5 comments about Umbrella Mike: The True Story of the Chicago Gangster Behind the Indy 500.

1. I really enjoyed reading this book. It is loaded with history about behind the scenes. I love the "old days" of the indy 500 and this book hits home about some of the happenings of the day. I would recomend reading this book. I, in fact find amazon much like the library down the street. At the library I can not find books like this so I plan on purchasing them to read and relist for sale. I just finished reading this and plan on reading it again then listing it on amazon. You won't be dissapointed with this book.



2. I bought this book because of my interest in the Indy 500, because the title was very intriguing, and because I was familar with the author from articles he wrote for a popular automobile magazine. As it turned out, the book was not that interesting and added very little to my knowledge of the "greatest spectacle in racing". I rate a good book as on that I will want read again and again and that also motivates me to find out more on its subject matter. This book does neither.



3. Excellent expose by autoracing expert Brock Yates of Chicago gangster Mike Boyle and his dominance in Indy-car racing in the late 20's through the early post WWII period. Yates brings out the links between Boyle and nearly all of the big name drivers and engineers of the day. With Favorite driver Wilbur Shaw, Boyle's Maserati won Indy twice, and became the most successful Indy car in history. But one wonders how much influence Boyle had, through Shaw, in convincing Tony Hulman to purchase the track after WWII? Although not a subject Yates discusses, the implications arre certainly there. The book is marred only by the lack of an index (highly needed) and Yates redundant phraseology about WWII.
   A welcome addition would be a chart showing the links between Boyle and arch rival Joel Thorne. A must for Indy history fans!!



4. A fascinating look at mainly preWWII (but some post-war) Indy 500 and open-wheeled racing history. This is a great read if you are at all interested in American open-wheel racing, which was one of the most dangerous forms of motor racing in the world but a unique motorsport art form.



5. Great Book, couldn't put it down until I finished it! If you like the history of how a great race car was born and how three special guy's, Wilbur Shaw, Ted Horn and Cotton Henning made the Masarati 8CTF a legend, get this book! This car was a winner in 1939-40, should have won in 1941, and finished no worse than 4th from 1946 to 1948. It was still competing in the 500 until 1951.

5 comments about The Hardcore Diaries.

1. Book came wrapped and in perfect condition. It's a present, so i haven't read it, but the transaction went flawlessly.



2. I love reading wrestling books to gain insight into a business that so little is known backstage. Mick Foley has always given one of the more honest insights, also more down to earth. This one chronicles his journey to ECW's One Night Stand and all the bumps in the road to. Some of the stories he shares with us really touch me when he talks about burn victims and children's hospitals, to his own child choking. Moments like those (and so many more I don't wanna give away) turn this hardcore legend into a true legend. Read this if you're a fan of the business, read this if you just want insight into a man's life with so many connections.



3. WWE superstar and hardcore legend, Mick Foley is no stranger to writing. Aside from writing two #1 New York Times bestselling memoirs (Have a Nice Day and Foley is Good), Mick Foley has also wrote multiple children books and fiction novels. Hardcore Diaries is Foley's third volume of memoirs, which has a lot to live up to his two aforementioned autobiographies.
   
   Foley's last book finishes up shortly after he retired from wrestling in 2000. This one covers up until mid 2006 of Foley's life and career. Hardcore Diaries has a unique way of detailing those six years. Instead of starting straight from where Foley last left off, the whole book is wrapped around Foley's involvement in coming up with his One Night Stand 2006 match where he teamed with Edge against Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer.
   
   Every few chapters Foley comes back to this angle on how the creative process runs behind the scenes in WWE and how his initial vision for the storyline went though many political compromises and unwelcome changes. In between the chapters of the creative plan for the ECW angle, a smaller than expected section is devoted to the angles and returns to the ring Foley was involved in the previous six years, and a larger than expected section is devoted to his family and many charity contributions.
   
   This all doesn't come together too nicely. Nothing against Foley's many charity contributions and his commitment to being a family man, but those chapters seemingly went on forever. They are still interesting to read about, but after awhile I forgot I was reading a wrestler's autobiography. They ended up interrupting the flow of the book, as throughout Hardcore Diaries it never felt like it was going in full gear.
   
