Susan Brownell, author of the University of Nebraska Press title, The 1904 Anthropology Days and Olympic Games: Sport, Race, and American Imperialism, was featured this morning on NPR. Listen to the NPR broadcast as she discusses China and their efforts to enthusiastically support their country at this year’s summer Olympics.
Brownell’s title, The 1904 Anthropology Days and Olympic Games, is due out this September.
Well bloggers, it’s been awhile. You try and try, but sometimes life (or in this case summer classes) just gets in the way. What’s important though, is that we’re together again and that even though we haven’t seen each other, history has prevailed. This week we’ve got everything from Jesse James to Praibha Patil, and a little Italian fascism just for fun. Ready to pick up where we left off?
July 21, 1873: Jesse James and the James-Younger gang attempted and succeeded in pulling off the first successful train robbery in the American West.
Well I think it’s safe to say that Jesse James was a rebel of sorts (rebel, robber, murderer…you know) but if you’re interested in another kind of “bad boy” then please check out REBEL: The Life and Times of John Singleton Mosby by Kevin H. Siepel, which chronicles the life of this bipartisan Commander.
July 22, 1882: American Painter Edward Hopper was born today.
If you fancy yourself an art connoisseur then please take a look at Beyond Madness: The Art of Ralph Blakelock by Norman A. Geske.
July 23, 1929: Fascist Italy bans the use of foreign words.
In the wake of a burgeoning bilingual culture, Americans are well versed in the foreign word controversy. If you find that you’re an advocate of words, regardless of their origin, then you may enjoy the book of poetry Modern Archaist by Osip Mandelstam.
July 24, 1783: Simon Bolivar, the South American liberator is born today.
There is so much to South American culture, the politics, literature, food, entertainment and sports. If the latter is what really appeals to you the please take a look at Venezualen Bust Baseball Boom: Andres Reiner scouting on the New Frontier by Milton H. Jamil.
July 25, 2007: Pratihba Patil is sworn in as the first women president in India.
The position of women in politics has risen considerably in the past 50 years. For a look at Lincolns first female mayor please take a look at Mayor Helen Boosalis: My Mother’s Life in Politics by Beth Boosalis Davis.
Ok, bloggers that’s enough history for today check out the UNP website for more titles. Join us next week for a little Trivia and a few Links!
New from the University of Nebraska Press, is Chief Bender’s Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star by Tom Swift. Charles Albert Bender was the greatest American Indian Baseball Player of all time. His career unfolded in a time of great prejudice but his reputation for possessing an “unflappable demeanor” garnered him respect from the sporting world. This remarkable story told by journalist Tom Swift is sure to show you a side of baseball that is often overlooked, and his talent of utilizing both storytelling and the objectiveness of journalism recreates the “silent struggle” this sports hero endured. This week Linking in Lincoln will take a closer look at the player, the writer, and all the things in between!
Care to brush up on your Chief Bender bio? If so then do it here at Wikipedia.
For you sports fanatics out there, you can take a look at his stats here.
Tom Swift is an award winning journalist and freelance writer. For more info take a look at his website, “Writers Notebook”.
Curious about other American Indian baseball players? Check out Baseball Almanac for a more comprehensive list.
There are numerous sports heroes out there, but My Hero-sports gives bios and introductions to who they consider to be the most significant.
Chief Bender grew up on the White Earth Reservation. Go to their website for a closer look at their significant history.
Hope you enjoy bloggers! Join us tomorrow for a little TWIH
Well bloggers, it’s about that time again. Yep, it’s This Week in History! We’ve got the Battle of Okinawa, the Angora Fire, and Veronica Guerin. Care to stick around? I think we’ve got quite a week in front of us…..
June 23, 1945: The Battle of Okinawa ends when the Imperial Japanese Army forces fall apart on Mabuni.
The Battle of Okinawa was significant to WWII, as it was just weeks before the atomic bombings.
If you’re interested in this region of the world, wars aside, than please check out Genealogies of Orientalism: History, Theory, Politics, by Edmund Burke III for a close look.
June 24, 2007: Angora Fire starts near South Lake Tahoe, California destroying over two hundred buildings in the first two days alone.
Wildfire and Americans, by Roger G. Kennedy, is an appeal on behalf of the author to begin looking at natural disasters as possessing more of a human origination. How do we contribute as humans to the new face of wildfire?
June 25, 1966: Congolese basketball star, Dikembe Mutombo is born.
Mutombo won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times, and when he was 40 he was the oldest player in the league. To get a closer look on the modern African American basketball player please take a look at Young, Black, Rich, and Famous, by Todd Boyd.
June 26, 1996: Irish Journalist, Veronica Guerin, is shot in her car by drug dealers.
Guerin’s tireless fight against drug dealers in Ireland, ended up in her death, but left a significant mark on the Irish Parliament’s determent and punishment of criminals. For another book about significant women in history please take a look at Give Me Eighty Men, by Shannon D. Smith
June 27, 1962: Paul Viding, Estonian poet dies today.
