2 comments about Shooting the Pistol: Courtside Photos of Pete Maravich at LSU.

1. Students today at LSU call the Pete Maravich Assembly Center the P-MAC. I can't stand to hear that. If they read this book, they might give the building the devotion it deserves. "Shooting the Pistol" is a clever name and the cover of this book and its design are also clever. I was expecting only pictures, but was amazed at the amount of copy that went along with the games corresponding to the photos. Pete is shown in all kinds of situations and the descriptions are amazing. This will make a great Father's Day gift.



2. This is an excellent recounting of Pete Maravich's playing days at LSU from the perspective of a court side photographer/journalist. Well written with wonderful pictures. A must have for basketball and sports history fans!

No comments about Roger Staubach Captain America: Captain America Personal Memories and Anecdotes About the Super Bowl-Winning Quarterback of America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys (Great American Sports Legends Series).

5 comments about Billy Conn - The Pittsburgh Kid.

1. This author captures what Pittsburgh (and 'sLiberty') was, so well. This is when boxing meant something and folks rallied 'round their favorite. The description of the crowds, the anticipation for a fight, the local pride truly captures what it must have been like. Billy was a hero for so many....my Dad, 90, is not a boxing fan, but he KNEW of Billy and loved this book. It captures a glorious chapter in boxing...when men behaved liked boxers, not fighters!



2. I absolutely loved this book! Makes me want to learn even more about this great boxer!



3. The story of Billy Conn cannot be told apart from the story of the city in which he was born, and in which he died, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Paul Kennedy realized that when he set out to write this biography of a boxing legend, one whose story, as noted by another reviewer of this book, has been sadly neglected until now. As Kennedy notes, Conn died in 1993, and the city he left was much like the city he grew up in, a quilt of ethnic neighborhoods, each with a character and reputation of its own. Kennedy captures what it meant to grow up Irish and poor in East Liberty, "sliberty" to Pittsburghers. Kennedy knows firsthand what it means to grow up Irish on the East End of Pittsburgh - he was raised just a 5-minute trolley ride from East Liberty, and, though not poor, he was one of nine children of a foreman at Westinghouse Electric. Paul Kennedy knows of what he writes, he's walked that walk, and his background as a journalist and historical writer serve him well in this tale of a Pittsburgh boy who almost grabbed the crown, but was noble, even in failing. To understand Billy Conn, you have to understand Pittsburgh. And Paul Kennedy understands Pittsburgh, and so will his readers who take the time to read "Billy Conn, the Pittsburgh Kid."
   
   Bruno F. Battistoli
   Kingston, New York



4. It's about time that someone wrote a biography of Billy Conn, one of the best boxers in the sport's history and an American original. This marvelously entertaining book brings Conn to life and allows the reader to feel like he is right at ringside. Kennedy obviously possesses substantial knowledge of boxing and an appreciation for the effort involved in becoming a champion of the sport.
   The books recounts many of Conn's bouts in vivid, almost breathless detail. Kennedy builds steam as he takes you through chapters called "rounds," culminating in the classic match, Conn versus Joe Louis for the World Heavyweight title.
   Kennedy writes with humor, respect and an obvious affection for Conn, filling the book with telling anecdotes that reveal Conn's character and legendary Irish charm. He shows the reader both the boxer and the private man, who, despite his tough, aggressive boxing style was also an artist, family man and clearly a romantic. The colorful story of Conn's lifelong devotion to his wife, Mary Lou, is woven throughout the book, and humanizes Conn.
   An added feature is Kennedy's attention to the setting and the era. He ties Conn's advancement in boxing to current events of that time, giving the reader a much appreciated context.
   I highly recommend this book. Conn has been neglected and his story is well worth reading, whether you are a general sports fan or a boxing fan. For boxing enthusiasts, it's really a must read. Some older readers might also enjoy the nostalgia that Kennedy evokes by his descriptions of life in America in the Depression and World War II eras. A final bonus - it's also a terrific history of that great sports city, Pittsburgh.



5. This book is great IF your only interested in detailed descriptions of Conn's fights. Unfortunatly the auther gives us almost nothing on the Conn out of the ring.Considering the Conn family gave there support I expected alot more than the 98% of this book that is fight blow by blow accounts.
   Im hopeing Sweet William due out in Nov. will be much more informative.
   Save your money and find a copy of the 85 sports illustrated with the story called The boxer & the blond and you'll find out alot more about Mr. Conn than in this whole book.

2 comments about Stirling Moss: The Authorised Biography.

1. I bought this book at London some weeks a go. It's good book for those of you interested in this racing legend and that racing age (which I love, by the way). It's quite detailed, because it covers his racing career and some aspects of his personal life either.
   
   I'm not agree with the previous review in the point that, in my opinion, the book doesn't have so much pictures. It's the typical 'all text' book with some pages with pics that illustrate the full book. If I'm not wrong it doesn't have more than 10 of these pages with B&W pictures. The rest is plain text.
   
