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Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Sport
The King of Halloween and Miss Firecracker Queen tells the story of
a football life from a daughter's perspective. It provides a look
under the hood, so to speak, of one family's rise through the ranks
of competitive football- from high school to college to
professional coaching, and ultimately Super Bowl champion. It also
chronicles their struggle to deal with the decline and death of the
patriarch from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result
of that life. It is a story of one family's love of a game and each
other, and of one man's strength of character, and one woman's love
that sustained him.
The Sunday Times #1 Bestseller, shortlisted for the Cross Sports
Book Award. In 1996, Damon Hill was crowned Formula One World
Champion. For the first time ever he tells the story of his journey
through the last golden era of the sport when he took on the greats
including Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher and emerged
victorious as World Champion in 1996, stepping out of the shadow of
his legendary father Graham Hill. Away from the grid, Watching the
Wheels: The Autobiography is an astonishingly candid account of
what it was like to grow up as the son of one of the country's most
famous racing drivers. It also tells the unflinching story of
dealing with the grief and chaos that followed his father's
tragically early death in an aircraft accident in 1975, when Damon
was fifteen years old. Formula One drivers have always been aware
of their mortality, and the rush that comes with the danger of
racing was as intoxicating for Hill as it had been for his father's
generation, until he came face-to-face with catastrophe when his
team-mate, Ayrton Senna, was killed in 1994. The swirling emotions
that Hill was faced with in light of the death of Senna was a
defining moment for his generation of drivers and for the first
time ever Hill talks candidly about the impact that Senna had on
his life, even as he watched his own son step into motor racing.
Courageously honest, and hugely rewarding, Watching the Wheels is a
return to the last golden era of F1 racing, whose image still burns
ferociously for those who love the sport for what it reveals about
human skill in the face of near certain death.
Glen Sharp's boxing career was a rise-and-fall story without so
much rise in it. A sparring partner for heavyweight Hall of Famer
Yaqui Lopez, he "retired" with a record of one victory and two
defeats. A decade later, having come to understand how and why he
failed as a younger fighter, he attempted a comeback. Told with
heart and wit, his memoir is a treatise on boxing as both
profession and purpose. Sharp uses economic theory to describe the
sweet science as a case study in resource management while
recounting his own struggle to win fistic glory and his father's
admiration.
Another peek at baseball's good old days-or, in this case, bad old
days-by veteran sports-historian Harvey Frommer. Frommer paints
Shoeless Joe as a baseball natural ("Joe Jackson hit the ball
harder than any man ever to play baseball"-Ty Cobb), an illiterate
hick (his table utensils consisted of knife and fingers), and an
innocent man snared by the greatest scandal in baseball history.
High Stakes, Deep Faith, and Unbreakable Brotherhood They were the
first No. 1 seed in NFL history to enter the playoffs as an
underdog. Their star quarterback was out with a season-ending knee
injury. Five-time Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots
towered over them. But public opinion didn't matter to the
Philadelphia Eagles. They believed in each other. The band of
Christian brothers on the team believed in the God of the
impossible, and they played for an audience of One. The most
extensive book to explore the Christian faith shared by many of the
team's players, Birds of Pray details the incredible inside story
behind the Eagles' capture of the biggest prize in professional
sports: the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Through exclusive interviews
with the players, never-before-seen photos, and insider accounts of
the miracle season's most memorable moments, Philly native and
Associated Press sportswriter Rob Maaddi reveals a side of the team
the world has yet to fully witness. From an impromptu baptism in
the team's cold tub to weekly Bible studies and pre-game prayers,
to the unique friendship between star quarterback Carson Wentz and
back-up-then-MVP Nick Foles - the Eagles excel in the unexpected.
Birds of Pray follows the deep faith shared among players, the high
stakes they faced together, and their relentless reliance on Christ
who gives all strength in moments of crisis and celebration alike.
The result is a boldly inspiring, entertaining read that will
challenge readers to go deeper in their faith, dream bigger, and
live with renewed courage for whatever odds life stacks against
them.
