Books by Lew Freedman

This book provides readers with an abundance of information and historical perspective as well as entertaining and memorable anecdotes about professional wrestling. Readers will also learn unusual snippets of trivia that will enhance their comprehension of the sport.This authoritative work on the history and culture of professional wrestling features the biggest names in the wrestling world since the sport emerged on the American sporting landscape. It comprises short biographies of all of the key players in the sport's evolution and rise to popularity-from old-timers to barrier breakers to household names such as Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Andre the Giant, and more-and includes not only men but also many women who have made a name in the sport.Surveying professional wrestling from its roots, dating centuries, to the modern era, pre-20th century and into the 21st century, the work tells the transformational stories of prominent wrestlers and the sport as a whole, in many cases bringing out the humor and outrageousness in the nature of an activity that has always straddled the line between show business and sport.

An early celebrity pitcher, Denton "Cy" Young established supreme standards on the mound. A small-town Ohio farmer made good, he set Major League pitching records in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that will likely last forever. Among the Hall of Fame's first inductees, he remained a sought-after interviewee decades after retirement.

Ernie Banks is the best-known ballplayer in the history of the Chicago Cubs - a man as famous for his personality and trademark phrases as for his accomplishments on the field. Based on interviews conducted with Banks, this book details the life of the Texas-born shortstop and first baseman from his childhood to his death in 2015.

This engaging and informative work highlights the 100 biggest moments in the history of American sports, illustrating powerful connections between sporting events and significant social issues of the time.

How did a young boy born into poverty become not only an international soccer star but a celebrity who visited and dined with kings and presidents? Where did the passion that fueled his success originate? This book examines the life of Pele to find the answers.

Provides a history of Major League Baseball's first All-Star Game, originally conceived in 1933 as a one-time ""Game of the Century"" to lift the spirits of the nation and its people in the midst of the Great Depression. It was so successful that it became a yearly event. The work describes the game the later accomplishments of many of the individuals involved.

The behind-the-scenes story of one of professional basketball's most respected and beloved teams.

Told through profiles of the men who have made it a reality, this is the complex story of the triumphs achieved by-and challenges faced by-Latinos who have risen to the heights of Major League Baseball.

When Jackie Robinson became the first African American player in major league baseball in 1947, elbowing aside the league's policies of segregation that had been inviolate for 60 years, he became a symbol of opportunity and acceptance for African American players everywhere.

LeBron James is simultaneously on the cutting edge of basketball greatness and as a cultural icon. Through the international exposure of the National Basketball Association and its televised games in more than 100 countries, and as a global marketing presence, the star of the Cleveland Cavaliers is rapidly becoming one of the world's most familiar faces. This biography traces the key events in the life of LeBron James during his dizzying rise to fame in high school to his emergence as the first overall pick in the NBA draft as an 18-year-old, to his carrying the underdog Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals.Hyped relentlessly from the time he was a high school sophomore in Ohio, James has lived up to all advance billing and with his charm, smile, and extraordinary basketball skills. James' all-around talent and unselfishness on the court are the trademarks of his play that have made him one of the most feared scorers in the league, but also one of its most versatile rebounders and passers. This biography offers a well-rounded portrait James from the difficulties encountered being raised by a single mother and overcoming poverty, which at times caused the family to move from home to home. Lew Freedman of the Chicago Tribune chronicles the milestones in the life of LeBron James during his dizzying rise to fame. Also highlighted are James' remarkable endorsement deals, particularly his $90 million deal with Nike. The volume is rounded out with a timeline and a bibliography of print and electronic sources to provide suggested readings for students and sports fans alike.