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Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Sport
"My Hidden Race" is the story of Olympic medallist Anyika Onuora,
who stood on the podium at every major championship in athletics.
This book won't go into detail about the technicalities of her
sport or the beauty of the Olympic spirit however. In the era of
the Black Lives Matter and Me Too, this is an unflinching testimony
of what it takes to pursue your dreams as a Black British woman
against all odds. This three-time Olympian will lift the lid on the
reality of life as a black female athlete in Britain in a way that
nobody else has done before her. Nothing is off the record. She is
revealing her life for the first time in this book with complete
fearlessness. There have been far too many years of silence caught
in a system. Now Anyika is determined to make up for lost time and
use her story to inspire and heal others. "My Hidden Race" will
take you into a world that often takes place far from the spotlight
of the Olympic torch and shines an intense light on the brutal
reality of professional sport for many black females.
The long-awaited autobiography of Liverpool FC and Ireland legend,
Ronnie Whelan
* "Trade" paperback was an Irish top ten bestseller
* Ronnie Whelan is one of football's legends and has a huge number
of fans who
want to hear his story in his own words
* The book will appeal to both the Liverpool and Ireland
fanbases
* The book is a revealing and personal account of Whelan's life and
career, including
the sometimes difficult relationships he had with a few of
football's biggest names
* Whelan's football career spanned some of Liverpool's greatest
highs and lows,
including the heyday of the 1980s and the tragedies of Hillsborough
and Heysel
* "A fascinating insight into a golden era for Liverpool" -
Liverpool Echo
Ronnie Whelan was a mainstay of the iconic 1980s Liverpool FC side
that won six
League Championships, two FA Cups, three League Cups, as well as an
unforgettable
European Cup. Under the management of Kenny Dalglish, Whelan and
his club team
mates, including Alan Hansen, John Barnes, and Bruce Grobbelaar,
formed one of the
finest club sides in English football history -- a side that is
dear to the hearts of
Liverpool fans to this day.
It was also, though, a time of great tragedy; when the twin
disasters of Heysel and
Hillsborough devastated the club and its supporters.
In this frank and full-hearted autobiography, Ronnie Whelan tells
the story of the
good and the bad times at the club, as well as his international
career with Ireland.
Too big for the Primary School reps, and in his day the tallest man
to have played on Lancaster Park, Nugget Pringle won Wellington
caps in his first season of senior rugby with the Oriental Club,
and went on to win an All Black cap the following year, 1923. In
the training camp before the first test against New South Wales he
proved a great entertainer and his Salome was a scream, but a
cauliflower ear (one of many) led to his withdrawal from the match.
He scored a try in the second test, which the All Blacks won
handsomely, but, despite every endeavour for the next 4 years,
failed to gain a second cap. En route he played for and against the
All Blacks and against New Zealand Maoris, winning all three and
scoring a try in two. Fate's fickle fingers nonetheless conspired,
through injury, illness, selection policy and sheer misfortune, to
cause him to miss further home internationals as well as tours to
Australia and South Africa. Most importantly, although a hot
favourite all season, he missed out by a whisker on a place with
the 1924/25 Invincibles. With the benefit of contemporary press
cuttings in the family scrapbook, and from the archives, we follow
here his playing career at club, representative and national level,
while we also learn of his achievements in the worlds of athletics
and cricket, and how he gained the unusual distinction of playing
both rugby and cricket, as well as winning the shot put, on
Athletic Park. A genial giant who gave his all for the game he
loved, but, in terms of his playing career and All Black
appearances, was he the Unluckiest All Black? Judge for yourself.
Perhaps familiar today as an answer to sports trivia questions, Ken
Williams (1890-1959) was once a celebrity who helped bring about a
new kind of power baseball in the 1920s. One of the great sluggers
of his era (and of all time), he beat Babe Ruth for the home run
title in 1922, and became the first to hit 30 home runs and steal
30 bases in a season that year. Later recognized for his
accomplishments, he was considered for but not inducted into the
Hall of Fame. This first ever biography of Williams covers his life
and career, from his small town upbringing, to his unlikely foray
into pro baseball, to his retirement years, when he served as a
police officer and ran a pool hall in his hometown.