5 September, 1972. 4.30 a.m. The Munich Olympic Village. Black
September, a group of Palestinian terrorists, break into the
Israeli team's apartments. It is the beginning of the most tragic
event in Olympic history and, after twenty hours, the day will end
in a massacre, with the deaths of eleven Israelis, five
Palestinians and a German policeman. This is the story of the
race-walker Shaul Ladany: a survivor. But more than just a member
of the Israeli team from those terrible events in Munich, Ladany
was a survivor of the darkest period in twentieth century history,
having been interred as a child at the Nazi concentration camp at
Bergen-Belsen, the camp where Anne Frank died. For the second time
in his life, Ladany has survived history. Ladany, the world record
holder in the fifty-mile walk and a professor of industrial
engineering, is one of Israel's most successful athletes, having
won dozens of national championships and competed at both the 1968
and 1972 Olympics; he was a student at Columbia University in New
York, a soldier in the Six Days War and the Yom Kippur War. From
Eichmann to Sharon, from Bikila to All Blacks, from Nixon to
Thatcher: they are all a part of Ladany's walk through the
twentieth century. Award-winning author and journalist Andrea
Schiavon tells Ladany's extraordinary life and, walking with him,
chronicles a whole century of events in this astonishing, touching
and epic biography.
Mara Yamauchi is a two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games bronze
medalist, and the UK's second-fastest female marathon runner ever
with a personal best of 2:23:12. But there is much more to Mara
than just running fast. This book of 42.195 insights-the number of
kilometers in a marathon-distills the wealth of wisdom and
experience Mara has gained as a world-class athlete. From planning
training, optimizing nutrition, and preparing effectively for
racing to coping with disappointments and struggles with mental
illness, Mara shares everything she has learned-good and bad-as one
of the world's top marathoners. Still, she does not spoon-feed her
readers with training plans; instead, she encourages them to think
critically to understand how to improve and set their own goals.
This book also takes the reader into the revered world of distance
running in Japan, one of the world's marathon superpowers. It has
something for everyone, from beginner runners to competitive
athletes and those aspiring to the very top. Mara's insights are
also applicable beyond running and are meant for anyone who wants
to realize a dream or achieve a lifetime goal in whatever field is
special to them.
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Foul Ball
(Paperback)
Jim Bouton
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Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature.
'As I sat cradling the man's head, with his blood and brains
sticking to my hands, I heard a voice - my own voice. It was asking
me something. Asking how I had ended up like this, desperate and
lost among people who thought nothing of caving in a man's head and
then standing back to watch him die.' Nick Bullock was a prison
officer working in a maximum-security jail with some of Britain's
most notorious criminals. Trapped in a world of aggression and
fear, he felt frustrated and alone. Then he discovered the
mountains. Making up for lost time, Bullock soon became one of
Britain's best climbers, learning his trade in the mountains of
Scotland and Wales, and travelling from Pakistan to Peru in his
search for new routes and a new way of seeing the world - and
ultimately an escape route from his life inside. Told that no one
ever leaves the service - the security, the stability, the 'job for
life' - Bullock focused his existence on a single goal: to walk
free, with no shackles, into a mountain life. Echoes is a powerful
and compelling exploration of freedom, and what it means to live
life on your own terms.
In the early 1970s, the athletes of the German Democratic Republic
started to achieve incredible sports results, winning medals and
setting new world records with astonishing frequency. For many
years, their sporting supremacy was hailed as a triumph of the
socialist government's commitment to scientific research and
innovative training methods. But after the Cold War ended, the
Stasi archives revealed a sinister secret behind the successes: a
perverse doping system imposed by the government itself. Drugs were
administered to young athletes, often without their consent, and
the price their bodies are now paying is very high, both physically
and mentally. Through the athletes' personal stories, Synthetic
Medals reveals the events that led to the discovery of the
state-doping system and the subsequent trial. It also explores the
state's motives for this crime against its own people - people who
were sacrificed on the altar of a distorted ideology, for the
simple purpose of achieving glory on the international chessboard.
When in 1911 Phillies pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander set the
National League record for wins by a rookie (28), it was a sign of
things to come. Alexander went on to win 373 games over his 20?year
career, the third highest total in major league history, and he
would lead the league in ERA four times, shutouts seven times,
complete games six times, and wins six times. But he also became a
deeply troubled man. After the Shell-Shocked pitcher returned from
World War I, he would battle alcoholism, epilepsy, and personal
demons that damaged his reputation and proved disastrous for his
life outside of baseball. This biography sheds new light on the
pitcher and the man, focusing on Alexander's personal life,
especially his complex relationship with his wife, Aimee, as well
as their marriages and divorces. His Hall of Fame career, wartime
service, and long decline are also documented.
In this controversial national bestseller, former NBA star and
author of I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It Charles Barkley takes on
the major issue of our time. Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man is a
series of charged, in-your-face conversations about race with some
of America's most prominent figures, including Bill Clinton, Barack
Obama, Jesse Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Ice Cube,
Marian Wright Edelman, Tiger Woods, Peter Guber, and Robert
Johnson.
