5 comments about Tony C: The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro.

1. This is a great book about Tony C. It shows both his strengths as a person and some of his weak spots, which makes this book a very true and real story.
   It's a great history of the Red Sox when Tony C. played. It shows the true guts, determination, courage and love for the Red Sox that Tony C. had. No player in any sport has made such an effort to comeback. And, this book captures it all.
   The Red Sox should retire his number -- just read the book it supports retiring #25.
   Billy Conigliaro's quote sums up how i feel about Tony C. "I will always remember Tony C. as a fighter, a clutch hitter, warm to his fans. He was a brother who made me proud."
   Tony thank you so much for all the wonderful memories as a Red Sox player. You have given me the strength to fight my own battles in life. I hope that someone makes a movie from this book.



2. I began work on this book in 1994...I'm glad to see that the public has received this book well. It is a fine tribute to a dashing young ballplayer for whom this book was a labor of love...Here's to you, Tony!



3. Dave Cantaneo gives this young fan a second chance to remember a boyhood idol through this very insightful book about the tragic figure thatb inspired thousands of boys my age. The ultimate complement to any baseball player when I grew up was that everyone wanted his baseball card and everyone wanted to "be" the player during pickup games. These were simple times when players were loyal to teams and teams were loyal to fans. Everyone wanted to be Tony C, and since he was just a teenager joining the Red Sox, all of my buddies and I idolized him immediately. This book permits us the opportunity to spend a few hours with a real sports idol. Tony C was to Red Sox fans what the Beatles were to American rock and roll lovers--- except he was right here. Thanks for the book, David.



4. I am a 12 year old kid and have read the book Tony C. I never watched him play on t.v, and I haven't heard about him until 1991 when i watched a quick clip on sportscenter about him. I couldn't quite remember his name and wanted to find out more about him as I searched for 7 years just to find the guy's name. I came close to finding his name as my friend next door had a model of him, but unfortunately his dog knocked it down earlier and the bottom of the model was broken off and we didn't know his name. Thats when i finally found this book at a local bookstore. This book takes you in depth of his short lifetime. This book tought a lesson to me and i feel that I never give up anymore in anything that i do (like him) This book takes you from his good days in the minors to his excellent early years in the majors until that awful august night. The night when he was struck by the pitch that put him out of baseball. That is where i will end because i don't want to tell everyone the untold, but i do highly reccomend this book. It changed the way i look at everything in life.



5. Understand that this review comes from a thirty- six year old lifelong Red Sox fan, who never saw Tony Conigliaro play before the infamous beaning (and who wasn't subjected to the Red Sox of the early sixties). I went to my first Red Sox game as an eight year old boy in 1970, with my twenty- something aunt who got tickets to see the California Angels, because Tony Conigliaro was on the roster. I was thirteen when Tony electrified the Boston fans early in the magical 1975 season. Because of my aunt's infatuation with Tony C., I have always been intrigued with his story and enthusiastically picked up this book to learn more. The early biographical information was compre- hensive and, although clearly not unbiased, detailed enough to let the reader make their own opinions regarding Tony's immature social values and his arrogant "super jock" attitude. I appreciated the anecdotal history of Tony's minor league and early major league career, especially his rocky ! relationship with the Red Sox other star of the era, Carl Yastrzemski.

   The emotional struggles of Tony's attempted come- back following the beaning were also well reported. The book followed Tony's career beyond baseball, and honestly reported the heartache of a shortened athletic career and the struggle to then fit into a traditional career.

   I would recommend the book as an above average sports biography or an excellent real life human drama. I think the story provides lessons for young men and is heart-wrenching story that would interest young women as well.

No comments about High and Inside: My Life in the Front Offices of Baseball.

5 comments about Best Seat in the House: A Father, a Daughter, a Journey Through Sports.

1. A cover blurb on Christine Brennan's new book uses the word "heartfelt." I'm very surprised that all of the reviewers didn't include "heart" somewhere in their comments. This is the most magical book. Not only for Brennan's wonderful relationship with her father. I was moved equally by the sense of Christine Brennan that emerges from her writing. This is a valuable book, a blessing for the world. It glows with the magic of the heart - for sports, child-raising, and life. In a world that perversely tries to discount the heart's feelings, her book provides overwhelming evidence of the need for love.



2. When I saw this book, I knew immediately that I'd be interested in it. I mean, Christine Brennan was the Washington Post beat writer for the Redskins in the mid-80s when I lived in DC as well, and as she jokingly puts it, being the Redskins beat writer was the second most important beat, after the White House beat, unless the Redskins played the Cowboys. So I remember well her byline in the Post Sports section from those days.
   
