- Table View
- List View
Pray: Notes on the 2011/2012 Football Season (Penguin Specials)
by Nick Hornby'That is why there is NOTHING better than sport' Kevin PietersenThe 2011-12 Premier League season finished on an afternoon so extraordinary that it prompted Kevin Pietersen's tweet. Yet this was just the climax of an incredible season. By May fans of most clubs had been enthralled, appalled, depressed, elated, shocked and enraged. Along the way football had somehow managed to encompass politics, high finance, the law and matters of life and death. In Pray Nick Hornby, author of the classic Fever Pitch, offers an entertaining and typically insightful account of this most extraordinary of seasons. Beginning with the weekend of 28 August when the Man Utd demolition of Arsenal 8-2 and the Man City demolition of Spurs 5-1 showed what was to come, he concentrates on a number of games whose significance went beyond the immediate result: the October games with alleged rascist incidents, the fairy-tale return of Thierry Henry, the collapse of Fabrice Muamba, the Carling Cup Final where Liverpool's victory only served to point up the club's problems, the unusual (but increasingly more common) 4-4 draw between Man Utd and Everton...It was a season of tumultuous incident and enormous entertainment, a season more glorious than most. Read all about it, and relive it, here.
Lunch with the FT: 52 Classic Interviews
by Lionel BarberFrom the very first mouthful, 'Lunch with the FT' was destined to become a permanent fixture in the Financial Times.One thousand lunches later, the FT's weekly interview has become an institution. From film stars to politicians, tycoons to writers, dissidents to lifestyle gurus, the list reads like an international Who's Who of our times. Lunch with the FT is a selection of the best: 52 classic interviews conducted in the unforgiving proximity of a restaurant table. From Angela Merkel to Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Martin Amis to one of the Arab world's most notorious sons, this book brings you right to the table to decide what you think of or world's most powerful players.
I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It: Liverpool's Unforgettable 1983-84 Season
by Tony EvansI Don't Know What It Is But I Love It by Tony Evans - Liverpool and the most unlikely success story in footballKenny Dalglish. Graeme Souness. Ian Rush. Alan Hansen. Bruce Grobelaar. They rank with the very greatest players ever. But the heroes of 1984 were an unlikely group to make history.Led by a 63-year old first-time manager and a captain show-off better known for his moves on the dancefloor, Liverpool's greatest season was a booze-fuelled journey to three trophies: the first division title, the League Cup and the European Cup, won on a remarkable night in Rome. The team's theme song was even the much-derided Chris Rea hit. Eye-watering, hilarious, and utterly unbelievable, this is the story of how they did it, and how their season was the last year of innocence in English football.This book is essential reading for fans of Red or Dead, 43 Years With The Same Bird: A Liverpudlian Love Affair and the memoirs of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Kenny Dalglish.Tony Evans has been football editor of The Times for five years and was born a Liverpool fan. He writes a weekly column for The Game, The Times' weekly football supplement. He came to journalism at the age of 29 and spent his 20s following Liverpool and playing in bands, including a stint in The Farm. In 1983-84, he saw all 42 league games and most of the matches in other competitions.
I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic
by Zlatan IbrahimovicI AM ZLATAN - the explosive, critically-acclaimed memoir of Zlatan Ibrahimovich, one of the world's most gifted and controversial footballers'Guardiola has no balls. He drove me like a Fiat . . . I'm a Ferrari' Zlatan Ibrahimovic - professional football's most mercurial player, Swedish national hero, tabloid fixture, fashion icon, modern-day philosopher and black belt in Taekwondo. Born to a Muslim father from Bosnia, and a Catholic mother from Croatia, Zlatan recounts his extraordinary life story, from his poverty-stricken upbringing as an outsider in Malmö, Sweden, to becoming one of the world's most sought-after and expensive players, gracing Europe's finest clubs, from Ajax to Juventus, Internazionale to Barcelona, Milan to Paris Saint-Germain. I AM ZLATAN reveals a rare and ferocious intelligence, willpower and God-given talent most recently exhibited when Zlatan scored all 4 goals for Sweden in a 4-2 victory against England. His fourth goal, a 30-yard overhead kick with his back to goal is widely regarded as one of the greatest goals of all time. The BBC described it as a goal that 'combined unfathomable imagination and expert technique'.For fans of The Secret Footballer and Football Manager Stole My Life this no holds barred football memoir is every bit as dramatic and revealing as Roy Keane's classic autobiography.'The best footballer's autobiography of recent years is probably I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic . . .' Simon Kuper, author of Why England Always Lose'Eagerly awaited, not least because Ibra seems to be spoiling for a fight on every other page. 'Dynamite' said one Swedish reporter' Daily Mail on I AM ZLATAN
Salt, Sweat, Tears: The Men Who Rowed the Oceans
by Adam RackleyFewer people have rowed across the Atlantic than have climbed Everest.Adam Rackley is among them. For 70 days he and his rowing partner ate, slept and rowed in a boat seven metres long and two metres wide, in one of the world's most extreme environments. This is his story of adventure, endurance and self-discovery.They were following in the wake of pioneers. In 1896 a pair of Norwegian fisherman crossed the 2,500 miles in a wooden fishing dory - and their record stood for 114 years. John Fairfax, a smuggler, gambler and shark hunter, was the first to complete the feat single-handedly in 1969. Others have followed; some have not survived the attempt. This is their story, too.
