David L. Porter – Författare

As a first lieutenant in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army pilot David Porter was section leader in an Aerial Scout platoon in Vietnam. Their mission was to conduct reconnaissance in OH-6 aircraft (a.k.a. Light Observation Helicopter or "Loach") near the Cambodian border. Finding and engaging the enemy at low altitude in coordination with an AH-1 Cobra gunship circling above, these units developed a remarkable method of fighting the Viet Cong: Hunter-Killer Operations.The tactic had great local success but died with the war. Few today are aware of the hazards these pilots faced during times of intense combat. Porter's vivid memoir recounts the internal workings of a legendary air cavalry troop, in-the-cockpit combat actions, and the men who were key players on this perilous battleground.

Porter has produced a well-conceived, informative reference book that effectively combines breadth and depth of coverage. Recommended for academic and public libraries. ChoiceThe second of four volumes devoted to American sports, this volume presents comprehensive information on college and professional football players, coaches, club executives, league administrators, rule developers, and promoters active in the sport since 1869. Consisting of more than 500 alphabetically arranged biographical entries, it provides detailed profiles of the men who have shaped the game. Profiles describe those honored during their careers for high achievement and those whose contributions made a lasting impact on the history and development of the sport. All entries include a concise bibliography listing additional sources of information.

[F]ascinating reading and an excellent sports reference source. This volume is highly recommended for public and academic libraries and also for large high school collections. BooklistThis dictionary is the third of four companion volumes, each containing comprehensive biographical and statistical data on over 500 athletic figures including managers, coaches, executives, and media personnel. Each volume contains essays contributed by sports historians, sports writers, journalists, teachers, and publishers. Entries are listed alphabetically within each outdoor sport and cover major individuals from auto racing, golf, harness and thoroughbred racing, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, speed skating, tennis, and track and field. Amateur sports administrators, bicyclists, bobsledders, equestrian riders, field hockey players, promotors, sportscasters, writers, and yachtsmen are also discussed.

This is an excellent reference book that will be a valuable addition to any sports reference collection. ChoiceWith the recent growth of interest in the historical role of American sports in the nation's development, a need has arisen for a scholarly, yet accessible biographical dictionary of notable American sports figures. Designed to meet that need, this definitive new reference will be welcomed by historians, sports scholars, educators, and sports fans. The fourth of four companion volumes, it provides biographies and bibliographic data for over 550 athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, and other men and women who have played an active role in American indoor sports or helped to promote them. The sports considered include basketball, boxing, swimming and diving, wrestling, ice hockey, gymnastics, figure skating, bowling, and weightlifting.Biographical essays have been contributed by some ninety sports historians, educators, and journalists. Each entry presents full biographical data, career records, accomplishments, and honors, a discussion of the significance of the subject's achievements, and bibliographic information on pertinent manuscripts, oral history and audio-visual materials, books, monographs, and articles. In eleven appendices, the editor provides extensive cross-referencing and listings covering sports halls of fame, sports associations, organizations, and leagues, indoor sporting events, sites of Olympic games, indoor sports periodicals, and other topics. This comprehensive biographical dictionary will be a useful addition to the reference section of libraries with collection in sports, sports history, or physical education.

This volume, the fifth in the Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, provides biographical and bibliographical information on 620 distinguished American sports personalities. The majority of the entries represent team sports, including baseball, football, and basketball. Other entries treat individual sports, including track and field, golf, and tennis. Also included are entries covering horse racing, ice hockey, auto racing, boxing, figure skating, wrestling, swimming, cycling, cricket, speed skating, and volleyball. In addition to athletes, the book covers coaches, managers, officials, administrators, writers, and broadcasters who have played an active role in sports.Written by some eighty-five sports historians, educators, and journalists, the entries provide full biographical data, career records, accomplishments, and honors, a discussion of the subject's achievements, and bibliographic information. In seven appendices, Porter provides extensive cross-referencing and listings covering the major sports halls of fame and sites of Olympic games. The volume will be an essential addition to the reference section of libraries with collections in sports, sports history, physical education, popular culture, or social history.

The sixth volume of the Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, this supplement provides biographies for 616 athletes, coaches, managers, officials, administrators, writers, and broadcasters who have played an active role in American sports or helped to promote them. Most of the entries are from team sports, including baseball (202), football (181), and basketball (58). Some entries treat individual sports, including track and field (29), golf (14), and tennis and other racquet sports (16). Other sports covered include ice hockey, horse racing, boxing, swimming, bowling, skating, shooting, wrestling, skiing, and cycling. Thirty women athletes are included.

This volume provides a cumulative index to the highly acclaimed multi-volume Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, listing all items alphabetically for the first five volumes, published from 1987 to 1992. The five volumes, classified by sport, provide comprehensive biographical information on over 2,700 of the nation's most extraordinary sports figures. A majority of the index applies to baseball, football, and basketball entries, but other sports covered include auto racing, golf, harness and thoroughbred racing, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, tennis, track and field, bowling, boxing, gymnastics, ice hockey, figure and speed skating, swimming and diving, weight lifting, and wrestling. Five letter classifications indicate the volume where particulars can be located, (e.g.: B: Baseball volume, F: Football volume, I: Basketball and other Indoor Sports, O: Outdoor Sports volume, S: Supplement volume). This index will save users considerable time.