This is the first full-length biography of Jess Willard who won the
heavyweight boxing title in 1915 by defeating Jack Johnson, the
first black heavyweight champion. As such this book brings new
light on Willard who became the most famous man in America as a
result of his victory Jess Willlard was considered unbeatable in
his day. He lost his title in 1919 to Jack Dempsey in one of the
most violent defeats in boxing history. Willard attempted a
come-back but was defeated again by Luis Firpo in 1923 and retired
from the ring at that time. He died in 1968, largely forgotten by
the boxing public. This work was made possible by the support of
the Willard family, particularly James Willard Mace, Jess Willard's
grandson, who provided family documents and photos, some of which
are included in this book.
Mesut Ozil is a midfield magician, casting an elegant spell over
opponents and conjuring passes through gaps lesser mortals can't
even see. After an eventful sojourn among the Galacticos of Real
Madrid he has savoured silverware at Arsenal, while in 2014 he
lifted the World Cup with Germany. But his life and career have
been a test of resilience. Growing up in Germany's Turkish
community, he faced prejudice from those who claimed his dual
identity would prevent him giving his all for the national team.
Later came questions over a different type of commitment, the kind
levelled against those, like Mesut Ozil, who excel in football's
finer arts rather than relying simply on running and ruggedness. He
has proved concerns on both these issues lack substance. In Gunning
for Greatness, Mesut Ozil reveals the inside stories of his
relationships with Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, his quest to
help the under-fire Frenchman restore Arsenal's pre-eminence - and
how he silenced the sceptics by conquering the world.
Oscar Battling Matthew Nelson was without question the toughest and
most durable professional boxer ever to enter a ring. Obscure,
although he was selected by the Hall of Fame as part of their third
induction class, unheard of yet often appropriately called the most
hardwearing boxer in ring history, overlooked, yet many boxing
historians rank him among the 100 greatest boxers ever. From the
moment he set foot in the ring, he presented himself as a man's
man, a Danish immigrant of integrity who never smoked, drank or
took a dive, and in both his pugilistic exploits and his often very
public behavior established a heroic image of himself as an
athlete-a world lightweight champion-and sportsman, reporter,
entertainer, real estate mogul, businessman and lady's man. As the
first champion in his division to ever mount a comeback, he broke
new ground, even if it wasn't always pretty, or ultimately
successful. In the years since his death in 1954, there has been
little disagreement over the significance of his life: A bona fide
ring champion, whose endurance was second to none, and whose
trilogy with Joe Gans was one of the greatest in sports history.
In horse racing greatness is defined by speed. Being the second
fastest counts for little. You have to win. And win. And keep
winning until every challenger of your generation is put to the
sword. Of the twelve horses lined up on Newmarket Heath that 2011
day, one would do just that. And more. To become the greatest
racehorse that has ever lived. Frankel was born on 11 February
2008, with four white socks and a blaze, from impressive equine
lines on both his parents' sides. Simon Cooper revisits the whole
of the horse's life, giving readers an inside tour of the calm
oasis that is life a stud farm, where a foal will live with his
mother for the first year of his life. Next, the atmosphere of
heady possibility that marks the early days of training. Roadwork.
Gallops. Trials. Turning raw potential into something more. Frankel
begins to set himself apart. A detailed and fast-paced narrative
breathlessly recounts the racing career of the horse who, by his
retirement to stud at the age of 4, would be rated the greatest of
all time. Cooper weaves the horse's tale with those of his trainer,
battling cancer, the stablehands who coped with his explosive
nature, the work rider who tamed him, the the jockey who rode in
all fourteen of his races, and the owner who saw his potential from
the very beginning. The result is a rich and multifaceted tale of
modern horse racing, the lives of everyone involved, human and
equine, and the unadulterated glory of winning. And winning
everything.
In October 1972, Nando Parrado and his rugby club teammates were on
a flight from Uruguay to Chile when their plane crashed into a
mountain. Miraculously, many of the passengers survived but Nando's
mother and sister died and he was unconscious for three days.
Stranded more than 11,000 feet up in the wilderness of the Andes,
the survivors soon heard that the search for them had been called
off - and realise the only food for miles around was the bodies of
their dead friends ... In a last desperate bid for safety, Nando
and a teammate set off in search of help. They climbed
17,000-foot-high mountains, facing death at every step, but
inspired by his love for his family Nando drove them on until,
finally, 72 days after the crash, they found rescue.
