Description

"More than Rivals: A Championshiip Game and a Friendship That Moved a Town Beyond Black and White" by Ken Abraham. 2016 Revell. Apparent first edition thus (there is also a hardback edition), first printing (number line starts with a 1). ISBN 9780800727222. 316 pages with a black and white photo section. Trade paperback. The author and the two main subjects of this book have signed the title page and added inscriptions to "Graham". The inscriptions are: 1. "Dear Graham, / May this only remind you. / That all things are possible! / Ken Abraham" 2. "To Graham / Work hard and / be the best. / Eddie Sherlin" 3. "To Graham, / For the love of the / Game! / Bill Ligon" (the slashes represent new lines) Abraham's inscription is in blue marker, the others are in black ink pen. Books signed by the author and the two principals of the story rarely come up for sale. There is a story in "The Tennessean" newspaper about a signing event with all three of these signers present. I have no proof that this is where this book was signed, but it could have been - I haven't found any internet record of any other signing event with all three present. The story, which also describes what the book is about, is at: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/sumner/sports%20/2016/07/02/new-book-reunites-union-gallatin-basketball-players/86609884/ The story is of a 1970 high school basketball championship game between an all-white school and an all-black school in the same (at the time) highly-segregated town, Gallatin, Tennessee, where two of the players, one from each team, had been friends. This is the uplifting story of the town and its people, before, during, and after that championship game. Highly rated on Goodreads. Photos are of the actual book on offer. See the photos for additional insight into content and condition of this great story of how a highly segregated town dealt with a championship duel between teams from both parts.