African-American athletes have played a significant role in the development and popularity of American professional sports, and have encountered numerous obstacles on the road to athletic success. This is the first comprehensive multi-sport biographical dictionary of African Americans who reached the pinnacles of success in their sport. It contains more personal and career profiles of African-American sports greats than are found in any other single source. Biographical profiles of 166 noted athletes, coaches, and administrators in team and individual sports include both Ristorical figures such as Jesse Owens and Satchel Paige and contemporary stars such as Charles Barkley, Ken Griffey, Jr., Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Shaquille O'Neal, and Emmitt Smith. Forty-four sports historians contributed the colorfully written biographies, which blend both personal background information and athletic career accomplishments. All information is current through the middle of 1995.The dictionary covers the contributions made by African-American greats in football, baseball, basketball, track and field, boxing, wrestling, auto and stock car racing, golf, thoroughbred racing, tennis, cycling, and figure skating. More than two-thirds of the entries represent team sports. The dictionary is organized alphabetically by person. Each colorfully written profile is 800-1,000 words in length and traces the subject's personal life, family and educational background, personal struggles, career accomplishments, records set, statistical data, awards and honors, and overall impact; and features lively quotations by and about the sports luminaries. Each entry contains a handy bibliography of books and articles about the subject. Biographies of managers, coaches, and club executives describe their teams, statistical achievements, accomplishments, strategy, and sports impact. A general introduction traces the historic struggle of African-American athletes in professional and Olympic sports and appendices provide alphabetical listings of biographical entries and entries by sport. A selection of photos complement the profiles. For the sports fan or librarian, this is a first stop for biographical information that captures the personality of the athlete and includes all the pertinent information about his or her accomplishments. It is an essential addition to the reference sections of junior high, high school, and public libraries.

From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to its pervasive presence in 21st-century America, basketball has grown into an undeniably important sport. The 575 entries in this biographical dictionary present concise narratives on the lives and careers on the most important names in basketball history. Entries include both classic players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Cousy as well as more recently established and up-and-coming stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Entries for coaches such as the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University present the figures who have shaped the game from courtside, while the inclusion of female players and coaches such as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, and Pat Summitt show that basketball is not just a sport for men.From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to its pervasive presence in 21st-century America, basketball has grown into an undeniably important sport. The 575 entries in this biographical dictionary present concise narratives on the lives and careers on the most important names in basketball history. Entries include both classic players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Cousy as well as more recently established and up-and-coming stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Entries for coaches such as the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University present the figures who have shaped the game from courtside, while the inclusion of female players and coaches such as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, and Pat Summitt show that basketball is not just a sport for men. This volume is an ideal reference for students seeking easily accessed information on the greats of the game.

African Americans and Latino Americans have played an increasingly significant role in the ongoing saga of American sports—and not just in popular sports like basketball and baseball. This is the first comprehensive, multisport biographical resource to concentrate exclusively on the accomplishments, achievements, and personal struggles of notable African American and Latino American athletes of the last quarter century. A total of 175 important contemporary athletes—113 African Americans and 62 Latino Americans—are profiled. Most made significant contributions to their sport since 1990. Athletes include Roberto Alomar, Oscar De La Hoya, Forence Griffith Joyner, Evander Holyfield, Michael Johnson, Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Ray Lewis, Sammy Sosa, Serena and Venus Williams, Tiger Woods, and many more.Eighteen sports, from baseball to bobsledding, are covered. The profiles of the men and women include personal background information and athletic career achievements through 2002. Each athletic career is traced, including entrance into sport, major accomplishments, records set, awards and honors, and overall impact. Quotations from the athletes enrich each profile. Bibliographies and photos complement the entries.

With the possible exceptions of boxer Muhammad Ali and baseball player Babe Ruth, no athlete has made a greater impact on American society-or in the world-than Michael Jordan. Follow the life of one of the most recognizable athletes and living brands inside this engaging and balanced biography.He is among the best-known and wealthiest athletes in the history of organized sports. With the possible exceptions of boxer Muhammad Ali and baseball player Babe Ruth, no athlete has made a greater impact on American society-or in the world-than Michael Jordan. Follow the life of one of the most recognizable athletes and living brands inside this engaging and balanced biography.When basketball stars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson retired in the early 1990s, Michael almost single-handedly propelled the NBA to stratospheric levels of success and international visibility. As a player for the Chicago Bulls, he generated instant crowd thrills with his record-setting drives and dunks, selling countless books, newspapers, videotapes, NBA game tickets, and hours of television time. The NBA promoted Michael, basing its popularity on his image as the greatest showman in sports history. Yet his sports hero status extends beyond NBA records. Michael changed the game by becoming the most effectively marketed athlete of his generation. Nike and many other companies rode-and continue to ride-on the coattails of Air Jordan's legend. Author David Porter highlights Jordan's on and off the court accomplishments and examines his relationship with Chicago Bulls' coaches, his commercial endorsements, and his current role as part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. A chronology, photos, career stats, and a bibliography of print and electronic resources round out this biography of one of the most influential athletes of the twentieth century.

This book profiles 24 athletes who overcame seemingly insurmountable medical odds to attain athletic success. Each profile describes the athlete's problem, the medical issues he or she faced, how success was achieved despite the setback, and the personal qualities that helped the athlete to prevail.Part I features 15 athletes who dealt with diseases and physical disabilities, including Babe Didrikson Zaharias (cancer), Ron Santo (diabetes), Gail Devers (Graves' disease), Alonzo Mourning (kidney disease), Wilma Rudolph (polio), Scott Hamilton (a pancreatic disorder in childhood) and Jimmy Abbott (born with one hand).Part II highlights nine athletes who dealt with ­near-­fatal or ­life-­changing accidents and injuries, including Bill Toomey, ­Three-­Finger Brown, Greg LeMond, Lou Brissie and Tommy John.