Books in Sports in America series

Get to know Drew Brees, the record-breaking, beloved quarterback, in this gripping new sports biography from Matt Christopher Drew Brees grew up in a family of athletes, and overcame injuries and setbacks to become one of today's best quarterbacks. This comprehensive biography - complete with photos and fun infographics - shows how Drew Brees went from being a flag football player to Super Bowl MVP and modern legend, and is sure to appeal to legions of football fans.

This entry in a brand new line of sports biographies from Matt Christopher takes readers onto the court with an all-star who reaches for new heights Blake Griffin is known for being a #1 draft pick, Rookie of the Year, Slam Dunk Contest winner, and one of the best power forwards playing today. But he had to fight to make it onto the NBA court at all after sitting out his first pro season with a devastating knee injury. Learn more about the perennial All-Star in this comprehensive biography, complete with photos and fun infographics.

This entry in a brand new line of sports biographies from Matt Christopher takes readers onto the plate with a baseball legend Babe Ruth was baseball's first true power hitter, a strong pitcher, and smart outfielder who made some amazing game-saving catches. His love of the sport came through in his playfulness on the field and drive to win, but Babe had to overcome a lot of obstacles in order to become the greatest. This comprehensive biography - with bonus photos and infographics - tells the story behind the legend.

This entry in a brand new line of sports biographies from Matt Christopher takes readers onto the field with a soccer legend Mia Hamm's speed, aggressive play, and ability to "read the field" helped her become the best women's soccer player in the world. Her stellar performance as a college, World Cup, and Olympic champion made her a sports hero, and her story will inspire a new generation of young athletes. This comprehensive biography - with bonus photos and infographics - gives readers an up-close look at one of America's greatest soccer stars.

The decade following World War I was known as the "Roaring Twenties," and sports were no exception, from Babe Ruth's fateful trade to the New York Yankees to a transcontinental footrace from Los Angeles to New York. Following this decade of letting loose was the more somber 1930s, a time of worldwide economic depression. Jesse Owens's four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and War Admiral's Triple Crown win served as beacons of light for a downtrodden nation. Learn about these events, and many more, in 1920–1939, Second Edition.Highlights include:Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sells Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1920Four powerful players on University of Notre Dame's football team are dubbed "the Four Horsemen" by sportswriter Grantland Rice in 1924The Harlem Globetrotters launch a basketball legacy in 1927The Transcontinental Race, a foot race from Los Angeles to New York, is run over 84 days in 1928One of football's most celebrated coaches, Knute Rockne of University of Notre Dame, dies in a plane crash in 1931Babe Didrikson, one of the greatest female athletes of all time, wins two gold medals and a silver medal at the 1932 OlympicsAfrican-American athlete Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, striking a blow against Nazi racismWar Admiral wins the Triple Crown in 1937.

The booming decade following World War II saw many advances in sports and the continued integration of people of other races into major sports leagues. A lanky Oxford University medical student broke the four-minute-mile record, the first African American won a U.S. Open singles title, and the color barrier broke in the National Basketball Association. 1950–1959, Second Edition explores this decade of sports, presenting full-color and black-and-white photographs and further resources for interested readers.Highlights include:African-American players Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, Chuck Cooper, and Earl "Big Cat" Lloyd break the color barrier in the National Basketball Association in 1950Bobby Thomson hits "the shot heard round the world" to win the 1951 National League pennant for the New York GiantsIn 1954 Roger Bannister, a medical student at Oxford University, becomes the first man to run a mile in less than four minutesBoxer Rocky Marciano defeats challenger Archie Moore in 1955 to end his career as the undefeated heavyweight championAlthea Gibson becomes the first African American to win the U.S. Open singles title in 1957Alan Ameche and Johnny Unitas lead the Baltimore Colts to the 1958 NFL championship in "the Greatest Game Ever Played."

