It seems unlikely that James Naismith, who grew up playing "Duck on the Rock" in the rural community of Almonte, Canada, would invent one of America's most popular sports. But Rob Rains and Hellen Carpenter's fascinating, in-depth biography, James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball, shows how this young man--who wanted to be a medical doctor, or if not that, a minister (in fact, he was both)--came to create a game that has endured for over a century. Rob Rains is a former National League beat writer for USA Today's Baseball Weekly and for three years covered the St. Louis Cardinals for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. He is the author or co-author of autobiographies or biographies of Tony La Russa, Ozzie Smith, Mark McGwire, Jack Buck, Red Schoendienst, and many other sports celebrities. Hellen Carpenter is the granddaughter of James Naismith, and her more than 300 documents from Naismith's files were instrumental in crafting this biography. 

James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball (Hardcover)

By Rob Rains

$27.50

ISBN-13: 9781439901335
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Temple University Press, 10/01/2009

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