Book picks similar to
The Man Who Punched Jefferson Davis: The Political Life of Henry S. Foote, Southern Unionist by Ben Wynne
biography
civil-war
bios
senatorial-biograpy
Tour de Lance: The Extraordinary Story of Lance Armstrong's Fight to Reclaim the Tour de France
Bill Strickland - 2010
After battling cancer and becoming an inspiration to millions, Armstrong won the Tour de France a record-breaking seven consecutive years before retiring from competition in 2005. Four years later, at thirty-seven, Armstrong decided to come out of retirement and go for the win yet again. He was racing for no salary, in a season when his greatest rival--Tour de France, Tour of Italy, and Tour of Spain champion Alberto Contador--was on his own team. The twenty-five-year-old Spaniard had been handpicked by Armstrong's own mentor, Johan Bruyneel, to be his successor. Now he would be his fiercest competition. Armstrong was about to suffer like never before--and, for the first time in recent memory, appear to be human on a bicycle. After seven Tour victories--and beating cancer--did Lance Armstrong really need to prove anything? Beyond the thrill of another possible victory, what drove him to race again? What was he seeking--and would he find it? Cycling insider Bill Strickland had unprecedented access to Armstrong, Johan Bruyneel, and the team. He takes readers behind the scenes during the 2009 racing season and along for the ride on the Tour de France with a dramatic mile-by-mile account. Offering a penetrating and candid glimpse into the man behind the myth, Tour de Lance goes beyond a single season or a single race to reveal the heart of the sport and the soul of the cyclist.
The Road Warriors: Danger, Death, and the Rush of Wrestling
Joe Laurinaitis - 2011
Revealing riveting stories about his participation in the 1980s and 1990s superstar wrestling team the Road Warriors, it recounts memorable fights with his partner Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand. He describes how he and Mike rose to become a revolutionary tag team—reinventing themselves with spiky accessories and wearing face paint before it was popular—and chronicles famous rivalries, movement between different wrestling associations, and dealing with Mike's longtime struggle with drugs and alcohol. He also invites fans into his personal life and discusses his family and newfound Christian faith. Featuring stories of incredible physical feats and deep-felt companionship, this testimony will help fans relive the glory days of a wrestling legacy.
Living Out Loud: Sports, Cancer, and the Things Worth Fighting For
Craig Sager - 2016
Time is simply how you live your life.” —Craig SagerThanks to an eccentric wardrobe filled with brightly-colored suits and a love of sports that knows no bounds, Craig Sager is one of the most beloved and recognizable broadcasters on television. So when the sports world learned that he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) there was an outpouring of love and support from everyone who was inspired by his colorful life and his fearless decision to continue doing the job he loved—despite being told that he would have only three-to-six months to live. Since then Sager has undergone three stem cell transplants—with his son as the donor for two of them—and more than twenty chemotherapy cycles.In Living Out Loud, Craig Sager shares incredible stories from his remarkable career and chronicles his heroic battle. Whether he’s sprinting across Wrigley Field mid-game as a college student with cops in pursuit, chasing down Hank Aaron on the field for an interview after Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record, running with the bulls in Pamplona, or hunkering down to face the daunting physical challenges of fighting leukemia, Craig Sager is always ready to defy expectations, embrace life, and live it to the fullest.Including a foreword by Charles Barkley and with unique insight from his son Craig Sager II, this entertaining, honest, and introspective account of a life lived in sports reveals the enduring lessons Sager has learned throughout his career and reminds you that no matter what life throws at you, to always look at the bright side.
