5 comments about Ty and The Babe: Baseball's Fiercest Rivals: A Surprising Friendship and the 1941 Has-Beens Golf Championship.

1. Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth.
   
   Two of the greatest names ever to play Major League Baseball and a pair of the most fiercest rivals on the diamond. Ruth was the new-school slugger whose gargantuan homers matched his pursuits off the field. Cobb was the oldest of old-school, a master of "small-ball," who saw the game of titan shots with "juiced" baseballs as an utter abomination.
   
   "Cobb disliked much about Ruth. But one of the things that pricked him most was Ruth's lifestyle. The Babe lived with wild abandon, ignoring curfews, staying out all hours, drinking, partying, overeating, and snaking through towns in search of sex," writes Stanton. "Cobb was nearly fanatical about taking care of himself, about being prepared for games, and about the need to sacrifice for the long term. He felt confident that Ruth's nocturnal adventures would eventually undermine him."
   
   But in retirement, the pair were kept at arm's length by the top executives in the game - Ruth never got a shot at managing a club and Cobb was tarnished by a 1926 gambling scandal "cover-up" - though each eventually found the time to frequently chase a golf ball around 18 holes. Ruth was a five handicap and Cobb a nine.
   
   Author Tom Stanton tees up an interesting dual biography of the legends that is built around a 1941 charity golf match which pitted Ruth against Cobb. Along with coverage of every baseball game the paired played against each other, Stanton drives into the professional hatred which erupted into near brawls and vicious taunts, but eventually evolved into a cordial friendship.
   
   Even the biggest fan of baseball history will find some new gems, especially about Cobb, which is a salute to the solid short game of Stanton; meticulously lofting up to the green buried facts from the sand traps of historical fiction.



2. An excellent resource for the Baseball fan, who is always looking for good books about the Legends of baseball.



3. This is a strange little book. For one thing, it presents a far more positive picture of Ty Cobb than one often encounters. Second, golf becomes a key part of the relationship between two bitter antagonists--Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb.
   
   Ty Cobb was an exemplar of the old fashioned "scientific" approach to baseball, bunts, stolen bases, sacrifices, etc. Babe Ruth was a harbinger of a new era--focusing on the home run.
   
   Cobb versus Ruth, while they were in the major leagues together, had a pretty negative relationship. Cobb had little respect for Ruth; Ruth despised Cobb.
   
   The book tells of their slowly evolving relationship, to the point where they expressed respect toward one another by the end of Cobb's career.
   
   Their rivalry took a turn after their respective retirements. Both became avid golfers. They took part in a series of golf matches, where there was much greater camaraderie than when they played baseball.
   
   The book chronicles that strange evolution in their relationship.
   
   There is a nice appendix, which chronicles those games in which they opposed one another. Interesting. . . .
   
   An offbeat little book that ends up humanizing Cobb.



4. This book was very interesting and informative and obviously well researched since the author is a baseball historian. It makes you feel as if you know the players and are living in their time period but it isn't the most enjoyable book I've ever read. You rarely smile or laugh, there's very little that's amusing even though these are two very colorfull and bigger than life characters so I felt the book could have been a little lighter. Also check out two of my favorites - The Teammates by David Halberstam and When Life Was Baseball Teams and Egg Creams by Craig Howard, the last one being much lighter and more about life in the time period than baseball itself. Good nostalgia though.



5. I have now read all of Tom Stanton's books, and I have enjoyed them all. I am one of many that had certain perceptions of Ty Cobb's character based on stereoptypical opinion of Cobb in recent years. But Stanton sets the record straight in allowing us to get to know a different Ty Cobb; one who is a great competitor, but no where near the "evil" man that he has been portrayed as. The Babe is as fun loving as ever in this book and it is a fun read. I would recommend it to baseball fans, and golf fans too!

3 comments about Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Adventures with Tiger.

1. (...)
   9th English
   24 March 2006
   "Playing Through"
   In the book "Playing Through" written by Earl Woods telling how to play through life's challenges, to dream big, and to work hard.
   "Playing Through means getting down to business, not letting anything get in your way, dealing with the task at hand, and accomplishing your goals." Tiger had to go through lots of racial discrimination when he first became a pro golfer. His father Earl Woods went through some of the same things when he was a young man. His father was the first African-American to play in the Big Eight Conference, Which is a Baseball League. So he also had to play through all of the racial discrimination.
   Dream Big, that is what Tiger Woods has been doing seen he was a little boy. Earl wanted him to be a baseball player like himself, but Tiger had other plans. Tiger wanted to be a golfer; he has been playing golf since he was around the age of three, when he was hitting balls in his garage. Then at the age of eleven he beat his dad for the first time 71 to 72.
   Work Hard, even though Tiger is a pro at what he does he still has to practice at his game. He really had to work hard at his game when he was younger or he would not be as good as he is now. Working hard also goes into playing through if he could not focus on his own game he could not play as good as he does.



