The Greatest Moments in Sports: Upsets and Underdogs

By Len Berman

Book Overview

Everyone loves an underdog - and now you can experience and share the greatest upsets in sports history with The Greatest Moments in Sports: Upsets and Underdogs This book plus audio CD is all about "the little guy," the athlete or team that seemingly has no chance. Any yet somehow they emerge victorious. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Greatest Moments in Sports comes this collection unlike any other. Through photos, facts, and thrilling stories, you'll uncover the greatest upsets the sports world has ever seen.

Why do so many people love underdogs? Probably because we've all felt like an underdog at some time or another. And discovering the stories behind the most unlikely heroes is sure to inspire the champion in you

Hear the actual broadcasts:

Buster Douglas knocks out undefeated Mike TysonA dairy farmer defeats the "Russian Bear" in wrestlingInjured Kerri Strug sticks a perfect vault landingand many more on an exclusive audio CD

Plus discover the amazing stories behind some of the most inspiring upsets ever:

Doug Flutie throws the most famous pass in college football historyBilly Mills becomes the only American to win gold at the 10, 000 metersJim Abbott, the one-armed pitcher, throws a no-hitterUniversity of Texas-El Paso upsets Kentucky to win the NCAA Basketball Championshipand many, many more

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 140227226X
• ISBN13: 9781402272264
• Release Date: September 2012
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Explore
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 10.3" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Great Read

Wow! I love the way this book is written. It's not pretentious and while sport fans will flock to it, this is great for sport historians, people wanting to get into sports and of course...kids! The pictures chosen were perfect, the stories were just told as stories, and not in an elitist "you should know this to call yourself a sport fan" way. While there were a lot of stats given, for sports newbies, they were presented in an easy to understand manner. For those that like to collect stats, all the info is neatly presented. My son loved/s this book. It's fun, colorful, and full of imagery. Most importantly, this book isn't written for boys. It's written for kids (although to be honest, I enjoyed it just as much). There are so many sports covered in the book, that your child is sure to find one that he will become obsessed with and make you read to them over and over. The CD that is included with this book is also great. After you read the stories, you can pop in the CD and listen to the first hand accounts of what you just read. That alone is worth it. Having a sports themed party? This is the perfect goody-bag book!

Excellent book!

Exellent book and CD. Although it is supposed to be for teenagers, it was just as good for adults as well!

This amazing book will WOW sports fans of all ages ... this book is a bargain you won't regret picki

Everyone interested in even cracking the covers of this book at least one or two favorite sports. Perhaps you are a sports fanatic like Len Berman and love sports of all kinds. In that case you're not going to have any problem relating to each and every one of the stories in this book. The eleven track CD will "make it even more enjoyable," and "listening to sports history being made is really cool," according to Berman. Greatest sports moments can be debatable, but each one in this book just happens to be a favorite of the author. I must admit, he's picked some great ones! * Michael Phelps ~ Follow him as he goes for the gold as he swims in the Olympics. * Babe Ruth ~ Did he really call the shot in his last World Series game or was that simply a myth? * The `69 Miracle Mets ~ Was the black cat that ambles onto the field good or bad luck for them in 1969? * Hank Aaron ~ Hank was determined to hit home run number 715 and outdo the Babe. Read and listen about that day. * Wayne Gretzky ~ Read about his record breaking backhanded goal and learn who his greatest hero was. * Nadia Comaneci ~ Learn how the little girl doing cartwheels on the playground was discovered by Bela Karolyi. Did you ever hear of a "perfect 10?" * Jesse Owens ~ Read about the young man who wasn't welcome on the local track team, but was a star at "Hitler's Olympics." * Arthur Ashe ~ Discover a man who was not only one of the greatest tennis players ever, but was also a "truly special human being." * Billy Jean and Bobbie ~ Find out about how a wild `n wacky guy challenged "the best female tennis player in the world." * "The Greatest Game Ever Played" ~ An "imperfect game" can also be one of the greatest. You will find out why it made such an impact on American Sports. * Super Bowl history ~ Read about an amazing game between the Giants and the patriots. Ever heard of "the Catch?" * The Stanford Band Play ~ Read about one of the wackiest games ever in the history of football. * Tiger Woods ~ At the age of 18 Tiger Woods became the "youngest ever to win the U.S. Amateur Championship. Learn even more about his amazing career. * Cassius Clay ~ When most athletes were quiet, Cassius Clay was boasting, "I am the greatest!" Muhammad Ali, as Clay was later known, was determined to be a winner. * Wilt Chamberlain ~ This record breaking basketball player has so many records it's hard to list them all, but how about the game when he scored 100 points? * Michael Jordan ~ The player who "could do it all" stunned everyone when his last minute shot won a sixth NBA championship for him. * Villanova Vs. Georgetown ~ Could an underdog team beat a bunch of bullies in the 1985 NCAA championship? They were good, but not all that good . . . * Richard Petty ~ Very early one Richard received the nickname "the King." If you don't already know the obvious reason why the nickname, you'll soon find out. * World Cup Soccer ~ Learn why Brandi Chastain "fell to her knees and

Awesome book for young sports fans

My son saw this book in SI kids and wanted it for his birthday. It is great! The cd is great too,,,,,just to listen to those wonder moments, especially the US hockey miracle. My son even read the entire book! and listened to the cd. Great for young and old alike!From the Babe- to Hank-.Arthur Ashe-Michael Phelps-Billie Jean King- Nadia-Jackie-Roger Bannister-Jordan-the 69 Mets-Gretzky-Jesse Owens-Ali-Wilt Chamberlain- it's all here. My son could learn about famous moments from the past too!

Great book for parent/child bonding!

My son LOVES this book and I am loving the interaction it has brought us as well. My six year old son looks through the book, picks out the next sport he wants to read about, and then we learn about the characters (we are reading about boxing tonight and basketball after that!). He's so into it, he actually brushes his teeth early so we can have time to read the book together! Thus far, we've read the US Women's soccer, Miracle on Ice, Secretariat, and David Tyree's catch. Each time, we've listened to the CD audio clip and then gone on to the computer and watched various videos/highlights of each event. Early highlights: - My son now has ingrained in his head that the Preakness will always run around his birthday and is held in the city where a friend of his just moved to and he now wants to go to it! Tremendous. - My son now understands that when a team is supposed to lose, but wins, it is called an UPSET. Priceless. I highly recommend this book to any parent who enjoys bonding with their child (while educating him/her about some of the greatest sports moments, figures, and teams of all time. Lastly, I am also purchasing a bunch to give to clients as holiday presents - nothing better than to give a gift that will keep on giving - and hopefully they'll think of me occassionally!