Charles Ivar McGrath Knihy

"A wistful look back at family, youth, and the intoxicating magic of New England summers, as well as a rumination on friendship and loss, by an esteemed writer and essayist and the former editor of The New York Times Book Review. We all have vivid memories of summers past and the bright skin of youth: of those first days when school has ended; of long days of leisure and pleasure reading dog-eared paperbacks; of camps or cottages or vacation spots we returned to every year; of family road trips and their attendant stresses; of our sexual awakenings and longings; of first dates and becoming lovestruck; of fireworks and lawn games; of penny candies and thunderstorms and drive-in movie theaters; of bracing swims and inevitable sunburns; of outdoor showers and sandy feet; and, who can forget, of timeless friendships forged. In Summer, Charles McGrath looks back at his younger days and the pleasures of summer with affection and longing, recalling with a gimlet eye experiences familiar to so many of us. But he also looks back with a clarity that suggests many of our memories may have become idealized over time. More than a tribute to seasons past, Summer is also a poignant story about friendship, about two men from different backgrounds who come together late in life, bonding over shared experiences, experiences born in the saddle of summer and beyond, and with children afoot. Later, when his friend is stricken with cancer, their relationship is imbued with new measure and meaning"-- Provided by publisher

This is the history of Lansdowne FC, the most iconic rugby club in Ireland. Based at the headquarters of Irish rugby, the Club was established even before the international game came to Lansdowne Road. The brain-child of the visionary H.W.D. Dunlop, Lansdowne FC has been a central player in the history of Irish rugby for 150 years and generation after generation of Irish greats have plied their trade with the Club. Centred on the need for people to associate together, this social and cultural history of Lansdowne FC is presented through the prism of key events in Ireland and the wider world, from the drive for codification of sports in the later nineteenth century through the seismic events of two world wars, the Irish Revolution, the Free State and Republic, and beyond. Throughout the book major questions relating to nationalism, unionism, class, religion, and racism in sport and wider society are addressed, while it concludes with consideration of the impact of Covid-19 and the regenerative power of sport within the community.

The book challenges the perception of early modern Ireland as merely a passive participant in British colonialism, presenting it instead as an active contributor to the first British Empire's establishment and expansion. McGrath emphasizes Ireland's significant involvement in finance and defense, highlighting how these areas were crucial to the empire-building process. Through this lens, the work reexamines Ireland's historical role and its enthusiastic engagement in the imperial project.

Ever since the Dark Ages, when a few Scots ambled over the dunes with their het kolvin sticks, slapping a ball around in something akin to golf, no sport has more universally or irreversibly awed its players and fans. THE ULTIMATE GOLF BOOK captures the world's ultimate sporting passion as it has never been captured before, with a lively, authoritative history, stunning illustrations, and perhaps the finest collection of original writing on the sport ever assembled between two covers. Putting a fresh, contemporary spin on the centuries-old story of golf, Sports Illustrated's colorful senior writer John Garrity has written a delightful, loose-limbed riff of a history that travels the globe and the links, covering the key personalities, events, advances in technique and technology, proliferation of interest, and curious mystery of this international obsession. Complementing the history are twenty personal essays from a diverse group of literary low-handicappers, musing on everything from the Age of Tiger, to the woes of the lowly club pro, to the charm of playing golf in the dead of winter, to giving up the game altogether. All of this plays out against the dramatic backdrop of more than 300 photographs and illustrations, many rare and historic, many commissioned especially for this volume, which is truly one of a kind. From the tee to the green, the clubhouse to the nuthouse, THE ULTIMATE GOLF BOOK is a must-have for any serious student of the game.