9 books like Vintage Skiing

By Ray Atkeson,

Here are 9 books that Vintage Skiing fans have personally recommended if you like Vintage Skiing. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Powder: The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet

Jimmy Petterson Author Of Skiing Around the World: Over 30 Years in Search of the Ultimate Ski Descent

From my list on skiing from the man who skied the most countries.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve spent a lifetime in search of the coziest ski village, the most spectacular mountaintop view, and the ultimate powder descent, and for the past 35 years, I’ve been writing about and photographing my experiences for ski and travel magazines. I am one of the world’s most published ski journalists, with more than 600 feature articles with photos having appeared in 20 countries. I’ve skied about 4700 days in my life, and have managed to ski in 650 ski resorts, in 75 countries, and on all seven continents. I have also written an unusual multi-media novel with photos and music called Coming of Age

Jimmy's book list on skiing from the man who skied the most countries

Jimmy Petterson Why did Jimmy love this book?

Patrick Thorne is one of the ultimate authorities on ski resorts. He has over 6000 ski resorts in his database, and most websites about skiing are founded on information that Patrick has gathered over the years. In this book, he chooses and describes some of the classic ski descents in the world. It is an excellent book from which to create your own bucket list. 

By Patrick Thorne,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Powder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The most impressive, thrilling and scenic ski runs from one of the world's leading ski experts.

Long descents, big verts, challenging pistes and stunning scenery, Powder is the definitive guide to the best and most feared ski runs on the planet.

Whether you're a serious off-piste skier or a novice with alpine ambitions, this visually stunning guide will undoubtedly inspire the winter Olympian in all of us. Along with classic runs in Chamonix, Whistler and Jackson Hole, Powder will also take you to offbeat and exotic locations such as the Himalayas, the Atlas Mountains and the 2014 Olympic destination of…


Book cover of The Boys of Winter: Life and Death in the U.S. Ski Troops During the Second World War

Jimmy Petterson Author Of Skiing Around the World: Over 30 Years in Search of the Ultimate Ski Descent

From my list on skiing from the man who skied the most countries.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve spent a lifetime in search of the coziest ski village, the most spectacular mountaintop view, and the ultimate powder descent, and for the past 35 years, I’ve been writing about and photographing my experiences for ski and travel magazines. I am one of the world’s most published ski journalists, with more than 600 feature articles with photos having appeared in 20 countries. I’ve skied about 4700 days in my life, and have managed to ski in 650 ski resorts, in 75 countries, and on all seven continents. I have also written an unusual multi-media novel with photos and music called Coming of Age

Jimmy's book list on skiing from the man who skied the most countries

Jimmy Petterson Why did Jimmy love this book?

This is, again, a different kind of book than the previous two. Namely, this is a deeply researched, historical account of how some of America’s best skiers of the 1930s ended up in the famed 10th Mountain Division, fighting the Nazis in Italy during World War II. No history of skiing is complete without mention of the 10th Mountain Division—many of whose members came back to the US after the war as pioneers in the early days of the US ski industry. Charles Sanders gives a heartfelt and detailed account of some of the key men in this saga—great athletes and soldiers. 

By Charles J. Sanders,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Boys of Winter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“An immensely valuable and substantial addition to 10th Mountain literature and to the history of skiing in the United States.” —International Ski History Association
 
The Boys of Winter tells the true story of three young American ski champions and their brutal, heroic, and fateful transformation from athletes to infantrymen with the 10th Mountain Division. Charles J. Sanders’s fast-paced narrative draws on dozens of interviews and extensive research to trace these boys’ lives from childhood to championships and from training at Mount Rainier and in the Colorado Rockies to battles against the Nazis.
 