Positively Page: The Diamond Dallas Page Journey
Diamond Dallas Page - 2000
From his earliest recollections, Page Falkinburg wanted to be like the Saturday afternoon heroes that he watched on TV from the floor of his grandmother's living room. He defied the odds and swayed his critics along the way, climbing the ladder of the largest spectator entertainment sports production in the world today. It was in 1985 that I met a guy who told me his name was Page ... like a book. Like most people who meet him, I knew that there was something very different about Page Falkinburg. He is cocky, and at the same time, he's humble. He is "over the top," but somehow remains "down to earth." One of the toughest "sons of bitches" you'll ever meet, Page can shock you with his sensitivity and compassion. He is an example of good old-fashioned hard work and personal commitment, but at the same time, is able to help create and better the futures of others. Almost fifteen years later, Positively Page serves as a look at that unforgettable guy who possessed the power to rise above adversity and reach his dream.
Quitters Never Win: My Life in UFC — The American Edition
Michael Bisping - 2020
readers, the story of his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, fresh insights about his fighting career, never-before-told stories about his film and TV career, and a harrowing account of his fighting off attempted kidnappers while filming in South Africa, Quitters Never Win tells the incredible story of how he went from rough and humble beginnings and then on to a legendary mixed martial arts career capped by winning the Middleweight Championship in one of the greatest upsets in UFC history. “If I quit the first time I tasted defeat, I wouldn’t be here now,” Bisping once said. The ultimate UFC underdog, Bisping fought his way to Number One contender three times, only to be knocked back each time. But he refused to give in, clawing his way to his first World Title shot at the age of 37—and becoming the first ever British UFC world champion. Loaded with the humor and brutal honesty that first won him a following on the television show Ultimate Fighter 3, Bisping recounts his record setting 13-year fight career battling the likes of Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, and Dan Henderson. The most engaging UFC color analyst in recent memory, and a budding film and television star, Bisping tells his story in a way that only he knows how.
Hollywood Celebrities: Where Are They Now?
Ron Ebner - 2013
Here in this book Ron Ebner—author of The Winds of Hell, Nova, Plague World, and two short story collections—has collected a voluminous amount of information about current actors and former actors, including:Disney favorites Annette Funicello, Tommy Kirk, Tim Considine, Hayley Mills and Kevin Corcoran, as well as Mouseketeers Sharon Baird, Lonnie Burr, Cubby O’Brien and Karen Pendleton; Lauren Chapin and Elinor Donahue of “Father Knows Best”; Johnny Crawford of “The Rifleman”; Shelley Fabares of “The Donna Reed Show”; Little Rascal “Spanky” McFarland; Beverly Washburn; Cynthia Pepper; Native American actors Chief Dan George and Will Sampson; the frisky star of the original Nancy Drew movies, Bonita Granville; Al “Grandpa” Lewis; Fess Parker; John Amos…and many others.Read through these pages and find out what’s happening with about 100 of your favorite Hollywood celebrities.
Living With Arabs: Nine Years with the Petra Bedouin
Joan Ward - 2014
How can we begin to understand what drives people to treat each other as they do? “Medieval” is a word often used. Well-informed commentators analyse political and military issues but give little insight into the cultural and domestic backgrounds of the protagonists."Living with Arabs" is an account of nine years spent visiting and living among the Bedouin tribes of Petra in southern Jordan; in some ways a world away from the neighbouring war zones. Through insightful accounts of day-to-day life, a world of nobility and simplicity is revealed: so too is a world of violence, gender imbalance, and the significance of Islam. It is a story that begins viewed through rose-coloured spectacles and moves to a gripping realisation of reality. The shocking, the funny, the heart-warming – it is all here.Joan Ward was born and bred in Birmingham, UK. She spent four years commissioned in the Royal Air Force before starting a teaching career that lasted 33 years. From 2004-2006, she was Head of English at the International Community School in Amman. On her retirement in 2006, she remained in Jordan and spent six years living in Um Sayhoun with the Petra Bedouin.