Fan Mail: Twenty Years of Writing about Football (Penguin Specials)
by Nick HornbyFan Mail: Twenty Years of Writing about Football by Nick Hornby, the bestselling author of Fever PitchAfter the phenomenal success of Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby tried to avoid writing about football, for fear that he'd be writing about it forever. But occasionally over the years he's found it impossible to turn down a particularly enticing assignment or, in the case of the 2012-13 Premier League, just unable to resist writing about that most spectacular of seasons.Fortunately for those who love great writing about football, all these fugitive pieces are collected in Fan Mail. You can follow the fortunes, as Hornby did, of a hopelessly out-of-their-depth Cambridge United in the old Second Division, discover why Perry Groves was an unlikely hero among Arsenal fans, enjoy Hornby trying to explain the World Cup to Americans, and share with him the pain of watching our national team.This Penguin Special, available exclusively as an ebook, can be read in two hours or less. It will be loved by readers of The Secret Footballer and Inverting the Pyramid, as well as fans of Hornby everywhere.'Fever Pitch is the best football book ever written' Nick Lezard, GQ
Four Iron in the Soul
by Lawrence DoneganFour Iron in the Soul by Lawrence Donegan - the hilarious inside story of GolfIn this very funny sports book, young journalist Lawrence Donegan tells the story of the summer he spent caddying for Scottish golfer Ross Drummond, ranked over 400 in the world,on the European Tour. This is the amazing story of the geniuses,the cheats, the gurus and the hangers-on that make up the golf scene. A cross between Nick Hornby and Bill Bryson, this book will be loved by readers of Fever Pitch and Notes from a Small Island.'A joy to read. Not since Bill Bryson plotted a random route through small-town America has such a breezy idea for a book had a happier or funnier result' - Lynne Truss, The Times 'Funny, beautifully observed and it tells you things about sport in general and golf in particular that nobody else had thought to pass on' - Patrick Collins, Mail on SundayLawrence Donegan was born in Scotland in 1961. He went to Stirling University, and had a brief spell as a pop star - he was in the band THE BLUEBELLS, who had a big hit with the infuriatingly catchy "Young at Heart", before joining the Guardian. He lives in Glasgow.
