4 comments about Dempsey in Nevada.

1. An amazing book.
   I am a hugh Dempsey fan.
   I have most publications ever written about Jack Dempsey.
   This book stands out as one of the best



2. Who knew that one of the greatest sports figures of the 20th century spent so much time in sparsely populated Nevada? Longtime Nevada sportswriter Guy Clifton did a tremendous job of assembling the facts that tell the story of how and why Dempsey spent so much time in this far-west outpost. No less than boxing historian Bert Sugar and famed Muhammad Ali trainer Angelo Dundee praise Clifton for bringing out never-before-printed facts about Dempsey, and I agree with them. The author also captured facts from period newspapers and magazines that if not likely to have been lost forever, they were close to it. The best part is you don't even have to be a boxing fan to enjoy this book, which is a quick read. It's fascinating for anyone who has ever wondered, as I have, about how people really lived in the Wild West. The author is a newspaper columnist, so he's always looking for interesting nuggets to build upon, and he finds them in abundance. Many chapters are often just a few pages or more, which tells me the author made a conscious decision to not simply write page after page trying to expand the narrative when it wasn't necessary. Dempsey came to Nevada well before anyone even knew he was a boxer and came back after he had conquered the world, which is interesting in itself. The Las Vegas we know today barely existed when Dempsey arrived in Reno, Tonopah and Goldfield. After boxing made The Manassa Mauler one of the most famous people in the world, he returned to Nevada to live and promote boxing matches in Reno. It appears that Dempsey's good nature and charming demeanor had as much to do with his immense popularity as his exploits inside the ring. I learned a great deal about history, boxing history and the life of a meteoric sports superstar who came from a different time even though he lived until 1983. The great number of photos included help explain this amazing little story of Jack Dempsey's life and times in Nevada. This is a gem of a book that is definitely worth reading.



3. By John L. Smith
   Las Vegas Review-Journal
   
   One of Goldfield's claims to fame is that it was the place a young Jack Dempsey worked as a bar bouncer.
   
   Dempsey fought a handful of bouts in Nevada early in his career and returned to the Silver State to box briefly in the summer of 1931. On May 31, 1915, Dempsey fought a 10-rounder in Goldfield against Johnny Sudenberg.
   
   So, it would only make sense that the "Manassa Mauler" pocketed extra coin by breaking up fights and busting a few heads while in the employ of one of Goldfield's whiskey dens or buckets of blood.
   
   If only it were true.
   
   Alas, that's a Nevada legend involving Dempsey that doesn't rise to the count of veracity. There are plenty of others, however, that actually happened. And I've come to believe Guy Clifton has collected every one of them in his latest book, "Dempsey in Nevada." It's a technical knockout for any boxing aficionado who seeks to understand one of the fight game's historical giants.
   
   In the Golden Age of sport, newspaper headlines were filled with the names Ruth, Grange and Dempsey.
   
   But while Babe Ruth earned the outrageously high salary of $85,000 a year for the Yankees, Dempsey's share of his fight against Gene Tunney was $717,000.
   
   Take that, Alex Rodriguez and Floyd Mayweather.
   
   And Dempsey loved Nevada. He hooked up with willing women and cut ties with a couple of wives here. He was a favorite of Reno gambling kingpins Bill Graham and James McKay. He dug in mining claims for exercise and entertainment, and even spent time in his later years in Las Vegas.
   
   For Clifton, an award-winning reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal, working Dempsey's corner was as natural as a hook off a jab.
   
   Like many Nevada newspaper reporters, especially those who get their mail in Reno, Clifton had heard colorful stories about Dempsey.
   
   Clifton goes a long way to returning the legend to life and cutting through the hyperbole that followed his career. Along the way, he realized Dempsey was fond of Nevada in part because it was a place he could meet some women and part ways with others.
   
   "I was surprised that all four of his wives had a Nevada connection," Clifton says.
   
   Dempsey's first wife was a Wells prostitute. He divorced his second wife in Reno. He married his third wife in Elko, and his fourth wife signed the farewell papers in Reno.
   
   Reporters and fans followed Dempsey's one-man parade throughout his life, and Clifton draws from newspaper archives for many of his anecdotes.
   
