Paper Lion

The book that made a legend -- and captures America's sport in detail that's never been matched, featuring a foreword by Nicholas Dawidoff and never-before-seen content from the Plimpton Archives. George Plimpton was perhaps best known for Paper Lion, the book that set the bar for participatory sports journalism. With his characteristic wit, Plimpton recounts his experiences in talking his way into training camp with the Detroit Lions, practicing with the team, and taking snaps behind center. His breezy style captures the pressures and tensions rookies confront, the hijinks that pervade when sixty high-strung guys live together in close quarters, and a host of football rites and rituals. One of the funniest and most insightful books ever written on football, Paper Lion is a classic look at the gridiron game and a book The Wall Street Journal calls "a continuous feast...The best book ever about football -- or anything!"

Sports on Film takes readers behind the scenes of how movies get made and puts them in the stands for some of the key moments in sports in America. Sports on Film documents key events in American sports history through the films that depict them, starting with the integration of major-league baseball when Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Other significant events and personalities examined include the college basketball point-shaving incident of the 1950s; journalist George Plimpton's attempt to go through the Detroit Lions' NFL training camp in the early 1960s; the originations and popularity of rodeo; the brief run of women's professional baseball during World War II; the underdog racehorse Seabiscuit during the Great Depression; the rise of African American boxer Muhammad Ali; the unique 1970s "Battle of the Sexes" tennis event between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King; and Ford Motor Company's run in the 1960s to take motorsports to Europe's premier event in Le Mans, France.

America loves sports. This book examines and details the proof of this fascination seen throughout American society—in our literature, film, and music; our clothing and food; and the iconography of the nation. This momentous four-volume work examines and details the cultural aspects of sport and how sport pervasively reflects—and affects—myriad aspects of American society from the early 1900s to the present day. Written in a straightforward, readable manner, the entries cover both historical and contemporary aspects of sport and American culture. Unlike purely historical encyclopedias on sports, the contributions within these volumes cover related subject matter such as poetry, novels, music, films, plays, television shows, art and artists, mythologies, artifacts, and people. While this encyclopedia set is ideal for general readers who need information on the diverse aspects of sport in American culture for research purposes or are merely reading for enjoyment, the detailed nature of the entries will also prove useful as an initial source for scholars of sport and American culture. Each entry provides a number of both print and online resources for further investigation of the topic.

Often when friends get together at home or perhaps at a sports bar on a Sunday afternoon during football season they'll trade interesting short stories about the game, acquired from memory or from reading. It's not necessarily a competition, but rather a way to impress others with what they believe is their wealth of knowledge. When it comes to swapping anecdotes about the Detroit Lions, even today's generation is going to know about some of the tales that have been handed down over the years about fabled quarterback Bobby Lane, or defensive tackle Alex Karras, or other legends who have worn the Honolulu blue and silver of that National Football League team that's been around for more than 70 years. To be sure, there are interesting anecdotes about some of the familiar faces from generations ago, and some from more recent stars, but what of the more obscure Lions? Many players, as well as coaches and officials, long lost to memory were rife with off-the-wall experiences worthy of any barroom or recreation room chips and beer party. Charlie Sanders's Tales from the Lions Sidelines records some of those anecdotes for posterity before they evaporate into the abyss of history. Many of the tales told here are first-hand from the memory of the great former Lions tight end. Some, also, are from the memory and records of coauthor Larry Paladino, a veteran sports writer who covered the Lions for a dozen years for the Associated Press and then for numerous sports publications. But perhaps the most interesting anecdotes--some funny, some serious, some sad--are the ones discovered through research in the old, crumbling pages of Lions' yearly newspaper scrapbooks. Regardless of what tales peak theinterests of readers, we're certain there is a lot to fascinate--and to pass on--for those who read Sanders's tales.

From the author of the memoir Into Africa, “a fast-paced, unsentimental sequel” about the Serengeti lions and the politics of protecting them (Discover). If you are a morani (warrior), you have your spear at the ready—you could be the hero, but you will have to wait until the morning light before you can go out and prove yourself. If it is a lion, you want to be the first to spear it—and if the lion turns on you, make sure it mauls you on your chest or stomach, on your face, shins, or throat. Any place where you can show your scars with pride, show the incontrovertible evidence of courage. A scar on your back would be a permanent reminder of cowardice, an ineradicable trace of shame. Monsters take many forms: from man-eating lions to the people who hunt them, from armed robbers to that midnight knock at the door of a cheap hotel room in Dar es Salaam. And celebrated biologist Craig Packer has faced them all. Head on. With Lions in the Balance, Packer takes us back into the complex, tooth-and-claw world of the African lion, offering revealing insights into both the lives of one of the most iconic and dangerous animals on earth and the very real risks of protecting them. A sequel to his prize-winning Into Africa—which gave many readers their first experience of fieldwork in Africa, of cooperative lions on dusty savannas, and political kidnappings on the shores of Lake Tanganyika—this new diary-based chronicle of cutting-edge research and heartbreaking corruption will both alarm and entertain. Packer’s story offers a look into the future of the lion, one in which the politics of conservation will require survival strategies far more creative and powerful than those practiced anywhere in the world today. Packer is sure to infuriate millionaires, politicians, aid agencies, and conservationists alike as he minces no words about the problems he encounters. But with a narrative stretching from far flung parts of Africa to the corridors of power in Washington, DC, and marked by Packer’s signature humor and incredible candor, Lions in the Balance is a tale of courage against impossible odds, a masterly blend of science, adventure, and storytelling, and an urgent call to action that will captivate a new generation of readers. Praise for Lions in the Balance “Lions in the Balance mixes episodes of spy novel intrigue with detailed descriptions of scientific studies and PowerPoint presentations.” —New York Times “One of the top books of the year. . . . This candid volume is sure to divide opinion, but it is far more than a chronicle of Packer’s campaigns. There are also dozens of surprising facts about the book’s heroes—the lions—and measured commentary on a host of complex issues. . . . The book will make you think.” —Geographical

"Encourage creativity while developing children's fine motor skills through tracing, cutting, and assembling. Students enjoy using their own prints to create classroom displays and art projects. The activities are organized by month to cover holidays, seasons, and common curricular topics"--Back cover

Get your football fanatic readers into the action. Inside the NFL uses chronological narratives to tell the beginnings of the Detroit Lions, relate the greatest and lowest moments of the team, introduce the best players and coaches, and share other fun facts that help round out Lions' history. Mini-biographies, sidebars, fun facts, fantastic quotes, and full-color, action-packed photographs will bring the NFL to your library.

Drawing on the heritage of Virginia hospitality, this book contains a treasure trove of sugges- tions and ow-tos for commemorating special occassions throughout the year. From a winter dinner to a spring wedding, this beautiful book, provides a wealth of flower-arranging, decorating, handicraft, and cooking ideas.