   In "Best Seat in the House: A Father, A Daughter, A Journey through Sports" (283 pages), the author reflects back on how she got into sports writing, and not unsurprisingly, her dad played a major role in it. In fact, the initial third of the book, in which Brennan recounts her days growing up in Toledo, is the most intruiging and touching part of the book. Brennan's dad never pushed her into sports, but definitely supported and encouraged it, taking her to see their beloved Mud Hens AA basebal and the University of Toldedo football teams, and then later when Christine started playing high school sports (in the pre-Title IX days). The love and warmth for her dad shines throughout this book.
   
   After graduating from Northwestern, Brennan went on to cover college football for the Miami Herald in the early 80s and then the Redskins. Brennan has plentyful of memorable anecdotes of what is was like to be a female sportsreporter in that male-dominated world. The latter part of the book drifts a bit, even though Brennan's love for the Olympics, her next big thing, comes through very clearly. But the book finishes on a high, recounting the hard times when first her mom, then her dad pass away, while providing a very moving tribute. If you like sports, and have a heart, this book will move you.



3. I was in tears at the first chapter, as my father too introduced me to sports. Much of what Ms. Brennan has written brings me back to the wonderful memories of my Dad and our love for the Detroit Tigers. I gave the book to my Dad for Fathers Day. I only wish I had the talent to have written such a wonderful memorial to my father. Thank you, Christine.



4. As Christine Brennan states in the book, writing the story was a "labor of love". She stated this in reference to her father and family. Of course, this comes through eloquently clear from such a talented writer. In reading the book, however, it's obvious she loves so much more in life. Sports, yes, but that's over-simplistic. How she ties sports into the context of history, into how our society has changed and not changed (for women, minorities, etc.) is truly insightful while, at the same time, beautiful. You can feel -- truly sense -- how Christine feels about these challenges, about the people confronting them, and about the leaders addressing them (or not). Her values show through. Many a writer, I think, would be all-too-shy about putting such personal points-of-view out there. I, for one, am very glad she did, for her values and points-of-view are truly admirable. They are all the more so because she, like her father, has acted upon and held true to them throughout her life while still making room to experience and learn.
   
   Now, I don't know Christine. I met her once, yes. She was uncommonly attentive and made me feel like I was the gold medal winner being interviewed (not that it felt like an interview at all; although, after reading this book, I wouldn't be surprised if she packed away some notes somewhere, dated them, and spelled my name right...).
   
   Why is this such an important book? In addition to what I've shared I'll add this: Moving forward my wife and I will document the events of our kids' childhood even more diligently. Not only will this benefit our family with more memorabilia, but it will hopefully serve as an example for our kids so they, too, will log the experiences of their lives. Doing so, I believe, will help sustain their peace of mind (respect for whence they came), build confidence, as well as provide skills that will help them academically, professionally, and personally. And, no, I don't expect to rear little Christine Brennans. I do hope, however, my kids have a similar love for their father, their family, and for life that Christine Brennan does. This book has made me even more excited about being a parent and it's also allowed me to travel back in time with my father. Christine, thank you!



5. In a world where male dominance in most sports is generally welcome and accepted, stories of women who defy the odds, dodge the criticism, and rise to success are indeed a rarity. The story of Christine Brennan is no exception. A successful writer for USA Today and The Washington Post, Brennan's ascension to a career in sports journalism and broadcasting, which was usually only reserved for men, serves as a role model for those who wish to follow their dreams despite the obstacles. However, the focal message in the book is a tribute to her father, the man who brought her up to love and cherish sports, and the man who continued to encourage her when things seemed impossible. Rather than the typical father-son journey through sports, the tide shifts, in essence, to reveal that daughters too can share that same passion.
   
   Brennan's journey begins in Toledo, home to the Triple AAA Mud Hens and the University of Toledo. The stories of catching a ball game at the Lucas Country Rec Center (aka Ned Skeldon Stadium) or the occasional drive to Tiger Stadium were heart warming and a bit shocking as Brennan was probably the woman in the 1970's that knew how to fill out a scorecard. Baseball brings families together and nothing in the world beats a trip to the ball park to catch a game with your old man. But baseball is one of several sports that the Brennan family endures throughout Christine's childhood. Tennis, swimming, golf, football, and basketball consumed much of their daily lives and it appeared that the father, Jim, was merely along for the ride for it seemed that he was not the one doing the pushing.
   
   On a personal note, Brennan's account of the University of Toledo's Chuck Ealey's thirty-five consecutive victories and Steve Mix's stellar basketball career were nearly tear-jerking. As a Toledo alum and fan, it was about time that both of these remarkable men receive some extra attention for their amazing feats as collegiate athletes. From a university which sees very few of their athletes go on to the professional level, the celebration of perhaps their best two athletes in a nationally acclaimed book puts the icing on the cake.
   
