The memoirs of a respected referee of boxing. Covers the Golden Days of the sport, spanning half a century. Includes thrilling and touching stories about all the great boxers from Dempsey to Ali to Tyson.

Inside stories of some of the greatest prizefights of all time, including Floyd Patterson–Ingemar Johansson II, Joe Frazier–George Foreman I, and The Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier I. Referee and elder statesman of boxing Arthur Mercante gives behind-the-scenes glimpses into his world and into the lives and careers of the greatest boxers of all time. Mercante has officiated more championship fights than any other referee, and his blow-by-blow accounts are peppered with grit and telling details.

A reporter offers a revealing chronicle of the remarkable rise of Minnesota's unconventional governor, former wrestler Jesse Ventura. This is a political story that will leave readers feeling that truth really is stranger than fiction.

Most of us will never know what it's like to parachute out of a Cessna, tend goal for the Boston Bruins, burn rubber on a NASCAR track, scale Everest, or quarterback the Detroit Lions. So it's our good fortune when dauntless literary journalists actually play the sports they cover--returning with firsthand tales from "inside the ropes." Here, in the tradition popularized by George Plimpton, is participatory sportswriting at its finest and most far-out. Editor Zachary Michael Jack fields a dream team of today's best sports journalists, hotshots, and rising stars in search of the game behind the.

Tiger Woods has called the U.S. Open "the most difficult national championship." With Open, John Feinstein goes behind the scenes to tell for the first time the full story of how the 2002 U.S. Open Championship came into being-how a public course was transformed into one of the most difficult and surprising in the tournament's history, and how the greatest golfers in the world rose to its almost insurmountable challenges. The Black course at the public golf club in Bethpage, New York, has long had a mythic status among golfers. Designed by legendary course architect A. W. Tillinghast in 1936, it is known as a work of genius-with long fairways, gorgeous vistas, and roughs and bunkers that stymie all but the very best golfers. It is a course where any player can compete, but its cult reputation means that golfers often have to camp overnight in the parking lot to get a tee time the next day. The 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black was the first time in history that golf's greatest championship had been held at a true public course. Open is the full drama of that championship, from the moment that officials first considered holding it there until the last putt rolled in at dusk on Sunday. Along the way, John Feinstein reveals the full glory of golf as it's never been explored before. He digs deep to find out what it really takes to make golf's most famous event worthy of the champions who compete in it. He tells the remarkable story of the artisans who transformed the Black from a downtrodden and rough-around-the-edges public course to one that top pros hailed as "unbelievable" and "the toughest par-70 I've ever played in my life." He also tracks the drama of the masters who battled for supremacy at the Black-Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Nick Faldo, Phil Mickelson, Jeff Maggert-to show how true champions respond to the toughest conditions. Open is the story of people who devote their entire lives to golf, both behind the scenes and inside the ropes. Their struggles and exhilarations as they master the monster known as Bethpage Black make for a story every golf lover will want to read again and again.

The Dino-Wrestling Jamboree is ON! Dinos compete in all styles of wrestling at this gigantic event. Allo and Ankylo grapple in a folkstyle match. Lucha Libre fans go wild as the masked Tarbosaurus takes on Iguano. Tricera and Gigano loom large on the sumo dohyo, while over in the freestyle tent, Leso and Compy battle for the pin. Just what will happen when the Diplo and Ptero tag teams rumble in the WWD fight? You won't want to miss this action! Dinosaurs face off in prehistoric sports competitions—from baseball to wrestling and every sport in between! Will the plant-eaters become the champions? Or will the meat-eaters be victorious? Fast-paced, rhyming commentary and exuberant illustrations put readers right in the action. Sure to thrill dinosaur lovers and sports fans alike!

