Product Description
This is the first complete history of the Games' most storied race. From ancient Greece to Atlanta 1996, the book chronicles the race's development--the heroes, the controversies, and the stories that emerged from the ultimate Olympic challenge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Stories and Easy Reading
This book is made up of 29 chapters, one for each Olympic Marathon race (through 1996).The chapters average 6 pages each, which makes this book very easy to read.Each chapter/race is a fascinating story.And the book is very well written.A great read. ... Read more

Product Description
Track and Field is the most basic of athletic competition as it measures athletes' speed, strength, and coordination.Since the revival of the ancient Olympic games in 1896, the sport has provided its share of inspiring moments as well as controversies. (20020901) ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood: In History and Society, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 599 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Presents a depth of information on wide-ranging areas concerning business, including accounting, economics, finance, information systems law, management, and marketing. ... Read more

Product Description

A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete, 1610-1918 (Vol 1) covers the period from 1619, when Africans were first brought to these shores as slaves, to 1918, the end of the First World War. From 1865 through 1896, African Americans succeeded spectacularly in sports. It was this period that gave rise to Jack Johnson, the first Black heavy weight champion; Marshall Taylor, "the world's fastest cyclist"; and Isaac Murphy, the first three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

INFORMATIVE
The book is a historical sketch, informative and useful. A good introduction to the subject matter.

sadly, a shoddy work
Arthur Ashe made many fine contributions to America, but this isn't one of them. Not up to the standard set by the other books in the series. ... Read more

Product Description
Each title of The Olympics examines the the Olympic Games from ancient times, then the revival of the 1890s through to today's multi-million pound business. From the history of the games to which events are included and why, and from scandals to record breakers, The Olympics puts the reader at the centre of the action with fact-packed text, dramatic full-colour photos, facts and statistics. ... Read more

Product Description
The gutsy performance of the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team held millions of Americans captivated. Their gold medal team victory came to symbolize self-sacrifice, teamwork, and heroism--and landed them on the covers of Time and People magazines. From the compulsory rounds to the finals, This book tells their inspirational story, and recaptures the dramatic Olympic magic that thrilled a nation. Photos throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

I didn't care too finish this book
I felt I wasted my money buying it.Wasn't that exciting and they barely paid much attention to Miller who was the gymnast that really won them the gold since she was the highest scorer on the team.Don't buy it.

GREAT BOOK WITH GREAT FACTS
The book tells you all the facts you need to know about the Magnificent 7 and also others like Olga Korbut,Nadia Comaneci,Mary Lou Retton,&Bela Karolyi.It tells you how hard it was to train every day.It definatleyinspires you!

An fab book for the whole gym. crowd!
This book was very informative and told me everything I wanted to know about the Mag 7.The dedication of these gymnasts is amazing.As a gymnast myself, I understood the hardships of this great sport, such as missing many social events and being in pain alot.Even if you are not a gymnast, this book will make a sure fan out of you.A great book.

INSPIRING!
This book is a must for gymnastics fans!There are eight chapters.The first chapter regonizes some great moments in Olympic history, including Atlanta.The second chapter is about Kerri Strug's famous vault.Chapter three is about the Mag 7.This chapter reveals their feelings, a few of their hobbies, and about their career up to Atlanta.The book tells about 3 of the most memorable gymnasts in history, Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci, and Mary Lou Retton.There is also a chapter about the most famous and successful coach, Bela Karolyi

Absolutely Fabulous
This book emphisizest the life storys of these passionate young gymnasts. It tells about not only the gymnasts, but some of their influences, Mary Lou Retton, Olga Korbute, and Nadia Comeneci, and the top, most well known coach in the history of womens gymnastics. It also tells about the individual appuratises, how they are used, and special moves that are preformed on them. It tells about all the gymnasts individual lives, and how it started they'r careers. All in all, the books show the courage, passion, strength, and intamet lives of these young talanted gymnast ... Read more

Product Description
This book is at once a thorough study of the educational system for the Greeks of Hellenistic and Roman Egypt, and a window to the vast panorama of educational practices in the Greco-Roman world. It describes how people learned, taught, and practiced literate skills, how schools functioned, and what the curriculum comprised. Raffaella Cribiore draws on over 400 papyri, ostraca (sherds of pottery or slices of limestone), and tablets that feature everything from exercises involving letters of the alphabet through rhetorical compositions that represented the work of advanced students. The exceptional wealth of surviving source material renders Egypt an ideal space of reference. The book makes excursions beyond Egypt as well, particularly in the Greek East, by examining the letters of the Antiochene Libanius that are concerned with education.