   "The reason I ended up focusing on Dempsey in Nevada is that is really a part of his story and Nevada's history that has never been told," he says.
   
   Thanks to Clifton, the Manassa Mauler's Silver State rambling is secure for all time.
   
   Clifton's work tops my list of favorites by local authors in 2007.



4. Book as represented. Christmas present for my husband & he is enjoying the book.

2 comments about Life Is More Than 9 Innings: Memories of a Boston Red Sox Pitcher.

1. I loved this book. It is a must for every member of Red Sox Nation. I plan to give it to many who happen to be on my Christmas list. Frank Sullivan brings joy and humor to every aspect of baseball, and beyond, into life. This is a treasure.



2. Very good book and very, very funny. The stories are short and concise making the book easy to pick up and read a few stories at one's leisure. A slight warning however, the stories are so entertaining that it's hard to put the thing down. A great book for everyone, but especially for those of us that remember those wonderful baseball years.
   
   Warren Bowen
   Glendora, California

No comments about Karch Kiraly: A Tribute To Excellence.

2 comments about Jackie Stewart: Triple-Crowned King of Speed.

1. Stewart was the master, the first F-1 driver to see and explore the prospects of profits in F-1 racing and also the first to really concern about F-1 security in races. It's a shame this book is so expensive.



2. Stewart was the master, the first F-1 driver to see and explore the prospects of profits in F-1 racing and also the first to really concern about F-1 security in races. It's a shame this book is so expensive.

4 comments about Wicked Curve: The Life and Troubled Times of Grover Cleveland Alexander.

1. "Wicked Curve" is the tragic story of an all-time baseball great who would have been held -- then and now -- in greater acclaim if not for his battles with the bottle. There is no telling what Grover Cleveland Alexander could have achieved if not for a minor-league beaning, injuries and hearing loss suffered in World War I and his lifelong association with "John Barleycorn." Biographer John Skipper does a steady and straightforward job of presenting the story behind the star's glories and his descent into poverty and alcoholism. In "Wicked Curve," the reader comes to appreciate the remarkable abilities and achievements of Alexander the Athlete despite the human weaknesses of Alexander the Man. This is a good book for anyone interested in early 20th century baseball.



2. I must confess that John C. Skipper is my favorite baseball author and one of my favorite authors of any genre, so expected to enjoy this book. I anticipated a fact filled story that detailed with great skill the life of a legend, but I didn't expect to be moved to tears by the tragedy and humanness of the life of Grover Cleveland Alexander. John did an amazing job of helping the reader not only understand the life of Alexander, but also feel it. 5 Stars are not enough. I wish I could give Wicked Curve 10.



3. "Ol Pete" or Grover Cleveland Alexander lived two lives. He lived a grand life of baseball and then a depraved life of longing for baseball and drink. Some might call it sad in it's totality. Some might feel sorry for the man who at one point in America's baseball history was a "LEGEND". I see simply a man who had to deal with many of life's difficulties. Sometimes he succeeded and did so with magnificence. Sometimes he failed and did so also with devistating squalor.
   "Wicked Curve" delves into Alex's greatness as well as his demons. Though this book by John C. Skipper one gets to know one of the greatest pitchers in one of the greatest games just a little bit better.



4. I recently read John Skipper's book on Grover Cleveland Alexander. I enjoy books on early baseball legends, and I felt this book did a nice job reviewing the career of Alexander and his life after baseball. Those of us who love baseball and enjoy the history of the game have always been aware of his troubled life, but this book brought forward new and accurate information of him. I would recommend this book to all baseball fans. My only complaint is that I thought the price was a little high for what is basically an oversized paperback book. If you can get it at your local library and a reduced price copy it would be to your advantage.

No comments about Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Making a Legend of His Own.

1 comments about Gypsy Jem Mace: Being the True History of the Last Bare-Knuckle Heavyweight Champion of the World.

