For the fiftieth anniversary of the film, W.K. Stratton's definitive history of the making of The Wild Bunch, named one of the greatest Westerns of all time by the American Film Institute.Sam Peckinpah's film The Wild Bunch is the story of a gang of outlaws who are one big steal from retirement. When their attempted train robbery goes awry, the gang flees to Mexico and falls in with a brutal general of the Mexican Revolution, who offers them the jo...

Reaching the top in any sport requires a long, hard climb. But when you start with the baggage of years of family dysfunction and incarceration in a hellish mental hospital, the climb is especially steep. Yet even with such weights to carry, Anissa Zamarron won not one, but two, world championships in women's boxing. Her story, as dramatically intense as the Clint Eastwood film Million Dollar Baby, is one of tremendous courage and determination to overcome the odds against her as ...

"A well-researched and overdue tribute. Like one of Patterson's reliable left hooks, Stratton sharply recounts the life of an important, but often forgotten, two-time world heavyweight champion." — Gary Andrew Poole, author of PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny PacquiaoIn 1956, Floyd Patterson became, at age twenty-one, the youngest boxer to claim the title of world heavyweight champion. Later, he was the first ever to lose and regain that honor.Here, the acclaim...

It happens once a year, creating a seismic divide throughout the country. It pits brother against brother. It breaks up business deals. It ruins relationships. And once it’s finished, all both sides want is for another year to pass by so they can do it again. It is the Texas/Texas A& M football game. And in the football-obsessed state that is Texas, no single game resonates more.Every year during the Thanksgiving holidays, the two teams meet for something that has become much more ...

An updated edition of award-winning columnist Jack Newfields best-selling biography of Americas boxing mogul, the source for the Emmy-winning movie Don King: Only in America. When Jack Newfields unauthorized biography of Don King first appeared in 1995 it was hailed as one of the most important pieces of sports journalism of the decade. The HBO movie based on the book continues to be a television favorite. Now, for the first time, The Life and Crimes of Don King is available in paperba...

The true story of Paul "Bear" Bryant's 1954 Texas A&M football training camp, and the courage, determination and sheer guts it brought out of one team.Now a television movie produced by ESPN, starring Tom Berenger."I heard the story of the Junction Boys from gene Stallings when he was on my staff with the Cowboys. Those guys were some of the toughest to ever play the game. Jim Dent has really brough the story to life in a book any foo...

The moving and personal story of one woman's journey into the remote and rugged Tanami Desert with the matriarchs of her husband's family. Shortlisted for both The Age Book of the Year and The Australian Human Rights Commission Literature Award. 'This big land, Australia. It's big enough for everyone!' calls Annie Karrakayn across the pre-dawn campfire to the other Law women stirring from the perfect quiet of a still, desert night. 'Strong Dreamin' ' she whispers. So begins the intimate di...

The shinobi, or ninja, is one of the most widely recognized figures in the world of espionage—and also one of the most misrepresented. What do we really know about the historical shinobi, his tactics, and his role in medieval Japanese society? In Secret Traditions of the Shinobi, these questions—and many more—are answered. Translated into English for the very first time, this widely sought-after collection of historical documents brings to light the secret practices, techniques, p...

Boxing's greatest trainer reveals all"The book is written in a highly conversational tone, and by the end the reader will know precisely what it is like to listen to the Bill Walsh of boxing hold court on the exotic art of the cornerman."--New York Times Book Review"[H]ere's one for the fans: an as-close-up-as-you-can-get view of boxing's biggest, baddest personalities and poundings."-Men's Journal

This is the story of Ivan Bender, growing up in a new resources rich country - Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), during one of the most violent periods of African history from 1948 to 1980. After a threatening encounter with a crocodile, an Ndebele warrior is assigned the job of being Ivan's guardian. A strong friendship develops between the warrior and the boy.Ivan's father is stricken by malaria and the family is forced to move to the city. There, two black waifs are taken into t...

"A dazzling portrait. . . . Written with energy, daring, and artful intelligence." --San Francisco Chronicle

A passionate, haunting and moving work that tells the breathtaking story of how Dutch Jews survived the unspeakable and came to play a strong role in the rise of the most exciting and revolutionary style of soccer -- "Total Football" -- the world had ever seen.When most people think about the Netherlands, images of tulips and peaceful pot smoking residents spring to mind. Bring up soccer, and most will think of Johan Cruyff, the Dutch player thought to rival Pele i...