Practise What You Preach (Edward Vernon's Practice series Book 2)
Edward Vernon - 2014
(Edward Vernon is a pen name of a well known British doctor/author.) Set in the 1970s, in a small town in the English midlands, the book describes the medical misadventures of a young, harassed GP who is learning on the job. There's the embarrassed vicar with the guilty secret, the private patient who pays him to keep her ill, a beautiful young patient who insists on being examined in the bath, a six year old marble swallower and an a difficult encounter with a patient who can't speak a word of English. A huge hit in the UK and the USA when first published these books have only now been made available as ebooks on Amazon. Here's what the critics said about the Edward Vernon books: Warm and humorous...the anecdotes pour out of every page - Lancashire Evening Post Genuinely funny - South Wales Argus Wise, funny, sad and heartwarming - Chattanooga Times Most of his adventures are funny, some hilarious; but he has the good sense to leven the comedy lump with some that are sad, some touching. All are written lightly, easily, entertainingly - Oxford Times Good fun - Homes and Gardens The funniest of the funny doctor books - Richard Gordon Jolly good reading - Publishers Weekly Truthful, well observed and consistently readable - Daily Telegraph Will amuse, amaze and entertain - Yorkshire Post Views the human species he treats with much the same affection, compassion and humour as Herriot brings to the animal world - Cleveland Plain Daler Thoroughly delightful - Fresno Bee Hilarious - Titbits A delightfully funny book that keeps the reader laughing and appeals to one's sense of the ridiculous - Sunday Advocate, Baton Rouge For entertainment, a chapter or two before bedtime is just what the doctor ordered - Sacromento Bee Does for British GPs what Herriot has done for vets - Booklist Hilarious, written with skill and zest - Evening Telegraph Very funny - Citizen, Gloucester etc etc
Billy Mitchell (Annotated): Founder of Our Air Force and Prophet Without Honor
Emile Gauvreau - 1942
Through the press and in person he lobbied naval brass about America's woefully unprepared defensive air power but his talk of dogfights over the Pacific with superior planes was laughed at and dismissed by all. Mitchell's vision of a US Air Arm would have meant massive, costly upgrades to the nation's dated flying machines owned by private firms holding patents on aircraft machinery. Old guard soldiers, like John J. Pershing, dismissed as delusional ravings Mitchell's belief that a battleship could be destroyed by a bomber. Mitchell's outspoken press conferences about an airplane trust supported by corrupt government officials led to his court-martial for insubordination in 1925. He died in 1936, a man ahead of his times.*Includes annotations and images.
Fall Again, Rise Again
Sandeep Aggarwal - 2020
If ever there was anyone whose life could be described as nothing but a roller-coaster, it is that of Sandeep Aggarwal. ‘Fall again, rise again’ are words that sum up the entire life of the founder of two billion-dollar companies and shopclues. Sandeep’s story is that of a middle-class boy who could not speak English for much of his school life but dreamt to make it big someday. A young professional who went to the US and couldn’t get a job but eventually became a sought-after wall Street analyst. He achieved more success than he could imagine but gave up everything to return to India to become an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur who built one of India’s very few unicorns but was ousted from his own company. A dreamer who saw his dreams crushed by Charges of insider trading in the US but rose like a Phoenix to create yet another company—droom. He was an accused whose agonizing wait for a final decision in his case continued for six long years. But that did not stop a string of global investors from putting money into droom, including Japan’s Toyota group company. He was finally vindicated when the US government dropped all criminal Charges against him in February2020, and the securities and Exchange Commission settled all Civil Charges against him around the same time. This is unlike any autobiography, especially among those written by people from the business world. Sandeep’s emotional strength and searing honesty will inspire and impact you in a way that is very, very rare.About the AuthorSandeep Aggarwal certainly knows a thing or two about building billion-dollar companies. —Forbes India When I met Sandeep thirteen years ago, I just knew that he is one of those rare individuals whose presence in your life can make it better, and the feeling has only become stronger. In this book, he shares how he dealt with his darkest moments and candidly analyses his unbelievable journey. —Chaim Friedman, Managing Partner, LionBird Ventures The story of Sandeep Aggarwal is one of courage, determination, hard work and creativity. I am lucky to have been his colleague during his Wall Street years, and luckier to have him as a friend. —Mark S. Mahaney, world's top-ranked Internet analyst and Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets There is great amount of learning from the roller-coaster ride Sandeep went through and how as an entrepreneur he converted obstacles into opportunities. —Ronnie Screwvala, Chairman & Co Founder, upGradREVIEWSSandeep Aggarwal certainly knows a thing or two about building billion-dollar companies.