Every year, June 2, my dad’s birthday, sneaks up on me. Rarely do I have a gift for him (though it always serves as a reminder of Father’s Day, a few weeks later). 

Had I been thinking, this year I would have given my dad a copy of Monica Nucciarone’s new book, Alexander Cartwright: The Life Behind the Baseball Legend. My dad (like many dads out there) loves both baseball and baseball history, and I’m sure he’d appreciate learning more of Cartwright’s very interesting life, which included founding the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York, joining the California Gold Rush, and then moving to Hawaii, where he joined the movement to annex Hawaii to the United States. A bonus: Alexander Cartwright’s official publication date was June 2 – the book and my dad share a birthday.

Perhaps for Father’s Day instead.

And speaking of Father's Day, the University of Nebraska Press also has a variety of books on sale in honor of this big day. Topics covered in the sale include U.S. history, military history, memoir, wine, and a multitude of sports including baseball, kayaking, bicycling and boxing — something for everyone (certainly not just for dads) The sale continues through June 21.