2. Who was the man who was behind Tiger Woods to mold and shape him into the champion that he is today? The answer is Earl Woods, Tiger's father, friend and confidant. Playing Through is Earl Woods' own biography of what it is like to be the father of one of golf's greatest stars. One would expect a cohesive and comprehensive story about Earl's life and that of his son. Instead you are presented with a man who is uncapable of seperating himself from the persona of his son. Earl Woods spends the majority of the time speaking about his son rather than himself. How strange, since the book is supposed to be about Earl Woods. Unfortunately it ends up as a promotional text about Tiger.

   Earl Woods is a man who dealt with many obstacles in his life. As a teenager he lost his parents, struggled with a career choice, dealt with the racism in the Army and a failed marriage. Then after his divorce and remarriage a child was born and Earl devotes his life to him even at the expense of his own marriage. At this juncture we hear no more about Earl. Tiger becomes the focus which is a shame since Earl's life is far more interesting.

   Throughout the work Earl tends to put people on a pedestle to the point where they become unreal ( his mother, his brother-in-law, and the orignial Tiger, his friend). He is defensive about any criticism about his son and doesn't tell us much about his relationship with his other children. Earl is so emeshed in his youngest son's identity that he becomes a bore. Surely he could have told us more about himself rather than going on and on and on about Tiger.

   Despite his faults Earl Woods raises some interesting questions regarding the role of the NCAA on student athletes. He intimates that the NCAA controls the athletes who make money for their schools but receive nothing in return. Earl also shows the impact that Tiger's status has made on the game. Tiger's presence has made the game more accessible to people, raised the purses, tightened security and inspired more minority children as well as their parents to take up the game. Tiger's impact is immeasurable as he continues his career.

   If you can tolerate Earl's egotistical meanderings and defensive posture, the book is a good lesson in how not to make the mistakes Earl made and become a better parent. It is filled with Tiger's triumphs and challenges. Earl comes across as your controlling parent of an exceptional and talented player. It is worth the read for those who are Tiger fans and collectors of books written about thim.




3. From this book, I get the feeling that Earl Woods is one of the most egotistical people I have ever come across. He does nothing but talk about how good he is at this, how good he is at that, what he did to bring up Tiger, etc. He even says his separation from his wife Tida is due to affluence, not that they are simply separated. Also, he takes no responsibility for anything that has ever happened to him. Every negative experience in his life was due to him being a minority. Give me a break.

   He also feels the NCAA was out to get he and his precious Tiger. NCAA rules are rules, just like in golf. Get over it. Tiger was not treated any differently than any other college athlete. Tiger was offered a country club membership at the Olympic Club while he was at Stanford, and Earl can't figure out why the NCAA wouldn't let him take it. Because, believe it, or not...Tiger has to live under the same rules as everyone else on this planet.

   I do have to say the book is an easy read, and keeps you interested, but only because Earl's "thumb on my back" mentality keeps you laughing.

5 comments about Brodeur: Beyond the Crease.

1. A really great book about the hockey career of the best goalie ever to play in the NHL and perhaps the world. Along with introspective looks at the NHL over the last 17 years, this book goes into some very personal and trying times in Martin Brodeur's life, including his ugly and very public divorce and current relationship. A great read and a must have for Devils fans everywhere.



2. Bought this for my son in law and he couldn't put it down, fast friendly service.
   
   Thank you
   Ellen



3. A must read for any Devils or Brodeur fan. A good read for any hockey fan in general. Gives an interesting inside view of the team and league through the eyes of a player over the last few years.



4. A good, but not great account of the best goaltender in hockey today. The ghosted effort to write in the first-person doesn't work. Still a good read for the dedicate hockey fan.



5. If your a Brodeur fan, you'll enjoy the book. It's an easy read. I personally wish that there was more of his "routine" type stuff in the book, but that is just my bias as a hockey player also- wanting to know what he does. It goes into it a bit, but not enough for me! Other than that, it goes into more detail in some places relative to others, so sometimes it's overkill sometimes you want a lot more, but overall, worth it to read.

5 comments about Metal Cowboy: Tales from the Road Less Pedaled.

1. A "born again bicyclist" who thinks bicycles will save the world, I went to the library to get books about cycling & bicycles. I discovered The Metal Cowboy and hung on to it even though it wasn't "technical". I tried to read a funny bit aloud to my family but I was giggling too hard.
   The almost-romantic chapter is my favorite.
   Reading this book makes you feel like there is hope for America's privileged middle class kids. By getting lost on a bike we can find ourselves.
   Joe's most recent book (Momentum is Your Friend) is equally excellent.



2. From my blog: [...]
   I started reading Metal Cowboy, a collection of stories by Joe Kurmaskie, a few weeks ago at my Dad's suggestion and have had a hard time putting it down. I finished it on Thanksgiving day and knew I had to get a review up in short order. Metal Cowboy is a collection of some of Kurmaskie's stories from his long distance bike tours but I promise you that you don't need to be a cyclist to appreciate this book.
   
