Get ready for the Olympics by grabbing a new book! Something in the Air is Richard Hoffer’s gripping sports narrative that tells the stories of the individual athletes and cultural, social, and political drama surrounding the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Native American Son by Kate Buford is the first comprehensive biography of the legendary figure who defined excellence in American sports: Jim Thorpe, arguably the greatest all-around athlete in U.S. history. And new in paperback, Carson Cunningham presents a kaleidoscopic picture of the evolution into the twenty-first century of one of America’s most popular sports: Olympic Basketball, in American Hoops. … Continue reading Olympic books from UNP

The opening ceremony is next week and all the world will be watching the greatest athletes compete for the Gold. In 1912, Jim Thorpe won the gold medal in the decathlon. He also won the gold medal in the Classic Pentathlon, which was discontinued after the 1924 Games. Because of the discontinuation, he is the only Olympian to have ever won both events. In Native American Son, Kate Buford traces the pivotal moments of Thorpe’s incomparable career, while recounting the difficulties he faced as a Native American. The 2012 Decathlon, which is a two day event, will start on August 8 and the … Continue reading Countdown to London: 10 days

Forthcoming from UNP in paperback is Hard Hitting Songs for Hard-Hit People compiled by Alan Lomax. Twenty-seven years in the making (1940–67), this tapestry of nearly two hundred American popular and protest songs was created by three giants of performance and musical research: Alan Lomax, indefatigable collector and preserver; Woody Guthrie, performer and prolific balladeer; and Pete Seeger, entertainer and educator who has introduced three generations of Americans to their musical heritage. In addition to 123 photographs and 195 songs, this edition features an introductory note by Nora Guthrie, the daughter of Woody Guthrie and overseer of the Woody Guthrie Foundation.   … Continue reading Happy Birthday to Woodie Guthrie!

Today photographer Michael Forsberg's On Anicent Wings received a high reccommendation from The Great American Landscape blog. Rick Braveheart said, "Forsberg has an exceptional talent not only for making exquisite photographs but for capturing images that also tell stories and evoke emotions." Click here to read the full review. Braveheart has also reviewed Nebraska: Under a Big Red Sky by Joel Sartore Along the Edge of Daylight by Georg Joutras. Read those reviews here. Continue reading Forsberg’s book a must read

We Are Here is Ellen Cassedy’s exploration of Lithuania’s Jewish history and their attempts to come to terms with it, combined with her personal exploration of her own family’s disturbing Holocaust history. Listen to her talk about her book and experiences on Bill Thompson’s Eye on Books. Continue reading A Lithuanian journey