   I'll give Foley credit for trying something new for this book, but it just didn't work out in the end. With that said Hardcore Diaries is a disappointment and easily ranks as the lowest of his three autobiographies, but it is still better than many other wrestler biographies out on the market right now. If you liked the first two Foley books, you will probably still enjoy this, but to a much lesser extent.
   
   The Hardcore Diaries



4. This book is poorly written and very boring. I cannot recommend it.
   The book on Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold's books were much more informative and entertaining.
   This one was a waste.



5. Not Mick's best work, but he is still by far, the best author to come out of the WWE. The book itself is well written and gives you insight to how things work in wrestling. The one thing you can always count on is Mick's terrific sense of humor. After reading this, you will see Mick Foley is a big man with an even bigger heart. He truly lets you see his human side.

5 comments about Days of Grace.

1. The biography was absolutely rivteting. It showed the enormous depth of a very special man - a side other than that of a great athlete but also one of a very special leader. His story of living with AIDS reveals all the complexities associated with the disease early in the epidemic, the stigma, the lack of confidentiality, and discrimination. Unfortunately, many of these themes have not gone away since the I read the book. A must read for the entire community as an important reminder of the still unending work that has to be done in this epidemic.
   Pamela Payne Foster, author of "Is there a balm in Black America?"



2. I cannot remember the last time I started reading a book and enjoying it as much as I did, and then half way through the book I could barely continue on. Arthur Ashe did this to me in his autobiography. What happened really, I couldn't say, but I was all praise and looked forward to reading more and more, and then I couldn't wait to be done. Strange indeed.
   
   The book started off great. Ashe gave us some insight into his world and into various aspects of his life that is not well known. He talked about his days as the captain of the American Davis Cup team, which was enlightening and revealing. He tells the intimate details of how, why and what happened when he discovered, as well as was discovered, to have aids. The opening chapter had me gripped to the seat as I was drawn in from the first few words. Amidst all this was Ashe's eloquence and ability to calmly and eloquently tell his story and impart who he was at the same time.
   
   But then it became droll and boring. Ashe started talking about day to day stuff and imparting common conversations, thoughts and actions with too much importance. He would talk about going for a walk, or a talk he had with his daughter. He devoted several chapters to talking about various issues that didn't have anything to do with him but was more of a long winded explanation to help clarify a one sentence thought that he had. For example, he talked for almost a whole chapter about the likelihood of gay and lesbian athletes in various sports. Finally, as much as this seems touching, the letter at the end to his daughter sealed the deal and made this a mostly boring biography to read.
   
   What we didn't see was his struggle with racism and segregation as he grew up in those troubled times of America. He talks a lot about segregation and racism as a retired tennis player, but he hardly goes into any detail about what ordeals he had to go through. This was the stuff that he could have gone into detail about and not only made his writing more interesting but helped raise awareness to what was and to hopefully will no longer be. Additionally, he didn't go into any detail about his own tennis career as a professional.
   
   I wanted to see Ashe as a tennis player as well as his ordeals with the many surgeries he had that resulted in him contracting AIDS. But we don't get that. Instead we oftentimes get paragraph after paragraph of his day to day routine with AIDS. What pills he took, what he considered taking and so on.
   
   What made his biography interesting in the first place was his stance on the black race and how they perceived themselves after slavery, segregation and slavery. He was truly a man beyond his time not only for black relations but for mankind's relationship with one another. For the first half of the book I would most certainly recommend to anyone as this is a very enlightening read. But the second half killed it and made it nothing more than average. Where was the biography part of autoBIOGRAPHY? I didn't find it, but I was still impressed with who Ashe was nonetheless.
   
   3 stars.



3. That tennis great Arthur Ashe died a victim of AIDS on February 6, 1993, is an undeniable tragedy. The fact that while he lived, he did so with consummate integrity, intelligence, and grace, remains his enduring legacy. Written with literary biographer Arnold Rampersad (Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison) Arthur Ashe's DAYS OF GRACE provides readers with a powerful portrait of an exceptional individual entrenched in the issues and passions of his life and times. Aside from being one of the most dynamic athletes of his or any other generation, his legacy also marks him as one of our greatest humanitarians.
   
