spreading mayhem, the cowboy lassos the imagination and just won’t let go. On these magnificently illustrated pages unfold cowboy life and legend, cowboys around the world, the cowboy’s ranching roots, modern-day cowboys, cowboy food and fun, and the cowboy in film and popular culture. Quotations from Western poems, songs, and novels offer contemporary perspectives, as do the old-time posters and nostalgic advertisements. An astounding variety of photos show it all. There’s also absorbing background on black cowboys,Ivaqueros/I, women who rode the range, and rodeos./PP style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%B /B/PP style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: noneKnown as the “Cowboy Professor,”BRichard W. Slatta, Ph.D,/Bhas earned numerous honors and awards.IThe International Who’s Who of Intellectuals/Ilists him as one of the Outstanding Writers of the 20th Century as well as one of the Outstanding Intellectuals of the Twentieth Century. The American Library Association gave an Outstanding Reference award to his book,IThe Cowboy Encyclopedia./ISlatta’sICowboys of the Americas/Ireceived theI/IWestern Heritage Award for Nonfiction Literature, National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His many books includeISimón Bolívar's Quest for Glory/I, co-authored with Jane Lucas De Grummond;IThe Mythical West: An Encyclopedia of Legend, Lore and Popular Culture/I; andIComparing Cowboys and Frontiers/I./PP style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%B/B/PBR  (less)

the best reference books of the year by Library Journal and named an outstanding academic book of the year by the American Library Association, this is the first book to cover comprehensively the careers of all African Americans who played with a team of major-league quality or whose careers are featured in the history of America’s Pastime. It delivers a wealth of information, from vital statistics and the standard baseball figures of batting averages and pitching records to career data, including years of active play, positions played, team affiliations, and even nicknames. To create this one-of-a-kind reference, baseball authority James A. Riley traveled the country to interview the surviving members of the Negro Leagues about their exploits and the careers of their now-deceased teammates. With this invaluable firsthand information, Riley brings to life the careers of such greats as Satchel Paige, Ray Dandridge, Josh Gibson, and Leon Day. Looking past Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier in 1947, he profiles all Major League Hall of Fame players who also played in the Negro Leagues such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, and Roy Campanella. “A landmark publication in the fields of baseball history and African-American history … a one-of-a-kind work.”—Booklist/divDIVNow available in a handsomely produced oversized paperback—with expanded information and 24 pages of black-and-white photographs—The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues documents more than four thousand players on Negro League teams from 1872 through 1950. Called one of the best reference books of the year by @Y  (less)

glass to pub signs.brLavishly illustrated with color and black and white plates, The Oxford Guide to Heraldry offers a delightful tour of the heart of medieval pagentry. The only guide to heraldry written entirely by Officers of Arms with full access to the College of Arms Library (which contains the most important heraldic records and manuscripts in the world), this beautiful, enriching volume covers the origins of heraldry, the composition of arms and their visual appearance, the use of arms as decoration, how and why arms are granted, and to whom, and much more. It also explains how coats of arms have differed from country to country, with informative sections on France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other European nations, plus a complete chapter devoted to heraldry in America. This authoritative volume is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in genealogy, history, chivalry, or the decorative arts.brbrAbout the Authors:brThomas Woodcock is Somerset Herald. He is the joint editor of the Dictionary of British Arms.brJohn Martin Robinson is Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary and the author of several books, including The Dukes of Norfolk and The National Trust Book of English Country Estate.br  (less)