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Positively False
By Floyd Landis, Loren Mooney. 2007
THE SERIES OF EVENTS surrounding Floyd Landis's 2006 Tour de France was as improbable as anything in the history of…
sports: He showed up nine seconds late for the race's opening prologue, donned the leader's yellow jersey twelve days later, and lost his lead only to regain it in remarkable fashion just before the Tour's final stage into Paris. Winning the Tour should have been the culmination of a life's dream, but a mere three days later, Landis was accused of using banned performance-enhancing drugs. Released by his team and threatened with the removal of his Tour title, Landis went from winning the most prestigious race of his career to being unfairly labeled as a cheater, a liar, and a doper. Positively Falseis at once a memoir and a powerful indictment of the unchecked governing bodies of cycling that have compromised theintegrity of the sport as a whole. From leaving the Mennonite community of his youth in order to pursue his passion for cycling, to riding alongside Lance Armstrong for three years -- with whom he shared the same work ethic and competitive desire -- Floyd Landis details the highs and lows of his career with unabashed honesty. It is this same honesty with which he will clear his name once and for all, as he lays bare the inner workings of the cycling world -- a place where athletes are subject to the antiquated science, flawed interpretive protocols, and draconian legal processes of the anti-doping agencies -- and finally lays to rest the scandal that threatened to destroy everything he's worked so hard to achieve. . . .The Breakaway
By Nicole Cooke. 2014
A retirement statement from a sports star rarely causes a flicker, but Nicole Cooke went out as she rode her…
bike: giving it her all. The contrast could not have been greater - as Lance Armstrong, a fraudster backed by many corporate sponsors and feted by presidents, was about to deliver a stage-managed confession to Oprah, so a young woman from a small village in Wales took aim. She too had been a cyclist, the only rider ever to have become World and Olympic champion in the same year, and the first British cyclist to have been ranked World No.1, but as a woman in a man's sport, her exploits gained little recognition and brought no riches. She too had ridden through this dark period for the sport when drug-taking was everywhere. Nicole Cooke spoke up for those who had taken a very different path to Lance and his team-mates. In her frank and outspoken autobiography, Cooke reveals the real story behind British cycling's rise to global dominance. With a child's dreams of success, she left home at 18 to pursue her goals in Italy. Broken contracts, unpaid wages, a horrendous injury and drugs cheats were just some of the challenges she faced, even before she lined up to take on her opponents. The Breakaway is a book that will not only inspire all those who read it, but which also asks some serious questions about the way society regards women's sport.Lawrence Grassi
By Gabriele Scardellato, Elio Costa. 2015
Lawrence Grassi was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. A working-class man of humble Italian origins who worked…
as a labourer and a coal miner for most of his life, Grassi had a deep passion for the Rocky Mountains. He was famous in the region for his commitment as a guide, a mountain climber, and a builder of greatly admired hiking trails. Today, in or near Canmore, his name graces a mountain, two lakes, and a school, and he is commemorated at Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park.In Lawrence Grassi: From Piedmont to the Rocky Mountains, Elio Costa and Gabriele Scardellato uncover the deeply private man behind this legend, from his birth in the small Italian village of Falmenta to his long and inspirational career in Canada. Using previously unexamined family letters and extensive information on Grassi's cohort of Italian immigrants, the authors reconstruct his personal and professional life, correcting myths and connecting his story to the long history of Italian immigration to Canada. The definitive biography of this Canadian mountain hero, Lawrence Grassi will be essential reading for those interested in the history of immigration, sport, and the Rocky Mountains.Moon Spotlight Newfoundland and Labrador
By Andrew Hempstead. 2015
This full-color guide includes vibrant photos and easy-to-use maps.Moon Spotlight Newfoundland & Labrador is an 80-page compact guide covering the…
best of Newfoundland and Labrador, including the Avalon Peninsula, Labrador Straits, Gros Morne National Park, and the Northern Peninsula. Travel writer and Canada resident Andrew Hempstead offers seasoned advice on must-see attractions, and includes maps with sightseeing highlights so you can make the most of your time. This lightweight guide is packed with recommendations on sights, entertainment, shopping, recreation, accommodations, food, and transportation, as well as easy-to-read maps, making navigating these unforgettable locations uncomplicated and enjoyable.Duel for the Crown
