Sometimes humorous, sometimes painful, the poetry of Michael Ray Perkins capture his life's journeys as they diverged from the country roads of his youth.
Go Big Red covers Nebraska football in a way no other publication has, with personality profiles, anecdotes, and original research, as well as questions of fact and trivia, some of which will test even the most devoted and knowledgeable Cornhusker fans. Nebraska has enjoyed thirty-six consecutive winning seasons, made twenty-nine consecutive bowl appearances, and won five national championships. During that time, the Cornhuskers have had just two head coaches, Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne. Without question, this is the golden era of Cornhusker football, and Go Big Red is a celebration of that indisputable fact. It is much more than a trivia book--it goes beyond the hefty and comprehensive media guides published each season by the Nebraska Sports Information Office. There is a section devoted to the best of Broderick Thomas, the loquacious outside linebacker. And there are also some things you won't remember, or things you might not have known. Can you name all of the assistant coaches on Osborne's first staff in 1973? Can you list Nebraska's starters for the 1941 Rose Bowl game? Do you know how the "Blackshirt" tradition began? Devaney was a master storyteller, and the book includes a humorous story or two of his. The program became a haven for walk-ons under Osborne, and the book includes an all-walk-on team. Cornhusker football was king long ago. And this book offers insight into that past glory, achieved by the likes of "Jumbo" Stiehm, Ed Weir, and Guy Chamberlin. All-American Trev Albert, the Butkus Award winner in 1993, has expressed the meaning of Cornhusker football in the introduction, which is an integral part of the book's experience. Reading Go Big Red isn't the same as sitting in Memorial Stadium, awash in red on game day. But it's the next best thing.
Will They Ever Trust Us Again? brings together hundreds of never-before-published letters that Mike has been sent - from GIs serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, from troops in US bases, from their mothers, wives and friends back home, from veterans who've fought around the globe - to show the reality beneath the political spin and TV propaganda. Their politics may vary from the Bushwhacked to the patriotic, but they all feel let down and lied to by government, they know the human cost of waging wars for the rich - and now they've had enough. Explosive, angry, moving and funny, this book shows who's really winning the battle for hearts and minds on the front line.
Long before the Patriots took the 21st century by storm and became the most dominant team in NFL history, pro football was something entirely different in New England, something comically atrocious and riddled with heartbreak. Before those juggernaut years of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and sold-out crowds at Gillette Stadium came a hapless franchise that managed only a single playoff victory in a quarter century and spent its entire first decade of existence just trying to establish a permanent home field (and even when they did, none of the toilets worked). In From Darkness to Dynasty, bestselling author Jerry Thornton irreverently chronicles those easily glossed-over, downtrodden decades--years when the team claimed more headlines for lawsuits, arrests, power struggles, drug problems, and inept, bizarre, behavior from players, coaches, and owners than for anything they accomplished on the field. Relive the behind-the-scenes dysfunction, the turmoil of prolonged irrelevance, and the improbable way the Patriots finally ascended to greatness. By turns hilarious and eye-opening, this is an essential history for fans and disparagers alike, and a pointed reminder that the best stories of triumph start with humble beginnings.
Story of Michael Oher, a rising gridiron star, who was rescued from the ghettos of Memphis and placed with a wealthy family to help develop his football skills.
Some of the most entertaining stories from one of the most remarkable franchises in sports are told in this revealing look at the New England Patriots. While the team's owner, coach, and stadium now all rank among the best in the National Football League, the team was known for decades as having comically inept management and ownership, as well as the worst stadium in the NFL.In Tales from the Patriots Sideline, former players share their tales of the tumultuous years. Their initial owners had to sell the team after going bankrupt promoting a Michael Jackson concert tour. Their coaches have been a colorful lot, too, including one who accepted a new job the day before a playoff game.From the AFL years through the lowest of low seasons, Patriots history has also been sprinkled with the occasional spikes of success. They were a franchise on the verge of being relocated before current management took the team to its new heights as three-time Super Bowl champions. Fans can find stories about it all in Tales from the Patriots Sideline.
