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.

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.

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.

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!

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.