Authors of New Astrodome Book Receive Award

MONMOUTH, N.J. - Dec. 20, 2016 - PRLog -- Drs. Kenneth Womack and Bob Trumpbour, authors of The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Life of Houston's Iconic Astrodome, have been honored with the Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book in Shelf Unbound's 2016 Writing Competition.

The Eighth Wonder of the World, published by the University of Nebraska Press, has been described as the definitive history of the Houston Astrodome. The Dome, built in 1965, was the first large-scale indoor sports stadium ever constructed, and it profoundly influenced the direction of future sports-related architecture. The book chronicles the campaign to fund the structure as well as its design and construction, while highlighting numerous events that took place inside the iconic facility.

Shelf Unbound is an independent book review magazine that features the best of small press and self-published books. Each issue reaches 125,000 avid readers in more than 70 countries. The award was created to honor Pete Delohery and recognize excellence in sports-focused authorship. Delohery, who died in 2011, was a civil engineer who developed a passionate following after releasing Lamb to Slaughter, an independently published novel that explored the complex world of boxing.

Kenneth Womack, Dean of the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth University in New Jersey, has a personal connection to the Astrodome's story. "As a native Texan, I grew up with the Astrodome, which was a central feature in my family's life, as it was for many Houstonians. But we were always especially proud of my grandfather Ken Zimmerman's central role in designing the engineering behind the building's signature feature: its groundbreaking roof structure."

Bob Trumpbour, Associate Professor of Communications at Penn State Altoona, is a leading expert on America's stadium culture and the many ways in which they impact the history of civic life. With the Astrodome, Trumpbour traces the story of Houston's evolution from an oil town to an international destination—a profile that it built on the backs of the Astrodome and NASA's Johnson Space Center.

The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Life of Houston's Iconic Astrodome, has been positively received in numerous venues including the Christian Science Monitor, which recognized the project as one of "12 Really Good Sports Books." Womack and Trumpbour recently spoke about their book at events in both New York City and Houston.

MORE INFORMATION:

Shelf Unbound (December/January issue, pages 60-61): http://www.shelfmediagroup.com/pages/issues.html

Christian Science Monitor recognition: http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2016/1005/12-really-good-new-sports-books/The-Eighth-Wonder-of-the-World-The-Life-of-Houston-s-Iconic-Astrodome-by-Robert-C.-Trumpbour-and-Kenneth-Womack