Baseball in the Garden of Eden
Baseball in the Garden of Eden

Author: John Thorn

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-03-20

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0743294041

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Think you know how the game of baseball began? Think again. Forget Abner Doubleday and Cooperstown. Did baseball even have a father--or did it just evolve from other bat-and-ball games? John Thorn, baseball's preeminent historian, examines the creation story of the game and finds it all to be a gigantic lie. From its earliest days baseball was a vehicle for gambling, a proxy form of class warfare. Thorn traces the rise of the New York version of the game over other variations popular in Massachusetts and Philadelphia. He shows how the sport's increasing popularity in the early decades of the nineteenth century mirrored the migration of young men from farms and small towns to cities, especially New York. Full of heroes, scoundrels, and dupes, this book tells the story of nineteenth-century America, a land of opportunity and limitation, of glory and greed--all present in the wondrous alloy that is our nation and its pastime.--From publisher description.

The Dry Forests and Woodlands of Africa
The Dry Forests and Woodlands of Africa

Author: Emmanuel N. Chidumayo

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2010-09-23

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1136531378

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The dry forests and woodlands of Sub-Saharan Africa are major ecosystems, with a broad range of strong economic and cultural incentives for keeping them intact. However, few people are aware of their importance, compared to tropical rainforests, despite them being home to more than half of the continent's population. This unique book brings together scientific knowledge on this topic from East, West, and Southern Africa and describes the relationships between forests, woodlands, people and their livelihoods. Dry forest is defined as vegetation dominated by woody plants, primarily trees, the canopy of which covers more than 10 per cent of the ground surface, occurring in climates with a dry season of three months or more. This broad definition - wider than those used by many authors - incorporates vegetation types commonly termed woodland, shrubland, thicket, savanna, wooded grassland, as well as dry forest in its strict sense. The book provides a comparative analysis of management experiences from the different geographic regions, emphasizing the need to balance the utilization of dry forests and woodland products between current and future human needs. Further, the book explores the techniques and strategies that can be deployed to improve the management of African dry forests and woodlands for the benefit of all, but more importantly, the communities that live off these vegetation formations. Thus, the book lays a foundation for improving the management of dry forests and woodlands for the wide range of products and services they provide.

Diamonds in the Rough
Diamonds in the Rough

Author: Joel Zoss

Publisher: U of Nebraska Press

Published: 2004-01-01

Total Pages: 456

ISBN-13: 9780803299207

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Pairing their detailed, informative research with a sophisticated anecdotal approach, Joel Zoss and John Bowman have written a fascinating, original, literate, and concise compendium of the history and issues surrounding America's national pastime. Addressedøare such diverse topics as the origins of the game, the contributions of minorities and women, the evolution of umpiring, baseball's influence on literature and music, substance abuse, on- and off-field tragedy, and the game's international presence. Diamonds in the Rough is an invaluable and stimulating resource both for those who already study the game and for those who would like to learn its revealing history.

Nassau Country Club
Nassau Country Club

Author: Desmond Tolhurst

Publisher:

Published: 1995-09

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 9780964818002

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Heritage is synonymous with Nassau Country Club, home of the "two dollar Nassau wager"; also of the original Calamity Jane, renowned putter of Bobby Jones, & the Nassau bowl, oldest tennis award in the U.S. This Nassau Journey began 100 years ago in the heart of the old Gold Coast of Glen Cove, Long Island. The founders were rich in the history of this country at the turn into the 1900's. Among its first golf professionals were Alex Smith & Jimmie Maiden, from Carnoustie, Scotland. Nassau CC was The Place To Be for Jones, Travers, & Hagen, Vardon & Ray--for Nassau Bowl aspirants tennis greats Clothier, Tilden, Riggs, Trabert & Newcombe--J. P. Morgan & Percy Chubb--past Presidents of the U.S., luminaries, & royalty from abroad. Nassau is that rich in past tournaments in golf, lawn tennis, & squash that we earnestly researched & detailed many matches stroke by stroke; although unique for a club history, we invite the true follower to relive the excitement of days past to the present. Along the way, we introduce our members, their fun ways, the challenges exacerbated by two world wars, & the paths followed to solve problems & insure a future bicentennial.