The surprising story of how wrestling superstar Glenn "Kane" Jacobs beat all the odds to become the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Even in his heyday in wrestling, Jacobs was inspired to pursue politics by popular libertarian figures such as former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, Republican Senator Rand Paul, Fox News' Judge Andrew Napolitano and others, and that led him to fulfill his own political ambitions. Before becoming Mayor Kane, Glenn "Kane" Jacobs was one of WWE's top Superstars for over two decades and traveled the globe with the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena, Ric Flair, and many others. He dominated the WWE with The Undertaker as the "Brothers of Destruction." Kane reinvented himself with the help of Daniel Bryan forming "Team Hell No." He set "Good ol' JR," Jim Ross on fire. The wrestler-turned-politician hasn't hung up his wrestling boots yet. Politics is a contact sport and Jacobs is using his wrestling skills in that arena. Jacobs supports President Trump and his agenda, and is implementing conservative policies in Tennessee.

New York Times bestselling author and six-time WWE champion Chris Jericho shares 20 of his most valuable lessons for achieving your goals and living the life you want. Chris Jericho has known what he wanted out of life since he was a teenager: to be a pro wrestler and to be in a rock 'n' roll band. Most of his high school friends felt that he lacked the tools necessary to get into either, but Chris believed in himself. With the wise words of Master Yoda echoing through his head ("Do or do not. There is no try."), he made it happen. As a result, Chris has spent a lifetime doing instead of merely trying, managing to achieve his dreams while learning dozens of invaluable lessons along the way. No Is a Four-Letter Word distills more than two decades of showbiz wisdom and advice into twenty easy-to-carry chapters, including: Developing a strong work ethic thanks to WWE chairman Vince McMahon, Remembering to always look like a star from Gene Simmons of KISS, Learning to let it go when the America's Funniest Home Videos hosting gig goes to his rival, Adopting a sense of perpetual reinvention from the late David Bowie, Making sure to sell himself like his NHL-legend father Ted Irvine taught him, and Going the extra mile to meet Keith Richards (with an assist from Jimmy Fallon). Now, in the hopes that those same principles might help and inspire his legions of fans, Chris has decided to share them while recounting the fantastic and hilarious stories that led to the birth of these rules. The result is a fun, entertaining, practical, and inspiring book from the man with many scarves but only one drive: to be the best. After reading No Is a Four-Letter Word, you'll discover that you might have what it takes to succeed as well...you just need to get out there and do it. That's what Jericho would do.

All his life, Max Lerner has watched from the stands as the heroes and villains of professional wrestling do battle in the ring. Max happens upon the hand-painted sign outside Barry's Flea Market-LIVE PRO WRESTLING TUESDAYS. His passion drives him to step out from the crowd, and step through the ropes, to experience the world of pro wrestling for himself. Now, he just needs to figure out who to be. Max finds mentors in Dr. Carver-the tattooed, mohawked behemoth-and Roderick of Hollywood-the effortlessly charismatic schemer. The journey takes them from Oregon to California, and beyond, each man searching for his own success. Max meets the strange, eccentric people who choose this way of life, and grapples with finding where he fits into this world. Based on the real-life experiences of the author, Running the Ropes is a funny and charming adventure of self-discovery, and a loving ode to the absurd world of professional wrestling.

In this long-awaited sequel to the legendary graphic novel Kings in Disguise, a young circus hand gets involved in dangerous underground activity. Kings in Disguise was praised by the likes of Art Spiegelman, Neil Gaiman, and Alan Moore. It won two Eisner Awards and has been hailed as one of the ten best graphic novels of all time (Guardian). This highly anticipated sequel tells the story of a young man’s coming of age in a world where the capacity to dream may be a fatal flaw. Set in 1937, On the Ropes continues the story of Fred Bloch, now apprenticed to escape artist Gordon Corey, a star attraction in a traveling WPA circus. Though damaged by the Depression and haunted by past mistakes, each man holds the key to the other’s salvation—but each also harbors a secret that could lead to their mutual destruction. Enacted against a backdrop of violent labor unrest and a nation’s faltering recovery, On the Ropes is a breathtaking visual achievement that delivers a powerful, timeless story.