New Books Network
Sports
History February 9, 2021

War Fever

Boston, Baseball, and America in the Shadow of the Great War

Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith

Hosted by Zachary McCulley
In the fall of 1918, a fever gripped Boston. The streets emptied as paranoia about the deadly Spanish flu spread. Newspapermen and vigilante investigators aggressively sought to discredit anyone who …

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Sports February 2, 2021

The Cap

How Larry Fleisher and David Stern Built the Modern NBA

Joshua Mendelsohn

Hosted by Paul Knepper
Today the salary cap is an NBA institution, something fans take for granted as part of the fabric of the league or an obstacle to their favorite team’s chances to …
Asian Review of Books January 28, 2021

The Moth and the Mountain

A True Story of Love, War, and Everest

Ed Caesar

Hosted by Nicholas Gordon
In 1933, Maurice Wilson — First World War hero, drifting veteran, and amateur aviator, lands in the aerodrome at Purnea in British India. His goal is to be the first …
Film January 8, 2021

Truth and Consequences

Game Shows in Fiction and Film

Mike Miley

Hosted by Joel Tscherne
Although nearly every other television form or genre has undergone a massive critical and popular reassessment or resurgence in the past twenty years, the game show’s reputation has remained both …
Anthropology January 5, 2021

The Sportsworld of the Hanshin Tigers

Professional Baseball in Modern Japan

William W. Kelly

Hosted by John Traphagan
Baseball has been Japan's most popular sport for over a century. In The Sportsworld of the Hanshin Tigers: Professional Baseball in Modern Japan (University of California Press, 2018), anthropologist William …
Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight December 31, 2020

Exercised

How We Did Not Evolve to Exercise and What to Do about It

Daniel Lieberman

Hosted by Dan Hill
Today I talked to Daniel Lieberman about his book Exercised: How We Did Not Evolve to Exercise and What to Do about It (Pantheon, 2021). In the book Lieberman explodes …
History December 23, 2020

Thai Stick

Surfers, Scammers and the Untold Story of the Marijuana Trade

Peter Maguire and Mike Ritter

Hosted by Michael Vann
In the 1970s surfing and smoking pot went hand in hand. As surfers traveled the world in search of perfect waves in places like Bali, Indonesia, some of them encountered …
Sports December 21, 2020

From Hang Time to Prime Time

Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA

Pete Croatto

Hosted by Paul Knepper
The birth of the modern-day NBA is often attributed to Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and David Stern. In From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the …
Australian and New Zealand Studies December 21, 2020

The Ways of the Bushwalker

On Foot in Australia

Melissa Harper

Hosted by Bede Haines
Today I talked to Melissa Harper about her book The Ways of the Bushwalker: On Foot in Australia (NewSouth, 2020). Australians have always loved to step out in nature, whether off-track or …
Sports December 15, 2020

Soccer Diplomacy

International Relations and Football since 1914

Heather L. Dichter

Hosted by Keith Rathbone
Today we are joined by Heather Dichter, Associate Professor of Sports History and Sports Management at DeMontfort University and fellow at the international Centre for Sports History and Culture. She …
Sports December 9, 2020

The Knicks of the Nineties

Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All

Paul Knepper

Hosted by Bob D'Angelo
Today we are joined by Paul Knepper, author of the book, The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All (McFarland, 2020). Knepper …
Sports November 27, 2020

Our Last Season

A Writer, a Fan, a Friendship

Harvey Araton

Hosted by Paul Knepper
Harvey Araton’s new book Our Last Season: A Writer, a Fan, a Friendship (Penguin, 2020), reads like a mix between Tuesdays with Morrie and a sequel to his book When …
Sports November 25, 2020

ABC Sports

The Rise and Fall of Network Sports Television

Travis Vogan

Hosted by Keith Rathbone
Today we are joined by Travis Vogan, Associate Professor of Journalism and American Studies at the University of Iowa, and the author of ABC Sports: The Rise and Fall of …
Biography November 16, 2020

Isabel “Lefty” Alvarez

The Improbable Life of a Cuban American Baseball Star

Kat D. Williams

Hosted by Mark Klobas
For many of its participants, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) offered them an opportunity to change their lives, yet few were as transformed as that of Isabel “Lefty” …
Anthropology November 6, 2020

The Sport Marriage

Women Who Make It Work

Steven M. Ortiz

Hosted by Michael Johnston
Steven M. Ortiz’ new book The Sport Marriage: Women Who Make It Work (University of Illinois Press, 2020) offers an in-depth analysis of and perceive insight into what is means …
History November 6, 2020

Cocaine and Surfing

A Sordid History of Surfing's Greatest Love Affair

Chas Smith

Hosted by Michael Vann
Surfers are the ultimate bad boys, living the counter-culture life of decadence and hedonism as they travel the world in search of the perfect wave, partying hard along the way …
European Studies November 2, 2020

Des Réseaux et des Hommes

Participation et Contribution de la Suisse à l’Internationalisation du Sport (1912-1972)

Grégory Quin

Hosted by Keith Rathbone
Today we are joined by Grégory Quin, maître d’enseignement et de recherche à l’Institut des sciences du sport de l’Université de Lausanne, and he is the author and editor of …
American Studies October 28, 2020

Wheels of Courage

How Paralyzed Veterans from World War II Invented Wheelchair Sports, Fought for Disability Rights, and Inspired a Nation

David Davis

Hosted by Paul Knepper
Out of the carnage of World War II comes an unforgettable tale about defying the odds and finding hope in the most harrowing of circumstances. Wheels of Courage: How Paralyzed …
American Studies October 27, 2020

Asian American Basketball

A Century of Sport, Community and Culture

Joel S. Franks

Hosted by Jorge Iber
When Jeremy Lin shot (pardon the pun) to stardom with his unexpected scoring run with the New York Knickerbockers in 2012 many aficionados of basketball were surprised that an Asian …
Popular Culture October 16, 2020

The Ideal of Global Sport

From Peace to Human Rights

Barbara Keys

Hosted by Keith Rathbone
Today we are joined by Barbara Keys, Professor of US and International History at Durham University, and author and editor of The Ideal of Global Sport: From Peace to Human …