   Kurmaskie is a top notch storyteller who writes in a way that is relatable to anyone who would come across his material. He also has a knack for showcasing what is good among people. Joe's optimism shines through even when he is in the worst of situations while on the road. He manages to make you feel as if you are right there with him experiencing everything he does.
   
   One of my favorite stories in the book is called "The Tree Huggers versus the Tree Cutters as Told by the Fence-Sitter" and it begins with this quote from Theodore Roosevelt:
   
   "Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat."
   
   The quote is a powerful one and it foreshadows the rest of the story nicely. In a nutshell, Joe runs across a logger while at a campsite who he becomes friends with. The logger then offers to let Joe stay with him when Joe makes his way towards his house in the coming days of his trip. Joe ends up at the loggers house but he is not home so Joe decides to camp in the woods where he meets a number of the "tree huggers" who are protesting the company that Joe's logger friend works for. Joe, trying to be friends with both the loggers and the tree huggers, ends up having to explain himself to both the logger and the tree huggers and everyone ends up not caring for Joe too much since he wasn't really up front about his true beliefs.
   
   The story reminds us to not be afraid to talk about what we believe in and to be up front. It also urges us to step out of the gray twilight and take some chances. As entrepreneurs and VCs we are all taking our shot at changing the world. Yes, a lot of us will fail at some point in our lives but I, for one, would rather fail while taking a chance on something I believe in than to have never taken a chance at all and I think a lot of you probably feel the same way.
   
   That said, I highly recommend picking up Metal Cowboy. You won't regret it. My only warning is the book may cause an overwhelming urge to grab your bike, load it up and head out on an extended bike tour of your own!



3. This is the first book that I read about long distance and adventure bicycle touring. I loved the stories about the people Joe meets and the situations he got into. I liked it so much that I immediately read the second book and ordered "Momentum is Your Best Friend". I would recommend the same to anyone! This was a great book.



4. I have just completed Metal Cowboy and have ordered a couple of copies for riding and non-riding friends. Joe reminds me of Bill Bryson or an early Peter Egan.



5. As I live my life, going from one task to another, there is a part of my brain that yearns for more, something a little closer to the edge of my comfort zone. I received "Metal Cowboy" as a gift a few years ago and there it was, the life less ordinary that always seemed to escape me! Joe Kurmaskie tells wonderful stories about true humanity and the good that exists in this world. Sure, I only get to experience a slice of this life on long weekend rides and the last full week in July on RAGBRAI, but the Metal Cowboy makes me hopeful for the future.

5 comments about Duke: A Great Hawaiian.

1. Bess Press has published the second book by Sandra Kimberley Hall about Hawaii's ambassador of aloha and its greatest athlete, Duke Kahanamoku.
   Known as the father of international surfing and remembered for his accomplishments in the Olympics, Kahanamoku remains a legend more than 35 years after his death.
   In a moving tribute filled with photos of Kahanamoku, Hall reveals how Kahanamoku remained true to his core values throughout his long life, filled with great success -- his Olympic accomplishments as well as his Hollywood career -- and challenge -- his financial struggles and a comeback from brain surgery.
   Hall, who grew up on the beach where Kahanamoku taught Australia how to surf, arrived in Hawaii during Kahanamoku's centennial and statue unveiling, and launched a career as a freelance writer.
   She has written dozens of articles for airline and surfing magazines and newspapers. Her subjects include the Kahanamoku, surfing history and the Himalayas. Hall is the author of "Memories of Duke: The Legend Comes to Life" (Bess Press. 1995).



2. This book is a gem, a pithy, accessible and colourful distillation of a complex life and memory. It's beautifully written, designed and produced, with good use of rare photographs and images. The inclusion of endnotes, photo credits, further reading pointers and an index enhances the book, which has the distinction of appealing to both the lay reader as an introduction to 'the Duke' and to the historian who seeks a condensed reference to Kahanamoku's life and context. The book is a reminder of the need for a full biography that considers his continued importance and meaning along with his vita.
   
   Gary Osmond
   St Lucia, Queensland, Australia



3. Until Joseph Brennan's Duke: The Life Story of Duke Kahanamoku (1994) is reprinted or another comparable book is made available, the sporting world's great interest in Duke Kahanamoku, Olympic star and the greatest surfing avatar of the 20th century, may be satisfied by Sandra Kimberley Hall's compact Duke: A Great Hawaiian (2004), a brief but beautifully illustrated overview of the champion's life.
   
   Whether as a record-breaking swimmer, a surfer and surfboard innovator, an entrepreneur, an actor in early Holloywood, the Sheriff of Honolulu or as a janitor or garage mechanic during leaner periods of his existence, Duke Kahanamoku was, first and foremost, a gentleman and an ambassador of traditional Hawaiian good manners and 'aloha,' a word which, in addition to other meanings, encompasses a wide range of positive human feelings, from "love, affection, and compassion" to "grace and charity."
   