   So a good and entertaining read. May be a bit too expensive for a paperback book, but always good for racing fans :)



2. I began to follow auto racing shortly after the 1962 accident at Goodwood that ended Moss's racing career, so I cannot say that I was ever a fan of Moss, only an admirer after-the-fact (as I also was of the German driver, Count Wolfgang von Trips). And I must admit I'm a sucker for just about any book about the pre-1970s era of Grand Prix racing.
   
   This large, coffee-table-sized book tells Moss's story from beginning to end, not with an abundance of text, but with an abundance of photos, both black-and-white and color. Yes, there is text, but it is anecdotal rather than exhaustive or exhausting, and it does tell all we need to know about Moss's background, philosophy, personality, racing achievements, accidents, personal life, romances, and business activities.
   
   There are many, many photos of Moss at all stages of his career, with particular attention paid to the Goodwood accident that nearly took his life, an accident that has always been shrouded in mystery and controversy. And - for the first time - some hitherto unpublished documents provide insight into what really happened on that gray day. And there is also another look at the infamous Le Mans crash that took the lives of Pierre Levegh and dozens of spectators.
   
   My only complaint - and it is perhaps an inappropriate complaint regarding a book about Moss - is that there is too much Moss and too little of the other drivers who graced that bygone era. I would have liked to see more of Hawthorn and Fangio and Brooks and Schell and Bonnier and von Trips (althought we do see a photo insert of Trips' devastating crash at Monza). It was an era of great names and great faces and great personalities, and I would have liked the photographer's lens to range just a little bit wider.
   
   But that is a mere quibble, and I can still recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Moss or a fan of the pre-comercialized world of GP racing. In a few more years, there won't be many who will remember what it was like.

5 comments about Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France.

1. Floyd's story is compelling, taking you from his days of riding 400 mile weeks, day and or night, to his term in the professional ranks and being shunned by "team Lance" to go unto lead Phonak. He gives an insider's view into the handling of urine and blood samples that is quite suspect at best, making the reader truly question the objective results of these tests that can literally make and break careers. Because of his strong religious and moral upbringing, one truly begins to question whether Floyd had the mindset to use performance enhancing drugs since he seemed to pride himself on racing under his own steam. What is clear is that he leaves the verdict up to the reader, using compelling prose to communicate a heart rending story.



2. I came away feeling there's no way that Floyd Landis doped or cheated. The anti-doping organizations of the world are so desperate to clean up the sport and prove they're worth the funding being given them. Unfortunately, it appears that they and the labs they use are guilty of bad science and sloppy work. Floyd's talented, trained extremely hard, has a single minded determination and focus, and a phenomenal ability to suffer. The story of his upbringing in Farmersville, Pennsylvania and his road to professional cycling is fascinating. Ride on, Floyd!



3. Great stuff. Floyd is such a winner, looking forward to seeing him race again. It's an alarming shame the trial process is such a sham.



4. The book was an eye opener to the world of drug testing - good reading too



5. One of the best books I've read recently, it was very well written. I believe Floyd was falsely accused, in part because of things he said or did before or even during the race. I feel it was a way to get back or get even with him. Sad but true that sometimes happens. We know Dr. Arnie Baker and feel that if he backs Floyd, Floyd must be innocent. I will be passing this book along to friends so they might reach their own conclusion.

No comments about Seve: The Autobiography.

5 comments about Never: Jens Pulver And the Wednesday Group that Will Change the World.

1. Jens Pulver's life story is amazing. Only his determination and personal strength has allowed him to survive his upbringing, and succeed in a very tough and competitive career. "Never" is a good read about a great guy.



2. This book was more than I expected. McKinnon was able to capture Jens and the Wednesday group as if you were an intimate friend of these guys. It was the perfect blend of Jens' upbringing, the context of the group that meets at the Pat Miletich gym and Tim's unique and often hilarious perspective on both. As the USA Today wrote in review, some books are a page turner, this book is a page stopper - I could not put it down. After reading this story, you are filled with hope and inspiration, that whatever you are facing in life, you can overcome those obstacles and be resilient. Jens and these guys have left an indelible mark on me, and I will strongly recommend this book to others. Thank you Jens for allowing McKinnon to capture this amazing story. Well done guys.



3. Jens Pulver is an idol of mine, but I found that his other book which talks from the first person is a better choice.
   
   "Never" is taken from the author's point of view - who is in the "Wednesday Group" with Jens - and I found that a lot of the book concentrates on Tim's life. The author talks about himself personally and other experiences that really have nothing to do with Jens Pulver. In fact in the beginning of the book I found myself flipping through pages just so I could come across some area which involved Jens Pulver.
   
   Not only that, there is a religious undertone throughout the book which is not what I expected. It is still a good read if you are a fan, but it may not be what you expect.



4. This book is about faith and what ordinary men that aren't mixed martial arts champions can do in to change the world around them. Pulver's story is more of a backdrop to the story of mutual faith in the Lord.