By David Rosner, Linda Carroll. 2014
From the moment they first galloped head-to-head in Saratoga Springs, the two chestnut colts showed they were the stuff of…
racing legend. Alydar, all muscle with a fearsome closing kick, was already the popular favorite to win the Kentucky Derby. Affirmed, deceptively laid-back streamlined elegance, was powered forward by his steely determination not to settle for second place. In the Sport of Kings, the Triple Crown is the most valued prize, requiring a horse to win not just one race, but three: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. And 1978 would not be just for the record books, but also one of the greatest dramas ever played out in the racing world. There were names to conjure with, worthy of the Sport of Kings. The bloodline of Native Dancer. The teen wonderboy jockey Steve Cauthen. The once unbeatable Calumet Farm--the Damn Yankees of the racing world--now in eclipse and hoping for a comeback. The newcomer Harbor View Farm--owned by brash financier Louis Wolfson, who wouldn't let even a conviction and a prison sentence for securities violations stand in the way of his dreams of glory. And the racetracks themselves: Belmont, Saratoga, Pimlico. And, of course, Churchill Downs. It has been thirty-five years since Affirmed and Alydar fought for the Triple Crown, thirty-five years when no other horse has won it. Duel for the Crown brings this epic battle to life. Not just two magnificent Thoroughbreds but the colorful human personalities surrounding them, caught up in an ever-intensifying battle of will and wits that lasted until the photo finish of the final Triple Crown race . . . and Alydar and Affirmed leaped into the history books.George IV
By E. A. Smith. 1999
This engrossing biography of George IV, king of England from 1820 to 1830, gives a full and objective reassessment of…
the monarch's character, reputation, and achievement. Previous writers have tended to accept the unfavorable verdicts of the king's contemporaries that he was a dissolute, pleasure-loving dilettante and a feeble and ineffective ruler who was responsible for the decline of the power and reputation of the monarchy in the early nineteenth century. Now E.A. Smith offers a new view of George IV, one that does not minimize the king's faults but focuses on the positive qualities of his achievement in politics and in the patronage of the arts.Smith explores the roots of the king's character and personality, stressing the importance of his relationship with his parents and twelve surviving siblings. He examines the king's important contributions to the cultural enhancement of his capital and his encouragement of the major artistic, literary, and scholarly figures of his time. He reassesses the king's role as constitutional monarch, contending that it was he, rather than Victoria and Albert, who created the constitutional monarchy of nineteenth-century Britain and began the revival of its popularity. Smith's biography not only illuminates the character of one of the most colorful of Britain's rulers but also contributes to the history of the British monarchy and its role in the nation's life.My Sporting Heroes
By Jason Mohammad. 2015
First-hand account from the heart of Welsh sporting action. One of the country's most recognized sport presenters - Jason has…
rubbed shoulders with the greats: from Brazilian footballers Zico, Ronaldinho and Juninho; to rugby giants Graham Henry, Lawrence Dallaglio and Martin Johnson; and even filmstar Al Pacino. In My Sporting Heroes Jason chooses his favourite Welsh sporting stars - including his boyhood hero, the former Wales manager Mark Hughes, Ryan Giggs, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Welsh rugby stars Sam Warburton and Ieuan Evans, boxer Joe Calzaghe and swimmer David Davies - and gives us a personal and intimate view of each of these different characters as well as of life as a TV presenter.52 Best Day Trips from Vancouver
By Jack Christie. 2011
Jack Christie has been sharing his enthusiasm for the outdoors since the 1980s. Through his popular guidebooks and media appearances,…