   As such, Kahanamoku represented the kind of role model--both as a man and as an individual--that is completely lacking on the world stage today. With his humble manner, extraordinary talents, and magnificent physique, Kahanamoku was revered by men, desired by women, and almost universally loved and admired by all.
   
   The photographs of Kahanamoku from different periods of his life are the great strength of Duke: A Great Hawaiian. Hall certainly seems to understand Kahanamoku's intrinsic value as a human being and as an individual, and conveys that understanding with warmth, enthusiasm, and ease.



4. The Y2K millennial issue of Surfer magazine featured on its cover the formal portrait of a young Duke Kahanamoku with the caption "Surfer of the Century." Perhaps you've been to Kuhio beach at Waikiki and visited the Duke statue; maybe even left a flower lei draped on his arms. Most people also take a few minutes to consider the inscription that's written there, imagining what Aloha could mean if we each lived our life that way.
   
   I ordered a copy of this book before it was published. When it arrived in the mail I realized that I held a small volume, one of life's little primers, that might affect me in a big way -- and that's what happened. If you love the ocean like Duke did, then Sandra Kimberley Hall has written the thank you letter we all wish we could have given him.
   
   Duke Kahanamoku lived from 1890 to 1968. It's been more than thirty years since he died, and people still speak of him as if he's here among us. This book will help you understand why swimmers/surfers/water polo teams/outrigger canoe clubs/open water paddlers... all EXPECT to meet the Duke. He's right there with us every time we greet another ocean enthusiast with the generous spirit of Aloha that was his gift to all.
   
   I'm the guy who led a letter writing campaign resulting in the approval of a U.S. postage stamp honoring the Duke. Others had begun the process more than twenty years ago. Working as a volunteer for the Surfrider Foundation, I circulated a newsletter beginning in 1998. For four years thousands of people all across America responded by sending letters/petitions/postcards of support to Washington -- and we succeeded. The stamp was issued on the anniversary of Duke's birthday, August 24, 2002. More than 62 million stamps were printed, and the edition is now sold out.
   
   The handsome, active and youthful image chosen to portray Duke on the stamp has invited many others to examine his life -- Olympic champion, Halls of Fame, years of public service to the Territory/State of Hawaii. He was a lifelong inspiration to those who met him personally, and also those who could only read about him (a skinny kid like me in the library at Beach Haven, NJ hoping maybe I could learn to ride the surf on my blue & yellow inflatable canvas raft).
   
   We all know that very few of us will ever appear on a commemorative stamp. Those who took the time to write to the Postal Service felt that Duke Kahanamoku was one of those people who represents us at our very best. This book celebrates all the reasons why.
   
   
   Respectfully submitted,
   
   Don Gallagher
   38 Green Acre Road, Lititz, PA 17543-8770



5. This fantastic little book oozes aloha from every page. If the Duke is looking down on us, he'd be stoked, proud and humble to have a book like this written about him. The story of Duke Kahanamoku is a moving one and the author has captured the spirit of the man in these pages.
   The quality of the production is beautiful with photos on each of the left hand pages and the text laid out in simple form on the right. The aloha print cover is a joy. If you're into surfing, or Hawaiian, history this is a must have book and a future collectable for sure. Aloha from England!
   Pete Robinson www.thesurfingmuseum.co.uk

5 comments about Addicted to Danger: A Memoir About Affirming Life in the Face of Death.

1. This is an absorbing account of the mountaineering adventures of Jim Wickwire, one of the foremost American high altitude mountaineers. It is at times a moving memoir, and at other times somewhat sophomoric in its attempt to explain what drove him to climb, at great cost to his family.
   
   The book is nicely illustrated with many photographs of his family, fellow mountaineers, and his beloved mountains. The photographs are well placed, as they go with the flow of the story. When you see those of his wife and children, however, it makes you wonder how he could ever be away from such a beautiful family for so long and miss so many family occasions. It is a testament to his wife's devotion that she and the children are still loving towards such an absentee figure.
   
   The most interesting part of the book involves his mountaineering adventures. Whether writing about the death of a companion on the mountain or the victory of a successful summit ascent, it is told with much feeling. The single most moving chapter, however, is the one which describes the unfortunate death of fellow mountaineer, Chris Herrebrock, while he and Jim were on Peter's Glacier on Mt. McKinley. It is poignantly told, and one can sense the impact that this young man's death had on Jim Wickwire.
   
   He also vividly recounts his summit of K2, second only to Everest in height, but infinitely more difficult to climb. He was one of the first two Americans to summit K2 and on his descent was forced to bivouac solo at 27,750 feet. He survived this bivouac sans water, stove, and supplemental oxygen, while lacking a sleeping bag and down parka. He credits the images of his wife and children for his survival that long, frigid, and lonely night. It was only his fierce desire to see them again that kept death at bay.
   
