A butcher's daughter in a small Sussex town ends her nightly prayers with "Oh, God, give me horses, give me horses! Let me be the best rider in England!" The answer to 14-year-old Velvet Brown's plea materializes in the form of an unwanted piebald, raffled off in a village lottery, who turns out to be adept at jumping fences — exactly the sort of horse that could win the world's most famous steeplechase, the Grand National.Richly atmospheric of...

"The players and coaches of the 2004 Boston Red Sox are now and forever, legends. After all, it had been 86 years since Boston last won a World Series, a fact anybody even remotely associated with the team as a player, executive, or fan was reminded of on a daily basis. For the players on the 2004 Red Sox roster, winning in '04 was one of the greatest experiences in their lives. For fans, the '04 team will forever be remembered as the one that broke...

"They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers. In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team that captivated the world, kindled the hoop dreams of countless children around the planet, and remade the NBA into a global sensation. As a senior staff writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat...

"Gregg Easterbrook is one of the country's best-known football commentators, having analyzed football on-air for ESPN and the NFL Network. MSNBC calls his ESPN blog "the best and most compelling football column anywhere." The King of Sports takes an expansive look at our biggest sport. Easterbrook explores these and many other topics: The real harm done by concussions (It's not to NFL players) The real way in which college football players are exploited...

For all that has been written in tribute to the great Fenway Park, no one has ever really told the behind-thescenes true story of its birth, construction, and tumultuous yet glorious first season - 1912. While the paint was still drying and the infield still turning green, the Red Sox embarked on an unlikely season that would culminate in a World Series battle against John McGraw's mighty Giants that stands as one of the greatest ever played. Fenway...

"The University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the nine boys, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what beating the odds really meant. They defeated elite rivals from California and eastern schools to earn the right to compete against the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic Games in Berlin....

"There are zero reasons for Theo Ripley to look forward to his family vacation. Not only are he, sister Laura, and nature-obsessed Dad going to Big Bend, the least popular National Park, but once there, the family will be camping. And Theo is an indoor animal. It doesn't help that this will be the first vacation they're taking since Mom passed away. Once there, the family contends with 110 degree days, wild bears, and an annoying amateur ornithologist...

"For anyone actually spending time outside, The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival is the perfect antidote to the sensationalism of today, filled instead with advice you'll actually use. Along with lessons from the real-life experiences of renowned outdoors expert and host of the Netflix Original Series MeatEater Steven Rinella, its pages are packed with tried-and-true tips, techniques, and gear recommendations from Rinella and his...

"On September 2, 2013, at the age of 64, Diana Nyad emerged onto the shores of Key West after completing a 110 mile, 53 hour, record-breaking swim through shark-infested waters from Cuba to Florida. Her memoir shows why, at 64 she was able to achieve what she couldn't at 30 and how her repeated failures contributed to her success"--