Books with author Robert (editor) Jackson

You are holding a ticket to one of the largest and most magnificent celebrations of all time -- the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair! For seven months nearly twenty million visitors from around the globe flooded the fairgrounds of Forest Park. Many explored the twelve mammoth palaces (made of plaster and horsehair!), which showcased amazing exhibits. Others enjoyed watching the first Olympic Games in the United States, keeping cool all summer with a new treat that became an instant hit -- the ice-cream cone. And everyone loved viewing all 1275 acres of fairgrounds from atop the 265-foot Ferris wheel. Robert Jackson describes the planning, building, events, and memory of a fair that enthralled millions with its magic. In fascinating detail, he captures the energy and imagination of turn-of-the-century America, when fairgoers begged friends and family to meet them in St. Louis.

No Ordinary Family is a story, a true story, about young girls that came together and played softball as a team called the Arkansas Playmakers. I had a fellow author read an early copy before it was sent to the publisher. I asked him to look it over and then get back to me with ways the manuscript could be improved. He had many good ideas, and I hope I was able to implement them to his satisfaction. However, he had one question? Were these girls real? Yes. "Their names, too" he asked. Yes. The story is real, and unlike "Dragnet" the names were not changed. I did not know what I was getting myself into when I chose this assignment; but, I hope everyone that reads this book will come to understand that not everything has to be a soap opera or a world of drama queens. There are parents that coach hard, but remain parents and see the world as one of many colors not just black and white where winning is everything. Fortunately for the Arkansas Playmakers, the parents and the girls have come together to form a unique family that lives, loves, plays and enjoys life together. This book is their story. It is a story of a brother and a sister, girls that came together to form a team but eventually became sisters first and foremost, the bond between softball fathers and their softball daughters and what makes a team a championship team (on and off the field). It is about how a team became part of a small, rural community in the southeastern corner of Arkansas. I hope those that read this book, find it enjoyable and worth your time and effort.