5. I love the way the author captured the subject in this rendition of the life of a child brought up in his own personnal hell. He showed all the facets, not just the polished, but the ruddy and cracked as well, and that is how it is for Jens today. There will always be residual from his upbringing, but the choices he makes to rise above are shown clearly in this book and it gave me a sense of hope that the message may reach more young men with similar situations. I've read it a few times and love it each time. I am, by the way, Jens' mother.

1 comments about Bobby Bowden's Tales from the Seminole Sideline.

1. This thin book gathers a good number of stories about Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden, and the team itself.
   
   While not a serious study of the rise of college football in America, or at least Tallahassee, it does focus on the ways in which Bowden lives his life, and the resulting success of the FSU football team in the last 15 years. It focuses strongly on the period after 1990, when the team successfully finished it seasons among college's best year after year.
   
   With stories that last only a few paragraphs or so in most cases, this will entertain a Seminole fan for a short while, but it won't satisfy a desire for an in-depth look into the football program that Bowden has built over his successful, long tenure at FSU.

5 comments about The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey to Ultra-Running Greatness.

1. This book is interesting and gives you some insight into one successful ultra-runner. It can not be faulted in its honesty... it is a very honest insight. However, in that, some of it can be distasteful to others. I found myself getting bothered at her relaxed attitude to what seems to be an eating disorder, even if it is not quite what it once was (though admittedly I have seen the same in other female ultra-runners I have interacted with)... and what reads to me as selfishness over her family and children. However, those same things make the book very interesting. You do have to step back and not judge another human being for different choices, priorities, etc.... and you area allowed a lot of insight. This is valuable because Pam Reed has been so successful. I much prefer being bothered at times in an autobiographical book like this, because it is a sign of honesty in the writing that is hard to come by these days.



2. I didn't expect a lot from the book based on other reviews. The only thing I didn't like much was her writing style. It pretty much goes like this - "I ran XXX race which was 100 miles and came in ZZZth. I didn't eat much but I drank Red Bull and Ensure. It was really fun!" I would've liked to know more about what's actually going on in her head rather than a dry account of the facts. However, she may not be much more deep than what she portrays in this book, in which case, this is truly her life. The few chapters about goal setting and what it means to run are few and far between but really contain the most interesting information. The rest are fluff.



3. My favorite part of the book was the photo on the front cover. It went downhill after that. I read this book almost a year ago and forgot I had it. That should tell you something.
   
   Forget that the book was choppy and simply dull, what bothered me so much was how dismissive Reed could be when she talked about her eating disorders. Right behind that, I had to wonder how she could be so disconnected from her family, particularly her children.
   
   It seems to me that Pam is running away from something. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone if what they're looking for is motivation or inspiration, or simply a role model.
   
   But it's a helluva read if you're looking for a strong example of a mental disorder that has manifested itself in such a way to look like an athlete.
   
   Good luck, Pam. When your body finally tires of this, I hope your kids are still around.



4. I'll start by saying I enjoyed Dean Karnazes' book immensely. It was self-serving (very), but a quick read and everyone I lent it to really enjoyed it.
   
   I was looking for something similar here, but didn't find it. Maybe that was partly my fault for having such expeectations. However, the book is just not terribly interesting. Maybe the novelty of reading about this wore off after Dean's book, but this book was basically about a fairly banal person (no offense, I'm banal, too) who happens to run long distances.
   
   This book was VERY introspective. She really delves into her thoughts. Partly that was appreciated, but partly it was simply too much and I was not incredibly interested in the minutiae. Pam goes into detail about her anorexia and how her family gets ignored with her races and training.
   
   The book was worth reading (it was a library borrow), but nothing truly fabulous. Certainly I didn't feel as compelled as I did after Dean's book to get my shoes on and put some miles down. After Dean's book, I thought "wow, ultrarunning is actually pretty cool and sounds like it could be fun in a sick way". I never, ever had that impression after reading this book. The way the running was described was more of a grind.



5. I really enjoyed reading this book, as it is an extremely honest account of her life as she sees it. Both good and bad. I didnt expect to read about her marriage for example, but found that her points of view were very interesting and it possible to get a better and more complete understanding of the person. She is not just someone who can run really far...
   Its an easy read and eventhough I do not share a lot of her points of view, the book is very hard to put down and it is fascinating to attempt to understand what drives her extreme performance.

5 comments about Driver #8.

1. I like the fact that this was written by Dale, Jr not just someone elses words.



2. This book was great. I enjoyed the descriptions of all of the tracks that Jr. raced at and how he talked to his dad and Matt Kenseth about things that were happening at any one moment. I also enjoyed hearing how him and Tony Jr. have such an honest relationship. They may yell at each other during a race on the radio, but after the race is over they are able to go back to being cousins/friends again. They leave it all on the racetrack. Very well written book! A must for any Jr. fan!



3. This book is great! It is just like you are sitting and talking to him. It seems to be word for word what Dale was tring to say.



4. I really enjoyed reading about his experience as a driver. It is well written and not boring. Which it could have been since it is always hard to write about work. I loved watching his father race and now I get to watch him.



5. WAS A GREAT BOOK AND AM GLAD I'VE GOT IT NOW THAT HE IS LEAVING DEI