   The chapters which discuss mountaineer Marty Hoey were intriguing because of the romantic feelings he had towards her, and she towards him. Jim was on a climbing expedition on Aconcagua where she was a fellow expeditioner, when the embers of a romantic relationship began, though it was never physically consummated. Of course, this budding romance came to an abrupt end when Marty died tragically on Mount Everest while, again, on expedition with Jim. He later let his wife read his diary which told of his feelings for Marty. She was very understanding of this emotional betrayal. It would have been a kindness to his wife not to have made these feelings public. Its inclusion in the book indicates a continuing insensitivity towards his wife that is unfortunate.
   
   All in all, however, the book makes for a good read, though in the end one wonders if Jim Wickwire is really through with the mountains which so inveigled him throughout his life. One cannot help but wonder if there is yet another promise to his wife and family waiting to be broken.



2. All too often we read about the awesome success stories of mountaineers. I like how Jim shares his successes and failures on the world's highest mountains. Although Jim's adventures are on a grander scale than my own (see Rocky Mountain Adventure Collection), we both go out of our way to share the "failures." When facing the extreme forces of nature, you can't always reach the summit. There are many times you must choose between attaining your goal, or surviving. Jim had the brains to choose life when faced with many decisions that could have cost him his life. I was pleased to read that we both regard Reinhold Messner as the greatest mountaineer of all! I also enjoyed hearing about Jim's struggles to balance his climbing desires against his family's needs. There is no doubt his family suffered while he was out fulfilling his mountaineering desires. On one hand, he had to climb while he had his health and youth. On the other hand, he lost invaluable time with his family that is forever lost. Even though I've fantasized about devoting years to climbing like Jim did, I realize that you have obligations once you decide to become a husband and a father. My family comes before my "selfish" desires of climbing.



3. This is a great book to read if you want to learn more about Jim Wickwire and some of the mountaineering greats of the modern era. If you want a well-written book that makes you feel as though you're climbing a lonely peak in bitter cold yourself, read Krakauer's "Into Thin Air." For all the time Wickwire has spent in amazing and beautiful surroundings, he seems largely unable to describe them. Wickwire's story telling always seems focused on the action and never on the scenery. Half the mountaineering terms he tosses around are only explained in the glossary you find in the back of the book.
   
   It was interesting to me how the writing about non-climbing related aspects of his life are presented in a fairly lively manner while his accounts of his early expeditions seem to have been copied out of his journal without much in the way of revision. This book would really have benefited from a vigorous, professional editing. In fact, his publisher should have demanded it. Wickwire certainly has a story or two to tell and it was irritating to for me to be distracted by his clunky writing.
   
   All that being said, he has led an interesting life in the mold of the classic Victorian gentleman explorer-gone for months at a time, knowing his wife and children (five!) only through the post. People have called him narcissistic, self-centered, and monomaniacal. All true to some degree, I am sure, but how else would you expect him to have accomplished so much? His list of mountaineering accomplishments, included here in loving detail, is astonishing.
   
   Reading this book never answered for me the question of "why?" Why take these huge risks time after time? As someone who has been willing to push myself to the point of hallucination for nothing more than bragging rights and a t-shirt or belt buckle, I should have a pretty good handle on the "why" question, but I don't. That is perhaps why he doesn't really tell us "why" in this book. Maybe he really doesn't know either. Maybe it's just pretty fun to be up on the mountain with a fairly simple set of obligations in front of you: Keep moving. Stay alive.
   
   Maybe it's on the edge of death we finally see what is life. Maybe some of us need that more than others. Maybe Wickwire needed that a lot more than the rest of us.
   
   I suspect that this book was able to come to into being only because Wickwire had retired from serious climbing. I also suspect it was harder for him to write the book than to mount an expedition to climb Everest. Most of the stories have a painful aspect, and he doesn't skimp on the unflattering details. While it's not a great mountaineering book, it was certainly an interesting read. I'm glad he finally wrote it.



4. Ok, I was a climber, sort of, well I climbed some of the easy stuff near Seattle. And I realized that in order to keep the thrill of climbing up, as one gets better, you have to keep increasing the danger level. Hence the risk of injury and death keeps increasing until you decide you've had enough via an injury or your life's priorities change and your ice axe becomes a gardening tool.
   
   Wick, well, he seemed to attract more than anyone's share of disasters and this book accounts for that. Why would anyone climb with him? Yet he keeps going and so do others continue to climb with him. It's the climbers lie, "It won't happen to me", "They made a mistake I would never make."
   
   The other great thing about this book is that it should cause every climber to look at your personal relationships and see whether you are being fair to your other life's responsiblities. Wick did not have the same sense of priorites that I have, but then I quit climbing. It's a very personal choice and no one answer is right.
   
   Anyway most climbing books fall into a routine, "the brave set out on a journey", "A sherpa/weak member gets hurt", "We make it/or not" and come home. "Weather was rough but we were tougher". This book looks also at the human condition of why climb at all and for that Wick should be commended for laying it all out. Like him or not, this book was probably one of the bravest things he ever did. Who among us could stand this close scrutney.