   Brennan admits that the idea to be a sports journalist began at those Toledo football games where Ealey and his teammates rang up win after win. Indeed, watching Chuck Ealey on a weekly basis from 1969-1971 must have been a privilege, an honor, and certainly a launching point for a prospective sports writer. From there Brennan begins the formal training as a journalist at the campus of Northwestern University, and with the summer internships at the Toledo Blade. Northwestern's journalism program was one of the best in the country, and alums Peter McCleery, Brennan, and Michael Wilbon backed up that recognition.
   
   But Brennan's story of becoming a sports journalist is just a fraction of the larger picture. Title IX, the law that essentially gave women an opportunity to play competitive sports, is mentioned throughout the book. However, Brennan's argument on Title IX is not necessarily a cry for women to take over these heavily male-influenced games. Rather, it is advocating for equal opportunity. As evident in her debates with the controversial Hootie Johnson of Augusta National, Brennan refuses to back down to the opposite sex, and chooses to stand up for women's rights. After all, to get to her position in her field, Brennan has always had to fight an uphill battle. Hopefully this serves as a message to young women seeking a career in sports that even though the trail may be bumpy along the way, the end result is certainly attainable.

5 comments about Barney Ross (Jewish Encounters).

1. There are a lot of similarities here between Barney's story and Jake La Motta's story and they both could have been RAGING BULL the movie. This book is concise and written very smoothly--an even-flow to read thru.
   A good boxing and Jewish lifestyle book at the same time.



2. Every few years I stumble across a short, breezy biography that far better treats its subject than it would have at ten times the length. "Barney Ross" is one of these delights.
   
   Douglas Century's story of Jewish boxer Barney Ross renders an evocative portrait of the forgotten, dangerous world inhabited by the ancestors of today's American Jews a century ago.
   
   Ross's father was a Talmudic scholar, chased from the old country by pogroms, and murdered in the new one during an armed robbery. The family was scattered. Ross boxed for money to get the youngest brothers out of an orphanage, which he did.
   
   The book illuminates two colorful groups of yore: Jewish boxers and gangsters. Both groups - the one aboveboard, the other not - speak to a Jewish yearning for strength, as well as an ambivalence about it, after centuries of weakness. Judaism disparaged athletics, let alone criminal violence, from the time of the Greeks and Maccabees.
   
   Tough guys - shtarkers, in Yiddish - weren't what their mothers wanted them to be, but had credibility on the Lower East Side and Chicago's Maxwell Street, where Ross grew up. Both gangsters and boxers stood up for their people when no one else would, defending their neighborhoods against interlopers.
   
   Ross, who simultaneously held three titles in the 1930s, was definitely one tough boychik. In 81 pro fights, he was never knocked out. That includes the last one in which, over the hill, he was savagely beaten by Henry Armstrong. Virtually helpless, he took an estimated 1200 punches, but refused to go down and kept answering the bell. He never said "no mas" in any language.
   
   He was just as tough at Guadalcanal, enlisting in the Marines at the advanced age of 33. He fought alone through a harrowing night to defend several wounded and cutoff men, firing hundreds of rounds and throwing dozens of grenades. They were finally relieved the next day. Around Ross's foxhole lay two dozen dead Japanese soldiers.
   
   Hospitalized for three months, Ross began a morphine addiction which nearly killed him. He fought it just as courageously, turning himself in for arrest so that he could be sent to a prison specializing in drug addiction treatment. His drug addiction tainted his celebrity; a planned biopic was quashed and turned instead into a fictional story loosely based on his life. This is why most people today have never heard of him.
   
   Ross worked to raise money and Holocaust awareness even as the Warsaw ghetto uprising raged. He smuggled guns to the Irgun for battles leading to Israel's independence. And he may have been one of the Jewish tough guys who terrorized Nazi sympathizers in Chicago in the 1930s. Another was Jack Ruby, a friend of Ross's; Ross last entered the public eye when he was questioned by the Warren Commission about Ruby's early entanglements with Chicago gangsters.
   
   As Century notes, Ross was special. He retained religious ties throughout his life. He didn't have much of a mean streak, apologizing to his sparring partners for hurting them and showing little taste for putting away a weakened opponent. To Jews, boxing was a means to an end, a way out of poverty. When times changed, twenty years later, there were no more Jewish boxers. This little book is a reminder of what life was like for American Jews before they succeeded.