Bertrand Russell was not only one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century; he was also a humanitarian and activist who fought for many moral, social, and political causes. During his lifetime, the general public knew him for his activism and popular works, in which he tackled such diverse topics as sexual ethics, religion, war, and nuclear disarmament. Besides the great achievements in mathematical logic on which his reputation rests, Russell was a pioneer in moral philosophy, and his work in this area informed and guided his activism. Russell created one of the first versions of a meta-ethical theory known as emotivism (sometimes also called the 'boo-hooray' theory, later popularized by A.J. Ayer and C.L. Stevenson) which maintains that ethical statements cannot be true or false - they are simply expressions of emotional attitudes. That Russell could hold such a theory while being at the same time an ardent activist is one feat. That his version was superior to more popular versions of emotivism is another. Yet, despite the fact that Russell held on to some form of emotivism for most of his professional life, and despite the fact that the theory is present in some of his best-known books, it was virtually ignored until the late 1990s. Michael K. Potter's book brings an important new dimension to our understanding of Russell's life, his activism, and his contribution to moral philosophy.
**Selected by the Wall Street Journal among the Best Sports Books of 2021** A New York Times bestselling sportswriter tells the inside story of how three star players joined together to form the most dominant team in basketball and lead the Boston Celtics to their first championship in more than two decades. The first of "The Big Three" was Paul Pierce. As Boston Celtics fans watched the team retire Pierce's jersey in a ceremony on February 11, 2018, they remembered again the incredible performances Pierce put on in the city for fifteen years, helping the Celtics escape the bottom of their conference to become champions and perennial championship contenders. But Pierce's time in the city wasn't always so smooth. In 2000, he was stabbed in a downtown nightclub eleven times in a seemingly random attack. Six years later, remaining the sole star on a struggling team, he asked to be traded and briefly became a lightning rod among fans. Then, in 2007, the Boston Celtics General Manager made two monumental trades, bringing Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to Boston. A press conference on July 31, 2007 was a sight to behold: Pierce, KG, and Ray Allen holding up Celtics jerseys for the flood of media. Coach Doc Rivers made sure the team bonded over the thought of winning a title and living by a Bantu term called Ubuntu, which translates as "I am because we are." Rivers wanted to make it clear that togetherness and brotherhood would help them maximize their talent and win. What came next—the synthesis of the Celtics' "Big Three" and their dominant championship run—cemented their standing as one of great teams in NBA history, a rival to Kobe Bryant's Lakers and LeBron James's Cavaliers. This is the team that brought excitement back to the Garden, and therefore to one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. They met their historic rivals, the Lakers, in the 2008 NBA Finals, winning the series in Game 6, in a rout on their home court with a raucous, concert like atmosphere. Along the victory parade route, Paul Pierce smoked a cigar—as a tribute to legendary former Celtics Coach Red Auerbach. In a city now defined by a wealth of championships, "The Big Three" joined the club. Michael Holley, the premier chronicler of Boston sports, brings their story to life with countless untold stories and behind-the-scenes details in another bestselling tome for New England and sports fans across the country.
Voices of the Country" presents interviews with innovative musicians, producers, and songwriters who shaped the last fifty years of country music. From Eddy Arnold's new, smoother approach to song delivery to Loretta Lynn's take-no-prisoners feminism, these people opened new vistas in country music - and American culture. Streissguth is a sensitive and knowledgeable interviewer: he gets beyond the standard publicity tales to the heart of the real voice - and real experiences - of these important figures.
This revealing look at the first forty years of the New England Patriots captures the stories of passion, power, and struggles of one of the most remarkable franchises in sports. True Pats fans know that while today the team’s owner, coach, and stadium all rank among the best in the NFL, the early years were a much harder road. For decades the Patriots was a team known for having comically inept management and ownership, as well as the worst stadium in the NFL. In Tales from the New England Patriots Sideline, former players share the hilarious and shocking tales of the team’s early tumultuous years. Readers will walk through the tragedies and triumphs of Patriots history. As any true fan knows, to understand how far your team has come, you've got to know where they've been. Without a doubt, Tales from the New England Patriots Sideline is a must-read for any New England fan.
For more than seven decades Nick Lucas was an entertainer, beginning as a child street musician and becoming one of the most popular singer-guitarists of all time. He was a popular sideman in bands, and his solo career conquered radio, recordings, vaudeville, Broadway, films, night clubs and television. He is credited with being the first musician to replace the banjo with the guitar in big bands and on records, and with initiating the "intimate style" of singing, making him the first crooner.Nick Lucas' guitar playing contributed significantly to the instrument's popularity, and he influenced generations of players with his instruction books and by having a line of popular guitar picks bearing his name. He was the first guitarist to have a custom-made model, "The Nick Lucas Special." This biography comprehensively covers Nick Lucas' career as he entertained audiences in the United States, England and Australia, becoming a beloved star and influencing popular music to the present day.