he has helped countless Vancouverites and visitors alike appreciate the renowned natural beauty and diverse recreational opportunities of the Pacific Northwest. From the first time he combed through his files and pulled together his favourite day trips from Vancouver into a single book, a success story was born. Now revised and updated, 52 Best Day Trips will enrich the west coast experience for many new adventurers. The best views, the best biking, the best beaches, the best outings for kids--they're all here, described in the clear, upbeat, observant prose that is Jack's trademark.Whether you're up for a trek with the dog, in search of a quiet picnic spot with a great view or looking for a place that will impress out-of-town visitors, Jack's 52 Best Day Trips will point you in the right direction. From Delta to Whistler, the North Shore to the Fraser Valley, detailed directions and custom maps help you find your way and enjoy the sights en route. Driving distance, time to allow and activities available once you reach your destination are highlighted for each area.Jim Thorpe
By Robert Lipsyte, John Hite. 1993
A biography of the American Indian known as one of the best all-round athletes in history for his accomplishments as…
an Olympic medal winner and as an outstanding professional football and baseball player.The Boys of Everest
By Clint Willis. 2006
The Boys of Everest, which received enormous praise when published in hardback, tells the story of a band of climbers…
who reinvented mountaineering during the three decades after Everest's first ascent. It is a story of tremendous courage, astonishing acheivement and heartbreaking loss. Their leader was the boyish, fanatically driven Chris Bonington. His inner circle - they came to be known as Bonington's Boys - included a dozen who became climbing's greatest generation. Bonington's Boys gave birth to a new brand of climbing. They took increasingly terrible risks on now-legendary expeditions to the world's most fearsome peaks. And they paid an enormous price for their acheivements. Most of Bonington's boys died in the mountains, leaving behind the hardest question of all: was it worth it? The Boys of Everest, based on interviews with surviving climbers and other individuals as well as five decades of journals, expedition accounts, and letters, provides the closest thing to an answer that we'll ever have. It offers riveting descriptions of what The Boys of Everest found in the mountains - as well as an understanding of what they lost there.The Cambridge Companion to Thomas More
By George M. Logan. 2011
This Companion offers a comprehensive introduction to the life and work of a major figure of the modern world. Combining…
breadth of coverage with depth, the book opens with essays on More's family, early life and education, his literary humanism, virtuoso rhetoric, illustrious public career and ferocious opposition to emergent Protestantism, and his fall from power, incarceration, trial and execution. These chapters are followed by in-depth studies of five of More's major works - Utopia, The History of King Richard the Third, A Dialogue Concerning Heresies, A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation and De Tristitia Christi - and a final essay on the varied responses to the man and his writings in his own and subsequent centuries. The volume provides an accessible overview of this fascinating figure to students and other interested readers, whilst also presenting, and in many areas extending, the most important modern scholarship on him.The Flying Pineapple
By Jamie Baulch. 2011
With his blonde dreadlocks and his speed on the running track, Jamie Baulch earned the nickname 'The Flying Pineapple'. This…
is Jamie's story about his life as one of the most decorated British athletes. He puts his success down to his adopted parents who inspired him to be the best he could be. His sporting potential was quickly spotted from an early age by his teacher, Mr Atkins. Jamie's story is about the fun he had competing in school and around the world. His life on the track was always about how fast he could run. When he retired in 2005, he was determined not to slow down. He is now head of a sports management company and continues to inspire a new generation of sportsmen and women.Eleven Rings
By Phil Jackson. 2013
During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships…
than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed. This is the story of a preacher’s kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of professional sports on its head. In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he: Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting them to trust one another and perform in sync Inspired Dennis Rodman and other “uncoachable” personalities to devote themselves to something larger than themselves Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature leader of a championship team. Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship—six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others. .Lombardi, An Illustrated Life: An Illustrated Life
By Chris Havel. 2011
“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have. ” -Vince Lombardi The son of…