3. I KNEW BARNEY ROSS WHEN I WAS A YOUNG LAD GROWING UP IN THE SUBURS OF NEWARK NEW JERSEY. BARNEY SUGERMAN Z'L, MY FATHER AND BARNEY ROSS WERE CLOSE CLOSE FRIENDS. SUGIE AS MY FATHER WAS ALSO KNOWN WAS IN THE JUKE BOX AND GAME BUSINESS. HE CAME OUT OF THAT VERY SPECIAL WORLD OF PROHIBITION, ROARING 20'S, PROUD JEWS INCLUDING MOBSTERS AND PRIZE FIGHTERS. POP HAD HIS OFFICES AND BUSINESS ON JUKE BOX ROW, TENTH AVENUE AND 43RD STREET IN MANHATTAN. BARNEY ROSS WAS AT THE OFFICE TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK AND AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, THE TWO BARNEYS WOULD MAKE THE ROUNDS IN THE CITY. DOUGLAS CENTURY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF CONVEYING THE TRUE PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER OF BARNEY ROSS. THE BOOK IS OUTSTANDING. IT CAPTURES THE TRUE SPIRIT OF BARNEY ROSS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN BARNEY ROSS WOULD SAY HELLO TO YOU, IT MADE YOU FEEL YOU WERE SPECIAL. HE HUGGED YOU, KISSED YOU, AND HE BLESSED YOU IN PERFECT HEBREW AND IN PERFECT YIDDISHE. HE WAS A REAL PROUD JEW AND HE KNEW THAT HE CARRIED ON HIS SHOULDERS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF JEWISH PRIDE TO A NATION THAT HAD NOT YET FULLY ACCEPTED THE JEWISH PEOPLE. IN FACT GROWING UP, ANTI SEMITISM WAS NOT A RARE OCCURENCE. BARNEY CARRIED THE CROWN OF JEWISH PRIDE WHEREVER HE WENT. I WILL TELL ONE STORY. IN THE MID 50'S I WAS A STUDENT AT BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY WHICH WAS A SCHOOL ASSOCIATED WITH THE BAPTISTS. IN THOSE DAYS, THERE WAS A LIMIT ON JEWS GOING TO BUCKNELL, WE HAD A 5% QUOTA. SO WE HAD ONE JEWISH FRATERNITY HOUSE. IN MY JUNION YEAR, 1958, WE HAD AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR THE ANNUAL SPORTS EVENING. ALL THE ATHLETES OF THE SCHOOL WENT TO THE ANNUAL DINNER. SOMEBODY KNEW THAT MY FATHER AND BARNEY ROSS WERE CLOSE FRIENDS, AND THE SCHOOL BOXING COMMITTEE ASKED ME IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INVITE BARNEY ROSS TO COME UP TO THE SCHOOL TO GIVE A SPEECH. I CALLED POP. HE SPOKE TO BARNEY ROSS. BARNEY RIGHT AWAY SAID OF COURSE HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO IT. THAT WAS BARNEY ROSS. THE WORD "NO" DIDN'T EXIST IN HIS VOCABULARY. I TOLD POP TO MAKE SURE HE WAS UP BY 4 OR 4.30 BECAUSE THE DINNER WAS SCHEDULED FOR 6 PM. POP PICKED BARNEY UP EARLY IN THE MORNING. IT WAS NO MORE THAN A 4 HOUR DRIVE UP THROUGH ROUTE 22 TO MAKE IT TO LEWISBURG PENNSYLVANIA. BUT NO SIGN OF THE TWO BARNEYS AND BY 5 PM. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE SCHOOL. FINALLY AT SIX PM ON THE DOT THE BIG BLUE FOUR DOOR CADILLAC PULLED UP AND OUT CAME BARNEY ROSS WITH BARNEY SUGERMAN. BARNEY ROSS SMELLED LIKE HE FELL INTO A BATH TUB OF WHISKEY. I ASKED POP WHAT THE HELL TOOK HIM SO LONG. POP EXPLAINED THAT BETWEEN NEW YORK CITY AND LEWISBURG PENNSYLVANIA BARNEY ROSS INSISTED ON STOPPING IN EACH TOWN AND HAVE A DRINK. AS SOON AS HE WALKED INTO A BAR IN THOSE LITTLE BLUE COLLAR TOWNS IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, GUYS IMMEIDATELY RECOGNIZED HIM AND BEFORE LONG, "BARNEY HAVE ANOTHER DRINK ON THE HOUSE, AND TELL US ABOUT THE FIGHT WITH TONY CANZONERI, WITH JIMMY MC LARNIN, ETC."
   
   WE BROUGHT BARNEY INTO OUR SAMMY HOUSE FRATERNITY. HE WAS SURROUNDED BY ALL THE GUYS IN THE FRATERNITY WHO WANTED TO SAY HELLO TO BARNEY ROSS AND SHAKE HIS HAND, ETC. BARNEY ROSS HOWEVER WAS THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND. I WAS WONDERING HOW THE HELL HE WAS GOING TO GIVE A SPEECH AT THE SPORTS NIGHT EVENT.
   
