Throughout the Cold War, the Soviet Union deplored the treatment of African Americans by the U.S. government as proof of hypocrisy in the American promises of freedom and equality. This probing history examines government attempts to manipulate international perceptions of U.S. race relations during the Cold War by sending African American athletes abroad on goodwill tours and in international competitions as cultural ambassadors and visible symbols of American values. Damion L. Thomas follows the State Department's efforts from 1945 to 1968 to showcase prosperous African American athletes including Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, and the Harlem Globetrotters as the preeminent citizens of the African Diaspora, rather than as victims of racial oppression. With athletes in baseball, track and field, and basketball, the government relied on figures whose fame carried the desired message to countries where English was little understood. However, eventually African American athletes began to provide counter-narratives to State Department claims of American exceptionalism, most notably with Tommie Smith and John Carlos's famous black power salute at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Exploring the geopolitical significance of racial integration in sports during the early days of the Cold War, this book looks at the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations' attempts to utilize sport to overcome hostile international responses to the violent repression of the civil rights movement in the United States. Highlighting how African American athletes responded to significant milestones in American racial justice such as the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Thomas surveys the shifting political landscape during this period as African American athletes increasingly resisted being used in State Department propaganda and began to use sports to challenge continued oppression.

With the fabled city of Timbuktu as his goal, author Rick Antonson began a month-long trek. His initial plan? To get a haircut. The second edition of this important book outlines the volatile political situations in Timbuktu following the spring 2012 military coup in Mali and the subsequent capture of the city by Islamic extremists.

Through the stories of one of Canada's most enthusiastic travellers explore the famous American highway that inspired the likes of Al Capone, Salvador Dali, Mickey Mantle, and the countless fans of this iconic American landmark.

"I didn't care about what would happen. He might win the match, but he could never beat me. I was living my dream, traveling the world with complete freedom. Nothing could put me down. The play button was pressed again. My opponent took my back and I tapped to a bow and arrow choke. I laughed and shook his hand, as I stood back up. I was out of the competition. Everything was perfect. Life couldn't be better." After a training partner commits suicide, Christian Graugart feels obliged to do something with his life. Starting his own gym, dedicating almost all his time to the art of BJJ, alters everything, including the way he sees himself. The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Globetrotter is not only a story about traveling and training in martial arts. It's about all the things that can happen to you if you choose to truly stay alive until you actually die.

Learn how to travel with a Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget!Without sacrificing your lifestyle, using hostels, packing dried noodles, relying on luck from search engines or hoping to discover error fares.A compilation of ideas, strategies and stories of budget travel. Gazing at northern lights, swimming with whale sharks in Mexico, snow-skiing the European Alps, scuba diving with manta rays, hiking to white/black/green sand beaches, snorkeling with sea turtles and sharks. These are just a few of the amazing adventures I have had in my short life. Many of them would have been impossible if I had to pay for them with my average yearly salary. Do you dream of adventures you want to take? Or of experiencing 1st class flights and luxury hotels? It's not out of your reach. These are all things I have managed to accomplish. Read along to find out how I have had many once in a lifetime adventures, and how you can have them too.

The definitive how-to book for world travel, Vagabond Globetrotting was first published in 1984 at the dawn of the information age. A second, updated edition appeared in 1989. Endicott's next book "The Electronic Traveler" introduced readers for the first time to the nascent travel resources available in the then largely unexplored cyberspace. This twentieth anniversary edition of Vagabond Globetrotting has been extensively revised and includes hundreds of essential web sites for travelers as well as indispensable tips, checklists, and resources.

Filled with super cute travel companions, this book includes amigurumi patterns for designs such as a monkey taking selfies with his new camera, a polar bear tanning on the beach, a gorilla on a business trip, and a boy scout practicing his best knots. There are 15 easy to make and fully customizable crochet patterns that beginners and experienced crocheters alike will enjoy making. Also included is a brief introduction to the various techniques and stitches.