Other Sports Titles

At first glance, a Tour de France bike may look a lot like your own bicycle. It might even have the same model name and principal components. But on closer inspection, there are many subtle and pleasing differences which set these high-performance machines apart, thanks to the Tour mechanics working day in and day out at the cutting edge of bicycle technology. The Official Tour de France Bike Maintenance Book goes behind the scenes with the finest professional cycling technicians during the most grueling and high-pressure bike race in the world, sharing exclusive images, in-race stories, and professional tricks of the trade. Practical sections in each chapter explain how to perform essential maintenance tasks and personalize bikes like the pros. Combining intrigue and instruction, and featuring vivid images of classic bikes from the past 75 years of the Tour, this is a fascinating and indispensable guide for both cycling fans and competitors.

With a trademark powerful stride amid a blaze of red and yellow silks, Justify emphatically crossed the finish line at the 2018 Belmont Stakes and became just the 13th winner of horse racing's elusive Triple Crown. One of the most charismatic and talented runners in the history of the sport, Justify was also one of its most unlikely champions; the late-blooming chestnut colt made his competitive debut only 111 days prior to that legendary victory. In Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory, veteran scribe Lenny Shulman (BloodHorse magazine) provides an insider account of this Thoroughbred's rise to greatness. Through extensive interviews and first-hand accounts, readers will discover the fascinatingly disparate cast of characters who were crucial to Justify's success, including trainer Bob Baffert, whose innate ability to identify equine talent also produced American Pharoah; Mike Smith, the 52-year-old jockey asserting himself in the miraculous third act of his career; and breeders John and Tanya Gunther, who believed in Justify's ability despite the developmental imperfections that drove buyers away. Packed with riveting action, keen insight, and behind-the-scenes perspectives on quieter figures like silent investors, international stakeholders, and unheralded training staff, Justify is an illuminating look at the modern Thoroughbred industry and an essential story for the ages.

About 40 miles east of Pittsburgh is the small town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the place Arnold Palmer called home. The world knew Palmer as The King. But the Palmer Latrobe knew was funnier, goofier, saltier, and less grandiose than the one justifiably loved around the globe. In Arnold Palmer: Homespun Stories of the King, journalist, Latrobe resident, and accidental Palmer insider Chris Rodell draws upon over 100 interviews with the golf great conducted over 20 years, providing an intimate, charming, and at times irreverent glimpse at the icon outside the spotlight.

Rod Laver's memoir is the inspiring story of how a diminutive, left-handed, red-headed country boy from Rockhampton, Australia became one of sports' greatest champions. Rod was a dominant force in world tennis for almost two decades. In 1962, Rod became the second man to win the Grand Slam—that is, winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US titles in a single calendar year. In 1969, he won it again, becoming the only player ever to win the Grand Slam twice. Away from on-court triumphs, Rod also movingly writes about the life-changing stroke he suffered in 1998, and of his beloved wife of more than 40 years, Mary, who died in 2012 after a long illness. Filled with anecdotes about the great players and great matches, set against the backdrop of a changing tennis world, Rod's book is a warm and insightful account of one of tennis's all-time greats.

For people just starting to play, disc golf can become an exciting and addictive sport to play for a lifetime. Avid disc golfers often find playing a challenging test of both physical skill and mental determination. Disc golf is a "greener" sport than most, and has fewer barriers to entry than traditional golf and other recreational sports. It is also one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. The Definitive Guide to Disc Golf provides readers all the essential information they need to get started playing disc golf, but it is much more than just a basic "how to" manual – it is a thoughtful, fascinating, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration into the history, nature, science, and skills of disc golf. Featuring more than 80 instructional photos, this is a comprehensive book about disc golf that would be enjoyed by all players, from beginners to aspiring professionals.

Aimed at parents as well as their children, Soccer Skills: Way to Play is a step-by-step guide to the techniques the professionals use to enhance their skills, with expert advice on the tactics of the game and clear analysis of the rules. It contains hints, tips and training drills designed to hone individual skills as well as develop team play alongside practical advice for parents who want to help their children get the most out of the world's most popular game.

Written for cycling enthusiasts who expect to run into vehicular traffic or urban traffic patterns anywhere in the world, this book is not limited to only cyclists in major cities. Observations from years of cycling the city streets of Chicago and Los Angeles inspired these solutions, and every tip, hint, trick, and tactic can be applied to cycling anywhere—rural or urban.