   WE WENT TO THE DINNER. THE PLACE WAS MOBBED WITH ALL THE JOCKS AT BUCKNELL. NATURALLY, THE VAST MAJORITY WERE NOT JEWISH. BARNEY GOT UP TO SPEAK. HE HUGGED THE MICROPHONE AND HE STARTED TO SPEAK. HE SPOKE SO QUIETLY, BUT SO ELOQUENTLY AND SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT HIS LIFE GROWING UP AS A JEWISH BOY IN CHICAGO, HIS FATHER'S TRAGIC MURDER, HIS ENTRY INTO BOXING, HIS CAREER, HIS FIGHTS, HIS WAR TIME EXPERIENCE, HIS DRUG ADDICTION AS A RESULT OF THE WOUNDS HE SUFFERED DURING THE BATTLE AT GUADACANAL AND HIS STUGGLE TO BEAT THE HABIT. THAT EVENT TOOK PLACE NEARLY FIFTY YEARS AGO. I REMEMBER IT LIKE IT HAPPENED TONIGHT. BARNEY ROSS WAS A CHAMPION AS A FIGHTER, BOTH IN THE RING AND IN THE BATTLEFIELD BUT THAT NIGHT HE WAS A CHAMPION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE. KOLHAKAVOD TO DOUGLAS CENTURY. HIS BOOK IS A TRIBUTE TO THE TRUE CHARACTER OF BARNEY ROSS



4. ...and it's a right pity so few Jewish youngsters have never even heard of the former champ Barney Ross -- the "Pride of the Ghetto."
   
   I'd first heard about Century's book over at the always insightful website, www.nextbook.org, where he was interviewed over a seven minute stretch about the life and times of the second- (of two) most famous Jewish pugilist of all-time, other than Benny Leonard.
   
   Century demonstrates a deft skill with the pen and a remarkable savvy for the entire era and the relevant subject material. It clearly shines through in his compact historial narrative of the period.
   
   I'd wanted to read over the reviews of this book before devlving into my own -- figuring that if you're really keen on knowing what the book's about, you don't need me to tell you that....the editorial reviews do more than an adequate job.
   
   Within Barney Ross' pages, expect a raft of feelgood as you stream through fellow-Canadian Century's well-crafted prose. He collates what -- to this scribe at least -- seems to be a wealth of source material in order to carve out a delectable read. In what might otherwise be a biography of the late fighter, Century eschews the traditional format of "he was born in 1909..." and opts for a more 'filmic' approach -- I swear a camera could've been trained on any one of these scenes.
   
   You'll breeze through the initial pages figetedly, reading of the shooting murder of Ross' Talmudic-scholar father in his tiny Maxwell Street fruit shop by a pair of Chicago street thugs, then you'll root for Barney -- ne Beryl Rasofsky -- as he vows to regain his family's fallen honour -- having lost his mother to a wellness sanitorium in Connecticut and his siblings to a local Chi-Town orphanage.
   
   You'll pump your fists silently, as you sip your preferred beverage, reading about Ross' earliest victories on the canvas and in the ring, then rallying to the fighter's side as he continues to rise through the amateur -- then professional -- ranks, on his way to boxing lightweight and welterweight stardom.
   
   When Armstrong clobbers Ross in their to the wire slugfest, ending Ross' illustrious career, it'll tug at your heartstrings, while it continues to thump on that same spot uncomfortably as you read about Ross' subsequent enlistment in the US Marine Corps then of his injuries sustained at Guadalcanal.
   
   When you learn of his resultant addiction to morpheine, and then Ross' subsequent long battle to trump it, you're bound to be affected.
   
   Thanks to Barney Ross, I'm super keen on having a look at Century's other stuff. I'm sure it's moving all the same.



5. I highly recommend this book. I read for entertainment and was
   thoroughly entertained. You do not have to be an admirer of the
   great pugilists of the past to enjoy this book. God bless Barney
   and what he left us.

5 comments about I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero.

1. This book is great. It came out in 2007 but only covers to about the time he returned from his injury. Oh well. Great read anyway.



2. Bill Goldberg defined the sonic boom that pro wrestling made on cable TV and at arena shows throughout North America.
   
   From September 1997 to January 2001, he was WCW, from his "173" consecutve victories - with ring veterans like Curt Hennig doing quick "jobs" early on so Goldberg's character would get a serious push with fans - his ring entrance with backstage security guards & pyrotechnics and - the biggest compliment of all - having Vice McMahon lampoon his character in 1999 with the comedic Gillberg, who stumbled, staggered and quickly lost matches on WWF shows.
   
   Published in November 2000, this is an autobiography of an improbable meteoric rise in pro wrestling after a severe injury ended a journeyman-like career in the NFL and - perhaps most importantly of all - using the celebrity status to assist a variety of charitable causes.
   
   But there were critics - some inside the ring - who felt Goldberg was not experienced enough for the main-event status; that he was attempting moves that put his opponents at risk. On December 19, 1999, he legitimately injured Bret Hart - concussion, torn neck muscle - with a kick to the head.
   
   And as in wrestling, timing is everything when it comes to publishing a book. It was released before Goldberg's very unsatisfying one-year run with WWE, his life after pro wrestling and the rumors that continue to circulate on his return to the squared-circle.
   