   In this invitingly intimate and yet stoically objective memoir, Ashe grapples with the issues of sports, racism, and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) which he contracted while receiving a blood transfusion after his second heart bypass operation in 1983. DAYS OF GRACE reveals different sides to a man many described as "cold" while he lived. The view from within does not support this description. Some very warm snapshots are provided of Ashe as a man who never stopped being an obedient son, as a fervent patriot, lover of art, serious intellectual, mystical seeker, generous philanthropist, devoted husband, and loving father.
   
   Ashe's tendency to gloss over such feats as writing a landmark three-volume history of black athletes, his historic 1970 win at the Australian Tennis Open and 1975 victory at Wimbledon; or his association with people like Nelson Mandela and Jesse Jackson, rings true to an exceptional character whose many parts added up to a truly noble and memorable sum. As tragically as he may have died, DAYS OF GRACE provides an amazing portrait of just how heroically he lived.
   
   by Author-Poet Aberjhani
   author of "The Bridge of Silver Wings"
   and Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Facts on File Library of American History)



4. An athlete who epitomized grace. He had style, compassion, 3 Grand Slam Titles and a place in the Tennis Hall of Fame. The only African-American ever to win at Wimbledom and the first African-American to win a Grand Slam Title. Arthur won the inaugural US Open in 1968. Arthur's legacy as a social activist is perhaps even more important to this legacy, his steadfast beliefs in doing what was right for those who could not so for themselves, in his standing up to apartheid in South Africa after being denied a visa in 1968 to play in the South African Open because he was black. In 1988 Arthur discovered he was HIV+ after undergoing heart surgery and receiving a blood transfusion. Arthur died of complications from AIDS in Feb of 1993 but not before calling world-wide attention to the sufferers of AIDS and the indignities suffered by them. In this day and age of black athletes more worried about their 'street cred' then being a positive role model this is one of the most memorable autobiographies I've ever read.



5. Arthur Ashe (1943-1993) wrote this book in his final year of life, after his battle against AIDS had been made public by the media against his wishes. This book is a remarkable combination of autobiography, tennis narrative, and philosophical/political statement from the author as he faced death with courage, class, and grace. Ashe describes his upbringing in Richmond Virginia during the latter days of segregation, his career in professional tennis, and his premature heart problems that apparently led to his contracting HIV from a blood transfusion. Ashe also offers insights and opinions on tennis players like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, Black-Jewish relations, civil rights, the nation's political culture in the early 1990's, and of course, the tragic disease that was to fell him and so many others.
   
   Ashe demonstrated intelligence, dignity and compassion, and tragically died before the new retro-viral drugs arrived to spare (but not cure) many victims. Ashe was a class act, and his book is a lasting and valuable testament.

No comments about Hitting Back: The Autobiography.

5 comments about Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, World War II, and the Long Journey Home.

1. Playing with the Enemy hits you on several levels at once. Yes, it is a baseball story, but so much more.
   
   It's Sesser, IL, a small town where "everybody knows your name" and where everyone breathes with the same rhythm. A place where the entire population is attached to the ups and downs of a young baseball player and his career prospects. They live vicariously through him, assigning his life choices the same importance as their own, convinced that his escape from the mines of Sesser can be their own.
   
   It's WWII and the interruption of yet another life plan. It's how humanity can overcome the natural enmity between combatants, building a bridge to a future where peace prevails and we must all get along.
   
   And finally, it is defining yourself by the person you are and continue to be rather than what you do for a living.
   
   Playing with the Enemy is a well written, brisk read that will take you from the sandlots of Sesser, IL to the battlefields of North Africa and back. Enjoy the journey.



2. PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY is a true story about Gary Moore's father, Warren Eugene "Gene" Moore. Gene was a boy from small-town Illinois who had an amazing talent for baseball. He was an incredible catcher, could hit the ball out of the park, and he was a born leader. As one of the youngest on his baseball team at The Lumberyard, he encouraged and motivated his older teammates to work together.
   
   Gene didn't go unnoticed. The Brooklyn Dodgers stood up and took notice before Gene was old enough to play in their professional league. They signed him and put him in a farm team where he could hone his skills until he was old enough to be moved up. However, World War II came along and threw a wrench in THOSE plans.
   
