The "Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives (SEAL)" has documented the lives of thousands of deceased Americans, both world famous and lesser known. Now, a new "Thematic Series" focuses on people in special areas of interest, both living and deceased. For the kickoff, "Sports Figures" profiles everyone from Dizzy Dean to Mia Hamm. For those who want to learn about sports figures, statistics and career highlights are easy to find, but authoritative biographical information is not always readily available. Now anyone who enjoys sports can turn to "SEAL" for well-written, authoritative essays on the lives and achievements of more than 600 athletes, coaches, team owners, sportscasters and writers. Their home run records, longest passes and fastest miles are all here, along with concise descriptions of each subject's childhood, family life, education and rise to fame. And true to Scribner's high editorial quality, each original, signed essay is written to be read and enjoyed by scholars, students and casual browsers alike.

What was it like for Jackie Robinson, the first black player to break the color barrier in baseball, and why was Babe Didrikson Zaharias so revolutionary for her time? What makes Tiger Woods a unique golfer? Each signed article places its subject in historical context. Photos of most subjects, bibliographies and an index by sport make this set comprehensive and easy to use.