   Though it ultimately is an incomplete picture of Goldberg, I'm Next remains a great read since it is as much a story of American pop culture as it is on one of pro wrestling's real good guys - inside and outside the ring.



3. Former NFL/CFL/NFL E D-Lineman Bill
   Goldberg is as colourful in these
   pages as his name was dull as a muscle-
   headed D-Lineman in Pro Football. Tell
   me this guy didn't get pumped up on ster-
   oids after being a 257-lb mouse of a too
   small Def. Tackle/NG in Pro Football, and
   I'll call you a liar to your face. Gold-
   berg's main problem in here is his stupid
   'persecution' complex that he lays out
   every three pages. Gee Bill, if you hadn't
   got drunk so much, et, al, and worked our
   more WHEN YOU WERE in the NFL, maybe I could
   like you more now that you are doing cool
   muscle car shows and involved in the phoney
   wrestling scam-business. Goldberg's stupid
   remarks about the very good CFL and about
   RE-breaking Joe Thiesmann's leg are not go-
   ing win him many friends and influence too
   many people, jewish or otherwise. Neither
   is his alledged acting 'career'. Naw, I'll
   take the Rock as the former wrestler that
   made good in life beyond the gridiron. Sorry
   Bill...



4. If you are a fan of Bill Goldberg, more than a wrestling fan, read this book. You will probably enjoy his biography. However, if you are a wrestling fan, more than a Bill Goldberg fan, you may not want to bother with this one. You can get a (used) copy from Amazon for less than $2.00. Doesn't that say a lot?



5. In the book I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero, Bill Goldberg gives us a very honest look into his life. This book was co-written by Goldberg's older brother, Steve Goldberg. Divided into three sections, I'm Next does a great job of giving the reader wonderful insight into how this young boy grew up to be a wrestling superstar.
   The first part of this book is about Goldberg, the wrestler. Being a WWE fan, this was the part of his life I was most familiar with. But, Bill Goldberg does a great job of taking the average wrestling fan on a journey behind the scenes to let us know what really goes on in and out of the ring. Wresting, it seems, is much more of a business, at times, than it is a sport.
   The next part of the book includes one chapter written entirely by Steve Goldberg, and another chapter written by their father, Jed. Bill's family members give us insight into their private lives so that we can share in the closeness that they have enjoyed. The Goldberg men have always been extremely supportive of one another. This section includes the pre-wrestling days: birth through college. The Goldberg's were a rich family but despite this, life wasn't perfect. His parents divorced when Bill was young, and this created problems for him throughout his life. Bill was spoiled and was used to getting his own way. It was clear by reading the book that Bill Goldberg's one goal while growing up was to play NFL football. This dream did eventually come true but only lasted a short time. He suffered many injuries, which brought his football career to an end. It was while Bill was trying to recuperate from his football injuries that he worked out in the same gym with many WCW superstars. Since his dream of football was over, they convinced him to give professional wrestling a shot.
   In the last part of the book, Goldberg sounds bitter towards the wrestling industry as he talks about his final days in the WCW and WWE. During these final days, he became reckless and continued acting immature and spoiled. He even jeopardized his own health when he punched through a car window instead of using a prop. There was no permanent damage, but he required 196 stitches. Bill also talks about all the politics behind-the-scenes and the wrongs of the wrestling world.
   After reading this book, it is no secret that Bill Goldberg never liked the business that made him very famous and paid him a lot of money. It is clear that he holds a lot of resentment towards this wrestling industry.
   If you are a Goldberg fan, this book is worth reading. It will give you a new perspective on the man that you have only known as a wrestler. If you are not a fan, I think you should pass on this book.

5 comments about Native Dancer: The Grey Ghost: Hero of a Golden Age.

1. Until discovering this fine book, I had forgotten just how good a horse was Native Dancer. Holy smokes! This horse has to be ranked in the top handful of racehorses of all time. Like Man `o War, he was only beaten once, and that was a fluke. The "Grey Ghost" (Native Dancer) not only won repeatedly but did so in dramatic form with one incredible come-from-behind effort after another. Reading about all his exciting races was a thrill.
   
   I don't know if there are many books which describe the horse racing scene in the 1950s so this was very eye-opening for me. For instance, I can't believe that racing bigwigs (for lack of a better word) would downgrade and discourage the use of television as promoting their sport. Boy, they dropped the ball on that one, bigtime, especially since more people got to look at Native Dancer because of TV than any horse before. That includes the likes Man `War, Sir Barton, Seabiscuit, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Citation and the rest of history's great horses prior to 1953.
   
   Whatever, John Eisenburg's book gives us a wonderful stories of the Vanderbilt family, who owned the bred the horse; trainer Bill Winfrey, jockey Eric Guerin and others. Like many good horse racing books, I found the chapters on the jockeys the most interesting.
   
   I thought this book was one of the better reads I've had on this great sport. This is not an easy book to find but you can get it at a terrific price here at Amazon under the "used and new available" heading near the top of the page.