The first part explores the conditions for teaching and learning, and the roles of teachers, parents, and students in education; the second vividly describes the progression from elementary to advanced education. Cribiore examines not only school exercises but also books and commentaries employed in education--an uncharted area of research. This allows the most comprehensive evaluation thus far of the three main stages of a liberal education, from the elementary teacher to the grammarian to the rhetorician. Also addressed, in unprecedented detail, are female education and the role of families in education. Gymnastics of the Mind will be an indispensable resource to students and scholars of the ancient world and of the history of education. ... Read more

Product Description
This salute to the 25 years of the London Marathon explores the physical and mental challenges at the heart of marathon running, beginning with the author standing on the start line at London’s first marathon in 1981. It’s a story of dreams, pain, struggle and achievement. ... Read more

Product Description
Throughout most of human history, running was necessary for survival. In present times, it has become an ever-popular way to promote physical fitness. This work takes a close look at the history of running from the era when running was a survival skill to the contemporary age, when people run for enjoyment. Questions such as why the Greeks considered swiftness of foot the most highly prized quality and why we run counterclockwise around a track are answered in this in-depth history that also includes anecdotes and legends about the history and lore of running. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Highly Recommend For any Sports Fan!!
Breaks running down into 7 time periods from I. Running by Pre-and Early Humans (5,000,000-200,000 BC) all the way to VII The Modern Superstars (1950-2000). Covers the history of running spicing in some great biographies within the stories. Learn about the famous 20th century stars like Carl Lewis, Emil Zatopek and Haile Gebresilasie as well as obscure 19th century runners like George Seward, Harry Hutchens and Amy Howard.
Details how running began, the ancient Olympics, running naked, improvements in time keeping, all sorts of things that most runners never even think of. Running Through the Ages has great illustrations and excellent writing style. Ed Sears has really done his research. Whether you are a runner or simply a sports fan, I highly recommend this book. Not just track fans but all "serious" sports fans should pick up a copy of this great work!

An Inspiring and Exciting History of Running
Running Through the Ages is the most absorbing historical account of running and runners I have read. Its scope is wider than anything previously attempted, ranging from prehistory to the end of the twentieth century, and taking in professional running for men and women as well as the more familiar amateur era that dominated the last century. It is supported by hundreds of rare illustrations, most of which will be new, even to historians of the sport. There is a six-page bibliography and a comprehensive index. Edward Sears is a runner himself, and he wrotes with insight and enthusiasm as well as the skill of a storyteller. His section on George Seward, "The American Wonder", is a revelation. There are superb assessments of athletes as varied as Deerfoot, Arthur Duffey, Paavo Nurmi, Helen Stephens, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Bill Rodgers, Buddy Edelen and Haile Gerbrselassie, for this author has the deep knowledge of the sport to give credit to great and lesser names. All the great races are vividly described and the dramas of the Olympic arena expertly chronicled. This is a fine, inspiring and articulate book. I don't merely recommend it to anyone interested in the sport; I urge you to read it. ... Read more

Product Description
On March 4, 1928, 199 men lined up in Los Angeles, California, to participate in a 3,400-mile transcontinental footrace to New York City. The Bunion Derby, as the press dubbed the event, was the brainchild of sports promoter Charles C. Pyle. He promised a $25,000 grand prize and claimed the competition would immortalize U.S. Highway Route 66, a 2,400-mile road, mostly unpaved, that subjected the runners to mountains, deserts, mud, and sandstorms, from Los Angeles to Chicago.

The runners represented all walks of American life from immigrants to millionaires, with a peppering of star international athletes included by Pyle for publicity purposes. For eighty-four days, the men participated in this part footrace and part Hollywood production that incorporated a road show featuring football legend Red Grange, food concessions, vaudeville acts, sideshows, a portable radio station, and the world's largest coffeepot sponsored by Maxwell House serving ninety gallons of coffee a day.

