101 Reasons To Love The Cowboys And Packers

Authors Ron Green Jr. and David Green Give Us Many More Reasons to Love Football

Hunter green turns to gold. Blue, silver and white will soon paint the landscape. As the crickets’ song fades, the breeze carries a chill. Summer gives way to autumn, great bowls are filled with a cornucopia of color, and a different anthem carries across the land. Cheers rise, roars of delight and moans of despair fill the air. And leather-bound, oblong balls fly across the last vestiges of green.

It’s football season, folks! And what better way to celebrate than with a pair of the NFL’s most storied teams, the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys.

Continuing the highly-successful 101 Reasons to Love™ series, these two volumes are stuffed with a bounty of history, tasty anecdotes, and a full serving of vintage and contemporary photos. We have selected a few of our favorite reasons for you to sample.

Yankees Fandom

All in the Family

When I signed on to write Yankee Greats: 100 Classic Baseball Cards last year, it completed a full circle of my life not only as a fan of the storied New York franchise but also of the baseball cards that celebrate its players. I grew up as a Yankees devotee in Syracuse, NY, during the 1950s and ’60s, relishing in numerous world championships before the team went into a prolonged slump. Alas, my fandom followed a similar downward trajectory. By then, too, the shoeboxes full of Topps baseball cards that I’d amassed in my youth were bygone, their value only in the space freed up in my closet after they were chucked.

The Classic Palmer

A Vivid Biographical Portrait of Golf’s Most Beloved Living Icon

“For the last fifty years there has been absolutely no debate about who is the most important golfer of all time. It is Arnold Palmer.” — John Feinstein

Although I was never a huge golf fan, I have always been aware of Arnold Palmer. For one thing, my dad loved golf, loved playing golf, and even worked at a golf course after he retired to Florida. I would hear him mention Palmer all the time. And soon after I started working at Abrams, STC published Palmer: Memories, Stories, and Memorabilia from a Life on and Off the Course, which included official Palmer memorabilia. The book was a hit and sold beyond expectations. Now, STC has just published The Classic Palmer by renowned sportswriter John Feinstein with stunning photographs by Walter Iooss.

Fifty More Places to Fly Fish Before You Die

Andy Weiner Discusses More of the World's Greatest Destinations

Back in 2003 I was surprised and excited by the announcement of a title to be published by Stewart Tabori & Chang: Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die: Fly-Fishing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations by Chris Santella. I fly fish. It’s my favorite recreational activity, and I’ve travelled around the country from west to east to enjoy the great fishing to be found from California to Montana, New Mexico to Wyoming, Vermont to Pennsylvania. Fifty places? Sign me up.

Baseball Fantography

A Celebration in Snapshots and Stories from the Fans

Baseball is our national pastime. It’s hard to argue with that, no matter how popular other sports may be. There is something special about going to a ballpark, stepping out of a tunnel and seeing the beauty of the field before you. There’s something about that green diamond and outfield that is unbeatable. Something else that makes baseball special is access to ballplayers that is different from other sports as well. Fans have a chance to lean over the fence and get an autograph before the game or wait by the dressing room door to chat with their favorite players. Sometimes teams host open houses or fan days that provide even more access. Baseball fans feel connected to their favorite teams and players, and have since the earliest days of the game.

The Big Show

Charles M. Conlon's Golden Age Baseball Photographs

With the World Series in full swing, it seems appropriate to revel in a little baseball nostalgia. Here is a selection of several of my favorite baseball photographs from The Big Show: Charles Conlon’s Golden Age Baseball Photographs (Abrams, September 2011) by Neal and Constance McCabe.

The Mets: A 50th Anniversary Celebration

Fans pay tribute to their beloved blue-and-orange hometown team

Editorial Director Jennifer Levesque makes nice on her promise to pay respect to her beloved Mets, just in time for our 50th anniversary commemorative book.

I’m very excited for the publication on September 1st of The Mets: A 50th Anniversary Celebration, which I worked on in conjunction with the New York Daily News. The book is written by two of their reporters, Andy Martino and Anthony McCarron, and includes a moving foreword by former Met Ron Darling.

Wimbledon 2011: A tennis fanatic tells all

The history of the tournament and handicapping this year's line up

For tennis fans like myself there is something special about this time of year. A lot of people think of professional tennis as only being the four grand slams (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open), but there’s actually tennis played all year long; there’s virtually no off season. For those of us who watch tennis year-round this can be both exhilarating (it never ends!) and exhausting (it never ends!). But now, a few weeks removed from Roland Garros and on this first day of Wimbledon, I like to think there’s a special buzz in the tennis air.

As you may know, tennis used to be played mostly on grass, but in the last 30 to 40 years it’s moved away from grass to mostly being played on hard courts and clay courts. This means the only time fans can watch tennis being played on the green stuff is the fortnight in June at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

To honor this hallowed tennis tradition, STC just published Wimbledon: 101 Reasons to Love the Greatest Tournament in Tennis. The book covers everything about Wimbledon, and whether you’re carefully monitoring the tennis world each week so you can dominate your fantasy tennis league (didn’t know those existed, did you?) or a tennis newbie, we can all learn some useful facts about Wimbledon.

Five Active Summer Travel Destinations for the Family

Our author Chris Santella selects his favorites from his bestselling 'Fifty Places' series

Summer is rapidly approaching, and if you’ve had weather like I’ve had in Portland, Oregon this spring, you’re REALLY READY to get outside. For some, a walk to the local ice cream parlor might be enough. Others might prefer a slightly more adventurous outdoor excursion.

In the last seven years, I’ve compiled wish lists for outdoor enthusiasts of various strains – including fly fishers, golfers, sailors, scuba divers and hikers. These “must visit before you die” venues are chronicled in my “Fifty Places” series from ABRAMS and Stewart, Tabori & Chang. Many of these places – say the Bolivian jungle for fly fishing or the Kangshung Valley in Tibet — are a bit too out of the way, strenuous or just plain uncomfortable for family enjoyment. But some are just right to help you introduce your kids to the outdoor pursuit that’s close to your heart. I’ve listed a few of these venues below.

Father’s Day gift ideas for fathers of all stripes

Get a handle on Dad's big day with these great books

Merle Browne, executive assistant to our President and CEO Michael Jacobs, has pulled together an impressive list of some of her top picks for every kind of dad as Father’s Day approaches. Read on for some of her picks.

Father’s Day is right around the corner (June 19!)—are you ready? No matter what kind of guy your dad is (chef, sportsman, nature lover), we’ve got the perfect book for him on his special day. Here are five of my favorites…