Viding was a significant writer who’s work had known influences of T.S. Eliot in it. If poetry is your thing, than you may be interested in Modern Archaist: Selected Poems by Osip Mandelstam written by Osip Mandelstam.
Ok bloggers, you can find all these books and more at the University of Nebraska Press website. Please join us Tuesday for some more Trivia!
1. Magic Johnson
2.Mike Tyson
3. Michael Vick
4. Chicago White Sox
5.Tanya Harding
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Pete Rose
8. Boris Onischenko
It's no surprise when a famous athlete ends up in the papers for a sex scandal, or drugs, or dog fighting….yet how often do we investigate the events leading up to these very public falls from grace? New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is Sports Heroes Fallen Idols: How Star Athletes Pursue Self-Destructive Paths and Jeopardize their Careers, by Stanley H. Teitelbaum. Using his background in psychotherapy, he takes a serious look at how society props up our athletic heroes and then revels in their demise. In this week’s Tuesday Trivia we’re going to take a look at famous sports scandals and test just how closely we pay attention to their downfalls.
Match the scandal with the year it happened.
1. 1992
2. 2003
3. 1991
4. 2007
5. 1989
6. 1919
7. 1976
8. 1994
A. Magic Johnson announces that he is HIV positive.
B. Mike Tyson is convicted of rape.
C. Michael Vick is indicted for dog fighting.
D. The Chicago White Sox threw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
E. Ice skater Tanya Harding, hired men to injure competitor Nancy Kerrigan in the 1994 Olympic Games
F. Kobe Bryant is accused of sexual assault
G. Pete Rose, manager of the Cinncinati Reds, was banned from baseball for gambling on games.
H. Boris Onishenko wired the handle of his fencing sword to trigger the scoreboard, during the Olympic Games.
Ok, bloggers how’d you do? Check back tomorrow for the answers!
SPORTS TRIVIA!
New this week from the University of Nebraska Press is Beyond the Dream: Occasional heroes of Sports by Ira Berkow. Famous New York Times sports columnist, Berkow has compiled a book of his notable athlete profiles. Ranging
from the MVP’s to the player who never quite made it big, this book encapsulates all the behind the scenes people, stories, and events that shape a compelling sector of our culture. This week, Tuesday Trivia will take a look at some of the sports figures featured in the book and see how familiar you are with these athletic heroes! Match the Sports hero with their fun fact!
A. Casey Stengel
B. Christine “Chris” Evert
C. Joe Louis
D. Pete Rose
E. Muhammed Al
F. Bobby Fischer
G. Rod Laver
H. Hank Aaron
I. Arnold Palmer
J. Gale Sayers
K. Joe DiMaggio
L. Roger Maris
M. Ted Williams
1. This player was banned from the league for betting on this own team
2. MLB created an award given annually to the most effective hitters in the league
3. After Achieving a 56 game hitting streak was considered to be a “picture perfect player”
4. This player is a 2 Time MVP winner
5. This tennis player won 18 Grand Slam singles titles
6. This baseball player broke Babe Ruth’s single season home run record
7. This football player was born and raised here in Omaha, Nebraska
8. Two words: Ice Tea and Lemonade
9. This man was the number one tennis player in the World for 7 years straight
10. This chess player was a teenage prodigy
11. This boxer is famous for the line “Float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee”
12. This baseball player is nicknamed “Dutch”
13. This baseball player earned a congressional Gold Medal in 1982
How did you do bloggers? Are you a sports trivia aficionado? Check back tomorrow to find out!
Chief Bender’s Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star by Tom Swift“A gem. . . . Swift’s mission is to reassert Bender as an important figure in the history of the game, both as a player and a groundbreaking figure. His book does well in both ways.”—Kevin Canfield, Chicago Sun-Times
To read earlier praise for Chief Bender's Burden, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2008/02/starred-review.html.
Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman by Lee Lowenfish“The book title captures the complexity of the man who ‘made a spark that helped shape three cultures—black, white and American.’ Rickey III attended a book signing and lecture by Lee Lowenfish at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Lowenfish wrote the latest book about baseball’s integration pioneer. Rickey III calls it the best of three books about his grandfather, who as an executive with the Dodgers brought Jackie Robinson to the Major Leagues in 1947. ‘It’s a more comprehensive character study with the benefit of insight, the distillation of time, events and history’ grandson Branch Rickey III said.”—Max Utsler, MLB.com
View a complete listing of praise for Branch Rickey at http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/02/praise_for_bran.html.
Chief Bender’s Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star by Tom Swift“A fascinating study of the hardship and prejudice Bender endured, and the character he showed in the face of it all.”—Pat Borzi, MinnPost.com
“A substantial, vivid story of one of the best pitchers of the game’s early years.”—Mike Miliard, Boston Phoenix
To read earlier praise for Chief Bender's Burden, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2008/02/starred-review.html.