Drawn by hopes for a better future and dreams of fame, fortune, and glory, the bunioneers embarked on an exhaustive and grueling journey that would challenge their physical and psychological endurance to the fullest while Pyle struggled to keep his cross-country road show afloat.

"In a wild grab for glory, a cast of nobodies saw hope in the dust: blacks who escaped the poverty and terror of the Old South; first-generation immigrants with their mother tongue thick on their lips; Midwest farm boys with leather-brown tans. These men were the 'shadow runners,' men without fame, wealth, or sponsors, who came to Los Angeles to face the world's greatest runners and race walkers. This was a formidable field of past Olympic champions and professional racers that should have discouraged sane men from thinking they could win a transcontinental race to New York. Yet they came, flouting the odds. Charley Pyle's offer of free food and lodging to anyone who would take up the challenge opened the race to men of limited means. For some, it was a cry from the psyche of no-longer-young men, seeking a last grasp at greatness or a summons to do the impossible. This pulled men on the wrong side of thirty from blue-collar jobs and families."--from the Preface

"No writer 'owns' a swath of history the way Chuck Kastner 'owns' the wildly crazy C. C. Pyle Bunion Derbies. The inaugural race was a truly American epic: from its massive scope to the fact that it was dominated by a handful of second-rate runners who decided there was no future in continuing in the underdog role. Chuck's book makes you want to schedule your next vacation for Route 66, there to relive the zaniness and heroics of 1928."--Rich Benyo, editor, Marathon & Beyond Magazine

"What made Bunion Derby an outstanding read for me is twofold: it is about a piece of American history that is today almost unknown. One web site has a fascinating history of it, and there have been a few articles here and there, but for the most part it has disappeared from written history. Why? There is so much that it represents--the character and strength that was an American virtue; the opportunistic hucksterism that defined this country; individuals conquering extraordinary physical and emotional difficulties, petty jealousies, cheating, political and financial agendas, and creating for themselves a personal challenge that each--whether he dropped out or completed the race--in his own way won. This is one of those books that should be discovered by every reader who appreciates solid research, writing worth reading and a fantastic story. How many ways can I say that it is one every reader of BiblioBuffet should pick up as soon as possible. Bunion Derby has my highest recommendation."--BibioBuffet

"Bunion Derby's narrative arc transcends the academic approach one would expect from a university press."--Philip Damon, on the Peace Corps Writers website

"We think [Bunion Derby] would make a great holiday gift for any of your running or history-minded friends, but get one for yourself, too. It's a great read."--Northwest Runner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Inspiring
This book is a great story of a footrace and of American history too.If you are a runner, read for certain.If you love history, read for certain.And if you need a story to inspire you to greatness...read for certain.

A gem!
How quickly we forget!I have been a lifelong student of American history and a casual runner for more than 20 years, yet, I had never heard of the 1928 "International Trans-Continental Foot Race," an epic, non-stop, 84-day road race covering 3400 miles from Los Angeles to New York City. By today's "ultra-marathon" standards, such a feat of endurance is inconceivable.

In his delightful book, "Bunion Derby," Charles Kastner has brought this remarkable race and its incredible participants back to life, helping to fulfill race referee Arthur Duffy's prediction that "...some day the public will come to realize that this cross country foot race is one of the greatest athletic achievements of the age."

Organized by sports promoter C.C. Pyle and his partner, football hero "Red" Grange, the race attracted 199 participants who competed for a First Prize of $25,000, a small fortune at the time.Each morning, the runners rolled off their metal cots, ran a race leg of 30-75 miles, scrounged for dinner, fell exhausted onto their cots, and woke up to do the whole thing over.Along the way, they had to overcome freezing temperatures, sprained ankles, bad food, assaults by hit-and-run drivers, and threats of violence against the African-American runners.

Could anyone today even imagine running from Los Angeles through the Mojave Desert, crossing the mountains of northern Arizona, and reaching the New Mexico border in twenty days?Throw infreezing rains, a 7400' elevation gain, and howling head winds and the feat becomes super-human.

Remarkably, 55 of the original 199 starters finished the race, even though many were simply amateur runners or not even runners at all.At least, not when they started.By the end of the race, each of the finishers had proven himself to be one of the most accomplished athletes in human history.