Former NFL general manager and three-time Super Bowl winner Michael Lombardi takes readers on the ultimate journey through the NFL's history to present his calls on the greatest players and coaches the sport has ever seen. From Monday Night Football to Super Bowl Sunday, the NFL is a dominating force in the lives of millions of fans who tune in and passionately cheer for their favorite teams. And when the games are over, the conversation is just getting started. Who's the greatest player of all time? Which coaches truly shaped the game we known and love today? What was the most unforgettable game? Why is professional football such an undeniable part of our culture? Three-time Super Bowl winner Michael Lombardi has done it all—from scout to executive to coach—and now he sets the record straight on these questions and more. With Football Done Right, Lombardi tackles all aspects of the sport, discussing the best of the best. He channels his 35+ years of experience with the NFL into an all-encompassing celebration of the game. More than just ranking the giants of the league, Lombardi shows how and why each affected the game. Mixing first-person, in-the-locker-room experience with little known history and hard stats, Lombardi makes a definitive case for the most influential coaches and the best players, and also offers an insider look to how drafts and trades operate behind the scenes and honoring the sportscasters who played an essential role in popularizing the sport. Both a full history of the sport and a comprehensive re-imagining of the Football Hall of Fame to honor every deserving athlete and coach, Football Done Right will change the way you watch, discuss, and debate the gridiron.
At times it appears that a whole industry exists to perpetuate the myth of origin of the Beatles. There certainly exists a popular music (or perhaps 'rock') origin myth concerning this group and the city of Liverpool and this draws in devotees, as if on a pilgrimage, to Liverpool itself. Once 'within' the city, local businesses exist primarily to escort these pilgrims around several almost iconic spaces and places associated with the group. At times it all almost seems 'spiritual'. One might argue however that, like any function myth, the music history of the Liverpool in which the Beatles grew and then departed is not fully represented. Beatles historians and businessmen-alike have seized upon myriad musical experiences and reworked them into a discourse that homogenizes not only the diverse collective articulations that initially put them into place, but also the receptive practices of those travellers willing to listen to a somewhat linear, exclusive narrative. Other Voices therefore exists as a history of the disparate and now partially hidden musical strands that contributed to Liverpool's musical countenance. It is also a critique of Beatles-related institutionalized popular music mythology. Via a critical historical investigation of several thus far partially hidden popular music activities in pre- and post-Second World War Liverpool, Michael Brocken reveals different yet intrinsic musical and socio-cultural processes from within the city of Liverpool. By addressing such 'scenes' as those involving dance bands, traditional jazz, folk music, country and western, and rhythm and blues, together with a consideration of partially hidden key places and individuals, and Liverpool's first 'real' record label, an assemblage of 'other voices' bears witness to an 'other', seldom discussed, Liverpool. By doing so, Brocken - born and raised in Liverpool - asks questions about not only the historicity of the Beatles-Liverpool narrative, but also about the absence o
In Game of My Life Texas Longhorns, prominent Texas players of the past and coach Darrell Royal share their fondest experiences and game-day memories of the games they remember the most, largely in their own words, with authors Michael Pearle and Bill Frisbie. Longhorn greats take the reader on a journey back to some of the greatest games in Texas history. How did Earl Campbell prove that he was worthy of the Heisman? How did a Snickers bar help convince Ricky Williams to return to Texas for his senior year? What was Vince Young really thinking just before the 2006 Rose Bowl? In Game of My Life Texas Longhorns, fans will find the answers to these questions and many more as more than twenty of the greatest players relive the moment that shaped their college football career. Within these pages, Texas fans will finally get the chance to step into the game and onto the grass with their favorite Longhorns legends. UT grads Michael Pearle and Bill Frisbie walk readers down memory lane to capture some of the most exciting, poignant, and fulfilling games ever played by the Horns. A must-have for any Horns fan.
Presents the life of Bill Belichick and a detailed analysis of how he developed an elite coaching staff, and a winning strategy to lead the New England Patriots to victory in the 2002 and 2004 Super Bowls.
Story of Michael Oher, a rising gridiron star, who was rescued from the ghettos of Memphis and placed with a wealthy family to help develop his football skills.