1. Gypsy Jem Mace: Being the True History of the Last Bare-Knuckle Heavyweight Champion of the World THIS REVIEW IS A WARNING. I BOUGHT THIS ONE, BECAUSE I TEND TO BUY EVERY BOXING BOOK ESPECIALY WITH A SUBJECT LIKE THIS, BUT I WAS FOOLED BY THE TITLE. THE LESS SAID ,THE BETTER, BUT THIS BOOK ISN'T ABOUT JEM MACE AND WHAT IS WRITTEN ABOUT HIM ISN'T CORRECT EITHER. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MACE READ - MASTER OF THE RING- BY GRAHAM GORDON.

5 comments about Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride: A Memoir About Men and Motorcycles.

1. A great book in the genre of the open road as the author takes his Harley from New Mexico to Alaska



2. If you're looking for this book, it has been newly reprinted (word for word) under the title, _Zero to Sixty: The Motorcycle Journey of a Lifetime_.
   I love many of Gary Paulsen's books. I've heard Gary discuss his books at a bookstore appearance; Gary appears to be a very genuine, intelligent, and caring man and author.
   BUT, this book seems to have been cobbled together to meet a contractual obligation. Not only is the book short, but the print line spacing is expanded to "fluff" the text. Typical books have 28 to 32 lines of text per page; this book has 24. The title doesn't even match: the journey isn't a "pilgrimage," since the length of trip is more important than the destination. While the book is in part about Gary Paulsen's relationship with motorcycles and journeys, it isn't about "men and motorcycles." There's some glorification of how a Harley, different from any other motorcycle, "brought me out of myself, out ahead of myself, into myself, into the core of what I was, what I needed to live," but no thought about WHY the Harley brand does this for Gary -- or why other motorcyclists feel that other brands fit THEIR soul. (See _The Perfect Vehicle: What It is about Motorcycles_ for Melissa Holbrook Pierson's take on her relationship with her Moto Guzzi.)
   _Pilgrimage_ contains some interesting insights into Gary Paulsen's life, and has some beautifully written passages: but that's what you might expect in a long magazine interview.
   The profanity is inappropriate and very stilted. Further, the profanity suddenly and almost totally stops halfway through the book at the start of chapter five -- almost as if an editor said, "Gary, you've got to throw some profanity into the first half of the book. After all, it is a 'Harley book.'" Who knows -- maybe the same editor later said, "hey, let's put out the same book under a different title and not tell anyone."
   Borrow this book if you must read it -- it's a very quick read. But DON'T give up on Gary Paulsen if this is your first book of his -- he's an excellent writer -- just not here -- and perhaps not in his other directly autobiographical books.



3. A very fast read, a few hours for a slow reader. If you are looking for an inspiring book to get you out on the road in your fifties it might do it for you. Mostly he talks of his life before this ride he takes with a friend to Alaska during a month long trip. About the only thing memorable about his trip was rain and more rain and the lousy road condition on the Alaska highway. A bunch of poor stories about growing up and about the times he did the Alaskan Ididrod with team of dogs and a sled. He should have written a story about that he seemed more knowledgeable. Not really a profound writer with deep articulated insight. Blue collar over 60 harley riders might like and relate. It was just ok.



4. Gary Paulsen is admittedly patently insane, but that shouldn't stop you from reading this book. Alcoholic parents turned him homeless at age 14, so he eked out a bare existence doing any thing that paid, from fence posting to tarring roofs and digging septic systems, cutting trees in snow, picking crops with migrants, etc.
   You might ask, why do you care about this guy's life? Because while the book's title suggests a road journey, the subtitle suggests otherwise: "a memoir about men and motorcycles." But this book is not about either; there is only one bike involved and one guy's story. Since I don't believe in false advertising, I would change that subtitle to "a memoir about myself." And this is what we get. We get an award-winning book author who makes no compromises with his life, who clocked up 10,000 miles on the Alaskan Highway astride his Harley the moment he laid $19K on her and just weeks after doctors told him he had heart disease. And that's nothing compared to the 20,000 miles he claims he's done as a real sled-dog musher and Iditarod finisher.
   Paulsen's writing style is direct, in-your-face, colloquial. This explains why his books are big sellers in the "young adult" market. He's never eloquent, but then you don't have to be when you can write something like this: "To seek. Not to find, not to end but to always seek a beginning."
   Paulsen is like so many riders out there scribbling on the slab: a pilgrimage is not about traveling to any holy place since the holy place is found in the traveling itself.
   At only 179 pages, Steel Ride is a fast read and despite the journey to Alaska, the book doesn't exactly inspire trekking there because we hardly get out of Paulsen's own head trip. For every mile we go forward we get two miles back into his personal history. But it's a fascinating history and a kind of life better heard than lived.
   He pleads with the reader about hurrying up to Alaska by any means possible "before it's too late, before the jaws of life clamp down on your neck." Now there's some good advice.