“The Boys of Winter perfectly captures the spirit…


Book cover of Top Ski Resorts of the World

Jimmy Petterson Author Of Skiing Around the World: Over 30 Years in Search of the Ultimate Ski Descent

From my list on skiing from the man who skied the most countries.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve spent a lifetime in search of the coziest ski village, the most spectacular mountaintop view, and the ultimate powder descent, and for the past 35 years, I’ve been writing about and photographing my experiences for ski and travel magazines. I am one of the world’s most published ski journalists, with more than 600 feature articles with photos having appeared in 20 countries. I’ve skied about 4700 days in my life, and have managed to ski in 650 ski resorts, in 75 countries, and on all seven continents. I have also written an unusual multi-media novel with photos and music called Coming of Age

Jimmy's book list on skiing from the man who skied the most countries

Jimmy Petterson Why did Jimmy love this book?

Arnie Wilson is a man with as long a history as a ski journalist as anybody alive. He is a passionate skier who skied his way into the Guinness Book of Records by circumscribing the globe while skiing 365 consecutive days back in 1994, and he also spent 15 years as the ski correspondent for the Financial Times and twelve years more as the editor of the British magazine, Ski and Board. This book is a coffee-table book that is divided into chapters on Arnie’s choice of the 40 best ski resorts in the world.

By Arnie Wilson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Top Ski Resorts of the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Chamonix and St. Moritz in the European Alps to Aspen, Colorado, and Lake Louise, Canada, this beautifully illustrated volume features 40 of the most celebrated, fashionable, and diverse skiing destinations in the world. Each resort is treated individually, with the author's vivid and lively description, handsome color photos, and an information panel that tells readers how to get there, the site's altitude, number of lifts, types of pistes or ski runs, the resort's special advantages, and its drawbacks. Each description also features a small map showing nearby cities and approaches by highway. The resorts and sites described encompass the…


Book cover of Paul Preuss: Lord of the Abyss: Life and Death at the Birth of Free-Climbing

Jimmy Petterson Author Of Skiing Around the World: Over 30 Years in Search of the Ultimate Ski Descent

From my list on skiing from the man who skied the most countries.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve spent a lifetime in search of the coziest ski village, the most spectacular mountaintop view, and the ultimate powder descent, and for the past 35 years, I’ve been writing about and photographing my experiences for ski and travel magazines. I am one of the world’s most published ski journalists, with more than 600 feature articles with photos having appeared in 20 countries. I’ve skied about 4700 days in my life, and have managed to ski in 650 ski resorts, in 75 countries, and on all seven continents. I have also written an unusual multi-media novel with photos and music called Coming of Age

Jimmy's book list on skiing from the man who skied the most countries

Jimmy Petterson Why did Jimmy love this book?

I must admit that I have a very personal reason for liking this book. Paul Preuss was my great-uncle. This is a book more about mountaineering than about skiing, but as an elite mountaineer of the early 20th century, Preuss was a pioneer of skiing as well as mountain climbing. There have been three previous books written about Preuss’s life and exploits, two by renowned climber, Reinhold Messner and one by an Italian climber/author named Severino Casara, but the book by Mr. Smart is the first English language book about the life and achievements of Paul Preuss. Preuss was not only a prodigious climber who completed 300 solo climbs of which 150 were first ascents,

He was a philosopher of sorts. His strict adherence to a pure climbing ethic that shunned the use of any artificial climbing aids put him at the forefront of the “piton dispute”. Preuss’s stance on…

By David Smart,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Paul Preuss as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Shortlisted for the 2019 Banff Mountain Book Award for Mountain Literature


Shortlisted for the 2019 Boardman Tasker Award


An intriguing biography of the renowned Austrian alpinist Paul Preuss, who achieved international recognition both for his remarkable solo ascents and for his advocacy of an ethically "pure" alpinism (meaning without any artificial aids).



In the months before his death in 1913, from falling more than 300 metres during an attempt to make the first free solo ascent of the North Ridge of the Mandlkogel, Paul Preuss’s public presentations on his climbing adventures filled concert halls in Austria, Italy, and Germany.



George…


Book cover of Bunny Slopes

Abi Cushman Author Of Animals Go Vroom!

From my list on interactive stories for toddlers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author-illustrator of funny picture books for kids, including the interactive book, Animals Go Vroom!. As an illustrator, I revel in creating jokes and storylines in the pictures that kids can follow along with by themselves. And as a mother of two small children myself, I know first-hand the magical experience of reading books with toddlers that keep them guessing and giggling along the way.