   This book is the story of Gene's experiences in baseball, in war, and beyond. He kept these experiences a secret from his children until the day before his unexpected death. Gary retells the story of his father's life as his father told it to him. Probably his very last gift to Gary.
   
   Jim Morris writes the Forward to this book and he says, "PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY is a book about many things on many levels, but to me, it is a heartwarming story about what we do with second chances." While I agree with this, for me the book was also about the power of a love. In this case it was a love for baseball. This love has the power to bond, the power to overcome, and the power to scar.
   
   PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY is about a LOVE of baseball. And I'm not talking about what you see in the Major Leagues. Unfortunately I think the love is lost there - players/coaches/owners/managers are too in love with themselves and with money to remember the love they had for the game. This is about a true, unadulterated love of the institution of baseball. As Gene says,
   
   "...and that's what I love about baseball. When you step onto that field, the size of the man is determined by his heart, not his height."
   
   When that love is present, the members of the team DO come together and form a family bond. As with any family, there's often a member that functions like the glue...keeping all the pieces together when times turn rough. Gene was that glue for his teams. I admired that quality above all else in him. Every team needs a Gene Moore. What's more, Sesser, Illinois, needed Gene Moore. Gene was growing up at the tail end of the Depression. Sesser was a very poor town and they had very little, but Gene was able to motivate and inspire them as well as his teammates.
   
   PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY is a non-fiction work written like a fiction work. I often found myself thinking, "Wow! I don't think a professional fiction writer could have come up with the likes of this man's story." Isn't it amazing how sometimes life can create irony and suspense better than our own imaginations?
   
   Gene Moore touched the lives of many. And his inspiration continues to be passed along to others through this book. He has inspired me!



3. I began reading this book with excitement because it was written about a man from Sesser. I grew up in Southern Illinois about 30 minutes north of Sesser, and recently moved here. I excitedly began to identify with places in the book. Maple Hill Cemetery, Bruno's, Mulberry and Matthew street. All of that is what first drew me in. Then the story came to life. It could have been set anywhere in small town American when things were hard. The young man playing ball, for love of the game, and all of the things that are pure about it. I began the book from a friend on Friday afternoon and couldn't put it down until I finished it on Saturday. The stories brought to life a town, a war, a person, and the era. I have already sent my copy to a friend to share what I learned. I am buying more to share with my dad, grandpa, and friends. This book should be read by anyone who has ever missed out on a dream. I am thankful that Gene went after his. Thank you to Gary Moore for sharing the story of his father and the hopes of small town.



4. Only someone who is an ardent student of the intricacies of our national pastime and has a passionate love affair with the game, beyond just being sports entertainment, can truly appreciate the devastation Gene Moore must have felt upon learning his dream of playing major league baseball had been shattered, and the impact it had on the rest of his life. But Playing With The Enemy captures that emotion for everyone. This is not only a story of a baseball player. It's a war story, a human interest story, and above all, a love story. And just when you think you have it figured out, you don't.
   
   This story is so incredible on so many fronts, it would seem it surely must be a figment of someone's imagination. But, as is stated in the acknowledgments, life really can be stranger than fiction.
   
   Playing With The Enemy may well be the best book I've ever purchased, and would recommended it to anyone. It promises to inspire us all about relationships we hold dear, and that life is so fleeting that we all need to grasp it while we can.
   
   Tim



5. I loved this book. Two of my favorite subjects are baseball and World War II, so this book was perfect for me. I have also been in the submarine U505 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, so that made the story even more interesting to me. I was also one of the people that incorrectly assumed that the character of Ray Laws was actually Elroy Face, but I apparently was far from alone in making that assumption. I am eagerly anticipating the movie and hope they get started on it soon.

5 comments about Batista Unleashed.

1. My 13 year old son and I thoroughly enjoyed this autobiography which not only details the struggles but the triumphs of one of the greatest WWE athletes ever. His honesty and openness to share his life really created a very captivating story. He's a good example of how a person can overcome adversity and triumph! Thanks Dave! You ARE the greatest!