5. This book is nothing but a rant with a great deal of lewd, foul language and situations. It includes items from the authors life, such as stories about high stakes poker games, barely-stand-up-drunkeness, more foul language, and more sexual situations and fantasies. Not the book I intended to read by the cover and search criteria. I had hoped to find a book that would express in words what it is like to RIDE a motorcycle. Not to the store. Not on a good weekend with perfect weather. But a book about the open road and how a mtorocycle moves a person to peace and change in their lives. I do not know if I will be able to finish it due to the language and situations it describes. NOT A BOOK TO SHARE WITH SOMEONE INTERESTED IN "THE QUEST" or a kid.

4 comments about He Loved the Dog: The Bill Tarrant Story.

1. As soon as I finished reading this book, I couldn't wait to review it. Very seldom do I get hornswaggled by a book, especially a dog book or a biography. This, it turns out is neither.
   
   I have read a couple of Bill Tarrant's books about hunting stories and training dogs and really liked them. I believe you will get a better picture of Bill Tarrant and his philosophies by reading his books.
   
   In this book, Mike Gould applies the "Earthier than Thou" writing style common among hunting and hunting dog enthusiasts of the more modern persuasion. I can overlook this if the content is usable. In this case, I did not think the content was of as much value as it could have been.
   
   I was engrossed with the first part of the book that mentioned some of the high and low points of Bill's life from a perspective I had not heard: Bill's political career, his time as a boxer in the USMC, his success with training dogs in the painful and traditional methods and his eventual decision to stop playing that game, etc. BTW: I subscribe to Bill's (and Mike's) dog training methods that use the dog's natural inclination to hunt, please, and have fun.
   
   But this book is none of that. It devolves into a long winded theology from a Native American shaman, curiously mixed with sprinklings of some kind of Christianity. I still have no idea where the last chapter came from. It was completely lost on me. I kept reading, waiting for the punch line, but when I got to the last page, I felt like I had wasted the previous two hours. Something in my head told me to stop, but I gave Mike the benefit of the doubt. I wondered if Mike had lost his mind and simply could not figure out how to end the book.
   
   I can recommend the book if you are really interested in Native American philosophy and lore. The folks I know that subscribe to that sort of thing seem to never be able to get enough of it. After reading this book, I have had enough for a life time. If you are more interested in Bill Tarrant or dogs, read Bill's books.



2. I just finished this book, and I was disapointed. The subtitle "The Bill Tarrant Story" should be more like "inspired by Bill Tarrant". The book contains very little about Bill, the story of his death, a couple of stories about judging dog trials is all. The rest is a bunch of narrative about Mike Gould's philosophy about dogs and Native Americans. Nice enough I guess, but I expected something more like a biography.



3. What a wonderful tribute to a great human being and one of dog's best friends. Whether you've heard of Bill Tarrant or not, if you are a lover of dogs you will enjoy this book. I've read all of Mike's books. This book, like the other's was a joy to read. I really enjoy Mike's style of writing. The book not only provides a sense of who Bill Tarrant was, it provides many inspirational stories and messages. The last chapter is incredible!



4. This book is an inspiring story about a champion for truth, one of those rare heros who stands for what he believes no matter the cost. It is a powerful story, but also a very important story, told by a master storyteller, a painter of vivid word pictures.
   It is not just about "the best friend the dog world will ever know", it's about who we are, what we've become, how our pursuit for power, control and dominance threatens our humanity. To learn all that "from a dog" is quite humbling.
   Perhaps there is more to the tale that God created the sky, the moon, and the stars; He made the earth, the water, and the brimstone, but He didn't make the dog, because He already had one. After you read it, find a quiet place to think about it.

No comments about Haskins: The Bear Facts.