To illuminate the mysterious greatness of Anton Chekhov'swritings, Janet Malcolm takes on three roles: literary critic,biographer, and journalist. Her close readings of the stories andplays are interwoven with episodes from Chekhov's life and framedby an account of Malcolm's journey to St. Petersburg, Moscow, andYalta. She writes of Chekhov's childhood, his relationships, histravels, his early success, and his self-imposed "exile"--alwayswith an eye to connecting them to themes and characters in hiswork. Lovers of Chekhov as well as those new to his work will betransfixed by "Reading Chekhov."
Hard Driving is the dramatic story of one man’s doggeddetermination to live the life he loved, and to compete, despitedaunting obstacles, at the highest level of his sport.Wendell Scottfigured he was signing up for trouble when he became nascar’sversion of Jackie Robinson in the segregated 1950s. Some speedwaysrefused to let him race. “Go home, nigger,” spectators yelled. Andafter a bigoted promoter refused to pay him, Scott appealeddirectly to the sport’s founder, nascar czar Bill France Sr.Francemade a promise Scott would never forget – that nascar would nevertreat him with prejudice.For the next two decades, Scott chased adream whose fulfillment depended on France backing up that promise.Persevering through crashes, health problems, and money troubles,Scott remained convinced he had the talent to become one ofnascar’s best. Hard Driving documents a previously untold chapterin the history of integration, politics, and sports in America. Itreveals how France, founder of the multibillion-
At the age of seventeen, Marco Martinez was a thug At the age of twenty-two, he was a hero Hard Corps tells the story of a young man’s incredibletransformation from gun-toting gang member to recipient of the NavyCross, the second-highest honor a U.S. Marine can receive. Gritty,riveting, and ultimately inspiring, Hard Corps captures the“ooh-rah” spirit of the U.S. Marine Corps and the grueling life onthe front lines.
Musician, composer, producer, arranger, and pioneering entrepreneur Quincy Jones has lived large and worked for five decades alongside the superstars of music and entertainment -- including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Ray Charles, Will Smith, and dozens of others. Q is his glittering and moving life story, told with the style, passion, and no-holds-barred honesty that are his trademarks. Quincy Jones grew up poor on the mean streets of Chicago’s South Side, brushing against the law and feeling the pain of his mother’s descent into madness. But when his father moved the family west to Seattle, he took up the trumpet and was literally saved by music. A prodigy, he played backup for Billie Holiday and toured the world with the Lionel Hampton Band before leaving his teens. Soon, though, he found his true calling, inaugurating a career whose highlights have included arranging albums for Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, and Count Basie; comp
There has never been a golfer to rival Arnold Palmer. To thelegions of golf fans around the world, Palmer is a charismatichero, the winner of sixty-one tournaments on the PGA Tour and stillgoing strong on the Senior PGA Tour. But behind the legend, thereis the private Palmer--a man of wit, compassion, loyalty, and truegrit in the face of personal adversity. Writing with the humor and candor that are as much his trademarkas his unique golf swing, Palmer narrates the deeply moving storyof his life both on and off the links. He recounts the lovingrelationship he shared with his father, "Deacon" Palmer, the coursesuperintendent and head professional at the Latrobe Country Clubwhere young Arnie developed his game, his friendships and rivalrieswith golf greats, his enduringly happy marriage with Winnie, hislegendary charges to triumph and titanic disasters, and his valiantbattle against cancer and remarkable recovery. Arnold Palmer has lived one of the great sporting lives of thetwentieth century
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Discover Jane Fonda, in her own words and now experience the story of her life in the HBO documentary Jane Fonda in Five Acts.
He was one of pro football’s most beloved and respected stars,admired not only by NFL fans and his own teammates, but by hisopponents as well. Super Bowl champion; six time Pro Bowler; NFLComeback Player of the Year; NFL Man of the Year; fifth all-timeleading rusher in the NFL; future Hall of Famer; now NBC Sportscommentator. You may think you know Jerome Bettis, but you don’t. In The Bus, Jerome Bettis tells his full, unvarnished story forthe first time--from his sometimes troubled childhood in inner-cityDetroit to his difficult transition at Notre Dame, to a pro coachwho almost caused him to quit the game, to a trade for the agesthat resulted in ten glorious seasons with the PittsburghSteelers. As a chunky child wearing glasses, Jerome’s only sports-relatedaspiration was to become a professional bowler. But growing up inone of the roughest neighborhoods in Detroit, he eventually foundhis escape on the high school football field, thanks to thedevotion of hard-working parents, a