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Undisputed: A Champion's Life
By Donovan Bailey. 2023
A memoir of Olympic glory, the value of mentorship and the courage to champion your own excellence, from the long-reigning…
world's fastest man, Canadian sprinting legend Donovan Bailey.From the lush fields of his boyhood in Jamaica, to the basketball courts of Oakville, where he came of age in one of Canada’s most thriving cultural mosaics, to his sprint toward double Olympic gold for Canada in Atlanta in 1996, Donovan Bailey got a long way on natural talent. But he also learned that in the bureaucratic world of Canadian sports, an athlete who didn't come up in the system needed to take charge of his fate if he was going to become the world’s best. As he ascended from outsider to dominant athlete, others didn’t always understand the rigour at work behind Bailey’s confident demeanour. He’d learned from watching Muhammad Ali that a champion needed to act like a champion. But media grew fixated on the sprinter’s immodesty, the likes of which they never saw from Canadian athletes, especially track athletes in the wake of the Ben Johnson doping scandal at Seoul in 1988. Bailey was having none of it, and when he called out Canada's subtle racism and contradicted the prevailing idea most Canadians had of their country, he left in his wake a media uproar and cracked wide open the nation’s moral complacency. In addition to his unforgettable 100-metre and 4x100 relay gold-medal sprints in Atlanta, Bailey's track career was a litany of records and rare accomplishments, including his audacious 1997 race in Toronto's SkyDome against American 200-metre Olympic champion Michael Johnson to determine who was really the world’s fastest man. There was no disputing the result. Bailey had been coached in success before he was seriously coached in athletics. Following the lead of his father, a machinist-turned-real estate investor, Bailey became a millionaire by the age of 21, an experience he continues to draw on as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Frank about his dominance on the track and unapologetic for expecting as much of those around him as he expects of himself, Undisputed is an athlete's story that refuses to settle for second best.Thirty-one essays recount experiences and interactions with nature. Written by a variety of enthusiasts, the pieces depict outdoor and ecological…
activities. Mountain climbing, hunting, fishing, and systematically removing plastic bags from the tops of trees in New York City are a few of the topics presented. Some strong languageVeteran National Public Radio correspondent Anne Garrels, embedded with the U.S. military forces in Baghdad, chronicles her observations before and…
during the 2003 second Gulf War. Includes e-mails that her husband, Vint Lawrence, sent while she was gone and describes hardships endured by her Iraqi driver, Amer.Veterans recall experiences of battle from World War I to the war in Iraq. Soldiers' letters, diaries, memoirs, and oral…
histories provide personal accounts of D-Day, the Tet offensive, heroic actions, and sinking ships. Includes an interview with Senator John McCain about his captivity in Vietnam. 2005Sinister touches: the secret war against Hitler
By Robert Goldston. 1982
A dramatic account of the daring covert operations carried out by scientists, private citizens, professors, and assassins who risked their…
lives for an allied victory. This compelling and well-documented report penetrates the veils of secrecy that have shrouded some of the most important activities of World War II. For junior and senior high and adult readersThe dangerous summer
By Ernest Hemingway. 1985
Chronicles the main events of the 1959 bullfighting season in Spain and the rivalry between two brothers-in-law, each at the…
peak of his career. The novelist befriended the younger man, Antonio Ordonez, and this account favors him over Luis Miguel Dominguin, who was trying to reestablish his supremacy after a period of retirementThe secret that exploded
By Howard Morland. 1981
The author tells the true story of his investigation of the nuclear weapons industry, the inner workings of the H-bomb,…
and the U.S. government's unsuccessful attempt to suppress his discoveries. Morland, a former Air Force pilot, is devoutly anti-nuclear and very forthright about his positionThis collection of baseball literature includes a wide assortment of selections from authors, journalists, and athletes. Writers include Russell Baker,…
Zane Grey, Pat Jordan, Garrison Keillor, John Lardner, Ted Williams, and William ShakespeareThe Baseball Hall of Fame fiftieth anniversary book