How did Earl Campbell prove that he was worthy of the Heisman? How did a Snickers bar help convince Ricky Williams to return to Texas for his senior year? What was Vince Young really thinking just before the 2006 Rose Bowl? In Game of My Life Texas Longhorns, fans will find the answers to these questions and many more as twenty of the greatest players relive the moment that shaped their college football career. Within these pages, Texas fans will finally get the chance to step into the game and onto the grass with their favorite Longhorns legends from past and present. Texas natives Michael Pearle and Bill Frisbie walk readers down memory lane to capture some of the most exciting, poignant, and fulfilling games ever played by the Horns. A must-have for any Horns fan.
Since the team’s inception in 1946, the Boston Celtics have been at the heart of the culture and history of the city they call home. And as Boston has transformed over the years, the Celtics too have evolved to reflect and embrace the changing times. In a book like no other, veteran writer and lifelong Celtics fan Michael McClellan brings Celtics history to life through exclusive interviews with legendary Celtics players and celebrity supporters, while using pop culture and music as a soundtrack. More than thirty interviewees are featured in this iconic book. Hall-of-Famer Bob Cousy recalls the turmoil of the fifties, as the franchise struggled to get its footing and the nation faced the birth of the Civil Rights Movement. K. C. Jones and Clyde Lovellette narrate the glory of the Bill Russell era, as Russell himself remembers his time as a Celtic. Celebrated players John Havlicek and Dave Cowens relate the ups and downs of the psychedelic seventies, when the team won two national titles, only to collapse at the end of the decade. The epic eighties Celtics-Lakers rivalry and the leadership of legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson is told by teammates Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, and Nate Archibald, and rivals Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Former Celtics honor the legacy of Reggie Lewis and relay the dark days after his untimely passing in 1993, and the revival of the Celtics under the guidance of Paul Pierce and Brad Stevens in the 2000s. Also featuring interviews by notable Boston natives such as Michael Dukakis and Mark Wahlberg, The Boston Celtics is the ultimate history of one of the NBA's greatest franchises. “My experience working with Skyhorse is always a positive collaboration. The editors are first-rate professionals, and my books receive top-shelf treatment. I truly appreciate our working relationship and hope it continues for years to come.” –David Fischer, author
In the vivid and outlandish tradition of Hunter S. Thompson, journalist Michael Swindle shares his most bizarre, laugh out loud accounts of his travels: cockfights in Cajun country and wild boar hunts in the Everglades; "hog dog" rodeo in northern Louisiana and ass-hauling alligators in southern Louisiana; state to state fish throws in Florida to Alabama; and hollerin' contests in North Carolina. Other pieces explore a Haitian military dictatorship involved in voodoo and a story that starts with a Zapatista march on Mexico City and ends with an Anahuac Indian New Year's ceremony for the year 5722. Always entertaining, Swindle has a gift for bringing to life a folksy array of coastal characters, and shows a willingness to unflinchingly examine some controversial subject matter as well.
To millions, Johnny Cash was the rebellious Man in Black, the unabashed patriot, the redeemed Christian-the king of country music. But Johnny Cash was also an uncertain country boy whose dreams were born in the cotton fields of Arkansas and who struggled his entire life with a guilt-ridden childhood, addictions, and self-doubt. A sensitive songwriter with profound powers of musical expression, Cash told America and the world the stories of a nation's heroes and outcasts.Johnny Cash: The Biography explores in depth many often-overlooked aspects of the legend's life and career. It examines the powerful artistic influence of his older brother, Roy, and chronicles Cash's air force career in the early 1950s, when his songwriting took form...and when he purchased his first guitar. It uncovers the origins of his trademark boom-chicka-boom rhythm and traces his courtship of Bob Dylan in the folk revival era of the 1960s.Johnny Cash also delves into the details of Cash's personal life, including his drug dependency, which dogged him long after many thought he had beaten it. It unflinchingly recounts his relationships with his first wife, Vivian Liberto, his second wife, June Carter Cash, and his children. And it follows Cash as man and musician from his early years of success through the commercially desolate years of the 1980s to his reemergence under the influence of producer Rick Rubin-and association that revitalized his career yet raised contradictions about Cash's values and craft.Scrupulously researched, passionately told, Johnny Cash: The Biography is the unforgettable portrait of an enduring American icon.