5. Instead of a testament to his climbing expeditions, this book might best serve as a testament to what seems to be Jim Wickwire's blatant misogyny and egocentrism.
   
   After detailing how he decided his wife should leave college to support him, Wickwire regales us semi-boastfully with anecdotes relating how he expected his wife to be nothing more than a housekeeper, child-rearer, and "sex object" (his words). After insisting on a large family, and getting offended at a well-meaning priest who gently suggested birth control, Wickwire (by his own admission) proceeds to by-and-large shirk his duties as a father to all five of his children, supporting them only in the economic sense.
   
   We then get to read his thoughts about the innate subordinism of female climbers, and their tendency toward sexual hijinks on the mountains. The brunt of Wickwire's finger-pointing rests solidly on the shoulders of the female climbers he discusses, until he falls "in love" with Marty Hoey, a talented female climber with the sense, it seems, never to have gotten seriously involved with Wickwire, despite his attempts to the contrary. Wickwire seems to read much into incidents like feet (separated by different sleeping bags) accidentally touching in a overcrowded tent. After the reader is forced to endure reading a series of desperate, petulant, and adolescent notes and conversations directed from Wickwire to Hoey, he recounts her death on Everest perfunctorily, for the most part, and in terms of how his wife forgave him for this one-sided indiscretion. All things considered, I'm not sure who should be more outraged: Mary Lou Wickwire, reading her husband's embarassing account of "falling in love" with Hoey (and knowing all her friends and peers will be reading it too), or Marty Hoey herself, to whom Wickwire attributes a number of childish and maudlin love notes, and who is no longer here to defend herself.
   
   To be fair, Wickwire may not be the narrow-minded boor he appears to be as when, in 1985, he sadly acknowledges of the inevitable entry of women into the legal profession (one wonders what rock he was living under, or climbing over, not to know that women entered the legal profession long before then). The book, while also hampered by a ridiculous title, is full of stilted prose and dialogue. In Wickwire's world, climbers never say things like "We've gotta get down the mountain, fast." Instead, they make proclamations like, "We must descend quickly, or we shall perish upon the mountain." If they were climbing in King Arthur's time, maybe; in this day and age, no one speaks like that. As a result, the dialogue sounds stilted and fictitious, even if it had a basis in fact. The prose lingers too long, and clumsily, on Wickwire's relationships with those around him, even though his relationships seem rather shallow. Again, this may be the fault of the co-writer or the source, one never knows.
   
   I would heartily recommend saving your money and time, and reading a more climbing-related and less self-centered and angsty text.

5 comments about The Captain: Steve Yzerman: 22 Seasons, 3 Cups, 1 Team.

1. A wonderful keepsake for anyone who was--and still is--a Steve Yzerman fan. A man with incredible accomplishments and integrity, he was a dedicated captain and dedicated to his teammates and his fans. His fans, in turn, were just as dedicated to him. And I think I probably speak for every one of them when I say it was a really sad day when he retired. It was almost like the lights went out in Michigan. We would have been happy to see him in a Red Wings jersey for many years to come. We would have been happy just to see him out there skating around. He is a shining example of what every hockey player should strive to be but he was pretty unique and he'll be hard to beat.



2. The tagline to this book says it all..."22 seasons, 3 cups, one team" and that one team may be more important than the three Stanley Cups. In this era of free agency and mega-million dollar salaries, Steve Yzerman was a rarity...a superstar athlete who played his entire career with just one team. You need only mention "The Captain" to any Detroiter and they will know who you are talking about.
   
   This marvelous book from the Detroit Free Press and Triumph books traces the career of one of the greatest professional athletes in Detroit sports history. The word legend is thrown about quite freely these days but it certainly applies to Yzerman. Here was perhaps the most modest superstar you could ever hope to meet. A fierce competitor on the ice, who over came numerous injuries, and a pure gentleman off the ice, Yzerman retired after the 2005 - 2006 season to take a much deserved spot in the Red Wings front office. More than any other player, coach, or owner, Yzerman was responsible for resurrecting a once great hockey team that had fallen on lean times in the 1970's and early 1980's.
   
   We get to see a young Yzerman, just 18 years old as he shakes hands with team owner Mike Illitch after being selected in the first round...only after the Wings first choice, Pat LaFontaine, was drafted one spot earlier. We can all thank the NY Islanders for that! Yzerman was named team captain in 1986, at just 21 years of age, making him the youngest captain in team history.
   
   The book tracks Yzerman's career, season-by-season, reprinting articles by Free Press writers such as Mitch Albom, Keith Gave, and Nick Cotsonika. Re-live those early playoff disappointments including the Stanley Cup finals loss to New Jersey in 1995. Then relive the glory of 1997 as the Red Wings took revenge on the hated Colorado Avs, first in the regular season, and then in the playoffs, on their way to their first Stanley cup since 1955. Yzerman's visit to the David Letterman Show and the tragic accident of Vladimir Konstantinov is also covered as well as Stevie's career achievements and milestones and his laundry list of injuries suffered throughout his career.
   