The Climb: The Autobiography
by Chris FroomeOn 26th July 2015, Chris Froome entered the record books. He won cycling's ultimate race - the Tour de France - for the second time.Taking a double Yellow Jersey was a staggering achievement. This memoir shows just how remarkable it was, given the uphill struggle Froome faced. Growing up in Kenya, biking down mile after mile of dusty road, and staying in a humble tin hut, he developed a fierce passion and determination to win.The road to Europe was long, gruelling and filled with setbacks - but it prepared him for teamwork as a domestique and then the leap to leader of Team Sky and a shot at winning the Tour de France. In The Climb, written with the renowned investigative reporter David Walsh, he vividly recounts the struggles, the rivalries, the battles, the comebacks. Finally he traces his path to triumph and his mission to help clean up cycling.Inspiring and exhilarating, it will leave you ready to face your own challenges in life, whatever they may be.'Engaging, vividly evoked' Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year'What Chris has done is phenomenal' Sir Chris Hoy
Futebol Nation: A Footballing History of Brazil
by David GoldblattFutebol Nation by David Goldblatt - a thriling history of Brazil through its sporting passionFrom the genius of Pelé to corruption and civil unrest, no nation has so closely aligned its national identity with playing and watching football as Brazil. Football is regarded as a thing of joy, its yellow shirts a delightful amalgam of sport and art, entwined with its cultures of music and religion. This is true, but there is another side to the story too. The corruption of Brazil's football authorities is characteristic of its society as a whole; some of its biggest tournaments have recently been played amidst the largest protests Brazil has ever seen. From the acclaimed author of the classic football history The Ball is Round, this book is the whole story: the players, the fans, the corruption, the passion. It will be enjoyed by readers of I am the Secret Footballer, The Numbers Game, Why England Lose and fans of football around the world.David Goldblatt was born in London in 1965 and is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspurs and Bristol Rovers. He teaches sociology at Bristol University, reviews sports books for the TLS, and for some years wrote the Sporting Life column in Prospect magazine.'A tour de force of brilliant writing, historical colour and sporting vignette' Observer on The Ball is Round
Invincible: Inside Arsenal's Unbeaten 2003-2004 Season
by Amy Lawrence Arsène WengerInvincible by Amy Lawrence: A gripping insider's account of how Bergkamp, Henry, Vieira and Pires became the first team in 100 years to go the entire season undefeated2014 Writer of the Year, Football Supporters' Federation'This book is so full of exclusive interviews you'll soon feel like part of the squad. A worthy tribute to one of English football's best ever teams, it makes you long for one more game at Highbury' Shortlist 'Unbeatable insight' Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph In 2003-04, a team that played with lightning speed and lustrous skill fulfilled Wenger's lifelong dream - to go a whole season unbeaten. They pushed and inspired each other, bringing the best out of strong characters like Jens Lehmann, a self-styled 'Mad German', Sol Campbell, an intense competitor, Robert Pirès, an instant friend if you give him a football, Patrick Vieira, a soft-spoken, battle-hardened captain, Gilberto, a thoughtful Brazilian, Thierry Henry, a supremely gifted and obsessed scorer and creator, and Dennis Bergkamp, the perfectionist conductor.Based on exclusive player interviews, and with a foreword and afterword by Arsene Wenger, this definitive book allows the Invincibles to tell their own story. Football writer Amy Lawrence weaves together the team's recollections, and the testimonies of other key players and protagonists around the club, to relive the pivotal games and moments. From the battle of Old Trafford to jubilation at White Hart Lane, from training ground sparks to dressing room revelations, readers will go behind closed doors, onto the pitch, and into the players' minds to understand the teamwork and the psychology to go unbeaten.Published in time for the 10-year anniversary, this is a must-have read for any Arsenal fan. It will be enjoyed by readers of memoirs by Dennis Bergkamp and Tony Adams, and will also appeal to football fans everywhere who enjoy classic sports books such as The Damned United. Amy Lawrence has watched football avidly since her first trip to Highbury at the age of six, and has written about it, mostly for the Guardian and the Observer, for twenty years. She lives in London.
Run or Die: The Inspirational Memoir of the World's Greatest Ultra-Runner
by Kilian JornetRun or Die by Kilian Jornet - the autobiography of the world's most dominating athlete in ultra runningShortlisted for the 2014 William Hill Sports Book of the Year AwardNational Geographic Adventurer of the Year 2014Marca Legend Award 2014 'This man can run 100 miles. Up and down mountains. Without stopping. After skipping breakfast. Meet Kilian Jornet, the world's greatest ultra-runner' The TimesAt 18 months he went on his first hike. At 3, he climbed his first mountain. At 10, he entered his first mountain race. At 26, he plans to run up Everest - without an oxygen mask.Kilian Jornet has conquered some of the toughest physical tests on the planet. He has run up and down Mt. Kilimanjaro faster than any other human being, and struck down world records in every challenge that has been proposed - all before the age of 25. Dominating ultra marathons and races at altitude, he has redefined what is possible in running, astonishing competitors with his near-superhuman fitness and ability.In Run or Die Kilian shares his passion, inviting readers into a fascinating world rich with the beauty of rugged trails and mountain vistas, the pulse-pounding drama of racing, and an intense love for sport and the landscapes that surround him. In turns inspiring, insightful, candid, and deeply personal, this is a book written from the heart of the world's greatest endurance runner, for whom life presents one simple choice: Run. Or die.This is the next must-have read for those who enjoyed the endurance books Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes.'Fascinating insight into the gruelling world of the ultimate ultra-runner' Daily MailKilian Jornet is a world champion ultra-runner, climber and ski mountaineer (a combination of skiing and mountaineering).He was voted the presitigious 'Adventurer of the Year 2014' award by National Geographic magazine, in honour of his latest project to break speed records up and down the world's 7 tallest mountains. The 4-year-project finishes with a running attempt up Everest in 2016.