The decade interrupted by the Second World War was filled with sports triumphs and comebacks. From Joe DiMaggio's still-unbroken 56-game hitting streak for the Yankees to the resumption of the Olympics, the 1940s also saw the beginning of the NBA and the breaking of the color barrier in Major League Baseball and in professional football. The colorful new 1940–1949, Second Edition describes all of these groundbreaking events, plus many more.Highlights from 1940-1949 include:Joe DiMaggio records at least one hit at bat in 56 consecutive games in 1941President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1942 "green light" letter asks Major League Baseball to continue games during World War II to help the country's morale18-year-old swimmer Ann Curtis becomes the first woman to win the Amateur Athletic Union's Sullivan Award for top athlete of the year in 1944Hockey player Maurice Richards scores a record 50 goals in 50 games during the 1945 seasonAfrican-American players Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, and Bill Willis break the color barrier in professional football in 1946African-American player Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947The Olympics, cancelled during World War II, return in 1948The National Basketball Association begins with 17 teams in 1949.

Nicknamed the "greed" decade, the 1980s served as a backdrop for the beginning of the end of the cold war, the boon of spaceflight, and over-the-top pop culture. During this time, the U.S. men's hockey team triumphed over the heavily favored Soviet Union team to win gold at the 1980 Olympic Games, the first American won the Tour de France, and Bo Jackson made history by simultaneously playing baseball and football at the pro level. 1980–1989, Second Edition showcases these standout moments in sports, with vivid photographs, handy reference features, and colorful narration.Highlights include:The U.S. hockey team wins the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics, defeating the much-favored Soviet Union team in a dramatic upsetCarl Lewis breaks the world indoor long-jump record in 1982In 1983 the New York Islanders become the second NHL team to win the Stanley Cup in four consecutive yearsThe Lakers and the Celtics meet for the ninth time in the NBA finals in 1985, and for the first time the Lakers winGreg LeMond wins the 1986 Tour de France, becoming the first man from the United States to do soBo Jackson, already playing baseball for the Kansas City Royals, signs to play pro football the same year with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1987.

The 1970s were a time of disco, U.S. relief at the end of the Vietnam conflict, and celebration of America's bicentennial. The passage of the groundbreaking Title IX act saw women's sports on the rise as more funding became federally mandated, Bruce Jenner became known as the "World's Greatest Athlete" with his remarkable gold medal at the 1976 Olympics, and Reggie Jackson batted in three consecutive home runs to clinch a Yankee win in the 1977 World Series. 1970–1979, Second Edition relates vivid accounts of these sports achievements through engaging prose, colorful images, and handy reference features.Highlights include:The Chinese government invites the U.S. ping-pong team to China in 1971, marking a break in decades of tension between the two nationsTitle IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 prohibits gender-based discrimination in education programs, opening the way for the rise of women's athleticsThe Pittsburgh Steelers win the 1975 Super Bowl, the team's firstBruce Jenner wins the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics, earning the title "World's Greatest Athlete"Reggie Jackson helps the New York Yankees win the 1977 World Series with three consecutive home runs in game sixGordie Howe, "Mr. Hockey," takes to the ice for his final of his 32 seasons in 1979.

The last decade of the 20th century brought with it the Persian Gulf War, the election of Bill Clinton, and the dawn of the Internet age for the United States. In sports, the women's national soccer team won the first soccer world championship for the country in 128 years, basketball's Dream Team dunked their way to Olympic gold, and for the first time, the World Series was canceled because of a players' strike. 1990–1999, Second Edition explores this decade of firsts, complete with vivid images, handy reference features, and engaging prose for readers interested in sports.Highlights include:The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, playing in Guangzhou, China, in 1991 scores two historic firsts when it wins gold medals in the first women's World Cup Soccer Championship and becomes the first American world champions in soccer since the game was introduced 128 years earlierThe International Olympic Committee opens men's basketball to pro players in 1992, and the USA Dream Team takes the court, featuring Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, and Michael JordanA Major League Baseball players' strike ends the season in August 1994 and erases the World Series for the first time since 1904The first Extreme Games, held in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1995 air on ESPNTiger Woods wins the prestigious Master Tournament in 1997 with a record-setting 12-stroke victory.