2. A good little work of history regarding the horse Native Dancer. A horse that became even more famous because of his gray coloring and the contrast that gave him on the new fangled device in the early 1950's that we call television. Despite having lost the Kentucky Derby and having a reputation of being a lazy horse toward the finish once he knew he had the victory, his record crunchy times and his later huge winning progeny definitely make him one of the better horses of the last century, some accounts placing him as high as 3rd (even without a triple crown). Good backgrounding for where America is and what is going socially and such at the time too. Only thing I would say is, maybe written at a bit of an elementary level at times.



3. Native Dancer's story is well written and reminded me of the Seabiscuit movie.
   The writer goes into the people around Dancer as much as he does the horse.
   Horse people will find enough horse fact and "normal" people will enjoy learning a little more about a fascinating species.
   As an owner of a Thoroughbred stallion, Charlie Rudolphi, who was a decendent of BOTH Polynesian AND Dark Star, we felt our Charlie was a neatly bred boy.
   One other very odd fact was we named our farm Dark Star Farm,(back in 1973),
   as I had always had an admiration for the one horse who kept a nose in front of Native Dancer...
   We acquired Charlie a decade later as a boarder then as our own horse.
   This book shed light on a great horse and the remarkable folks who knew and loved him.



4. Native Dancer was a monstrous animal with a light grey, almost white coat. He had a mind of this own and some thought that it was almost human. In his heyday, only losing one race, was at the birth of American TV so everyone knew the Dancer. Thousands loved him. He had the popularity of the Beatles but in the early 50's. This book is a must read for anyone mildly interested in horses or horse racing. I am so inspired that I am going to make a trip to see his burial sight this summer just north of Baltimore. Man. What a horse!!!!!



5. Forgive me if I forget details, as it's been a year since I read this book. Eisenberg presents pretty straight facts and so forth, as far as I know (unlike "Seabiscuit" which has a bit of embellishment in some places), but it is not very exciting reading. Thankfully, it is not as big a book as "Seabiscuit". It's so-so story-telling and seems to drag on in some ways. I got some info out of it, but that's about it. Nothing against "the Dancer" (that was one annoying thing - Eisenberg always referring to the horse as "the Dancer" as if it was cute, but it was monotonous and pretentious after 10x on 1 page, with no pronouns or actual name used), but the writing just doesn't quite thrill me.

5 comments about Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage: The Lonely Challenge.

1. This book, written by Hermann Buhl, was largely re-written by his friend and editor Kurt Maix, at least according to Reinhold Messner, author of a climber's biography of Herman Buhl. This may be so, but I think this book conveys what Hermann Buhl wanted to say- after all he approved it.
   
   While text such as "[my recollections of Nanga Parbat] are ... shining, alluring visions which sear one's heart and wipe out all memory of distress, worry, and disappointment" does not sound like his words, I think they well describe the sensation. And that is one of the key differences between this book and Messner's book, "Hermann Buhl- Climbing Without Compromise". This book conveys, as a detached writer would, the thoughts and feelings more than the exact words or technical details of Buhl's life. For those who prefer, or want additionally, to "hear" Buhl's own voice, and many more\technical details of his accomplishments, I recommend Messner's book.
   
   FYI, the 1987 Movie "The Climb" only covers Buhl's climb of Nanga Parbat, but keeps fairly close to what is described here, and even "quotes" Buhl from this book.



2. Everyone interested in Alpine and Himalayan mountain climbing knows of Herman Buhl (Messner considers him the best climber of all time). His feat of survival alone in a bivouac above 8,000 meters on Nanga Parbat is among the most remarkable achievements in the history of Himalayan Mountaineering!

   And here is the most significant area where the book comes up short -- it devotes only a short section, at the very end of the book, to this remarkable expedition. Do not be mislead by the title -- this is not a book about this expedition -- it is an autobiography of Buhl, highlighting some of his remarkable achievements in climbing in the Alps.

   My second concern about the book is related to the author's style. Of course, it is a matter of personal preference, but I find Buhl's writing as uninspired and dry, as his climbing capacities are outstanding. One simple comparison of the description of the same episode (climbing the north face of the Eiger) by Buhl as compared to that by Gaston Rebuffat (I highly recommend his book "Starlight and Storm"; they found themselves climbing the Eiger at the same time) clearly shows the much more inspired writing of the French (not to mention that Buhl does not even mention Rebuffat, a well known climber in the Alps by then, by name).

   If you are really interested in Herman Buhl, I recommend "Climbing Without Compromise", or the "Kurt Diemberger Omnibus".




3. This is without a doubt one of the two best mountaineering books. Incredible stories of close shaves and lucky escapes make it clear that the final ending on Chogolisa was bound to happen sooner or later. Only Terray's "Conquistadors of the Useless" reaches the same heights. They don't write them like this anymore ....