2. This book is very interesting. When you read it, you never lose interest. My husband read it in two days and he never reads books. The book is "written" by Batista and he talks about his childhood right up to his days in WWE. He goes into detail about the many struggles in his life and he also tells stories about his colleagues in the WWE. I highly recommend this book.



3. I've never read any of the other books from any of the other wrestlers before, but I'm very glad I decided to get this one. I never knew all the difficulties and hard work it takes to be a wrestler, plus reading about Batistas personal struggles made it even better of a book to read. You really get the experience of this mans life and becoming the Animal. If your a fan of Batista or even just a fan of professional wrestling, this is one book to get.



4. I have started reading this book and I am impressed. For those people who don't like how Batista treated his wife, we all make mistakes. Maybe he has learned from them and things will be better. Not every relationship is perfect. You have my full support, Batista.



5. Thank you Amazon.com, for once again providing perfect professional service. The delivery, packaging and substance of my order was spot on! I enjoyed reading about the Fantastic Batista! How candid and open-hearted this look inside the man behind the Animal! To Dave Bautista, I enjoyed getting to know you through your words and pictures. I am your ardent fan...Be Loved and Be Blessed.....Love Tam of Birmingham, Alabama

5 comments about Go Long!: My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame.

1. A quick read. Nothing too heavy. I'm a huge Niners fan and it was good to hear Rice talk about his career. The drive he had while playing and training is inspiring.



2. I enjoyed the book, but do not expect great writing or insights. This is one of those obligatory autobios that sports figures feel they have to write for their fans. I'd have liked to read more about Rice's growing up in MS. His coments on various fellow sprts stars was fun to reqd. ( He doesn't believe Barry Bonds either ). Quick read. Solid three stars.



3. this was a great book, i rarly read but when i found out Jerry wrote a book I knew i'd have to have it. It was a very quick read, took me only 2 weeks to finish. It's also opened my eyes to the NFL and the way it works. One of the best books ive read



4. Not every football memoir/autbio will be like Jerry Kramer's DISTANT REPLAY or have a subject as complex as Jim Brown. It was painful to hear Rice read his book (Audio CD) because he's not a natural reader mor speaker, but one can appreciate the path he laid for future players to emulate. I think this book is more geared towards the non-fan as opposed to the historian, NFL fan or Jerry Rice fan. I do think Jerry could've improved his reading skills for the CD edition or have someone else read the book, but it's a good story. As long as the book served its purpose, I can't complain.
   
   - This review is for the Unabridged CD edition.



5. Excellent book, easy read. Very frank and honest dialogue produces a very refreshing look at the character and
   makeup of NFL great Jerry Rice. He possesses "old school" values, rare for todays athletes and his humble
   approach and its origins are clearly defined in his upbringing. Would highly recommend it for parents and players
   of any sport as well as non-players as it explores more than the world of athletics and promotes a great
   work ethic.
   
   K.F.

No comments about David Beckham (Amazing Athletes).

5 comments about Life at Full Draw: The Chuck Adams Story.

1. I have been reading Chuck Adams articles since the late 80's. I have always enjoyed his writting style. It was nice to get more information about the person behind the articles. If you want to know more about Chuck Adams the person I would highly recommend this book. It is nice to see how much work is involved with doing his job, it is not all about the hunting.
   
   If you want to learn more about hunting I would read another book or article by Chuck Adams.



2. This is a great easy reading book for anyone interested in Chuck, or Archery, or hard work and inspiration.
   
   I had no idea of the hard work it took to finalize the incredible super-slam. I thought the book brought out some great insider stuff into the world of archery politics etc.
   
   I applaud Chuck for his courage and determination.
   I applaud Ted Nugent for his in your face attitude and for standing up for Chuck with his words. Ted Rules!
   
   If you want an easy read with a lot of neat hunting stuff and archery stuff to inspire you to make your own hunts better I suggest you pick this one up.



3. I highly recommend "Life at Full Draw," because it tells a lot more about the life of Chuck from boyhood through his Super Slam! Reading these hunting adventures makes a bowhunter dream about some of these hunts. I felt that this book was much better than Super Slam, because I got to know who Chuck Adams is and how he thinks. I have tried contacting him through a magazine, but have not heard back from him. I'm not sure how to take that, did he not get my message, is he to busy to respond, or is he simply ignoring me? I highly recommend this book!