—Forbes IndiaWhen I met Sandeep thirteen years ago, I just knew that he is one of those rare individuals whose presence in your life can make it better, and the feeling has only become stronger. In this book, he shares how he dealt with his darkest moments and candidly analyses his unbelievable journey. —Chaim Friedman, Managing Partner, LionBird VenturesThe story of Sandeep Aggarwal is one of courage, determination, hard work and creativity. I am lucky to have been his colleague during his Wall Street years, and luckier to have him as a friend.—Mark S. Mahaney, world's top-ranked Internet analyst and Managing Director, RBC Capital MarketsThere is great amount of learning from the roller-coaster ride Sandeep went through and how as an entrepreneur he converted obstacles into opportunities. —Ronnie Screwvala, Chairman & Co Founder, upGrad
Mink, Mary, and Me: The Story of a Wilderness Trapline
Chick Ferguson - 2019
He definitely was not planning on spending the next eighteen years in the wilderness. For he was only a simple photographer with a little studio in a little town in North Dakota. His business was failing and having heard of the riches of the fur-trade he was hoping to spend a year or two trapping, making a stake and returning to his routine life. But he didn’t figure on love. . . . For this is a story of romance. A story of survival, hardship, success, trials, adventure, happiness, and romance. A romance of the wilderness and the trapline, and a romance with Mary—who was the bravest and most wonderful woman in the North. Mary was a one-in-a-million. One could only wish for a partner of such courage and companionship. The only white-woman in a vast and unforgiving territory. The closest city, many hundreds of miles. And the only visitors to be expected, the unwanted kind. How many women could endure such hardship and learn to love it? She had many chances to leave and go back to a normal life in the states, but she always returned to her man and her wilderness. Against all odds, Chick and Mary built a life in the Far North and made a successful living on the trapline. Though a life full of struggles and danger they both could not imagine living any other way. With a wonderful writing style that makes you feel as if you are there, Chick Ferguson takes us along with him on his adventures in the Far North.
Death of Innocence
Richard Greene - 2009
"Befriended by a slave and the captain of a riverboat, a young man named Joseph Greene adventure on the southern rivers. He fell in love with Mary McAlexander, but the great Civil War would not only test their love, but the faith of the McAlexander, Chrisman, and Patterson families as each endured the war's death and destruction. Death road across the South in the guise of the southern home guard, taking the innocence without hesitation or regret. The sorrow the war left would last forever as each proud family lost their innocence.
Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War
Charles Bracelen Flood - 2005
They began their unique collaboration ten months into the war, at the Battle of Shiloh, each carefully taking the other's measure. They shared the demands of family life and the heartache of personal tragedy. They shared similar philosophies of battle, employed similar strategies and tactics, and remained in close, virtually daily communication throughout the conflict. They were incontestably two of the Civil War's most important figures, and the deep, abiding friendship they shared made the Union's ultimate victory possible.Poignant, riveting, and elegantly written, Grant and Sherman is a remarkable portrait of two extraordinary men and a singular friendship, forged on the battlefield, that would change the course of history.
Moonwalker: The Storybook Original Story by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson - 1988
Big in his plan to enslave all the children in the world with drugs.
Arsene Wenger: The Biography
Xavier Rivoire - 2007
Including exclusive interviews with Wenger, former and current players, family, colleagues, and observers from across Japan, France, and England, this completely authorized and definitive biography is a testament to his success and dedication in the field—and to the loyalty of players and fans. This incisive account of the man famous for bringing free-flowing soccer to "boring, boring Arsenal" reveals Wenger as a standout in an industry of disposable contracts and ruthless politics, and is essential reading for fans of the game.