Sports Illustrated 50 Years: The Anniversary Book by Editors of Sports Illustrated, Rob Fleder (Editor), Frank Deford (Introduction)

From Barnes & Noble

Since its first issue in 1954, Sports Illustrated has revolutionized sports journalism and sports photography. Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary Book: 1954-2004 features 288 pages of the stunning photos and great writing that have made SI the world's premier sports magazine. A keepsake volume that's a keeper.

From the Publisher

For 50 years, Sports Illustrated has set the standard for sportswriting and action photography. Now, for the culmination of the magazine's 50th anniversary celebration, some of the finest writing and most memorable pictures from Sports Illustrated's archives have been collected in a lavish coffee-table book that will be treasured by the magazine's devoted readers for years to come. Along with the stunning photography, which includes every one of the magazine's covers since its launch in 1954, and the great writing that has appeared in the pages of the magazine, this 288-page book will also be chock full of all-new facts and figures that will give readers an entertaining view of 50 years of American sports.

• The ultimate holiday gift book for sports fans of all kinds
• 50 years of Sports Illustrated's most memorable pictures and inspiring prose gathered together in one keepsake volume
• A sports reader's delight - filled with some of the most compelling moments in sports history
• A sports lover's treasury to keep and share for years to come

Publishers Weekly

When Sports Illustrated first arrived in August 1954, its focus was fringe pursuits like yachting, bowling and dogs-yet it struck a nerve. America was in a postwar economic boom and at the dawn of the TV age. "Sports was suddenly so much more visible, so much more important," says veteran sportswriter Frank Deford in his introduction. This book shows how SI has continued to foster sports' visibility, offering an engaging celebration of the last 50 years of American sports (and of SI's own history), flush with fabulous photos: a toothless Jack Lambert; Muhammad Ali's wrinkled masseur, Luis Sarria; the Pittsburgh Pirates' Dave Parker enjoying a smoke after winning the 1979 World Series. What puts this book a notch above the average coffee-table book are the thoughtful sportswriting excerpts pulled from the magazine's archives. In one piece, up-and-comer Howard Cosell chastises the wimps and pretty boys who populate his profession. Another profiles former Chicago White Sox president and huckster Bill Veeck, who once sent a midget up to the plate to pinch-hit as a publicity stunt. Further chapters feature SI paintings-many of them caricatures, like the one of disenchanted fans pelting a bug-eyed Bud Selig with baseballs-and thumbnails of all 2,585 SI covers. (Nov.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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