the book for you...And you don't have to be a Golf fan to enjoy it. I always figured that stranged things happened behind the camera, but his stories will absolutely crack you up. It is definitely a MUST buy.



5. Wright is as witty and colorful as his broadcasts were. Gives an image of broadcasting which most of us aren't aware of. We sense the morals and ethics of these public individuals are different. Appreciated even more his love for the game and extreme pain the LPGA comments have brought upon him. Image is everything!

1 comments about The Ty Cobb Scrapbook: An Illustrated Chronology of Significant Dates in the 24-Year Career of the Fabled Georgia Peach.

1. It was a refreshing look from a contemporary view of this fasinating era of baseball. Crammed full of interesting pictures. The Author certainly portrays Cobb as a baseball player extroadinaire. This book adornes my coffee table and is great for sneaking in a quick look from the "Deadball area."