He gives us empathetic portraits of wisecracking sportswriters and bone-breaking mobsters; of the baleful Liston and the haunted Patterson; of an audacious Norman Mailer and an enigmatic Malcolm X. Most of all, King of the World does ...

The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world.

Presenting a survey of sports in ancient Greece, this work describes ancient sporting events and games.

The book goes on the describe the history of physical education in the school system, the emergence of amateur and professional leagues, the involvement of business and the media in sports promotion, and Japan's participation in the ...

The word 'athletics' is derived from the Greek verb 'to struggle for a prize'. After reading this book, no one will see the Olympics as a graceful display of Greek beauty again, but as war by other means.

America’s First Olympics, by George R. Matthews, corrects common misconceptions that began with Coubertin’s memoirs and presents a fresh view of the 1904 games, which featured first-time African American Olympians, an eccentric and ...

The 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis were both unusual and controversial.

In this book, Maraniss (Clemente), who won the Pulitzer Prize for his Washington Post coverage of President Bill Clinton, provides more than mere coverage of the 1960 summer Olympics.

The story of Jesse Owens at the Berlin games is that of an athletic performance that transcends sports. It is also the intimate and complex tale of one remarkable man’s courage.

This inspirational memoir by Olympic medalist Michael Phelps gives readers an up-close view of the swimming champion's record-breaking performance at the Beijing Games.