The Rockdale I Remember is a story of a girl growing up in a small town in Northern Illinois in the 1950's. It is a walk down memory lane to visit people, places and favorite things of that simple time of life.

“What was it like for young black men growing up in a totally segregated environment and transitioning to an integrated one?” asks author Robert Jacobus in the preface to this collection of interviews. How did they get involved in sports? How did the facilities, both academic and athletic, compare to the white schools? What colleges recruited them out of high school? Searching for the answers to these and other questions, Jacobus interviewed some 250 former players, former coaches, and others who were personally involved in the racial integration of Texas public school and college athletic programs. Starting with Ben Kelly, the first African American to play for a college team in the former Confederacy when he walked on at then San Angelo College, and continuing with great players such as Jerry Levias, Ken Houston, Mel Renfro, Bubba Smith, and more, the players tell their stories in their own words. Each story is as varied as the players themselves. Some strongly uphold the necessity of integration for progress in society. Others, while understanding the need for integration, nevertheless mourn the passing of their segregated schools, remembering fondly the close-knit communities forged by the difficulties faced by both students and teachers. Interlaced with historical context and abundantly illustrated, the first-person accounts presented in Black Man in the Huddle form an important and lasting record of the thoughts, struggles, successes, and experiences of young men on the front lines of desegregation in Texas schools and athletic programs. By capturing these stories, Jacobus widens our perspective on the interactions between sport and American society during the momentous 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s.

In Bringing Glory from Ashes the author comes within less than a hairbreadth of exiting this world in shame. But God! In spellbinding fashion, he rivets the attention in this page-turner sharing his miraculous recovery from a near-fatal suicide attempt followed by seven hellish years of severe depression. Many of his supposed "friends" disappeared; and yet God, in His amazing mercy, sent a few godly warriors, including his preeminently loyal wife, Candy, interceding on his behalf as vessels used by the Lord. This Christian testimony is ultimately and primarily not about the author. As you will see, the spotlight focuses and shines on the God of Jim Mayhew. For in the midst of the author's confusion, isolation, and despair, Jesus was always in complete control and had His perfect plan for his eventual deliverance giving glory to our Mighty God. Have you ever witnessed a miracle? Take a front row seat and watch how God can deliver anyone from the darkest despair into the brightest joy. --David Turner Lead Pastor of Expansion Church "Jim is a walking miracle! A true example and testimony that God still heals! Once just a shell of a person and now experiencing the abundant life of God, Jim's journey to and through the Cross is truly inspirational!" --Ryan May Ryan Paul Ministries

This is a story on Steve Langley’s life from the 1930’s and in the wartime and postwar Sydney slums; the gangs of Erskineville, Newtown, and Paddington streets. Where he made the breakaway to find a better life. His story covers his various work endeavors on land and ships; a broken marriage, and with a new partner and ten month old baby son, his move to a modern pioneer lifestyle in an abandoned homestead on Bullock Mountain. There Steve found in the high ranges of the beautiful New England region of NSW, a wonderful way of life when he created a long distance horse trekking business catering to riders from all parts of the world.