an immigrant Italian butcher, Vince Lombardi rose from the humblest of beginnings to become the most famous coach in the history of the National Football League. A one-of-a-kind book, Lombardi—An Illustrated Life tells the compelling story of the man whose philosophy on coaching and life transcended the sport he made famous. Featuring removable reproductions of items handpicked from the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, this extraordinary book offers a hands-on encounter with the celebrated coach who won five world championships with the Green Bay Packers, including the first two Super Bowls. Beautifully presented in a slip-case, the hardcover book is a must-have not only for legions of Packer fans, but for all football fans. The book also features a moving Foreword by Bart Starr, the legendary Hall of Fame quarterback and on-the-field leader of the great Packer teams of the 1960s. Removable reproductions include: •Seven pages of Lombardi handwritten plays •A congratulatory telegram from President John F. Kennedy •Championship tickets from the “Ice Bowl,” Super Bowl I and II •A personal letter from President Eisenhower •Lombardi handwritten note on personal stationary •A Lombardi-autographed program cover •The 1959 Green Bay Packers Christmas card •A 1960s World Champion Green Bay Packer sticker •And more!The Whistler Book
By Jack Christie. 2009
This concise, thorough, and easy-to-use guide gives readers all the information they need to enjoy the Whistler area's incredible range…
of year-round recreational opportunities. It features detailed descriptions of camping, hiking, paddling, and other summer activities, along with winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. Detailed trail maps are provided for each location. Destination highlights, informative sidebars, and author Jack Christie's insider tips on his favorite spots are provided throughout.Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years
By John Guy. 2016
A groundbreaking reconsideration of our favorite Tudor queen, Elizabeth is an intimate and surprising biography that shows her at the…
height of her power by the bestselling, Whitbread Award-winning author of Queen of Scots. Elizabeth was crowned at twenty-five after a tempestuous childhood as a bastard and an outcast, but it was only when she reached fifty and all hopes of a royal marriage were dashed that she began to wield real power in her own right. For twenty-five years she had struggled to assert her authority over advisers who pressed her to marry and settle the succession; now, she was determined not only to reign but also to rule. In this magisterial biography of England's most ambitious Tudor queen, John Guy introduces us to a woman who is refreshingly unfamiliar: at once powerful and vulnerable, willful and afraid. In these essential and misunderstood forgotten years, Elizabeth confronts challenges at home and abroad: war against the Catholic powers of France and Spain, revolt in Ireland, an economic crisis that triggered riots in the streets of London, and a conspiracy to place her cousin Mary Queen of Scots on her throne. For a while she was smitten by a much younger man, but could she allow herself to act on that passion and still keep her throne? For the better part of a decade John Guy mined long-overlooked archives, scouring court documents and handwritten letters to sweep away myths and rumors. This prodigious historical detective work has made it possible to reveal for the first time the woman behind the polished veneer: wracked by insecurity, often too anxious to sleep alone, voicing her own distinctive and surprisingly resonant concerns. Guy writes like a dream, and this combination of groundbreaking research and propulsive narrative puts him in a class of his own.From the Hardcover edition.Long Beach Wild
By Adrienne Mason. 2012
Each year, more than a million people visit the spectacular sweep of sand that stretches along Vancouver Island's west coast…
between Tofino and Ucluelet to watch waves crash ashore on a series of beaches-essentially one long beach separated by small rocky headlands, a shoreline steps away from howling wolves and towering red cedars.In Long Beach Wild: A Celebration of People and Place on Canada's Rugged Western Shore, local resident Adrienne Mason uses her intimate knowledge of the area and a selection of historic and contemporary photos to explore the region's rich natural and cultural history.Mason shows how Long Beach was shaped by many forces, including volcanoes, glaciers, and torrents of water. She describes how the deposits of gravel and silt that this tumult left behind allowed offshore kelp beds and sea otters to thrive and supported the growth of countless other organisms, from lichens and ferns to waterfowl and deer.She also describes how First Nations people found inspiration and sustenance in the area for thousands of years, hunting whales on the open ocean using harpoons with mussel-shell blades and great lengths of cedar bark rope.As well as describing the traditions of the area's First Nations, MasonRings: On the Life and Family of a Southern Fighter