Dub Sub Confidential: A Goalkeeper's Life with – and without – the Dubs
by John LeonardDub Sub Confidential by John Leonard: a GAA memoir like no other.WINNER OF THE SETANTA SPORTS IRISH SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD.John Leonard was a gifted Gaelic football goalkeeper who had the misfortune to reach his prime at the same time, and in the same county, as one of the all-time greats: Stephen Cluxton. Unless something happened to Clucko, Leonard was always going to be number 2. Of course, it didn't help that he had a problem with drink and drugs ...Dub Sub Confidential is John Leonard's vivid, witty and searingly honest account of his life in and out of sport. He was both a committed Dub and a sceptical observer of the goings on in the dressing-room and on the training pitch. He writes about the players and the mentors, and about the oddity of being part of the GAA's biggest circus while never expecting to get on the pitch. And he writes brilliantly about the demons that led him to addiction, his efforts for many years to party hard and train hard, and his eventual breakthrough to sobriety.Dub Sub Confidential is a GAA memoir like no other yet published - a book about how Gaelic games collide with real life. It is also a brilliant read from a remarkable personality.'Four decades after Eamon Dunphy published Only a Game?, his seminal book on football, John Leonard has produced the Gaelic football equivalent - only it's better' Sunday Times Sports Books of the Year'Reads like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ... a great read' Ray D'Arcy, RTE Radio 1'As fascinating as its insights into the Dublin dressing room and the big matchdays are, to reduce Dub Sub Confidential to being just a sports or GAA book is to do it an injustice; it is an astonishing, exceptional, visceral account of a confused young man' Irish Examiner'Engaging, honest, sad and frightening in places - ultimately raw and real. Couldn't put it down' Ryle Nugent, RTÉ'The overall feeling of Leonard's sporting life is of a high-wire act. He somehow managed to have a part-time romance with Dublin football while full-bloodedly chasing whatever and whoever was on offer in Dublin after dark ... There is an antic and often jubilant energy to Leonard's writing' Keith Duggan, Irish Times'Remarkable ... a stark and searingly honest memoir' the42.ie'Students of Gaelic football will be intrigued by his account of the rivalry with Cluxton, arguably the most important player of modern times' Sunday Times
Foxcatcher: A True Story of Murder, Madness and the Quest for Olympic Gold
by Mark Schultz David ThomasFoxcatcher by Mark Shultz - the story that inspired the major motion pictureMadmen, money, murder.... and wrestling.The Foxcatcher estate, Pennsylvania, January 1996. Dave Schultz, Olympic gold medallist and wrestling golden boy, is shot in the back by billionaire John du Pont. After a two day siege at the ranch du Pont is finally captured.It wasn't supposed to end that way. Du Pont had lured to his ranch America's top wrestlers, the brothers Mark and Dave Schultz, with the dream of building a world-class team. But as he grew paranoid and controlling, the brothers realised they were trapped.No one knows the inside story of Foxcatcher better than Mark Schultz. This book is a searing portrait of the relationship he and his brother had with du Pont, whose catastrophic break from reality led to tragedy.Now a major motion picture, this amazing story will be enjoyed by fans of Argo, Captain Phillips and American Hustle.Mark Schultz is an Olympic gold medalist and a national champion in free style wrestling. He lives in Southern Oregon, USA.
At the Edge: Riding for My Life
by Danny MacAskill'I've already had my nine lives on the bike...'Danny MacAskill lives on the edge. The cyclist is legendary for his YouTube viral videos like 'The Ridge': nerve-jangling blurs of stunts and speed over towering buildings and mountain peaks. His life is one of thrills, bloody spills and millions of online hits.It hasn't been an easy ride. Fear, stress and the 'what if?' factor circle every trailblazing trick, which require imagination, daredevil techniques and movie-making smarts. He has spent his life pushing the extremes; somehow, he's still around to tell the tale.In this unflinching memoir of mayhem, Danny shares his anarchic childhood on the Isle of Skye and early days as a street trials rider, takes us behind the scenes of his training and videos, and reveals what it takes to go beyond the next level - both mentally and physically.Join Danny for a nerve-shredding ride. Just be sure to bring a crash helmet.