The evidence is overwhelming: sports help girls grow into strong women. Both scientific studies and anecdotal evidence confirm that athletic girls not only grow up to be healthier; they learn teamwork, gain inner confidence, and grow into society's leaders. Sports help preteen and teenage girls make the right choices in a society that is sending them incredibly mixed messages about who they are supposed to be. Yet no one is speaking directly to these girls. Jennie fills the role of girlfriend, big sister, team captain, and mentor. A smart, credible, and accomplished voice from an athlete who is strong and feminine, fiercely competitive, and fashionably cool, Jennie is someone young women will listen to and take to heart. Jennie's message: Believe in yourself. Go for it, girls.

Mike Straka, host of HDNet's Fighting Words, sits down with the men who have shaped one of the fastest-growing sports on the planet in his new book. Through some of the most comprehensive and entertaining interviews ever recorded with MMA's biggest names, Straka paints a full picture of this incredibly unique and highly entertaining sport. Inside readers will find interviews with many of the giants of MMA, including Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Cain Velasquez, Frankie Edgar, Dana White, Renzo Gracie, Ken and Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, and Jon Jones.

Three-time Ironman finisher Amy Snyder takes the wraps off the best kept secret in the sports world, the Race Across America (RAAM), a bicycle race like no other. Unlike its famous cousin the Tour de France, RAAM is much crazier, more gothic, and even savage: once the gun goes off the clock doesn't stop, and the first rider to complete the prescribed 3,000-mile route is the victor. In Hell on Two Wheels, Snyder follows a group of athletes before, during, and after the 2009 RAAM, the closest and most controversial race in the event's 30-year history. This work offers a thrilling and remarkably detailed account of the competitors' triumphs and tragedies as they test themselves, each other, and the limits of human endurance. As RAAM exacts its vicious toll, Snyder shows how the racers discover their essential humanity and experience profound joy and completeness, demonstrating how such a grueling effort can also be cleansing and self-revelatory.

Providing a careful selection of the very best lessons from Tapout magazine, this book features moves and techniques from a wide spectrum of mixed martial arts in brilliant and easy-to-understand detail. Hall of Fame UFC fighters, Jiu Jitsu champions, and champions from Russia and the Philippines are all among the fighters featured in the lessons. For those interested in learning about all the sport has to offer and learning from the very best in the sport, MMA Training Manual Volume II is an absolute must addition to any collection of mixed martial arts learning tools.

From his early days of growing up in South Dakota and wrestling in North Dakota and Minnesota as a collegian to his WWE days and current UFC dominance, this biography of Brock Lesnar present a revealing portrait of the man both in and out of the Octagon. Fans will read of his whole life story with details on how he became the youngest WWE champion ever at the age of 25, why he did not like being a professional wrestler, details behind his collegiate wrestling career, his short stint as a Minnesota Viking, the role growing up on a dairy farm played in his success, and his unprecedented comeback from the illness that threatened his career. His former and current coaches, opponents, training partners, and friends share their thoughts and experiences about this multidimensional athlete who has taken the UFC world by storm. Fans will not want to be without this book.

A collection of mixed martial arts articles and lessons from Tapout magazine, this book contains full-color fighting tips and techniques by the biggest names in the sport. So valuable and effective are these lessons that MMA instructors from across the world use them to teach the sport.

For millions of basketball fans in the 1970s, Walt "Clyde" Frazier defined the word cool. One of the greatest point guards in NBA history, Clyde guided the New York Knicks to their only two championships with a style and flair that was wholly his own. Back in 1974, Clyde and New York Times sportswriter Ira Berkow collaborated on a book that has become an iconic and much-sought-after piece of basketball history. Now, three decades later, Rockin' Steady: A Guide to Basketball & Cool is back with an all-new introduction, afterword, and everything that made it one of the most unusual sports books of all time.

Approved by the International Football Association Board, this book is the essential guide to understanding the game of soccer. Including information for American play as well as international games, the book is appropriate for a thorough introduction or to deepen the understanding of the sport. Beyond the Laws of the Game, there are ample appendices that offer helpful diagrams and thorough explanations of standard game play, such as sections on “Signals by Referee and Assistant Referee,” and “The Technical Area and the Fourth Official,” as well as a set of diagrams specifically for understanding the rules surrounding offside. The book provides added clarity by highlighting the latest changes to the Laws, and diagrams are presented in both metric and US customary units measuring systems.