One does not have to be a runner to enjoy Kastner's book.Combining his talents as an author of magazine articles with serious research, he has turned the account of each of the 84 daily legs into a dramatic tale of considerable suspense. In addition, he places the race in the context of 1920s America, emphasizing themes of community boosterism along the new Route 66; the hucksterism and promotional fervor of the fads that swept America; and the wide-open, "can-do" spirit of the decade.Kastner gives special attention to the several African-American competitors and the dark racism they faced as they crossed states in which the Ku Klux Klan reigned.

My hat is off to Mr. Kastner for bringing this event to light and providing us with an entertaining and informative book that will delight anyone who picks it up.

Bunion Derby
What began as a quick browse for me became an adventure.I had expected a book which might appeal to distance runners only (a punishment to which I will never aspire).I found myself rooting for a number of the participants and marveling at their progress.There was little Olli Wanttinen at 4 feet nine inches; how many more steps must he have had to take to match the taller runners' strides.Fifteen-year-old T. Joseph Cotton, eldest of seven siblings, wanted the prize money to help feed his family.Then there was experienced competitor, Charles Hart, who, at age63, was two and three times the ages of most of the racers.

But this is more than just a book about running.Mr. Kastner has done a laudable job of portraying a fascinating, little known facet of American history.It is a literate account of one of the greatest publicity stunts from an age of outrageous stunts - of marathon dancing, goldfish swallowing, and flagpole sitting.There is all the pathos of an America rife with pockets of extreme poverty and hardship, class and color discrimination, optimism and perseverance.

The book is meticulously researched and generously illustrated with archival photographs.Several appendices tantalize with glimpses of future ultra races (post 1928).I hope another book will soon be forthcoming.

A record of determination and perserverence
Ostensibly a book about running - it is concerned with the cross country foot race from Los Angeles to New York in 1928 - it is so much more.It is a slice of American history, our pride and our shame.Runners and walkers from all over the globe were competing for a $25,000 prize - a vast sum in those days.Many who entered did so for the money and what it might do for their families. It didn't matter that so many of these men lacked the training, the support people, and the proper attire for such an endeavor. C.C. Pyle, the promoter of the race, and all the attendant side show foolishness that capped most days of competition, promised food and housing along the way. (The eleven-foot tall coffee pot fastened on a truck chassis, a famous curiosity of the day, followed the racers andserved the runners and staff 90 gallons of coffee a day).

The reality was this:The food Pyle provided was inadequate to such an arduous venture. Lodging was minimal - tents or boxcars barely serving to keep runners out of the worst of the weather. When one of the front runners persisted in publicly complaining about Pyle's lack of sufficient attention to the men, he received a telegram stating that his wife had died.She had, in fact, died several years earlier; the idea was that he would rush home and forget about the race.

The Black runners fared as well, or as poorly, as the rest of the pack until they ran smack into the Jim Crow South.There they were harassed and threatened.Their treatment was referred to by the international runners as "the most disgraceful thing they ever knew anything about."

Kastner has illuminated what was great and what was wrong with America as it was in 1928.Despite the scorching heat of the Mojave, the sleet, the wind, and the altitude of the mountains, the filthy, sweat-soaked clothing and ill-fitting shoes, and threats and humiliation aimed at the Black athletes, 55 men completed the 3,400-mile trek.These men rose to a challenge and would not be daunted.Why did so many put themselves through such an ordeal?As one racer put it, "Every man who finishes such a race is a winner. He has shown strength of heart and purpose, which should uplift him with pride and uplift his children after him."

Bunions are only a small part of the story
This is a beautifully written and well-researched story, and to that extent it is a good book.Chuck and Mary Kastner are friends, and frequent visitors to our Bed & Breakfast, so I won't say any more about the book than "Buy it" you won't be disappointed!

The story on the other hand belongs not only to the book, but to American History.The racers formed a cross-section of American society, with some fascinating foreigners thrown in for good measure.The trials and tribulations of all the runners amazed me and their sheer persistence could not help but become fodder for the story.But more than that the story is of ordinary people whose characters and personalities were forever changed by their phenomenal efforts.When the leaders of the race cross into New York State, there is a gesture by the leading racer which brought tears to my eyes.I leave it to you to buy the book and read the story, and admire these Bunioneers. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more