The Pursuit of Perfection: The Life, Death and Legacy of Cormac McAnallen
by Dónal McAnallenIn 2001, Cormac McAnallen was voted Young Footballer of the Year. In 2003, he helped Tyrone to its first-ever All-Ireland championship win, and was named an All-Star. He was, by any measure, one of the best and most promising young footballers in Ireland.But in March 2004, Cormac McAnallen died suddenly of an undetected heart condition. He was, truly, a young star cut down just as he entered his prime. As he worked his way up through the ranks of club, school and inter-county football, Cormac almost always had his brother Dónal - just a year older - by his side. Nobody else in the world knew as well as Dónal did how badly Cormac wanted to succeed, how hard he worked, or how much thought he put into his game.In The Pursuit of Perfection, Dónal McAnallen draws upon Cormac's diaries and frank self-assessments, and his own memories of their experiences, to create a remarkable portrait of a young sportsman's mindset and methods. It is both one of the most remarkable GAA books ever written and - in its intimacy and depth - a book that transcends Gaelic games.'Exceptional ... Unique and compelling, raw and moving ... Much better than any myth or legend' Paul Rouse, Irish Examiner'A touching, sometimes bracing biography ... It feels like a final word, the family's last say on how he lived and how he died and how he ought to be remembered.' Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times'Beautifully told' Dermot Crowe, Sunday Independent'Stirs something deep around the concept of brotherhood' Belfast Telegraph'Heart-rending ... It is a painstakingly researched work - aided by the fact that both brothers kept meticulous diaries - and what's striking about the story is the pressure that Cormac was under despite or maybe because of his success with Tyrone' Sunday World
The Pressure Principle: Handle Stress, Harness Energy, and Perform When It Counts
by Dr Dave Alred MbeThe coach who taught Jonny Wilkinson how to deal with pressure now shows all of us how to cope with life's challengesPressure is a constant in our lives. The pressure to hit a deadline, deliver that speech, interview for the job we really want - they are all challenges we need to meet. Like a footballer taking a penalty or a golfer making a putt, how we respond to pressure defines us at work and at home.Dave Alred is an elite performance coach who works with the world's top sports stars and teams - from rugby's Jonny Wilkinson to Premiership footballers and golfers - helping them deliver when the tension is at its most extreme. In The Pressure Principle he finally shares his eight groundbreaking principles and shows how we can all apply them to our lives.From how a child-like approach can help us through tough moments, to the best ways to face an audience, to why language is the ultimate performance-enhancing drug, Pressure is the definitive guide to dealing with our challenges. Packed with accessible stories and tips, it shows how we can harness pressure to produce our best at home, at work, and in our sport or exercise - by the man who has spent his life coaching the very best.'Dave Alred is a genius. There is simply no-one around to match him in his field' - Jonny WilkinsonDr Dave Alred MBE is an elite performance coach who has worked with some of the biggest names in sport. His clients have included rugby's Jonny Wilkinson, George Ford and Johnny Sexton, golfers Luke Donald, Brad Kennedy and Padraig Harrington, the England Rugby team (four World Cups), the British Lions (three tours), the Springboks, the England Cricket team, and Premiership sides Manchester City, Sunderland, Watford and Newcastle. He holds a PhD in Performing under Pressure from Loughborough University. A genuine pioneer in performance mindset and attitude, his approach optimises the abilities of sports and business people alike.
Quiet Leadership: Winning Hearts, Minds and Matches
by Carlo AncelottiCarlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers of all time, with five Champions League titles to his name. Yet his approach could not be further from the aggressive theatricals favoured by many of his rivals. His understated style has earned him the fierce loyalty of players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo.In Quiet Leadership, Ancelotti reveals the full, riveting story of his managerial career - his methods, mentors, mistakes and triumphs - and takes us inside the dressing room to trace the characters, challenges and decisions that have shaped him. The result is both a scintillating memoir and a rare insight into the business of leadership.