   This is a must have for any Red Wings fan!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



3. Outstanding book! It really captured the whole history of Yzerman and his legacy plus legend... This is an outstanding book for both Red Wing and alll hockey fans



4. Purchased this as a Christmas gift for a BIG fan of Stevie's and she LOVED IT! Worth the money and "cheaper" than the bookstores!



5. This book reminds me a lot of my all-time favorite Yzerman book, "The Making of a Champion," which came out about 10 years ago. It's pretty much the same format - reprints of news articles and photos that appeared in the paper, along with some original features.
   
   Whereas "Champion" covered the first 10 or so years of Stevie's career, "The Captain" covers all of it. The articles, written by Detroit Free Press writers Bill McGraw, Mitch Albom, Nicholas Cotsonika and others, follow Steve from his early days as a teenage Red Wing, referring to Steve as "baby-cheeked" and telling us "if he shaves, it's only for practice" (and that he used to order white milk in bars!); as he becomes The Captain; blossoms into one of the NHL's most prolific goal scorers under Jacques Demers and then a three-time Stanley Cup champion under Scotty Bowman. All while playing for only one team - the Detroit Red Wings.
   
   "The Captain" is a great tribute to a man who personifies the words "class" and "perseverance" and the ice is a colder place without him. This book is a must-have for Yzerman fans everywhere, regardless of which team you cheer for.

5 comments about John McGraw.

1. I was really excited to learn more about such an important figure in baseball history. This in an unexciting story about a man of fire. It is sad that there is not more energy from this book.



2. If you are, like me, a serious student of baseball history who never tires of reading about the "old days", you will enjoy this book. If you are a casual baseball fan looking for light baseball reading, this is probably not the book for you.
   
   I think most of the other reviews posted here are on the mark: a lot of factual and interesting research into the life and times of the great John McGraw. People like me love this kind of stuff. But at times it can be bland, uninspired writing that would likely bore the casual baseball fan.



3. Born in 1873, John McGraw grew up brawling and playing baseball like he was brawling. And he was very good at it. As the scrappy third baseman and manager of the Baltimore Orioles in the 1890s, he gained fame and not a little fortune as an innovative, autocratic field manager whose teams clawed and fought to championship after championship. His teams represented the epitome of the "dead ball era" of baseball, where speed, defense, and aggressive play on the base paths carried the day. He is credited with inventing the "suicide squeeze" and the "Baltimore chop." He moved from Baltimore to New York in 1902 and during 31 years leading the New York Giants, he won 10 pennants and three World Series. Additionally, under his direction the Giants finished second 11 times. As a legendary manager, h entered the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
   
   This is the story told in this superb biography by Ohio University professor Charles C. Alexander, whose baseball biographies of Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby rank as some of the best ever in the developing field of serious baseball history. Alexander's study is in-depth, thoughtful, and engaging. It is a superb work. Enjoy.



4. I suppose I should be grateful to Alexander for doing some original research but it's hard to get excited about a book that has no enthusiasm for it's subject and some how makes a fascinating man dull. I recommend the great Frank Graham's McGraw of the Giants. It's out of print but readily available at used book stores. Graham covered McGraw for years, knew him well and, more importantly, knew countless sports writers who covered McGraw from his days in Baltimore. Graham examines his controversial subject with a critical entusiasm that brings this great but very flawed man to life. As Graham skillfully shows, McGraw's edge was sometimes so sharp as to be repellant but he was an innovative genius at baseball marketing, administration, selecting and motivating players as well as on the field strategy. If you're a baseball fan, he's worth studying.



5. This is the first book I have read from the many that Charles Alexander has written about turn of the century baseball players and I have to say that Mr. Alexander is a voracious researcher as he has facts and events of McGraw's life down to every little detail. For this, he is to be commended as he has certainly put to paper, atleast to this point, the definitive book on John McGraw.
   However, this is not a short or an entertaining read by any stretch of the imagination as Alexander's book is decidedly bland in its detailed accounts of seasons past. After detailing McGraw's many outbursts on and off the field, Alexander chronicles McGraw's gambling misdeeds and even possible corruption (to the degree of the 1919 Black Sox). But Alexander does not write with a lot of imagination. His work reads exactly like you might expect a chronological account might: vanilla.
   Although I enjoyed reading this book and appreciated all of the facts and research Alexander did on McGraw, I cannot say that this is one of the better baseball books I have read. Still, it remains the only book of any substance on McGraw, so if you want to learn about one of the most important men in the history of baseball, this is your book.

5 comments about Manning.

1. Excellent reading for anyone of all ages who's interested in football; especially the football family of "Mannings". This book gives us a very human side of the Manning family; their triumphs and tragedies become very real while reading this book; your heart will go out to them as just another family who's gone through so much and yet they have triumphed and given so much back to the communities in which they live. What an honorable family!



