Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable: The Paul Haber Story
Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable chronicles the life of a quick-witted Jewish kid who battled child abuse, manic depression, personality disorder and alcohol to become one of history's greatest and most controversial handball players. Had these issues not been a part of his life, would he still have become a legendary superstar in his sport? Conflict and triumph have many stories, non like the saga of Paul Haber. Charisma and manipulation bolstered his admiration and support by many well-intentioned enablers. Brazen intimidation, unscrupulous conduct and exceptional athleticism accounted for his succession of demoralizing victories over his opponents. His clashes with the very hand that fed him played out in juicy detail in Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Argosy and Ace magazines as well as newspapers coast-to-coast, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Haber was both loved and hated by many but the press and fans salivated over his every appearance. He rose to fame and misfortune upsetting everyone and everything in his path. Multi-millionaire Robert Kendler and others became his unwitting sponsors, providing money and excuses for his irresponsible actions, while applauding his unprecedented string of victories on the handball circuit. The unflappable dark prince of handball was unfazed by authority. Time in jail, probation and commitment to a state mental institution provided colorful gossip but no real changes to the character of the unbeatable champ. Even his lucky escape from the Chicago Mob had little impact on Haber, until later. Four failed marriages and an equal number of fatherless kids made for an interesting challenge for lawyers and court ordered support demands. Haber's callous disregard for responsibility equally matched his disdain for his opponents in handball. His reputation as a womanizer as well as his training regimen of cigarettes, booze and carousing were the antithesis of what the United States Handball Association attempted to convey to the public and defied his status as the nation's best handball player. Haber's celebrity status climaxed with his challenge to the reigning national racquetball champion, Dr. Bud Muelheisen creating a furor over which sport was superior; handball or racquetball. For six years Haber reigned king of the hill in handball, and for years after he milked it as former royalty among handball enthusiasts. Labeled the bad boy of the sport, he relished his status as an unemployed "handball bum." The Paul Haber story is an intriguing chronicle of this gifted but cursed superstar of the 1960's and 70's when handball was at is zenith in popularity. Nereim chronicles the significant events in Haber's life that render him the unlikely paradigm of legend and tragedy.
1123435697
Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable: The Paul Haber Story
Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable chronicles the life of a quick-witted Jewish kid who battled child abuse, manic depression, personality disorder and alcohol to become one of history's greatest and most controversial handball players. Had these issues not been a part of his life, would he still have become a legendary superstar in his sport? Conflict and triumph have many stories, non like the saga of Paul Haber. Charisma and manipulation bolstered his admiration and support by many well-intentioned enablers. Brazen intimidation, unscrupulous conduct and exceptional athleticism accounted for his succession of demoralizing victories over his opponents. His clashes with the very hand that fed him played out in juicy detail in Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Argosy and Ace magazines as well as newspapers coast-to-coast, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Haber was both loved and hated by many but the press and fans salivated over his every appearance. He rose to fame and misfortune upsetting everyone and everything in his path. Multi-millionaire Robert Kendler and others became his unwitting sponsors, providing money and excuses for his irresponsible actions, while applauding his unprecedented string of victories on the handball circuit. The unflappable dark prince of handball was unfazed by authority. Time in jail, probation and commitment to a state mental institution provided colorful gossip but no real changes to the character of the unbeatable champ. Even his lucky escape from the Chicago Mob had little impact on Haber, until later. Four failed marriages and an equal number of fatherless kids made for an interesting challenge for lawyers and court ordered support demands. Haber's callous disregard for responsibility equally matched his disdain for his opponents in handball. His reputation as a womanizer as well as his training regimen of cigarettes, booze and carousing were the antithesis of what the United States Handball Association attempted to convey to the public and defied his status as the nation's best handball player. Haber's celebrity status climaxed with his challenge to the reigning national racquetball champion, Dr. Bud Muelheisen creating a furor over which sport was superior; handball or racquetball. For six years Haber reigned king of the hill in handball, and for years after he milked it as former royalty among handball enthusiasts. Labeled the bad boy of the sport, he relished his status as an unemployed "handball bum." The Paul Haber story is an intriguing chronicle of this gifted but cursed superstar of the 1960's and 70's when handball was at is zenith in popularity. Nereim chronicles the significant events in Haber's life that render him the unlikely paradigm of legend and tragedy.
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Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable: The Paul Haber Story

Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable: The Paul Haber Story

by Monty Nereim
Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable: The Paul Haber Story

Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable: The Paul Haber Story

by Monty Nereim

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Overview

Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable chronicles the life of a quick-witted Jewish kid who battled child abuse, manic depression, personality disorder and alcohol to become one of history's greatest and most controversial handball players. Had these issues not been a part of his life, would he still have become a legendary superstar in his sport? Conflict and triumph have many stories, non like the saga of Paul Haber. Charisma and manipulation bolstered his admiration and support by many well-intentioned enablers. Brazen intimidation, unscrupulous conduct and exceptional athleticism accounted for his succession of demoralizing victories over his opponents. His clashes with the very hand that fed him played out in juicy detail in Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Argosy and Ace magazines as well as newspapers coast-to-coast, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Haber was both loved and hated by many but the press and fans salivated over his every appearance. He rose to fame and misfortune upsetting everyone and everything in his path. Multi-millionaire Robert Kendler and others became his unwitting sponsors, providing money and excuses for his irresponsible actions, while applauding his unprecedented string of victories on the handball circuit. The unflappable dark prince of handball was unfazed by authority. Time in jail, probation and commitment to a state mental institution provided colorful gossip but no real changes to the character of the unbeatable champ. Even his lucky escape from the Chicago Mob had little impact on Haber, until later. Four failed marriages and an equal number of fatherless kids made for an interesting challenge for lawyers and court ordered support demands. Haber's callous disregard for responsibility equally matched his disdain for his opponents in handball. His reputation as a womanizer as well as his training regimen of cigarettes, booze and carousing were the antithesis of what the United States Handball Association attempted to convey to the public and defied his status as the nation's best handball player. Haber's celebrity status climaxed with his challenge to the reigning national racquetball champion, Dr. Bud Muelheisen creating a furor over which sport was superior; handball or racquetball. For six years Haber reigned king of the hill in handball, and for years after he milked it as former royalty among handball enthusiasts. Labeled the bad boy of the sport, he relished his status as an unemployed "handball bum." The Paul Haber story is an intriguing chronicle of this gifted but cursed superstar of the 1960's and 70's when handball was at is zenith in popularity. Nereim chronicles the significant events in Haber's life that render him the unlikely paradigm of legend and tragedy.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780996891615
Publisher: BookBaby
Publication date: 01/15/2016
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 212
Sales rank: 307,969
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

Monty Nereim was born and raised in South Dakota and grew up in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine. He benefitted from two careers, military officer and magazine editor, before starting his writing ventures. He and his wife Sharon call Las Vegas and San Diego home. When not writing, he travels, golfs, and plays handball. Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and Unbeatable is the first books to be published.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Prologue xii

Cast of Characters xiv

Chapter 1 Early Indications of a Problem 1

Chapter 2 An Undiagnosed Condition 6

Chapter 3 Origins of a Legend 15

Chapter 4 The Hub City of Handball 25

Chapter 5 Bad Boy Beginnings 32

Chapter 6 Armando Meets Paul 39

Chapter 7 A Quixotic Twosome Begins 47

Chapter 8 Squeezing the Turnip 57

Chapter 9 Now, the Big Boys 64

Chapter 10 The Wayward Trip Home 76

Chapter 11 The Tour de Triomphe 87

Chapter 12 National Titles Accumulate 92

Chapter 13 The Irony of Bad Publicity 100

Chapter 14 Then Along Came Mary 107

Chapter 15 Against all Odds Hands vs. Racquet 117

Chapter 16 Delusions of Wealth 130

Chapter 17 The Transfer of a Problem 139

Chapter 18 The Raucous Roller Coaster Ride 146

Chapter 19 A Negotiated Place in History 160

Chapter 20 An Inconvenient Intervention 167

Chapter 21 Haber's Final Tour 171

Chapter 22 Game and Match Point 185

Acknowledgements 192

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