Adam Augustyn: 10 books

Despite its American origins, the fast-paced and often acrobatic game of basketball commands the attention of audiences around the world. The sport’s seeming simplicity—put the ball in the basket—is delightfully offset by the complexity of the athleticism and strategy required to be successful...

As Europe’s religious, social, economic, and cultural identity began to take more definite shape in the medieval and Renaissance eras, so too did its literary identity. By capturing in ink the spirit of these transformative periods, such literary giants as Geoffrey Chaucer, Miguel de Cervantes,...

Integral to the consciousness of the American people, the sport of baseball has become a steadfast institution in a nation whose identity is constantly evolving. Although the game has undergone its own share of changes since it first took center stage, baseball has maintained an unwavering devotion...

From Romanticism to Realism, the 19th century saw a flourishing of literary movements, as well as the arrival of several now-revered luminaries on the literary scene. Authors experimented with new styles that elevated the novel as a significant literary form, while new techniques and themes were also...

Perhaps the most defining characteristic of American literature composed after World War II is the rejection of conventional form and structure with its increasingly uninhibited and experimental style. Embracing works from previously marginalized groups like African Americans and women and ushering...

Fiercely nationalistic, the first prominent American writers exhibited a profound pride in the territory that would come to be known as the United States. Predating even the Declaration of Independence, much early American writing entailed commentary on the newly developing American society. This...

From Europe’s rugby and soccer evolved a truly American sport. Played across the United States at parks, schools, universities, and in stadiums, football is as much a part of America’s iconographic experience as apple pie. Emerging from college campuses, it has blossomed to become a popular form...

Although it assumes different monikers in various parts of the world and has appeared in various incarnations over time, the game of soccer has retained a great deal of its original character. While it is ostensibly simple in terms of equipment and rules, soccer has inspired skill, strategy, and pure...

Deviating from the romanticism of earlier works, American literature that emerged after the mid-19th century adopted a distinct realism and an often critical view of American society. With penetrating analyses, writers such as Henry Adams and Upton Sinclair exposed fundamental flaws in government...

Contemporary literature encompasses so many genres, literary forms, and themes that it would seem almost impossible to identify a unifying thread between them. Yet in the tradition established by literary heavyweights who came before, modern writers of all stripes and backgrounds have continued to...