Abi's book list on interactive stories for toddlers

Abi Cushman Why did Abi love this book?

This book encourages readers to turn, flip, and shake this book to help a bunny ski down a hill. Toddlers will love being able to “control” what happens in the story as the bunny gets covered in snow, crashes in a tree, and falls into a hole. There’s even an actual hole in the pages to match the hole in the illustrations. It’s a fun, interactive book sure to become a storytime favorite.

By Claudia Rueda,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bunny Slopes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Time to tackle the bunny slope! Shake to help Bunny make it snow, tilt to help Bunny ski down the slope, and turn to help Bunny escape a cliff in his path. Is there any obstacle Bunny can't conquer? Bringing grins and guffaws with each turn of the page, readers will find Claudia Rueda's innovative bookmaking as entertaining as the twists and turns of a ski slope-and as satisfying as a cozy cup of hot cocoa.


Book cover of The Slope Rules

Kristin Bartley Lenz Author Of The Art of Holding on and Letting Go

From my list on teen sports (and so much more).

Why am I passionate about this?

I wasn’t a sporty teen, but I discovered rock climbing in my twenties and that later inspired my first novel, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go. I’m also a social worker, and even though my main character Cara is a competitive climber and the book features gripping (ha!) rock climbing scenes, the story is about much more – love and loss, finding home, the transformative power of nature. Sports and athleticism (or lack thereof) are something we can all relate to. What a great starting point for exploring our multi-faceted lives.

Kristin's book list on teen sports (and so much more)

Kristin Bartley Lenz Why did Kristin love this book?

Mountain towns, skiing, snowboarding, and sweet romance – this story is the perfect winter entertainment. A twist of fate lands Cally and Blake in the same high school after their vacation romance ends, but why is he acting like he wants nothing to do with her? The story complications grow as Cally navigates old and new friendships and lands a spot on the ski team, and then there’s the mystery of what Blake is hiding. This is book one of three in The Rules series and more adventures await, on and off the ski slopes. 

By Melanie Hooyenga,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Slope Rules as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fifteen-year old Cally accepted her fate as one of the guys, so when she meets Blake, a hot snowboarder who sees her for more than her aerials on the slopes, she falls fast and hard. But their romance can only last as long as vacation.

Or so she thinks.

A twist of fate—well, her Dad opening another brewery in a new town—lands her in Blake’s school, but the charismatic boy she fell for wants nothing to do with her, and worse, the Snow Bunnies, the popular clique, claim her as their newest recruit.

Cally must learn to be true to…


Book cover of Play Practice: Engaging and Developing Skilled Players From Beginner to Elite

James Marshall Author Of Coaches' Corner: Essays on athletic development, coaching and teaching.

From my list on youth sports coaches.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the head coach of Excelsior Athletic Development Club. I set this up after working with professional sports teams and young international athletes for a decade. I saw how poorly prepared they were and how many dropped out of the sport. I wanted to do something better for my children and the local people that had the focus on development and support rather than the prevailing ‘win on Saturday’ at all costs mentality. Many good practitioners do this under the radar but are lost in the race to win medals and secure funding. I hope this list shows coaches there is a better way.

James' book list on youth sports coaches

James Marshall Why did James love this book?

This book is aimed at sports coaches, with a general introduction and the first half of the book containing chapters on coaching theory and practice. These aspects are usually skimmed over in coaching courses, but the authors explain the theory and why it is important to understand before coaching. They write well, and each chapter is well laid out with graphics, photos, and sub-headings. I found it to be a useful reminder.

The second half contains chapters showing how this can be applied in different sports: striking, invasion games, racquet sports, and so on. I used a lot of their ideas, especially when designing sessions in sports in which I had less experience. The only frustration is watching my children being coached with mundane, poorly planned sessions, knowing that if the coaches read this book, things would improve!