By Randy Bates. 1992
In this momentous debut, Randy Bates finds in the daily lives of one American family the pathos and drama we…
usually associate with the finest fiction. Rings is strict, however, in presenting only actual people and incidents. The book takes as its protagonist Collis Phillips, a black man who, one generation away from slavery managed to turn a youth of caddying:, shoe shining, and running bootlegged whiskey into a career as a successful boxer in New Orleans during the days of Jim Crow. But by the time Randy Bates, a young white man, first met him in 1979 Collis Phillips was facing more difficult obstacles. Shot and seriously injured by one of his daughters while at the top of his game as a trainer, Phillips had endured the suicide of one son and the long-term incarceration of two others in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, one of the most dangerous maximum security prisons in the country.Over the next ten years Randy Bates followed Collis Phillips, his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren, not only as a biographer but as a friend. After his first-hand experience of boxing in the gym Bates watched the Phillipses triumph in the ring; later, he sat at the trials of two generations of Phillips men and attended the funerals of others. He saw at close range the acute rigors of poverty, racism, and neglect; and he witnessed, too the strength and resilience of a family that has suffered and survived.Like James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Rings finds the heart of American heroism in people who have had little chance to stake their claim to the American dream. With a historian's eye for detail and a poet's graceful style, Randy Bates has written a shattering, multigenerational saga of urban American life.This revised edition of Rings includes an Afterword written by the author in 2013.This book is not a tour but a journey; its end as uncertain as its departure, its passage supremely moving and revealing ...RINGS is a book of quixotic fidelity. It has a quixotic wackiness, as well. But as in [Cervantes'] book that the adjective comes from, it is wackiness in the service of revelation.-Richard Eder, The Los Angeles Times BOOK REVIEWA powerful, moving chronicle of triumph over despair-Publishers Weekly(starred review)This is more than a boxing book. It is a well-crafted narrative about American ghetto life and the impact of racism on the lives of many black Americans .... Highly recommended-Library Journal(starred review)Gone Pro: Alabama
By Steve Millburg. 2013
Have you ever struggled to recall what happened to your favorite college athlete? Now you don't have to wonder. Gone…
Pro: Alabama is a collection of biographies of Crimson Tide athletes who went on to professional careers or Olympics success. Refresh your memory about their glory days at Alabama and find out what happened to them afterward, personally as well as professionally.Readers will recognize some of their favorite athletes while learning about others who were heroes in their own generations. Gone Pro: Alabama touches on multiple sports throughout the history of Tennessee. Relive heart-warming stories of triumph and, occasionally, heartbreaking tales of tragedy.With Alabama's most recent football championship, the question must be asked: how does Nick Saban compare to Bear Bryant. Author Steve Millburg answers that question and more in this updated edition.This one-of-a-kind volume allows fans to discover the best of the best in each sport. Older fans can introduce their grandchildren to the heroes of yesterday, and youngsters can give older fans a nostalgic treat. Any fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide will want this book.The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World
By Cornel West, Dave Zirin, John Wesley Carlos. 2011
Seen around the world, John Carlos and Tommie Smith's Black Power salute on the 1968 Olympic podium sparked controversy and…
career fallout. Yet their show of defiance remains one of the most iconic images of Olympic history and the Black Power movement. Here is the remarkable story of one of the men behind the salute, lifelong activist John Carlos.John Carlos is a former track and field athlete and professional football player, and a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights. He won the bronze medal in the 200-meter race at the 1968 Olympics, where his Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy.Dave Zirin is the author of four books, including Bad Sports: How Owners are Ruining the Games We Love, A Peoples' History of Sports in the United States, and What's My Name, Fool?