{"title":"Charles Leerhsen","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into compelling biographies by Charles Leerhsen, offering insightful glimpses into the lives of iconic figures. Perfect for readers who enjoy in-depth explorations of fame, fortune, and human nature.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"ty-cobb-book-charles-leerhsen-9781451645798","title":"Ty Cobb","description":"\u003cb\u003eA fascinating and authoritative biography of perhaps the most controversial player in baseball history, Ty Cobb--\"The best work ever written on this American sports legend: It's a major reconsideration of a reputation unfairly maligned for decades\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Ty Cobb is baseball royalty, maybe even the greatest player ever. His lifetime batting average is still the highest in history, and when he retired in 1928, after twenty-one years with the Detroit Tigers and two with the Philadelphia Athletics, he held more than ninety records. But the numbers don't tell half of Cobb's tale. The Georgia Peach was by far the most thrilling player of the era: When the Hall of Fame began in 1936, he was the first player voted in.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e But Cobb was also one of the game's most controversial characters. He got in a lot of fights, on and off the field, and was often accused of being overly aggressive. Even his supporters acknowledged that he was a fierce competitor, but he was also widely admired. After his death in 1961, however, his reputation morphed into that of a virulent racist who also hated children and women, and was in turn hated by his peers.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e How did this happen? Who is the real Ty Cobb? Setting the record straight, Charles Leerhsen pushed aside the myths, traveled to Georgia and Detroit, and re-traced Cobb's journey from the shy son of a professor and state senator who was progressive on race for his time to America's first true sports celebrity. 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Bourdain seemed to have it all: an irresistible personality, a dream job, a beautiful family, and international fame. The reality, though, was more complicated than it seemed. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBourdain became a celebrity with his bestselling book \u003ci\u003eKitchen Confidential. \u003c\/i\u003eHe parlayed it into a series of hit television shows, including the Food Channel's \u003ci\u003eAnthony Bourdain: No Reservations \u003c\/i\u003eand CNN's \u003ci\u003eParts Unknown.\u003c\/i\u003e But his charisma belied a troubled spirit. Addiction and an obsession with perfection and personal integrity ruined two marriages and turned him into a boss from hell, even as millions became intrigued by the ever-curious and genuinely empathetic traveler they saw on TV. Bourdain was already running out of steam, physically and emotionally, when he fell hard for an Italian actress who could be even colder to him than he sometimes was to others, and who effectively drove a wedge between him and his young daughter. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eDown and Out in Paradise \u003c\/i\u003eis the first book to tell the true and full Bourdain story, relating the highs and lows of an extraordinary life. Leerhsen shows how Bourdain's never-before-reported childhood traumas fueled both his creativity and the insecurities that would lead him to a place of despair.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49668405297425,"sku":"GOR012754527","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49858218459409,"sku":"NGR9781982140441","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50033192337681,"sku":"CIN1982140445VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51063132029201,"sku":"NIN9781982140441","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52107418698001,"sku":"CIN1982140445G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52357587108113,"sku":"GOR014508123","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53148172189969,"sku":"GOR012708150","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53557541503249,"sku":"CIN1982140445A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1982140445.jpg?v=1750868883"},{"product_id":"butch-cassidy-book-charles-leerhsen-9781501117497","title":"Butch Cassidy","description":"\u003cb\u003eCharles Leerhsen brings the notorious Butch Cassidy to vivid life in this \"lyrical and deeply researched\" (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e) biography that goes beyond the movie \u003ci\u003eButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid\u003c\/i\u003e to reveal a more fascinating and complicated man than legend provides.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e For more than a century the life and death of Butch Cassidy have been the subject of legend, spawning a small industry of mythmakers and a major Hollywood film. But who was Butch Cassidy, really? Charles Leerhsen, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eTy Cobb\u003c\/i\u003e, sorts out the facts from folklore and paints a \"compelling portrait of the charming, debonair, ranch hand-turned-outlaw\" (Ron Hansen\u003ci\u003e,\u003c\/i\u003e author of \u003ci\u003eThe Kid\u003c\/i\u003e) of the American West.