Sports Legends

Buck O'Neil once described him as "Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Tris Speaker rolled into one". Among experts, he is regarded as the best player in Negro Leagues history. During his prime, he became a legend in Cuba and one of Black America's most popular figures. Yet even among serious sports fans, Oscar Charleston is virtually unknown today.

It is the greatest American underdog sports story ever told: how a team of college kids and unsigned amateurs, under the tutelage of legendary coach - and legendary taskmaster - Herb Brooks, beat the elite Soviet hockey team on their way to winning the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. No one believed the scrappy Americans had a real shot at winning. Despite being undefeated, the US - the youngest team in the competition - were facing off against the four-time defending gold medalist Russians.

¡Bienvenido a la Escuela de Fútbol! Prepárate para una aventura épica donde el fútbol no es solo un juego, sino un lenguaje universal que nos enseña sobre sueños, perseverancia y el espíritu humano. "Historias Inspiradoras de Fútbol Para Niños" invita a los jóvenes lectores a descubrir 42 leyendas del fútbol, cada una un modelo de resiliencia y éxito. Desde Pelé y Ronaldinho hasta Messi y Cristiano Ronaldo, estas historias van más allá del campo, ofreciendo lecciones de vida.

In the definitive memoir of his life and career, Dan Biggar bares his innermost emotions, from the joy of captaining Wales to victory in South Africa, through Grand Slam glory and World Cup woe, to the devastation of losing his mother just weeks before becoming the Lions number 10. He opens the changing room door on some of rugby’s most compelling episodes – from the threatened strike action that could have bankrupted the game, to the proposed club merger that nearly derailed a Grand Slam campaign.

Did Wilt Chamberlain really score 100 points by himself in a single game? Was the 1985 NBA Draft really fixed to make sure the New York Knicks got the first pick? Was Michael Jordan really let go by his high school basketball team? Get ready to discover the real stories behind these and other great basketball myths and legends!

Why is Green Bay, Wisconsin, nicknamed “Titletown?” Does “icing” the kicker of an opposing team actually work? Do sewer systems in some cities really get flooded during halftime on Super Bowl Sunday? Dig in to get the real stories behind these and other great football myths and legends!

Did a major-league pitcher really hit a bird with a fastball in the middle of a game? What did a goat have to do with the Chicago Cubs not winning a championship for more than 70 years? Did Babe Ruth really point toward center field just before hitting a big home run in the 1932 World Series? Prepare to uncover the real stories behind these and other great baseball myths and legends!

A book that explores the enduring legends of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders, Badasses is the definitive biography of arguably the last team to play old-fashioned tough-guy football. Peter Richmond, co-author of the New York Times best seller The Glory Game, offers a fascinating look at the 1970s Oakland Raiders, led by colorful greats from another era.

Eager to follow in his father's footsteps, Ramon Hill wants nothing more than to be a starting attacker on his lacrosse team. But his dreams don't go as planned, and he's moved to a different position. Playing as a midfielder lets Ramon put his skills and talent to best use, but he can't help but feel disappointed. Will his new position lead to bigger and better things for him and his team?

The number one sports series for kids takes listeners on the court and behind the scenes with beloved NBA icon Kobe Bryant in this inspiring biography.

This inspiring memoir from sports and cultural icon Bill Walton recounts his devastating injuries and amazing recoveries, set in the context of his UCLA triumphs under John Wooden, his storied NBA career, and his affinity for music and the Grateful Dead.

In most sports the pinnacle is Wheaties-box notoriety. But in the world of pool, notoriety is the last thing a hustler desires. Such is the dilemma that faces one Danny Basavich, an affable, generously proportioned Jewish kid from Jersey, who flounders through high school until he discovers the one thing he excels at - the felt - and hits the road.

A list of legends is significant not only for who makes the list, but who gets left off of it. If there are no obvious omissions, then the list of candidates was probably less than legendary in the first place. Not so in the case of the Syracuse University Orangemen. Calling roll on Syracuse’s all-time basketball greats can take up the greater part of a day. The school produced its first All-American, Lewis Castle, in 1912. More recently, Carmelo Anthony, one of the best freshmen to ever play college basketball, led the 2003 Orangemen to the school’s first NCAA championship.

Known to bodybuilders young and old as The Golden Eagle, the man Arnold Schwarzenegger personally passed the "bodybuilding torch" to, and commonly acknowledged as the most intense bodybuilder who ever trained - a living legend who forged the best legs to ever adorn a bodybuilding stage -Tom never wanted a "normal" life. The dedication and devotion to his calling started when he was barely 10 years old, and propelled him on a trajectory that led to bodybuilding's stratosphere, and beyond - to the top of the world of the social and business elite.

Surfers and surfing aficionados worldwide will be enthralled with this fascinating autobiography of Nat Young, arguably one of the world's best surfers and a pioneer of the 'shortboard' style. With short stories, anecdotes and unbelievable adventures with some of surfing's most colourful and well known characters, Nat Young recounts his life from Australia to Hawaii to the Pacific Coast of America and beyond. This audiobook is a must-listen for any surfer!

Growing up in North Carolina, Donald Davis heard stories that came to America through Scots-Irish immigrants about a fellow named Jack who was so real that young Davis thought he was a distant relative or otherside-of-the-mountain neighbor. Now Davis knows that Jack is a universal legendary figure who, by various names, is found in nearly every culture.

Growing up a 90-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, young Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series, Kung Fu. While in college, Matthew decided the time had come to pursue this quixotic dream before it was too late. Much to the dismay of his parents, he dropped out of Princeton to spend two years training with the legendary sect of monks who invented kung fu and Zen Buddhism.

Murray Walker was the voice of Formula 1, matching the thrill of the track with his equally fast-paced and exhilarating commentary, delivering the euphoria of motor racing to millions. Commentating on his first grand prix for the BBC at Silverstone in 1949, Murray's broadcasting career spanned over 50 years. His natural warmth and infectious enthusiasm won great affection with audiences, whilst his passion and knowledge of motorsport allowed him to hone his instinctive presenting style into a craft.

Since winning the WBNA Rookie of the Year title in 2004, Taurasi has come a long way. Discover more about Taurasi's highlights on the court in this action-packed biography in the Stars of Sports series.

The Players' Coach is a player-development masterclass. It is also an inspirational life story, from humble beginnings to becoming the quarterback for the University of Iowa, a college coaching career, and then to assistant-coach and offensive-coordinator roles in six different decades. This book is destined to be a football classic, a coaching Bible, and a must-listen on leadership.