Book Description

Find inspiration in these “enjoyable” accounts of historic last-minute victories—both legendary and little-known—in the world of sports (Booklist). From a former editor of Sport magazine, this book is a journey through a century of athletic endeavor, from baseball to boxing and beyond—filled with true stories that remind us of some of the qualities that can help to create a champion: perseverance, determination, and hope. “Re-creations of 13 dramatic sports events from the 20th century . . . While Silverman has chosen to profile a handful of well-documented events, such as New York Giant Bobby Thompson’s 1951 home run at the Polo Grounds, the first Ali-Frazier prizefight in 1971 and the 1980 US hockey team’s Olympic victory over the Russians, the real value of the book lies in his depiction of such obscure or neglected events as the 1923 boxing match between Argentine Luis Firpo and American Jack Dempsey, and the 1968 Harvard-Yale football game . . . The best piece follows an unknown Native American Marine from Kansas who shocked himself and the world by winning the 10,000-meter road race at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics . . . He often tracks down and interviews event participants to provide perspective from both the victor and the vanquished.” —Publishers Weekly