2. What a great insight to the lives of a close-knit family, who never let fame or fortune change who they are! Excellent book!



3. PEYTON AND ARCHIE AND COOPER AND ELI. THE FAMILY THAT PLAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER! ARCHIE AND OLIVIA SHOWED HOW BEING GREAT PARENTS CAN BREED GREAT CHILDREN! THIS BOOK TELLS THE STORY OF FAITH , FAMILY ,FOOTBALL, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSEVERANCE AND PURSUIT OF EDUCATION. PEYTON MANNING SAID THIS BEST!



4. 
   Manning is an ideal read for any fan of football, and sets a high bar for other autobiographies by athletes to follow. Manning is about the lives and football careers of father Archie Manning and son Peyton Manning. Archie starts off the book describing his childhood in the quiet, peaceful, but hard life in the small town of Drew, Mississippi. Archie continues chronologically by talking about his career in high school for Drew, college for the University of Mississippi, and finally his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints.
   Peyton begins his segment at the end of Archie's by starting straight off with his high school career at Newman. Peyton describes his time in high school, playing with his brother Cooper, by saying "1991 was like no other." Peyton then follows in suit by talking about his time in college at Tennessee and about his continuing career in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts.
   While Manning can easily entertain any fan of football or fan of the Mannings, someone who is not interested in either should not spend their time reading this book. On the other hand, fans of football or the Mannings would love every page of this book. In my opinion, the beginning of this book is very slow because of Archie's lackluster life in Drew. Although, once Archie begins to talk more about high school, the book begins to pick up by a lot. So in conclusion, any fan of football or admirer of the work of these two great football players will find this book as a very good read.



5. This is an excellent book, written by Archie and Peyton Manning. It starts of with a really painful experience for Archie, and it goes through Archie's entire life and career, and it talks about the begining of Peyton's career and most of his childhood. I would recomend this book to anyone, and to everybody who loves the Manning family, like I do.

5 comments about Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits.

1. This book is a combination of a narrative by David Ortiz and some background information by Tony Mazzaroti. Both aspects of the book are informative, especially the Mazzaroti part when he is explaining the rational the Twins used in releasing Ortiz. It has been mentioned in other reviews; the use of the words Bro' and Killin' get a bit weary, but it does feel as if you are having a conversation with Big Papi. The part of the book I really enjoyed is the insight as to how it is to grow up in the Dominican Republic and try to work your way through farm systems to the majors. I have always found the process of becoming an elite athlete fascinating and this book just reinforces most athletes do not "come from nowhere" and become superstars. They have to work hard, have some luck and hope for the best. It appears to have worked out for David Ortiz and he realizes just how lucky he is.



2. Too much use of the word "Bro" for me, otherwise, the book was rather light but informative.



3. I am a huge sports fan and I have nothing against Ortiz. He seems like a nice guy and he's certainly a great player. But this book was just not very good. There was nothing controversial or interesting that Ortiz said in the book. Also,the constant ending of sentences in "bro" was extremely annoying.
   
   Ortiz, trying too hard to be the good team player, defends Grady Little's disastrous decision to leave Pedro Martinez in the 7th game of the 2003 ALCS. Sorry, nobody's buying that. We saw the game. Pedro was done, period. While the 2004 Red Sox comeback is an interesting story, there are several books that tell it better. I cannot recommend this book.
   
   One thing I cannot resist mentioning: Ortiz says of his native Domincan Republic that people are so poor they often cannot afford health care. Uh,David,a.k.a Big Papi, whatever you call yourself, are you not aware that there are millions of Americans who cannot afford health care? I know you're a multimillionaire athlete, but can you really be that out of touch?
   
   P.S. I am not a Yankees fan.



4. What Big Papi has done in really such a short period of time as a Boston Red Sox is phenomenal. He has made the city of Boston and all of America fall in love with him by his big personality, love of the game and the respect he shows his team mates and fans alike, and it shows in this book.
   
   He was very honest about the love he had for his team mates in Minnesota but how unhappy he was with the management and ownership of the Twins who did not really know what to do with him. He did not show any bitterness, just a sadness that things could not have turned out differently.
   
   But, then it worked out for the best how he explains Pedro Martinez played a big part in him getting offered a contract by Boston and the rest we can say is history.
   
   Through the book, you can just tell the love and joy that Big Papi has for his family, his team mates, the city of Boston and the game of baseball. You get a lot of insight into how the man thinks and why this sport is so important to him.
   
   You don't have to just be a Red Sox fan to enjoy this book.



5. I found this book to be a good one. I like how it feels like Papi is talking right to you. It gives you a look at how it feels to be a big league ball player. Being a Red Sox fan, I especially enjoyed when he became a Red Sox player and all his clutch hits!! Just fantastic! A must read for all Red Sox fans!!
   
   --Gerard Zemek, husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"