Big Games provides readers with an in-depth look at ten of college football's biggest rivalries and what puts them in such rare company"--Page 2 of cover
A collection of the total range of scholarly and popular writing on English as spoken from Maryland to Texas and from Kentucky to Florida The only book-length bibliography on the speech of the American South, this volume focuses on the pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, naming practices, word play, and other aspects of language that have interested researchers and writers for two centuries. Compiled here are the works of linguists, historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and educators, as well as popular commentators. With over 3,800 entries, this invaluable resource is a testament to the significance of Southern speech, long recognized as a distinguishing feature of the South, and the abiding interest of Southerners in their speech as a mark of their identity. The entries encompass Southern dialects in all their distinctive varieties—from Appalachian to African American, and sea islander to urbanite.
Americana is a music that defies definition. It isn’t rock, although it does encompass rock. It isn’t folk, but folk is there. It isn’t Celtic, but it is woven with Celtic threads. It is a blend of forms, music that draws on a wide range of influences. Gathering these many genres together, Americana continually reinvents itself and actively tells the story of its origins and its future. The Americana Revolution: From Country and Blues Roots to the Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, and Beyond is an informal social history that describes Americana as both a musical genre and a movement, showing what it is, where it came from, and where it is going. Musician and historian Michael Scott Cain examines how the idea of genre, especially Americana, affects the creation and consumption of music. He tries to discern the formulas of this slippery genre and seeks out the places where artists have broken or bent those formulas in the name of creativity. Through anecdotes and interviews, Cain provides a firsthand view into the creation of Americana to clarify how the genre can be categorized and defined. Through the stories of its creators both long gone and new to the scene, Americana music comes alive as a diverse melting pot of creative genius. With this book, Cain grants music lovers from all backgrounds an unparalleled view into the future of a music that embraces new influences but never forgets its roots.
Capturing the best and the worst moments in the history of some of America's favorite teams, this entertaining and informative series for sports fans includes information on the best and worst teams and players of all times, the greatest and worst moments in franchise history, dramatic comebacks and blown leads, overrated and underrated players and coaches, and more, all complemented by archival photographs.
A reassessment of the military's role in developing the Western territories moves beyond combat stories and stereotypes to focus on more non-martial accomplishments such as exploration, gathering scientific data, and building towns.
The British Copyright Act of 1709 protected proprietors of books and music printed after 10 April 1710 who gave copies to the Company of Stationers in London. Upon receipt of a copy, usually within days of its first publication, the Stationers' Hall warehouse keeper entered details into a register. They included the date of registration, the name of the work's proprietor (its author or, if copyright had been transferred, its publisher), and the work's full title, which normally named the composer and the writer of any text and often named the work's performers and dedicatee. Although some publishers put the words 'Entered at Stationers' Hall' on title-pages without actually depositing copies, the information in the registers about the many works that were registered has significant bibliographic value. Because the music entries have not previously been printed and access to them has been difficult, they generally have been ignored by cataloguers and scholars, with the consequence that numerous musical works of this period have been misdated in libraries and reference books. This book makes available, for the first time, the full text of the music entries at Stationers' Hall from 1710 to 1810 and abbreviated details of works entered from 1811 to 1818. Its value is enhanced by the inclusion of locations of copies of most works, together with indexes of composers, authors, performers and dedicatees, and an explanatory introduction by the compiler.
George Allen was a fascinating and eccentric figure in the world of football coaching. His remarkable career spanned six decades, from the late 1940s until his sudden death in 1990 at the age of seventy-three. Although he never won a Super Bowl, he never had a losing season as an NFL head coach and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. In George Allen: A Football Life, Mike Richman captures the life and accomplishments of one of the most successful NFL coaches of all time and one of the greatest innovators in the game. A player’s coach, Allen was a tremendous motivator and game strategist, as well as a defensive mastermind, and is credited with making special teams a critical focus in an era in which they were an afterthought. He had a keen eye for talent and pulled off masterful trades, often for veteran players who were viewed to be past their prime, who then had great seasons and made his teams much better. In addition to his coaching feats, Allen had an idiosyncratic and controversial personality. His life revolved around football 24-7. One of his quirks was to minimize chewing time by consuming soft foods, giving himself more time to prepare for games and study opponents. He lived and breathed football; he compared losing to death. Allen had contentious relationships with the owners of the two NFL teams for which he was the head coach, the Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Rams. Richman explores why he was fired by those teams and whether he was blackballed from coaching again in the NFL. Based on detailed research and interviews with family, former players, and coaches, George Allen is the definitive biography of the football coach who lived to win, loved a good challenge, and left a lasting legacy on pro football history.
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