4. You might not find the literary style of this book to be a knockout, but, like Jerzy Kukuzka's "My Vertical World", the content will probably blow you away. Hermann fought his way past numerous obstacles on his way to the summit of Nanga and did so with impeccable style. It's a guaranteed classic.



5. I have just reread this classic in English. Hermann Buhl was the best mountaineer the earth had ever given birth to. The conqueror of Nanga Parbat and Falchen Kangi, one of two people who devirginized 2 eight-thousanders, along with Kurt Diemberger. His all ascents stand in contrast with the siege methods of the time, but the ascent of Nanga Parbat set the limit of endurance and courage, to be met decades later. His style compares to the style Mount Everest was ascended in the same way as Jerzy Kukuczka's 14-summits compare to Reinhold Messner's, respectively.

5 comments about Corner Men: The Great Boxing Trainers.

1. This is one of those books that's tough to read "just once";there are no dull spots-or characters in it.For anyone who loves reading about boxing characters,you can debate endlessly about which colorful character in this terrific book makes the most impact;teachers in any field should put this book in their required reading lists.Two of the chapters in this classic are devoted to Freddie Brown and Ray Arcel;seeing them in Roberto Duran's corner was like seeing my grandparents at my Bar Mitzvah.



2. I picked this up on a recommendation from a friend who's into boxing. That's the last time I ever ask him for advice. I found in a used bookstore on a recent visit overseas to Prague.

   While its obvious Mr. Fried has knowledge. he doesn't know how craft a project that makes you want to keep turning the page. Its just information. His book has all the depth and warmth of the back of a trading card. He must have spent months putting this book together but to what end, a boring book.

   You want good boxing books try:
   Night Train. The Sonny Liston Story. By Nick Tosches

   And

   Finnegan. Self Portrait of A Fighting Man. By Chris Finegan




3. All the chapters in this book were captivating. Ronald Fried shows that the most interesting and knowledgeable people in boxing are the trainers. The chapters on Whitey Bimstein and Charley Goldman truly give a flavor of New York when Stillman's gym was still the epicenter of boxing.



4. If you appreciate A. J. Liebling, then you'll be delighted by Fried's important book. He clearly has a great passion for his subject, and it comes through. He captures the lingo and the feel of an earlier era with precision and subtlety.



5. Forget the title! This is a "How To" book. How To Box, How To Win Fights, How To Lose Fights and, even, How To Watch Fights - but especially How To Write the Best-ever Boxing Book.

2 comments about Back From the Brink: The Autobiography.

1. As a child who grew up in an Ireland that was being taken over by the wonders of Jack Charlton's Ireland team, McGrath was always a hero of mine. There were always the little hints that all was not well off the field, but on it, he was a legend. This goes into the painful depths of what was behind this amazing footballer and makes you appreciate even more how successful he became.
   This book gives an amazingly honest insight into the life of one of the greatest Irish sportsmen.
   A must for anyone who likes to read sports autobiographies.



2. This is a riviting account of an extraordinary, complex and successful life which impacted millions. Without any undersatnding how this individual instinctivly lived a life of chasos, triumph and glory, he was a man who was adored by so many. The toast of his native Ireland, Ooh Ah Paul McGrath! an astonisging individual.
   
   Enjoy the book which bencmarks one of the great periods in Ireland's maturity as a nation and as a soccer force in the world.
   
   Aidan

2 comments about Afternoons with Mr. Hogan.

1. This isn't a golf book in the traditional sense but about someone who plays golf...really well. You won't learn any "secrets" in that you'll want to run to the course and try them. Instead you'll learn a little more about Hogan the person and not Hogan the golfer. To me Hogan comes across a somewhat shy in his personal life and as someone who doesn't know how to relate to people because of his fame. He doesn't see himself as anyone special, just someone who worked hard to be the best at something he loved. The book kind of takes Hogan off his perch when you learn he's like any other man and I think I would enjoy meeting this Hogan more than the one I previously had a mental picture of.
   
   The book is fairly short and broken down into short easy to read stories that you can read it in one sitting or a little over 2-3 days.



2. Readers of "Afternoons with Mr. Hogan" will not come away with great revelations about the game of golf, but they will find out a little more about the mysterious and very private golf legend, Ben Hogan. Written by Hogan's former "ball shagger", Jody Vasquez, "Afternoons..." is a short little book that is a one-afternoon read. Vasquez relates many stories about his days retreiving Hogan's practice shots at Shady Oaks Country Club. The reader will get a few snippets about Hogan's philosophy regarding the golf swing (including the famous Hogan "Swing Secret"), but will come away with a lot more information about Hogan the person.
   
   Well worth your time if you're a fan of the game or of Ben Hogan, "Afternoons with Mr. Hogan" is a innocuous look back at a young boy's chance encounter with one of the legends of the game and the positive impact that Hogan had on his life.