Powerful Moments in Sports: The Most Significant Sporting Events in American History

Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics. Billie Jean King takes on Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes. Title IX is passed. Some moments in sports--whether they take place on a track, on a tennis court, or in a courtroom--transcend the event itself. This book features twenty events that had profound social, political, and cultural importance and inspired athletes and spectators alike. It examines how a particular moment in sports history revolutionized a sport, how a contest of speed inspired a nation, or even how a humble victory affected the world.

Martin Gitlin is a freelance writer and the author of more than 100 books on popular culture and sports. He has won many awards for his writing, including first place for General Excellence in Journalism from the Associated Press. Two of his most recent books are The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time (2013) and The Greatest College Football Rivalries of All Time (2014).