Tennessee

Name: Pro Wrestling in Memphis
Brand: G. Wayne Dowdy
SKU: 9781467159920
Price: 18.74 USD
Availability: InStock

Stretched between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Mississippi levees, Tennessee history offers a study in contrasts. The heritage of the Volunteer State makes room for both the quiet of a Walland glade and the roar of an Opryland crowd. Grab one of our Tennessee history book titles for a masterclass in variety that includes Piggly Wiggly founder Clarence Saunders, pioneering architect Moses McKissack, Nashville ghost tours, the Knoxville World’s Fair and the best barbecue in Memphis. [View all Tennessee books]

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Pro Wrestling in Memphis

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

A History of East Tennessee Auto Racing

Paperback

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Vanderbilt Football

Paperback

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Nashville Sports History

Paperback

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Nashville Predators

Paperback

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Vanderbilt Basketball

Paperback

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Iconic Moments in Nashville Sports

Paperback

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Pro Wrestling in Memphis

9781467159920

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Mayhem on the Mat in Memphis

For most of the twentieth century, professional wrestling was the most popular sport in Memphis. It not only had great entertainment value but also reflected the city’s culture of cruelty, kindness and violence. The vibrant professional wrestling culture that developed in Memphis—with its emphasis on elaborate promotions, strong characters and wild performances—transformed the sport and made the Bluff City one of the most significant wrestling centers in the United States. Join author G. Wayne Dowdy as he chronicles Sputnik Monroe’s successful battle against segregation and the Jerry Lawler/Andy Kaufman feud and introduces wrestling legends like Jackie Fargo, Tojo Yamamoto, Bill Dundee, Handsome Jimmy Valiant, Kamala the Ugandan Giant and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

A History of East Tennessee Auto Racing

9781626191372

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

East Tennessee isn't typically mentioned among stock car racing's formative hotbeds. But the region from Bristol to Oneida and Chattanooga encapsulates a significant portion of the sport's history. From pioneers like Brownie King and Paul Lewis of Johnson City to former national champions Joe Lee Johnson of Chattanooga and L.D. Ottinger of Newport, East Tennessee has produced many of NASCAR's great drivers. The region is home to one of the world's largest sports stadiums in the Bristol Motor Speedway, but NASCAR also made regular visits to other area tracks. Whether the surface is red clay, asphalt or brushed concrete, East Tennessee still boasts some of the world's fastest, most competitive racing. Join author and racing insider David McGee as he presents a vast array of colorful characters whose passion fueled a sport that has gone from primitive to prime time.

Vanderbilt Football

9781609494230

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

In the Southeastern Conference arguably the most historic and competitive conference in all of college football the more blue-collar programs often get overshadowed by the dynasties (read: Alabama). So it has been with Vanderbilt's football history. Yet Vandy is one of the South's, and the country's, most historic universities. Not surprisingly, there are many fun, fascinating, and peculiar history. There are triumphs, like Vandy's upset of Alabama in 1969; tragedies, like the riot that ended a game in 1896; historic events, like the founding of Dudley field in 1922, still the Commodore's home. Then there are the legendary coaches and players. Players from across Vandy's history like Irby Rabbit Curry, Dixie Roberts, Carl Hinkle, Greet Ricketson, and Josh Cody, who excelled on both sides of the ball. Coaches like Dan MuGugin who established Vandy as a power house from the early 1900s to the 1930s, and remains the only NCAA football coach in history to win his first three games by 60 points or more. Plus, pioneers like Ray Morrison who helped establish Vandy football, serving as player and coach.

Nashville Sports History

9781596298200

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Enjoy this all-access pass to more than a century of sports in the Music City packed into one exciting volume Watch from the bleachers as Ty Cobb practices with the Vanderbilt football team and Babe Ruth blasts home runs out of the old Sulphur Dell Ball Park, or go all the way back to 1843 and witness what was then the richest horse race in the world at the Nashville Race Course. These are but a few of the stories compiled by local award-winning sportswriter Bill Traughber in this one-of-a-kind collection no sports fan should be without. Included are excerpts from local sportswriters like the legendary Grantland Rice and over forty historic photographs from the playing field.

Nashville Predators

9781626198500

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Nashville may be located in the country music capital of the world ... but local hockey fans know it simply as Smashville.

The Nashville Predators adopted their name from the bones of a saber-toothed tiger found beneath a local building. Craig Leipold first purchased the expansion rights in 1997, and the team quickly built a loyal following. It won 28 games in the inaugural season. Twelve seasons later, the team finished second in the Central Division and appeared in its first-ever conference semifinals. One year later, it finally dispatched its long-standing rival Detroit Red Wings 4–1 in the opening round of the playoffs. Author and award-winning reporter Justin Bradford details the fascinating history through unique player anecdotes and perspectives from those involved in the team's rise to prominence.

Vanderbilt Basketball

9781609496883

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Vanderbilt basketball has come a long way since the beginnings of organized team play in 1893. Vanderbilt athletic historian Bill Traughber leads the charge through Commodore history, from the Old Gym to the 2012 NCAA Tournament, complete with memories from players and coaches.Experience the program's turning point from the court of the 1947 98-29 loss to Kentucky that sent a clear message: time to play ball or drop it. The first full-time head coach, Bob Polk, soon arrived and built Vanderbilt basketball into the national contender it is today. Feel the magic of Memorial Gymnasium and get on your feet to cheer for impossible buzzer-beaters and thrilling victories.

Iconic Moments in Nashville Sports

9781467171373

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Unearth the Hidden History of Nashville Sports

Long before the Titans arrived, Nashville’s sports story was already rich with unforgettable moments—many lost to time, now revived through deep research and rare interviews. Bill Traughber brings to light the city’s forgotten athletic past. From Tennessee’s first pro football team in 1938 to how events like Pearl Harbor and President Kennedy’s assassination shaped the local sports landscape, this book is a must-read for sports history lovers and Nashville natives alike. Read about Chuck Connors, star of The Rifleman, hitting a home run at Sulphur Dell Ballpark, and enjoy personal stories from entertainer Pat Boone and U.S. Senators Fred Thompson and Lamar Alexander. Packed with little-known facts, historic photos, and vivid storytelling, this book is perfect for readers who crave the golden era of American sports and its impact on Nashville’s cultural history. A treasure trove of memories, moments, and milestones—rediscovered and retold.