4. Chuck Adams. Any archer who doesn't know the name of the most prominent bowhunter today -- the one with the trademark smile and knit cap, the one often mentioned in the same breath as Howard Hill, Fred Bear and other archery luminaries -- isn't paying attention.
   
   Adams has definitely earned his place in bowhunting history, and anyone who is intrigued by what it takes to have his amazing success wonders "Could anyone be this good?" This book, an authorized biography, seeks to answer that question.
   
   One thing this book lacks is an index. Readers are always well-served by a good index so that people, places and events that the author found important enough to include can be easily referenced. A timeline would also be helpful in biographies. Those minor deficiencies aside, if you're wondering how this Superman with a stick and string has done it, this book will tell you.



5. As an avid bowhunter, I felt obligated to purchase and read this book. I first read of Mr. Adam's taking of all 29 North American big game animals years ago in the NRA's American Hunter magazine.
   Since then, I've been slowly making my own run at the "super slam", but by recurve bow shot instinctivly. This is my weapon of choice.
   
   Mr. Adams is occasionally embroiled in the traditional vs modern debate, and has no qualms about stating his opinion. He feels the sighted, compound bow is a superior weapon, and he feels that taking 60 yard shots is acceptable if the archer is skilled enough. I disagree, but I was able to set this aside as I read the book. I wanted to "get inside" the man, learn about his mortal strengths and weaknesses, hear more about his missed shots and bad shots (we all make them, whether we are longbow shooters, compound shooters, or SEAL snipers), learn more about his life outside bowhunting, etc.
   
   Unfortunately, very little of this was revealed. I suspect Mr. Adams is a very private man, or perhaps aloof. After reading the book, I tried to contact him for some advice or little bits of wisdom on how I might continue my own super slam quest. While I never heard back from him, the three other bow hunters who have also achieved the super slam quickly contacted me and shared some pearls.
   
   Life At Full Draw reads more like a catalogue of hunts. After a while, the stories are all pretty much the same. Those of us who have hunted for years and have had the opportunity to take, by bow and arrow, muskox, brown bears, bison, etc. need something deeper. Here is where the personal insights, the private thoughts, the ponderings and self doubts, etc. should be liberally sprinkled into the prose. It would have made for much better reading, and frankly would have greatly served bow hunting, which is now under rabid attack by anti-hunters.
   
   I did come away with a genuine respect for Mr. Adam's focus, intensity, and drive. However, the book presents him as too one-dimensional. He must be more complex.
   
   If one commissions, or is asked for, a biography, one is obligated to open up and share. We, the readers, can and should expect this.
   
   Thomas M. Basch, MD

5 comments about Letters of the Dragon (Bruce Lee Library).

1. Bruce Lee books or papers about him and his success are the best basis for every serious training martial artist. BL & his JKD are open minded, only truth development we can join this world.



2. This collection of correspondence gives the reader a chance to peek into the mind and life of Bruce Lee. We get to tag along on his first trip to the US since his birth, his friendships, his marriage, his children, what he thought of the jet set, how the dog was eating, father-son bonding, etc. His heart went into every word, as his hand interpreted the flow of his mind.

   Bruce's widow, Linda Emery Lee Cadwell, mentions in one of the forwards that until the last year of his life, Bruce didn't have enough money to make excessive long distance phone calls. I'd hate to sound selfish, but, lucky for us.




3. I thought this book offered a completely different perspective of Bruce Lee and offered quality reading into the personal life of a famous martial artist. His letters were very honest, thought-provoking, and genuine from beginning to end. There was one very short and disturbing letter towards the end of the book which, in my opinion, was a significant clue as to why he passed so early and I hope other readers can understand this clue as well.

   John Little did an extraordinary job of presenting the letters in order and importance as with all of his books on Bruce Lee. Highly recommended!




4. Great book. I liked reading about Bruce Lee's thoughts and ideas



5. This book provides another view of the legendary Bruce Lee. I really enjoyed reading his thoughts on the martial arts, his work (film and books) and his family. The letters to Linda showed how much he loved his wife and children. I know this is part of her life too and she may want to keep it private, but I would have liked to see some of the letters she wrote back to Bruce.