1 comments about The Life of Helen Stephens: The Fulton Flash.

1. Wow, before opening this book I had never heard of Helen Stephens, and now that I've finished Sharon Kinney Hanson's fine book about her life, I feel as though I have known her forever! They called her the Fulton Flash because of her great speed, and her ability to sprint took her out of Missouri and catapulted her to the great stages of the world. Like a comet streaking across the sky she represented the United States in the now legendary Berlin Olympics of 1936, where she appeared in front of Adolf Hitler and, no doubt, gave him a few ruminations about the power and speed of America. The Olympics were actually far from a rout for Germany, as Kinney Hanson reminds us. Nowadays we think that because of Jesse Owens and other great Amerucan performances, that Germany had its ass handed to it at the games, but far from it, they actually did very well and Hitler must have been quite proud! In women's track events, Germany won seven medals, the US only two--both courtesy of Helen Stephens. Conceivably she could have won more medals, but some events later open to women competitors in later Olympics were closed to them in 1936 (like shotput, at which Stephens was a great champ).
   
   Photos show she was an astonishing beauty, with great bones, perhaps a little Amazonian and androgynous. Some people thought she was a man, and this irked her no end. She sued LOOK magazine and the funny comeuppance for LOOK she went out on a date with one of LOOK's lawyers. After several drinks things got hot and heavy. As the author reports, "Helen told her friend Gertrude Webb, 'I had a sense he was trying to find something. So this ole country girl let him roam around awhile 'til he found what he was lookin' for. I just wanted to settle it then and there!"
   
   Nevertheless, Stephens was a lesbian in a homophobic society and stood her ground with dignity and courage. It was hard for such a woman to 'come out' but inevitably she did, or almost did. The whole tragedy of women's sports in the twentieth century is a story that Sharon Kinney Hanson tells with distinction and clarity. She brings all her skills to her on-point account of the apparently intersex sprinter Stella Walsh, killed by a robber's gunfire in 1980, and because of the violent death was subject to an autopsy in Cleveland of all places, which revealed her ambiguous genitalia. Stella Walsh, one of the greatest Olympic heroines, was one of the closest friends of the Fulton Flash, and her death apparently had great impact on Helen. I won't reveal any more of the story, except to say, it is an amazing one, the kind that makes you put down the book and just say, "Holy Moly."

2 comments about Junior: Griffey on Griffey.

1. Book was delivered as described. Nothing on him from the Reds since this book was written before he joined. Great pictures, however.



2. This book was a nice look at Ken Griffey Jr.'s life through photographs. The photos are awesome and the whole book was super, Indeed, one of my all time favorite books!

No comments about A Billiards and Snooker Compendium.

No comments about They Too Wore Pinstripes: Interviews With 20 Glory-Days New York Yankees.

No comments about Return To The Sea.

5 comments about Running Into The Sky.

1. Written with simple language. But technically detailed.
   Everything of described within can be found on inet in forums, etc. But it takes only a couple of evenings to read this book instead of weeks of googling.



2. This is a fun, funny, informative book. Once you start reading you don't want to put it down. If you have ever had those dreams where you just start flying, this book will start you thinking, "I can really do that!".
   
   I immediately started day-dreaming about paramotoring and couldn't get it out of my head, like listening to an old fashioned love song.



3. I read Chris's book about a year ago. When I started reading it, I could not put it down. Chris does what few authors and pilots have the courage to do: not sugar coat the details. With brutal honesty he shares the good, bad and ugly in a collection of entertaining stories. It's well written, witty, honest, informative, and humorous, giving his account of what it's like to learn and fly these amazing personal flying machines.
   
   Some of Chris's recommendations of equipment and designs are outdated by today's standards. This sport is still in its infancy and there has been much progress in the gear since this book was published. But that does not take away from the extraordinary value of this book as a fantastic account of what it's like to fly like a bird.
   
   As a PPG instructor, I recommend this book as a "must read" for all prospective, new and veteran PPG pilots alike.
   
   Mo Sheldon
   Advanced Flight Instructor, ASC Certified
   Airparamo - Fly Like A Bird
   http://www.airparamo.com/
   602-692-7995



4. Struggling to keep up with my clients' deadlines, I still had to get in a few chapters of "Running Into the Sky" each night. What a riveting, enjoyable read!
   
   As a former pilot and ultralight enthusiast but a new convert to PPG, I struggled to find honest information on the training experience, PPG dealers, equipment, technique, and pitfalls to avoid. Most of all, I sought to know what it's LIKE. Yes, there are similarities to fixed-wing, but the soft airfoil, control geometry, etc introduce many foreign issues -- and there's so much hype and misinformation in PPG.
   
   The key value of the book is Chris Wolf's self-abasing humility: the transparency of one talking to a friend. No attempt to impress... how very refreshing. I don't mean to convey it's not a fun read; it's factual, comprehensive, palpably useful - but it's also simply enjoyable. The author's descriptive narrative and self-deprecating humor affords the reader a feeling that they are truly there, experiencing these things (however vicariously). As a former editor for a book publisher, I know that few authors can do this. "Running Into the Sky" will be the definitive primer on PPG for years to come.



5. I've been interested in getting involved in the sport for a while now, but wanted to hear both the positive and negative aspects before I went further. Chris's book is an honest and well thought out presentation of both sides. His description of flight is a rush and combined with the help humor and raw information, the book clarified what the sport is all about. After reading it, I now understand a whole lot more why I HAVE to get into the air as soon as possible! "Running Into the Sky" is NOT a sales pitch. Its an HONEST read.
   