By Gerald Astor. 1988
Covers the game from its invention to the expansion era of the 1960s, presenting a concise history of the game…
of professional baseball. Also included are essays on nine great baseball players by some of the sport's top writersJoe Louis: 50 years an American hero
By Joe Barrow. 1988
This biography of heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, written by his son, is filled with the recollections of those who…
knew the fighter best--family members, childhood friends, ex-wives, trainers, opponents, and sportswriters. Louis won the adulation of fellow blacks and earned the respect of many whites during an era when racism was a part of American lifeLooking the tiger in the eye: confronting the nuclear threat
By Carl Feldbaum. 1988
The authors emphasize the important roles of individual scientists, politicians, and military officials in the nuclear arms race. They trace…
the history of nuclear weapons as a series of deliberate decisions.... They explain the circumstances of these decisions through extensive quotation and paraphrasing of historical documents and memoirs. For high school and older readersThe fit swimmer: 120 workouts & training tips
By Marianne Brems. 1984
Offers a plan for workouts that will give swimmers a change from their normal routine, make them faster swimmers, and…
challenge them to work harder. Each workout describes the stroke to be used, the distance to be covered, and the time in which it should be accomplishedThe first book of baseball
By Martin Appel. 1988
A concise, factual account of baseball presented with wit and humor. The book is filled with the history, records, rules,…
and some of the highlights of this American pastime. For grades 5-8 and older readersPassing shots: Pam Shriver on tour
By Pam Shriver. 1987
In this light, readable book, one of the top ten women's tennis players presents a diary of the year 1985…
filled with candid comments about the game, her fellow players, and a crisis in her own careerThe Kansas City Monarchs: champions of Black baseball
By Janet Bruce. 1985
The development of "the great American pastime" as it related to the African-American population, and one team's place in that…
history. Young black men dreamed of playing for the Kansas City Monarchs or one of the other fifteen black teams in the "majors." From the Civil War until Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson in 1945, baseball was a segregated sport, and the Monarchs were the premier black teamEach article in this anthology is by a professional writer, although not all are sports writers. For instance, humorist Dave…
Barry analyzes pro basketball with his barroom companions, while poet Sydney Lea relates happy hours spent hunting grouse. The emphasis is on star players, such as Roger Maris and Brett Hull, even though some stories depict activities such as bird-watching or attending a rodeo. Strong language and violenceThe compleat angler
By Izaak Walton. 1988
First published in 1653, this famous discourse on the fine points of fishing is also an essay on the virtues…
of rural solitude and contemplation. In the dialog between Piscator (fisherman) and Venator (hunter), praise is given to companionship, song, and other simple pleasures of lifeGretzky: an autobiography
By Wayne Gretzky. 1990
The "Great One" chronicles his first three decades, with the help of a Sports Illustrated writer. The Canadian hockey player…
learned to skate on a backyard rink at two and went on to a career capped by numerous awards, including the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers, before he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Gretzky also discusses his youth, his family life, and his marriage to a Hollywood actressDays of grace: a memoir
By Arthur Ashe. 1993
A reserved man despite his fame, late tennis champion Arthur Ashe described the difficulty of being forced to go public…
with the announcement that he had contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion four years earlier. Even after two heart surgeries, brain surgery, and the AIDS diagnosis, Ashe considered himself a "fortunate, blessed man." He discusses these blessings-- his family, career, and beliefs. BestsellerBlazing bladers: the wild and exciting world of in-line skating
By Bill Gutman. 1992
In-line skating began in the 1980s. In-line skates consist of a single line of three to five wheels in the…
center of a boot. According to the author, in-line skating, or blading, is a versatile sport that can be adapted for roller-hockey, racing, and simulated skiing. Provides tips on getting started, safety information, and techniques. For junior and senior high readers