In the City of Brotherly Love, there are few things taken as seriously as local bragging rights. In a city that lives and dies with its sports heroes, basketball is no exception. This volume traces the lore and history behind Philadelphia's Big 5, an informal basketball league that features five of the area's most prestigious colleges: LaSalle University, Temple University, Saint Joseph's University, Villanova University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Formed in 1955, the Big 5 pulls teams from the Ivy League, the Big East, the American Athletic Conference, and, in the case of both LaSalle and Saint Joseph's, the Atlantic 10. With a round-robin format, each team plays the other once and best record takes home the trophy. In a sport that has become a nationwide sensation, the spirit of Philadelphia lives on, led by the most loyal and passionate fans in the world.

First discovered by the American tourist in the mid-1800s, Orlando and the surrounding towns soon began to feel the impact of the newcomers, their wealth, ideas, and lifestyles. Extending pleasant winter vacations to year-round residences, these new inhabitants were drawn by the warm climate and the attractions offered in the burgeoning Central Florida region. Along with the hardy pioneers who had carved their home out of the Florida wilderness, they began to build a thriving community in Orange County. In this pictorial retrospective, over 200 historic images trace the county's improving transportation; the creation of Clay Springs, Florida's first amusement park; the development of the early citrus industry; and the exciting boom years of advancement in aviation. Flashy and unusual advertisements plugged "fun in the sun" and lured visitors and developers to the region. Touting the beauty and charm of Central Florida, these vintage images captured street scenes, local architecture, and industry and preserved the unique history of the area for posterity. Compiled here, they tell the singular story of Orange County. Spanning the period from the late 1800s to the arrival of Disney in the late 1960s, this volume features photographs from the archives of the Historical Society of Central Florida. Showcasing citrus growing and celebrations, early tourism and aviation, Orlando and Orange County pays tribute, in word and image, to the indomitable spirit of the men and women who made the region home. Readers of all ages are sure to enjoy this fascinating journey through the early years of Orlando and Orange County.

Dramatic change accompanied Lincoln’s growth from a village of 30 settlers to a city of 300,000.  Today, Lincoln retains the residue of its fascinating past for those who know where to look. Tour Lincoln’s storied heritage by charting the arrival of the university, penitentiary, asylum and railroads. Learn how the early churches still anchor the community. Discover the five towns that later merged into Lincoln. Visualize the artwork that best reflects Lincoln—both the person and city. Locate where Lindbergh learned to fly. Revisit the downtown Lincoln scene of what was once the largest bank robbery in the United States. Picture the once thriving Capitol Beach Amusement Park. Explore Nebraska’s capital city in the expert company of Gretchen M. Garrison.

From the author of Lost Milwaukee comes an exploration of the criminal side of the Cream City.

Milwaukee saw its share of violence as it transformed from frontier village to modern metropolis. The city was barely established when an argument over a bridge linking east and west was nearly settled with cannon fire. A local developer killed his estranged wife, severed her head, and burned it in the furnace of the apartment building he built. A wronged woman murdered her lover on a busy downtown street and was found innocent by a sympathetic jury. Another woman lethally poisoned her family and laughed about it in the press.

From a robbery in which the bandits got away by stealing a streetcar to the attempted assassination of President Theodore Roosevelt, local historian Carl Swanson uncovers dramatic true stories of villainy and murder from Milwaukee's long-forgotten past.

Join author Michael W. R. Davis as he retraces the history of what went on behind the scenes of testing automotive tracks in Detroit, Michigan.

The catastrophic failure of a new but unproven copper-cooled Chevrolet in 1923 led the General Motors Corporation to buy back the 100 cars it had sold to the public and recall another 400 in company and dealer hands. As a result, in 1924 General Motors started building the industry's first scientific proving ground to test new vehicle designs before they were released for production and sale. Before this, all automakers tested new cars haphazardly on public roads and within limited engineering laboratories. Better known by the public as test tracks, the proving grounds became a source of curiosity for decades about the secrets they might hold. Detroit Area Test Tracks goes behind the test track walls to show how the facilities evolved and what typically takes place inside.