You could argue that Dennis Amiss' seven-decade cricket career
started the day he was born, when his parents named him after not
one but two celebrated cricketers. Or maybe it started when he was
7, sneaking into the Birmingham Cooperative Society to play a few
matches with his friends - as long as they avoided the
groundskeeper! Or perhaps it was on 7 April 1958; not only his
fifteenth birthday, but also his first day as a professional
cricketer. Whatever day you start on, there's no denying that Amiss
has had an extraordinary career. He is one of England's cricketing
greats, with 100 first-class hundreds to his name and a place as
one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year. Hugely well-respected on
and off the pitch, he didn't shy away from controversy, taking part
in the 1982 'Rebel Tour' of Apartheid South Africa, and somehow
ending up in the midst of the battle between World Series Cricket
and the England Cricket Board. Not Out at Close of Play is the
story of how passion, commitment and practice - and no small amount
of stubbornness! - took a boy from the backstreets of Birmingham to
worldwide cricket stardom.
King of the Fells. Iron man. Lake District fell running legend.
Joss Naylor is all of these things and more. His achievements are
astounding, his records stand the test of time. In 1983 he
completed the 105-mile Lakes, Meres and Waters (LMW) route in a
staggering 19hr 14min and to this day, describes it as one of the
best routes he ever ran. High praise indeed and yet, so few know of
it. Part guidebook, part inspirational regaling, this book
interweaves tales of past and present as Naylor reflects on his
1983 epic on a re-walk 37 years later. In the company of
award-winning author, Vivienne Crow, Naylor recalls that magical
day, sharing stories and anecdotes from, not just his run, but the
1980s fell running scene, his working life and growing up in the
Wasdale Valley. Naylor's tales, together with breathtaking
photography, are accompanied by basic guide notes for the LMW
route, sticking as closely to his 1983 run as possible. These notes
divide the route into ten stages (ranging from 9 to 14 miles),
allowing runners and walkers to follow in the footsteps of the King
of the Fells, albeit on a more relaxed schedule. From Loweswater to
Over Water, visiting 27 of the Lake District's largest bodies of
water, the LMW route guarantees vistas of unparalleled beauty and
an unforgettable experience in true fell country.
Confluence tells the uplifting non-fiction story of the Duzi canoe marathon partnership of Piers Cruickshanks, a seasoned paddler who had won multiple gold medals in the Duzi, with Siseko Ntondini, a paddler who had come up through the ranks of the Soweto Canoe Club, whose dream was to win a gold medal in the Duzi.
The two men agree to paddle together and start training towards their gold-medal goal, but in order to get to even the start line, they need to overcome cultural and physical challenges to create a winning combination.
Timed to be released at the same time as Beyond The River, a movie based loosely on their story, this is a book that will have wide-ranging, feel-good appeal.
Almost unknown when in 1945 he purchased the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway and its famous race, the Indianapolis 500, Tony Hulman
soon became a household name in auto racing circles. He is credited
with not only saving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - shuttered
during World War II - from becoming a residential housing
development but also with re-invigorating auto racing in the United
States. Until his purchase of the Speedway, Hulman had not been
involved in auto racing; he was the CEO of Hulman & Company, a
wholesale grocer. An astute businessman, Hulman made Clabber Girl
Baking Powder a national brand. With the rise of the chain grocery
stores, such as Kroger, the wholesale grocery industry was slowly
consolidating. Hulman successfully led the reorientation of the
family fortunes to include a range of businesses including a beer
company, a Coca-Cola franchise, a broadcast empire and real estate
and gas companies. The book traces the rise of Hulman & Company
from a small wholesale grocer in Terre Haute to a dominant regional
business, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500
races during Hulman's tenure and his other major investments as
well as his philanthropy, particularly to higher education in Terre
Haute.
