Major; A Black Athlete, A White Era, And The Fight To Be The World's Fastest Human Being
by Balf, Todd
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Ontario, Wisconsin, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Crown Publishers, 2008. First Printing of the First Edition. HB. Quarter orange cloth and yellow paper covered boards, silver lettering on spine, 8vo, 306 pp. Clean, unmarked book, binding tight. In a nice, unclipped dust jacket. Book condition Near Fine in Near Fine DJ.
Synopsis
At the turn of the 20th century, hundreds of handsome, lightning-fast racers won the hearts and minds of a bicycling-crazed public. Scientists studied them, newspapers glorified them, and millions of dollars in purse money was awarded to them. Major Taylor aimed to be the fastest of them all. A prominent black man at a time when such a thing was deemed scandalous, his mounting victories, high moral virtue, and bulletlike riding style made him a target for ridicule from the press and sabotage by the white riders who shared the track with him.Taylor's most formidable and ruthless opponent--a man nicknamed the "Human Engine"--was Floyd McFarland. One man was white, one black; one from a storied Virginia family, the other descended from Kentucky slaves; one celebrated as a hero, one trying to secure his spot in a sport he dominated. The only thing they had in common was the desire to be named the fastest man alive. Their rivalry riveted first America, and then the world. Finally, in 1904, both men headed to Australia for a much-anticipated title match to decide, beyond dispute, who would claim the coveted title.Major is the gripping story of a superstar nobody saw coming--a classic underdog, aided by an unlikely crew: a disgraced fight promoter, a broken ex-racer, and a poor upstate girl from New York who wanted to be a queen. It is also the account of a fierce rivalry that would become an archetypal tale of white versus black in the 20th century. Most of all, it is the tale of our nation's first black sports celebrity--a man who transcended the handicaps of race at the turn of the century to reach the stratosphere of fame.From the Hardcover edition.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Parker's Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- ON8437
- Title
- Major; A Black Athlete, A White Era, And The Fight To Be The World's Fastest Human Being
- Author
- Balf, Todd
- Format/Binding
- HB
- Book Condition
- Used
- Edition
- First Printing of the First Edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Crown Publishers
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2008
- Bookseller catalogs
- Sports;
Terms of Sale
Parker's Rare Books
All books returnable within two weeks of receipt for any reason with full refund. Return postage will be reimbursed if book not as described or damaged in transit. Payment by check or money order in U.S. dollars, or payment via credit card through the Biblio check-out.
About the Seller
Parker's Rare Books
Biblio member since 2006
Ontario, Wisconsin
About Parker's Rare Books
Specializing in antiquarian, collectible, scholarly, and rare books of all genres.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
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The Importance of Dust Jackets
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