New Saladin bio shows sultan’s unifying powers during Crusades
Of all the great figures in the Middle Ages whose influence still resonates today, none has been so little written about as Yusuf Ibn Ayyub (meaning "son of Ayyub"). The...
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Roundup: New Baseball books both important and memorable
Handsome Ransom Jackson: Accidental Big Leaguer by Ransom Jackson Jr. with Gaylon H. White, Rowman & Littlefield, 262 pages, $34 If you remember the name Ransom Jackson, it's probably from...
‘The Apache Wars’ gives history of forgotten conflict
Paul Andrew Hutton's "The Apache Wars" is a major work of history on a much-neglected subject. Ask most any American to name our longest war, and they're bound to reply...
‘The Selling of the Babe’ demythologizes Babe Ruth’s trade from the Red Sox to the Yankees
Just when we thought there was nothing new to know about Babe Ruth, we find that the biggest part of his story needed retelling. Glenn Stout, author of, among others,...
‘Eternity Street’ by John Mack Faragher explores the violent past of Los Angeles
"Forget it Jake," someone says to Jack Nicholson's J.J. Gittes at the end of the most famous movie about Los Angeles crime, "It's Chinatown." John Mack Faragher's "Eternity Street: Violence...
Muhammad Ali’s ‘Phantom Punch’ on Sonny Liston explored in new book
On May 25, 1965, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali — only a short time before known as Cassius Clay — knocked out former champ Sonny Liston in the first round with...
Review: ‘The Lost Detective: Becoming Dashiell Hammett’ by Nathan Ward
Raymond Chandler, the man who walked through the door Dashiell Hammett kicked open, paid him the sincerest homage. In his oft-quoted essay on the American detective story, "The Simple Art...
Baseball books to read this season
A new baseball season promises a fresh crop of published diamond gems. Here are five books that caught our eye. Molina by Bengie Molina with Joan Ryan, Simon & Schuster,...
Review – ‘Michael Jordan: The Life’ by Roland Lazenby
In his massive and utterly definitive biography, "Michael Jordan: The Life," Roland Lazenby wastes no time establishing his subject's significance. "The convergence of culture and technology," he writes in the...
Review – ‘Michael Jordan: The Life’ by Roland Lazenby
In his massive and utterly definitive biography, "Michael Jordan: The Life," Roland Lazenby wastes no time establishing his subject's significance. "The convergence of culture and technology," he writes in the...