Shane Warne, who died in 2022, is universally acknowledged as one
of the greatest cricketers of all time - and the greatest spin
bowler ever. Warne in Wisden records the highlights of an
exceptional career - handpicked from all Wisden publications over a
twenty-plus-year period and curated for a global audience. Warne in
Wisden features coverage from Warne's first Test against India in
1992 - where he took one wicket - to his retirement from Test
cricket in 2007, having taken 708 Test wickets. It includes
complete reports and scorecards for key Tests, as well as Wisden's
assessment of his impact on the English county game and the Indian
Premier League, and his journey from master spinner to global
celebrity. Warne combined a prodigious talent for leg-spin with a
turbulent life off the pitch. While Wisden's focus was generally on
his cricket, Warne in Wisden also relates the controversies and
rows that earned him a occasional mention in the Chronicle section
of the book. Wisden's authoritative and independent voice/writing
provides a unique insight into one of the most discussed cricketers
in history. Warne in Wisden includes: Cricketer of the Year by Vic
Marks, 1994 'A Spin-Doctor Writes' by Ashley Mallett, 1997 Five
Cricketers of the Century, 2000-13 Leading Cricketer in the World,
2004-2005 'The mighty craftsman' by Mike Atherton 2007 'The Ashes
Masters' by David Frith 2009 The ebbs and flows of Warne's 21 -year
-long career His obituary and related articles from Wisden
Cricketers' Almanack 2023 Scorecards of his most significant Test
matches Colour plate section
Widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, seven-time
Ballon d'Or and six-time Golden Shoe winner, Lionel Messi, enjoyed
a record-breaking 17-year career at FC Barcelona during which time
he scored more goals, played more games, won more titles and
provided more assists than any other player in the Catalan club's
history. Adored by Barca fans, Messi reigned supreme until August
2021, when he made a tearful farewell to a stunned global audience.
Messi: The King of Camp Nou is the definitive story of Lionel
Messi's entire Barca career, written by Jason Pettigrove, a
football journalist who worked for FC Barcelona during Messi's
final years in Catalonia. Charting Messi's rise as a hopeful
13-year-old Argentinian boy from Rosario to becoming the best
footballer in the world, Pettigrove's comprehensively researched
book features exclusive interviews with key individuals in Messi's
story - team-mates, opponents, managers, agents and fellow
journalists - including: Joan Laporta, Lionel Scaloni, Victor Font,
Sir Kenny Dalglish, Jamie Carragher, Mike Phelan, Josep Maria
Minguella, Horacio Gaggioli, Tony Watt, Santi Padro and Jorge
Barraza. From being signed by Barca on a napkin to Champions League
glory and becoming FC Barcelona captain, Messi: The King of Camp
Nou reveals the inside story of Leo's remarkable reign at Barca
including breaking Pele's incredible record for most goals scored
at one club, how the longed for Copa America title was won and how
he, season-on-season, mesmerised the football world.
WITH A FOREWORD BY TOM BRADY "As a sportscaster and sports
historian, Jim's career genuinely stands the test of time. . . .
This book is sports history about some of the greats by one of the
greats, who was taking it all in on the sidelines, in the stands or
the dugout, by the eighteenth green, courtside, or in the broadcast
booth." --Tom Brady, six-time NFL Super Bowl champion GOAT A
riveting, insightful memoir of never-before-told stories from Jim
Gray, twelve-time Emmy Award-winner, Hall of Fame sports
broadcaster, and renowned interviewer-- that explores the author's
career and the inside stories and memorable moments of the famous
legends he has covered including, Muhammad Ali, Tom Brady, Kobe
Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson. In Talking to
GOATs, award-winning broadcaster Jim Gray looks back at his four
decades of sports reporting from the unparalleled perspective of
one of the world's most respected and skilled interviewers. A
journalist who many iconic athletes have trusted to tell their
stories (of both triumph and disgrace), Jim has had unprecedented
access to the people, places and extraordinary events in the world
of sports. Asking tough but fair questions, he has broken numerous
stories, and landed squarely in the middle of others, from the Ben
Johnson and Barry Bonds steroid scandals, to Michael Jordan's
surprise retirement, to the off-the-court Kobe/Shaq feud which led
to their on-the-court break up, to being part of the live broadcast
for twenty-two Super Bowls. He's climbed into the ring to interview
Mike Tyson after he bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear, and
stood next to Ron Artest when the "Malice at the Palace" melee
erupted, and was on site at the bombing of the Atlanta Olympics.
Anyone who has watched Jim effortlessly engage his subjects at the
precise moment of triumph or tragedy has little idea what it takes
to secure the interview, or what actually happens when the camera
cuts away. These are real, mesmerizing, and previously untold
stories. Talking to GOATs features numerous world-class athletes,
including Muhammad Ali, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James,
Michael Jordan, Floyd Mayweather, Michael Phelps, Mike Tyson and
Tiger Woods, and world leaders George W. Bush, Barack Obama,
Mikhail Gorbachev, and many more. On each page, Jim gives the
reader a coveted all-access pass as he reviews the best interviews,
the best athletes, and the best games in modern sports history.
It's like a personal introduction to the characters and careers of
these heroes and villains we've known since childhood. He examines
how money, celebrity, the media, and power interact, and how
sports, more than any other institution, has led to momentous
transformations in American society.
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