An archaeologist by training, Lucas Rubin has spent a good deal of his life immersed in the past. He also loves cities, and he loves sports. In his book, Brooklyn’s Sportsmen’s Row: Politics, Society & the Sporting Life on Northern Eighth Avenue, he indulges his passion for all three.

Read more at Brooklyn Bugle about an exquisite block in Park Slope that in the late 19th century attracted some of New York racing’s biggest names, including James Rowe, Snapper Garrison, and the Dwyer brothers. Rubin’s book blends the sporting, cultural, and political elements of New York City, offering biography, architecture, and social history; learn more at Rubin’s upcoming appearance at Green-Wood Cemetery.