The Inside Pitch . . . and
More: Baseball's Business and the Public Trust
by Gene A. Budig
West Virginia University Press, 2004
Baseball
is a game Gene A. Budig has loved since childhood, and he has
had a unique opportunity to become very close to it. The former
WVU president (19771981) and president of Major League Baseball's
American League for six years expresses inside views of issues
and questions that dominate baseball today. What should be done
to shorten the length of the games, the 2002 labor agreement,
the Pete Rose dilemma, and umpires are some of the subjects addressed.
The Keeper's Son
by Homer Hickam
Thomas Dunne Books, 2003
Homer
Hickam's newest book is a work of fiction revolving around the
island of Killakeet, a small island of the Outer Banks of North
Carolina.
The island's focal point is a lighthouse that has been under the responsibility of generations of the Thurlow family. Josh Thurlow has forsworn his heritage to become the commander of a small Coast Guard patrol boat operating off the island. Josh is still tortured by guilt, 17 years after losing his baby brother at sea. In 1941, Josh and the other Killakeet residents had no idea that they were about to be brought into the war by a barrage of German U-boats. When the U-boats descend, Josh helps defend the fishing community, continues looking for his brother, and falls in love.
Mountain Memories: An Appalachian
Sense of Place
Text and Photography by Jim Clark
Vandalia Press, 2003
This
book of photography also contains essays and photos that tell
of Jim Clark's love for Appalachia and West Virginia. The photos
range from majestic vistas in Dolly Sods to blood- root flowers
in Jefferson County, and close-ups of autum leaves in the Monongahela
National Forest. From birds to groundhogs to insects, Clark shows
the unparalleled beauty of West Virginia with included information
regarding his memories, some West Virginia history, and stories
of how he came upon the opportunities for the photos.
Snow on the Rails: Tales of
Heartland Railroading
by Dennis Boyer
Badger Books Inc./Waubesa Press, 2003
In a set of short folklore-based stories, author
Dennis Boyer explores the culture and characters that represent
railroading in the Midwest. Train crews, mechanics, track laborers,
and station workers take us to rail yards, lonesome prairies,
decrepit hotels, deep forests, and industrial cities. A full
range of behind-the-scenes train and track tales are brought
to life here.