   Pete

1 comments about A Boy, a Ball, and a Dream: The Marvin Wood Story.

1. Having watched the movie "Hoosiers" a number of times, I was quite pleasantly surprised by this powerful account of the real-to-life coach of the Milan Indians. . .The movie certainly missed the point of what actually happened to the young man who crafted one of basketball's most memorable legends. . .

   From the joy of the victory with Milan to the pain of losing his only son to drugs, the Marvin Wood story is a touching account of an educator who knew who to inspire. . .

   If you like basketball and you have ever rooted for the underdog you will love this book. . .

5 comments about Bringing The Heat.

1. Mark Bowden(Killing Pablo, Blackhawk Down, Guests of the Ayatollaho)
   writes a vivid portrayal of the 1992 season of the Philadelphia Eagles..
   Bowden is always a reporter who digs and digs for the inside info...any football fan would love this book as it takes you inside the goings on of owner, coach and player....the 1992 season was an especially tumultous one for the Philadelphia Eagles..Buddy Ryan, Richie Kotite, owner Norman Braman, Randall Cunningham, Reggie White, Seth Joyner, Wes Hopkins..you find that the egos, relationships in the locker room and jealousies of the players sometimes override the will to win...



2. I grew up in Philly during the days of Buddy Ball. I loved that team and still remember it fondly as my favorite. This book is a great for a fan of the Eagles who wants the story inside the story. Who were these men and where did they come from? What is it like in a pro locker room. What were the coaching styles of Kotite and Ryan. Well written by the author of Blackhawk down. I have already bought the book for a friend as a gift.



3. Well, if you're an Eagles fan, you're tortured enough already, the season being documented was blown back in the early nineties, so at least you can lay off the Peptobismol. But if you're a sports-writing fan of any description, then this is an essential book. The success of "Black Hawk Down" both as a book and a movie, had its precedent in Mark Bowden's earlier work. "Bringing the Heat" utilizes the same dramatic, combative writing style, and moves fluidly through every phase of football, from wives to girlfriends, the press, the fans, the fans booing Santa, offense, defense... every conceivable angle and personal quirk is analyzed. Mr. Bowden is a remarkable judge of character and manages to summate a lifetime in a few paragraphs, a trait of character in a line, and the entire conundrum that is the Philadelphia Eagles in a mere 500 pages.



4. If you've read the title of this review, you're probably wondering which of the Philadelphia Eagles' disappointing seasons I'm referring to, as there have been MANY since the teams' last championship in 1960. This book details the 1992 season, one of the most highly anticipated ever for this team. On offense, All-Pro QB Randall Cunningham was returning from injury, RB Herschel Walker had been signed to lead the rushing attack, and WR Fred Barnett was about to enter the finest season of his young career. On defense, the team was coping with the death of Jerome Brown, and the returning stars (Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner, Eric Allen) were expected to repeat their tremendous performance from 1991. To the delight of ravenous Eagles fans, it started out beautifully, with a 4-0 record and a trashing of the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The following week brought a loss at Kansas City, and from there on, the regular season did not play out as hoped. Still, the team made the playoffs and finally shook the monkey from its back, beating New Orleans on the road in the Wildcard game. After 3 playoff losses under Buddy Ryan in recent memory, this looked to be the turning point. The team had promised to win the Super Bowl in Jerome's memory, and was off to a good start. However, the following week brought a crushing loss to the hated Cowboys, where both the offense and defense were lifeless. The off-season brought many changes and spelled the end for Buddy's Boys, who clung to his attitudes even after his firing and replacement with Richie Kotite.
   
   Author Mark Bowden followed the team for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1990-92, and had a front-row seat for all the theatrics. He does an excellent job diving into the specifics on players and coaches, devoting the first half of the book to character profiles and a great illustration of Jerome's final days. The narrative on the 1992 regular season kicks in thereafter, with excellent views on how attitudes and expectations swung wildly throughout. Hardcore fans of the team will recall the anguish they experienced as hopes faded.
   
   Absolutely a must-read for Buddy or Kotite-era Eagles fans, and highly recommended for fans in other cities where the NFL is king.



5. Mark caputures a team I remember in my youth with remarkable detail. Awesome insights. Remarkable profiles of players and coaches. You grow up with them, go on the field with them, and go home with them. I highly recommend this book. Only critism is sometimes the in game detail is overbearing and detailed. This book made me realize one thing that is often overlooked: athletes are humans.

1 comments about Arsene Wenger: The Biography.

1. A look behind the man who transformed Arsenal! I especially liked the way the author was able to skillfully weave Wenger's personality into the biography - to a fan, it gave me a dimension that I never knew from watching the games or reading the newspaper articles.
   
   The biography gave me a good insight to Wenger's approach to the game and his quest for football perfection - each 'chapter' encapsulates the essence of what makes Arsenal such a joy to watch.
   
   Read this if you want a broad overview of the Arsene Years!

1 comments about Collecting Michael Jordan: The Ultimate Identification & Value Guide.

1. A comprehensive guide to collecting Michael Jordan memorabilia. Very well documented with hundreds of pictures to help identify the various items.

   An indispensable guide for MJ collectors.