Showing titles in History of Sports

When Betty Robinson assumed the starting position at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, she was participating in what was only her fourth-ever organized track meet. She crossed the finish line as a gold medalist and the fastest woman in the world. This improbable athletic phenom was an ordinary high school student, discovered running for a train in rural Illinois mere months before her Olympic debut. Amsterdam made her a star.

Babe Ruth was more than baseball's original superstar. For 85 years, he has remained the sport's reigning titan. He has been named Athlete of the Century...more than once. But who was this large, loud, enigmatic man? In The Big Bam, Leigh Montville brings his trademark touch to this groundbreaking, revelatory portrait of the Babe.

The Great Match Race is a captivating account of America's first sports spectacle, a horse race that pitted North against South in three grueling heats. On a bright afternoon in May 1823, an unprecedented sixty thousand people showed up to watch two horses run the equivalent of nine Kentucky Derbys in a few hours' time. Eclipse was the majestic champion representing the North, and Henry, an equine arriviste, was the pride of the South.

Originally published in 1976, James A. Michener's explosive, spectacular Sports in America is a prescient examination of the crisis in American sports that is still unfolding to this day. With his lifelong enthusiasm for sports in evidence, the incomparable Michener tackles this subject thoroughly and leaves us amazed and appalled by what we've learned yet still loving the games we grew up on.

In Game of My Life: Florida Gators, listeners will step onto the field and re-live the greatest football moments through the eyes of 30 of the most famous Gators players. In this enthralling collection, Pat Dooley brings together Florida football players of the past and present to share their fondest single game experience and memories - some involve championship games, while others seem ordinary save for the extraordinary personal meaning.

The IPL has expanded, but Australia's Big Bash is contracting; the 2023 men's Ashes were concertinaed into a tiny window but The Hundred continues to dominate. Is there still hope for Test cricket in this tumultuous sporting landscape? Turbervill recalls the poignancy of the final Test of the English summer at The Oval in 2022, and describes how the match could be seen as a metaphor for the demise of the longer game.

Few sports have had a more eventful last 50 years than rugby union. Even fewer involve such a range of different cultures, contrasting characters or diverse geographical settings. With the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France and the 200th anniversary of the game’s ‘birth’ on the horizon, Around the World in 80 Minutes sets out to find the game’s most inspiring people and places. Observant, amusing and thought-provoking, the book takes listeners on a global journey to meet key figures from rugby’s ‘golden age’ between 1973 and 2023.

This definitive book will offer a unique and captivating exploration of football's rich legacy, told through 100 carefully selected objects from the unrivalled collection of the National Football Museum – the world's largest. Delving into the sport's social, cultural, and technological evolution, it will take you inside moments of high drama, euphoric success and crushing heartbreak to peel back the layers of the world's favourite game.

From minor league baseball exploitation to spectator hooliganism, Sailofsky shows the connections between the business of sports and violence, but also, more importantly, he imagines new forms of sport that are not places of harm.

"Everything is Possible—Legends of Karate" tells the story of the famous people who have influenced the history of American Style of Karate (AKANA) and its incredible journey. This book presents a captivating examination of tenacity, devotion, and success, ranging from the trailblazing vision of Grandmaster Jerry C. Piddington to the unwavering spirit of karate icons like the Gold Dust Twins.

Basketball isn’t just a game—it’s a fast, unpredictable, and electrifying sport filled with insane plays, wild records, and moments that defy belief. Whether you're a hardcore fan, trivia buff, or someone who loves the unexpected, this audiobook delivers 100 unbelievable stories that will change the way you see the game.

Baseball isn’t just a game—it’s a thrilling, unpredictable, and mind-blowing experience packed with legendary plays, bizarre moments, and records that defy logic. Whether you're a die-hard fan, trivia lover, or just someone who enjoys the unexpected, this audiobook delivers 100 unforgettable stories that will leave you amazed.

In 2010, Blake Geoffrion became the first player from the University of Wisconsin hockey team to receive the Hobey Baker Award, recognizing him as the best player in men’s college hockey. Blake was a rising scion of hockey royalty, descendant of legendary Canadian players Howie Morenz and Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, and he would soon be the first fourth-generation player to reach the NHL. His professional career promised to cement his family’s storied legacy on ice.

Story of Green tells how entrepreneur Alan Foster disrupted the basketball world by creating a unique brand and multi-million-dollar company for the Ball family, centered around the three sons Lonzo, LaMelo, and LiAngelo being signed for the NBA. It's a story of betrayal and a cautionary tale about financial management and the forces arrayed against anyone who tries to make sure that athletes control their brand.

A Hero’s Journey Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp is a compiled history of the Olympia Sports Camp in Huntsville, Ontario, through the lens of its founder and inspiration, Dave Grace, the hero of the book’s title. The hero’s journey of the title is Dave Grace’s adaptation of the writings and teaching of philosopher Joseph Campbell.

In Boston, sports loyalty—and passion—runs deep. But for much of the twentieth century, the records of the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots were mixed, with some victories but also heartbreaking losses and endless talk of curses. And then, things changed. In the twenty-first century, Boston became the hub of the sports universe.

In Every Day is Sunday, veteran New York Times Business & NFL reporter, Ken Belson, traces the evolution of the league from “one of the four US professional sports,” into the cultural & economic juggernaut it is today. Belson illustrates how the league’s rise coincided with the arrival of Jones & Kraft in the early 90’s. He provides an inside look on how these two men reshaped the league, taking listeners into the secretive owner’s meeting, how they decided Goodell was the right man to place as Commissioner, and how the three built, wielded, and held on to their collective power.

Born prematurely, weighing less than a bag of sugar, Oisin Murphy’s life has always been one of struggle. From a young age he found communion with horses. Mesmerised by their power, their spirit, he discovered a gift for the saddle. Oisin quickly established himself as one of horseracing’s most prodigious talents. But reaching the pinnacle of the sport required a high-wire dance that pushed his body and mind to their breaking point. Despite a three-year streak as champion jockey, alcohol addiction lurked beneath the surface, and a string of misdemeanours saw him banned for over a year.

The Athletic is back, returning with 100 compelling profiles of soccer’s most celebrated characters, from Dixie Dean, whose 1928 record for the most goals scored in an English top-flight season remains unbroken, to Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, whose stellar performances in the 2022 World Cup final drew almost 1.5 billion television viewers.

Skateboarding, once the gritty, rebellious underdog of the sports world, has flipped and grinded its way into the heart of the Olympic Games. How Skateboarding Became an Olympic Sport takes you on a wild ride from the sun-soaked sidewalks of Southern California to the grand arenas of the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. This book dives deep into the roots of skateboarding, exploring its raw beginnings, the legendary figures who revolutionized the sport, and the relentless push for Olympic recognition.