Concussion
by Jeanne Marie LaskasThis is the story of one man's fight against a multibillion dollar colossus. A man who stood up for what was right, whatever the cost. The brilliant young forensic pathologist had no idea that the body on the slab in front of him would change his life, and ultimately change the world.The body belonged to legendary American Footballer Mike Webster, whose mental health had rapidly declined after he had stopped playing - he had ended up Tasering himself to relieve his chronic back pain and fixing his rotting teeth with Superglue.Dr Bennet Omalu found that the psychosis suffered by "Iron Mike" was no accident. His autopsy unearthed evidence of a trauma-related disease - the direct result of years of blows to the head in games. He knew it would keep killing scores of other sportsmen unless something was done. He believed that the NFL (National Football League), one of the most powerful corporations in America, would welcome the discovery. But it was the one truth they wanted to ignore.Omalu himself became a target. 'This is classic David and Goliath stuff, and as exciting as a great courtroom drama. A riveting, powerful human tale . . . a masterclass on how to tell a story'Charles Duhigg, New York Times columnist and bestselling author of The Power of Habit
Sleep: Change the way you sleep with this 90 minute read
by Nick LittlehalesProven solutions for better ZZZZ, from an elite sleep coach'Nick Littlehales wants to redefine the very meaning of the word sleep' - Daily Telegraph__________________________One third of our lives are spent trying to sleep. Most us have restless nights and rely on a cocktail of caffeine and sugar to drag us through the day. Yet the hours we spend in bed shape our mood, motivation and decision-making skills - defining our performance in work, at home and while keeping fit. We need a new approach to sleep. In Sleep, Nick Littlehales, the leading sleep coach, debunks the myths around sleep and introduces many new concepts, including:· Why the fabled eight hours just doesn't add up · The power of the nap - and how you can nap with your eyes open· Ways to deal with anxiety, children, snoring and other night-time challenges· How to discover your own sleep cycleFrom your personal sleep characteristics and cycles, to posture and bedding, he sets out achievable ways to get the highest possible quality of sleep recovery. Read Sleep, learn from the best in sport, and kick-start a more confident, successful and happier you.__________________________'The sleep guru to the stars explains how to discover your sleep cycle and why naps are essential' Mail on Sunday'He enables players to maximise the quality and consistency of their sleep and in turn their overall performance' -- Sir Alex Ferguson
Play On: How to Get Better With Age
by Jeff BercoviciHow do the world's best athletes combat ageing, and what you can do to keep up?"Encouraging reading for jocks who are late to the game but committed to the win all the same." Kirkus Review "An energetic romp" that "smartly separates science from quackery." Publishers WeeklySports are about challenging our physical limits. But the greatest limit of all remains undefeated: age. Not, though, for the likes of Roger Federer, Tom Brady and Jo Pavey. What are they doing that you can too?Play On teaches us that it's not aging that causes a decline in fitness; rather, a decline in fitness causes aging.Full of cutting-edge science, technology and practical tips, Play On empowers you to reverse the ageing process, and stay younger for longer.
Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine
by Enzo Ferrari Brock YatesFerrari means red. It means racing. Excellence, luxury, and performance.Less well-known is the man behind the brand.For nearly seventy years, Enzo Ferrari dominated a motor-sports empire that defined the world of high-performance cars. Next to the Pope, Ferrari was the most revered man in Italy. But was he the benign padrone portrayed by an adoring world press at the time, or was he a ruthless despot, who drove his staff to the edge of madness, and his racing drivers even further?Brock Yates's definitive biography penetrated Ferrari's elaborately constructed veneer and uncovered the truth behind Ferrari's bizarre relationships, his work with Mussolini's fascists, and his fanatical obsession with speed. "A fascinating and provocative book" The Observer.