By Alan Launder, Wendy Piltz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Play Practice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Play Practice: Engaging and Developing Skilled Players, Second Edition, provides an alternative to traditional sport instruction. This innovative and authentic approach to teaching sports combines contemporary theory with the experience of practical and reflective work in real sport environments.

Coauthors Alan Launder and Wendy Piltz, both with wide-ranging experience as players, teachers, and coaches, expand and update the play practice approach they presented in the first edition and show how it can be used to help improve sport skills for players of all ages and abilities. This flexible model of sport pedagogy can be applied as a whole or one…


Book cover of Looking at Photographs: 100 Pictures from the Collection of the Museum of Modern Art

Philip Gefter Author Of What Becomes a Legend Most: A Biography of Richard Avedon

From my list on for understanding photography as art.

Why am I passionate about this?

My interest in photography began as a student at Pratt Institute, a preeminent art school, and I have worked in the field my entire adult life, not as a photographer but as a picture editor and photography critic. I was the Page One Picture Editor of The New York Times and wrote regularly about photography for the paper. I have published two biographies: one on Richard Avedon, among the more significant artists of the 20th century, and another on Sam Wagstaff, one of the earliest collectors who established the art market for photography; a book of collected reviews and essays called Photography After Frank; and essays on individual photographers for museum catalogues and artist’s monographs. I produced the 2011 documentary, Bill Cunningham New York.

Philip's book list on for understanding photography as art

Philip Gefter Why did Philip love this book?

As the legendary curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art, John Szarkowski was instrumental in elevating photography’s stature to an equal among the fine arts. He is eloquent in his explanation about the meaning of photography and illuminating in his descriptions of each of the one hundred photographs published in this book from MoMA’s sterling collection of photographs. There is no better guide to an awakening of your own eye than Szarkowski.

By John Szarkowski,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Looking at Photographs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

`This is a picture book, and its first purpose is to provide the material for simple delectation', wrote curator John Szarkowski in this first survey of The Museum of Modern Art's photography collection. Since 1930, when the Museum accessioned its first photograph, it has assembled an extraordinary and wide-ranging collection of pictures for preservation, study and exhibition. A visually splendid album, Looking at Photographs is both a treasury of remarkable photographs and a lively introduction to the aesthetics and the historical development of photography. This reissue, with new digital duotones, enhances a classic volume and makes it available to a…


Book cover of Snowflake Bentley

Caralyn M. Buehner Author Of Snowmen at Night

From my list on snow and snowmen.

Why am I passionate about this?

The world opened to me in a safe space when I learned to read as a child, and by 6th grade I regularly hauled home stacks of books from the library and, inspired by Jo March, hoped to be an author. I put aside my dream of writing and pursued other career goals until my marriage to Mark Buehner. It was his career as an illustrator that opened a path for me to write, and together we have created many picture books, including the Snowmen at Night series. I’ve learned that stories are told with pictures as well as words, and beautiful picture books can be savored at any age.

Caralyn's book list on snow and snowmen

Caralyn M. Buehner Why did Caralyn love this book?

My memories of childhood are of white winters and deep snowfalls. Like anyone in a perfect snowstorm, I have often looked at the flakes on the shoulders and sleeves of my coat and wished I could preserve that perfect crystal. I also wondered if the saying was true—that no two snowflakes are alike—and how anyone could possibly know.

I had no idea as a child that a Vermont farmer, Wilson Bentley, studied and photographed snowflakes for years, leading to discoveries about these six-sided, fleeting jewels. In Snowflake Bentley (another Caldecott recipient), Jacqueline Martin introduces us to a time “In the days when farmers worked with ox and sled,” and a boy “who loved snow more than anything else in the world.” A fascinating, educational,  and true story to explore.

By Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Mary Azarian (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Snowflake Bentley as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the time he was a small boy, Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal. Bentley's enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination revealed two important truths: no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful. His story is gracefully told and brought to life in lovely woodcuts, giving children insight into a soul who had not only a scientist's vision and perseverance but a clear passion for the wonders of nature.…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in skiing, school, and Colorado?

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