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California Sports Astounding

The first sports history guide chronicling statehood to the modern era, California Sports Astounding shares the fun, unknown, and surprising sports highlights. Featuring extraordinary facts and remarkable events from football to fishing, this complete chronicle is your ultimate resource to everything in California athletics. Get California Sports Astounding and astound everyone with your immense wealth of sporting wisdom!

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    About the Book

    You might know California’s sunny beaches and sky-high Redwoods, but do you know when California’s first mini golf course opened? Ever wondered what’s recognized as California’s official state sport, or which sports were invented within its state lines?

    Whether a native of Eureka or San Diego, Californians all have one thing in common—a home rich with a spectacular sports history. Impress your friends, amaze your family, and even conquer your enemies on a quiz show with your sublime knowledge of every sport in the Golden State!

    The first sports history guide chronicling statehood to the modern era, California Sports Astounding shares the fun, unknown, and surprising sports highlights. Featuring extraordinary facts and remarkable events from football to fishing, this complete chronicle is your ultimate resource to everything in California athletics.

    Dive into the state’s largest compilation of sports history in a single volume!

    You’re about to discover:

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    A statewide genealogy of over 65 sports

    Including the Olympics, professional, college, and student levels.

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    Life stories of elite Californian men and women athletes

    And their inspiring paths to hall of famer status.

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    Athlete birthdays for each month

    So you’ll have a reason to celebrate!

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    Famous California firsts and surprising facts

    Like what was called “Basket Ball” before basketball, how your favorite baseball teams received their nicknames, and which soccer match set a world record.

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    The origins of the quirkiest and most memorable mascots

    Such as Rampage and Sharkie.

    "California Sports Astounding is a great collection of month to month fun facts and sports history throughout the state of California! Great tidbits, random facts and birthdays!"

    – Michelle Dapper, KCRA-TV Sports Anchor, Sacramento

    "California’s sports’ world is more than just blonde, blue eyed surfers and skate boarders. It has featured a wide variety of athletes and athletic events, some well-known and some not so well-known. Filled with fun facts but also useful insights, Dan Cisco’s new book casts a loving light on multiple ways Californians have played under the sun."

    Joel Franks Emeritus,
    San Jose State

    "California Sports Astounding is a one-stop place to read about the astounding history of sports in California. I read a lot about the history of sports and this book will be a valuable addition to my bookshelf and one that I am certain I will be referring to often. The information about Stanford University was especially rich in information, much of which I did not know and am happy to have learned. This is truly a book that will be hard to put down. I really enjoyed the format and the presentation of information!"

    – Ray Purpur
    Deputy Director of Athletics
    Stanford University

    “As a former sports editor and lifetime sports fan, growing up in California, I found Dan Cisco’s California Sports Astounding funny, fact-filled and fascinating.”

    – Gary Rubin

    "Sports are many things to many people, but at their core, they should be - first and foremost – fun. California Sports Astounding! is exactly that. A fun read, which author Dan Cisco deftly presents in easy-to-consume, 'snackable' fashion. It features countless informative and entertaining nuggets, covering all sports under the California sun. If you love this state and love its sports, you can't go wrong with this book!"

    – – Scott Reiss, Author of Where They Were Then: Sportscasters, Emmy winner. Radio play-by-play voice for Stanford football and men’s basketball. KNBR.

    “Such a cool book!”

    Rachel Garcia – USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2018 and 2019), four-time All-American softball pitcher at UCLA, 2020 Olympic silver medalist for Team USA.

    "This book is a must buy and belongs in every household if sports is remotely your king thing. Great gift idea."

    —Vern Glenn, KPIX-TV Sports Reporter, San Francisco

    About the Author

    Dan Cisco, the California Sports Guy, is a sports researcher with over 25 years of experience. A lifelong sports fan, his sports history expertise has been featured on the ABC, CBS, and NBC television networks. His previous book, Hawaii Sports: History, Facts, and Statistics, won two awards from the Hawaii Book Publishers Association in 1999. Excellence in Writing Non-Fiction and Excellence in Specialty Books. A native of San Diego, Dan is a member of the California Historical Society.

    Learn More

    California Sports Astounding in the Media

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    California Sports Blog

    Read our blog and learn even more about California Sports History!

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    Press Releases, Podcast Interviews and More!

    Covering sports from beach volleyball to the X Games!