The Moth and the Mountain: A True Story of Love, War and Everest
by Ed Caesar'One of the best books ever written about the early attempts to conquer Everest. A fine, fine slice of history by a truly special writer who proves time and time again that he is among the best of his generation' Dan Jones, author of The PlantagenetsThe untold story of Britain's most mysterious mountaineering legend - Maurice Wilson - and his heroic attempt to climb Everest. Alone.In the 1930s, as official government expeditions set their sights on conquering Everest, a little-known World War I veteran named Maurice Wilson conceived his own crazy, beautiful plan: he would fly a Gipsy Moth aeroplane from England to Everest, crash land on its lower slopes, then become the first person to reach its summit - all utterly alone. Wilson didn't know how to climb. He barely knew how to fly. But he had pluck, daring and a vision - he wanted to be the first man to stand on top of the world. Traumatised by his wartime experiences and leaving behind a trail of broken hearts, Wilson believed that Everest could redeem him.This is the tale of an adventurer unlike any you have ever encountered: an unforgettable story about the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Maurice Wilson is a man written out of the history books - dismissed as an eccentric and a charlatan by many, but held in the highest regard by renowned mountaineers such as Reinhold Messner. The Moth and the Mountain restores him to his rightful place in the annals of Everest and in doing so attempts to answer that perennial question - why do we climb mountains?'A towering, tragic tale rescued from oblivion by Ed Caesar's magnificent writing' Dan Snow'Absolutely bursting with life . . . the lure of adventure, hair-raising tales of amateur aviation, and, above all, the beauty and madness of the quest to ascend Earth's tallest summit' Patrick Radden Keefe, author of the Orwell Prize-winning Say Nothing'It's hard to imagine a finer tribute to one of Everest's forgotten heroes' Elizabeth Day
Win or Learn: MMA, Conor McGregor and Me: A Trainer's Journey
by John KavanaghGrowing up in Dublin, John Kavanagh was a skinny kid who was frequently bullied. After suffering a bad beating when he intervened to help a woman who was being attacked, he decided he had to learn to defend himself. Before long, he was training fighters in a tiny shed, and promoting the earliest mixed-martial arts events in Ireland. And then, a cocky young lad called Conor McGregor walked into his gym ...In Win or Learn, John Kavanagh tells his own remarkable life story - which is at the heart of the story of the extraordinary explosion of MMA in Ireland and globally. Kavanagh has become a guru to young men and women seeking to master the arts of combat. And as the trainer of the world's most charismatic male MMA star, he has become a magnet for talented fighters from all over the world. Kavanagh's portrait of Conor McGregor - who he has seen in his lowest moments, as well as in his greatest triumphs - is a revelation. What emerges from Win or Learn is a remarkable portrait of ambition, discipline, and persistence in the face of years and years of disappointment. It is a must read for every MMA fan - but also for anyone who wants to understand how to follow a dream and realize a vision.
The Old Man and the Sand Eel
by Will Millard'A wonderfully fluent account of how the strange magic of water and the beings that inhabit it can enchant and intoxicate' Chris YatesGrowing up on the Cambridgeshire Fens, Will Millard never felt more at home than when he was out with his granddad on the riverbank, whiling away the day catching fish. As he grew older his competitive urge to catch more and bigger fish led him away from that natural connection between him, his grandfather and the rivers of his home. That is, until the fateful day he let a record-breaking sand eel slip through his fingers and he knew that he had lost the magic of those days down by the river, and that something had to change. The Old Man and the Sand Eel is at its heart the story of three generations of men trying to figure out what it is to be a man, a father and a fisherman. It plots Will's scaly stepping stones back to his childhood innocence, when anything was possible and the wild was everywhere.***'[Will Millard] is a master wordsmith and his first book is a joyful testament to that' Isabelle Broom, Heat'[Will Millard] writes with a genuine sense of humility (...) humour and reflection' Kevin Parr, Countryfile 'Delightful and informative (...) beautifully drawn (...)The Old Man and The Sand Eel will be enjoyed by anyone who loves the challenge and mystery of baiting a hook and plopping it into the water' Spectator'This is post-modern nature writing that embraces beauty where it finds it and marvels at nature's tenacity (...) But there's more here than just fish. This is also a book about growing up, about how to retain a connection with those who raised you while forging your own identity - what to keep and what to discard. And it's about men. The strong surges of emotion that both draw them together and keep them apart, and the shared pastimes which recognise that intimacy and meaning aren't always accompanied by words' Olivia Edward, Geographical
How To Watch Football
by Ruud GullitHow can one striker be better than three? Why do the best defenders never need to make a tackle? What's the secret of Tiki-taka?Welcome to Ruud Gullit's masterclass on how to 'read' a match.From his unrivalled perspective as player, manager and pundit, the Dutch football legend shows us everything to look for in a 90 minute match. From formations and tactical decisions to player qualities and pivotal moments, Ruud Gullit unveils the hidden patterns on the pitch.Packed with his acute insights, original observations and talking points, How to Watch Football will quite simply change the way you see the beautiful game.