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Born into a Mormon family in Utah, Robert Leroy Parker grew up dirt poor and soon discovered that stealing horses and cattle was a fact of life in a world where small ranchers were being squeezed by banks, railroads, and cattle barons. A charismatic and more than capable cowboy--even ranch owners who knew he was a rustler said they would hire him again--he adopted the alias \"Butch Cassidy,\" and moved on to a new moneymaking endeavor: bank robbery. By all accounts a smart and considerate thief, Butch and his \"Wid Bunch\" gang eventually graduated to more lucrative train robberies. But the railroad owners hired the Pinkerton Agency, whose detectives pursued Butch and his gang relentlessly, until he and his then partner Harry Longabaugh (The Sundance Kid) fled to South America, where they replicated the cycle of ranching, rustling, and robbery until they met their end in Bolivia.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eButch Cassidy\u003c\/i\u003e, Leerhsen \"refuses to buy into the Hollywood hype and instead offers the true tale of Butch Cassidy, which turns out to be more fascinating and fun than the myths\" (Tom Clavin, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eTombstone\u003c\/i\u003e). In this \"entertaining...definitive account\" (\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e), he shares his fascination with how criminals such as Butch deftly maneuvered between honest work and thievery, battling the corporate interests that were exploiting the settlers, and showing us in vibrant prose the Old West as it really was, in all its promise and heartbreak.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49705370353937,"sku":"CIN1501117491G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50165049360657,"sku":"CIN1501117491VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51031257547025,"sku":"NIN9781501117497","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":52850649563409,"sku":"CIN1501117491A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1501117491.jpg?v=1750956951"},{"product_id":"ty-cobb-book-charles-leerhsen-9781451645767","title":"Ty Cobb","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49778024907025,"sku":"CIN1451645767G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50227112608017,"sku":"CIN1451645767VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":52322822324497,"sku":"CIN1451645767A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52625455939857,"sku":"GOR011625105","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1451645767.jpg?v=1750858565"},{"product_id":"blood-and-smoke-book-charles-leerhsen-9781439149041","title":"Blood and Smoke","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHear the heart-pounding, engine-revving true story of the first Indy 500--America's most celebrated automobile race.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1911, thousands of spectators gathered at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch 40 cars compete in the first annual Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Better known as the Indy 500, the event was a celebration of the controversial new sport of automobile racing. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDangerous and deadly, auto racing was drawing attention from across the country with its thrilling premise: No windshields, no helmets, no seatbelts-just speed. Fans would flock to race tracks to watch gutsy young men go up to 75 miles per hour in open cockpits. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut with fame came complications. Seven people were killed when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway first opened. Racers' wives became widows in the blink of an eye. Drivers encountered exploding tires, bursts of smoke, oily surfaces and pieces of asphalt flying at their faces--not to mention the wrenches and bolts thrown by unruly opponents gunning for the lead. And, while Marmon Wasp driver Ray Harroun was officially declared the winner of the first Indy 500, the decision is disputed to this day by fans and officials of the sport. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eListen to \u003ci\u003eBlood and Smoke\u003c\/i\u003e and go back to when America was first falling in love with automobile racing. Take the driver's seat on this audio-venture and experience the early days of the Indy 500, the controversies that shaped this iconic race, and the young drivers who risked everything for fame, fortune, and first place.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":49786761576721,"sku":"CIN1439149046A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49926537216273,"sku":"CIN1439149046G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50272860471569,"sku":"CIN1439149046VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1439149046.jpg?v=1750756612"},{"product_id":"butch-cassidy-book-charles-leerhsen-9781501117480","title":"Butch Cassidy","description":"\u003cb\u003eCharles Leerhsen brings the notorious Butch Cassidy to vivid life in this surprising and entertaining biography that goes beyond the movie \u003ci\u003eButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid\u003c\/i\u003e to reveal a more fascinating and complicated man than legend provides.\u003c\/b\u003eFor more than a century the life and death of Butch Cassidy have been the subject of legend, spawning a small industry of mythmakers and a major Hollywood film. But who was Butch Cassidy, really? Charles Leerhsen, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eTy Cobb\u003c\/i\u003e, sorts out facts from folklore and paints a brilliant portrait of the celebrated outlaw of the American West. Born into a Mormon family in Utah, Robert Leroy Parker grew up dirt poor and soon discovered that stealing horses and cattle was a fact of life in a world where small ranchers were being squeezed by banks, railroads, and cattle barons. Sometimes you got caught, sometimes you got lucky. A charismatic and more than capable cowboy--even ranch owners who knew he was a rustler said they would hire him again--he adopted the alias Butch Cassidy, and moved on to a new moneymaking endeavor: bank robbery. By all accounts, Butch was a smart and considerate thief, refusing to take anything from customers and insisting that no one be injured during his heists. His Wild Bunch gang specialized in clever getaways, stationing horses at various points along their escape route so they could outrun any posse. Eventually Butch and his gang graduated to train robberies, which were more lucrative. But the railroad owners hired the Pinkerton Agency, whose detectives pursued Butch and his gang relentlessly, until he and his then partner Harry Longabaugh (The Sundance Kid) fled to South America, where they replicated the cycle of ranching, rustling, and robbery until they met their end in Bolivia. 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But Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was nearly euthanized. For a while, he pulled the grocer's wagon in his hometown of Oxford, Indiana. But when he was entered in a race at the county fair, he won -- and he kept on winning. Harness racing was the top sport in America at the time, and Dan, a pacer, set the world record for the mile. He eventually lowered the mark by four seconds, an unheard-of achievement that would not be surpassed for decades. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmerica loved Dan Patch, who, though kind and gentle, seemed to understand that he was a superstar: he acknowledged applause from the grandstands with a nod or two of his majestic head and stopped as if to pose when he saw a camera. He became the first celebrity sports endorser; his name appeared on breakfast cereals, washing machines, cigars, razors, and sleds. At a time when the highest-paid baseball player, Ty Cobb, was making $12,000 a year, Dan Patch was earning over a million dollars. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut even then horse racing attracted hustlers, cheats, and touts. Drivers and owners bet heavily on races, which were often fixed; horses were drugged with whiskey or cocaine, or switched off with ringers. Although Dan never lost a race, some of his races were rigged so that large sums of money could change hands. Dan's original owner was intimidated into selling him, and America's favorite horse spent the second half of his career touring the country in a plush private railroad car and putting on speed shows for crowds that sometimes exceeded 100,000 people. But the automobile cooled America's romance with the horse, and by the time he died in 1916, Dan was all but forgotten. His last owner, a Minnesota entrepreneur gone bankrupt, buried him in an unmarked grave. His achievements have faded, but throughout the years, a faithful few kept alive the legend of Dan Patch, and in \u003ci\u003eCrazy Good\u003c\/i\u003e, Charles Leerhsen travels through their world to bring back to life this fascinating story of triumph and treachery in small-town America and big-city racetracks.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49998872346897,"sku":"CIN0743291778G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50312672313617,"sku":"CIN0743291778VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50429864575249,"sku":"CIN0743291778A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0743291778.jpg?v=1751231781"},{"product_id":"crazy-good-book-charles-leerhsen-9780743291781","title":"Crazy Good","description":"\u003cp\u003eA hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in America was a horse. 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Bourdain seemed to have it all: an irresistible personality, a dream job, a beautiful family, and international fame. The reality, though, was more complicated than it seemed. Bourdain became a celebrity with his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential. He parlayed it into a series of hit television shows, including the Food Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and CN's Parts Unknown. But his bad boy charisma belied a troubled spirit. Addiction and an obsession with perfection and personal integrity ruined two marriages and turned him into a boss from hell, even as millions of fans became enamored of the quick-witted and genuinely empathetic traveler they saw on TV. At the height of his success Bourdain was already running out of steam, physically and emotionally, when he fell hard for an Italian actress who could be even colder to him than he sometimes was to others, and who effectively drove a wedge between him and his young daughter. 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