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.
Two accounts of one twenty-nine day 854 mile run from John O'Groats
to Land's End in aid of The Cure Parkinson's Trust. 'The hard
training is done, the organisation complete, the big day has
arrived. Let the nerves settle, eat well, think of the challenge
ahead, the money you will raise, the experience of a lifetime, the
long hard road, the challenge of the goal, getting up tired every
morning, collapsing every night knowing that you are a day nearer
achieving your dream. There will be hard times, fun times, painful
times, and pleasure times. Go and live your dream, run well, run
easy and the joy and satisfaction of finishing will live with you
forever.' - Sharon Gaytor
Even in his heyday in wrestling, Jacobs was inspired to pursue
politics by popular libertarian figures such as former Republican
presidential candidate Ron Paul, Republican Senator Rand Paul, Fox
News' Judge Andrew Napolitano and others, and that led him to
fulfill his own political ambitions. Before becoming Mayor Kane,
Glenn "Kane" Jacobs was one of WWE's top Superstars for over two
decades and travelled the globe with the likes of "Stone Cold"
Steve Austin, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena, Ric Flair, and
many others. He dominated the WWE with The Undertaker as the
"Brothers of Destruction." Kane reinvented himself with the help of
Daniel Bryan forming "Team Hell No." He set "Good ol' JR," Jim Ross
on fire. The wrestler-turned-politician hasn't hung up his
wrestling boots yet. Politics is a contact sport and Jacobs is
using his wrestling skills in that arena. Jacobs supports President
Trump and his agenda, and is implementing conservative policies in
Tennessee.
World champion boxer Lew Jenkins fought his whole life. As a child,
he fought extreme poverty during the Great Depression; in his
twenties, he fought as a professional boxer and became a world
champion; and at the pinnacle of his boxing career, Jenkins fought
in World War II and the Korean War. From Boxing Ring to
Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins details for the first
time this extraordinary story. Despite his talent for boxing,
Jenkins often fought and trained in drunken stupors. Although he
became the world lightweight champion, he soon wasted his ring
title and all his money. Jenkins eventually found purpose during
World War II and the Korean War, fighting in major battles that
included D-Day, Bloody Ridge, and Heartbreak Ridge. His efforts
earned him one of the highest decorations for bravery, the Silver
Star. Unable to find meaning in life at the peak of his boxing
success, Jenkins discovered values to which he could cling during
war. From Boxing Ring to Battlefield features exclusive interviews
with Lew Jenkins's son and grandson, providing a personal
perspective on the life of this complicated war hero. The first
biography of Jenkins, this book will fascinate boxing fans and
historians alike.
He was The Kid. The Splendid Splinter. Teddy Ballgame. One of the
greatest figures of his generation, and arguably the greatest
baseball hitter of all time. But what made Ted Williams a legend -
and a lightning rod for controversy in life and in death? What
motivated him to interrupt his Hall of Fame career "twice" to serve
his country as a fighter pilot; to embrace his fans while tangling
with the media; to retreat from the limelight whenever possible
into his solitary love of fishing; and to become the most famous
man ever to have his body cryogenically frozen after his death?
"New York Times "bestselling author Leigh Montville, who wrote the
celebrated "Sports Illustrated" obituary of Ted Williams, now
delivers an intimate, riveting account of this extraordinary life.
Still a gangly teenager when he stepped into a Boston Red Sox
uniform in 1939, Williams's boisterous personality and penchant for
towering home runs earned him adoring admirers--the fans--and
venomous critics--the sportswriters. In 1941, the entire country
followed Williams's stunning .406 season, a record that has not
been touched in over six decades. At the pinnacle of his prime,
Williams left Boston to train and serve as a fighter pilot in World
War II, missing three full years of baseball. He was back in 1946,
dominating the sport alongside teammates Dominic DiMaggio, Johnny
Pesky, and Bobby Doerr. But Williams left baseball again in 1952 to
fight in Korea, where he flew thirty-nine combat
missions--crash-landing his flaming, smoke-filled plane, in one
famous episode.
Ted Willams's personal life was equally colorful. His attraction to
women (and their attraction to him) was a constant. He was married
and divorced three times and he fathered two daughters and a son.
He was one of corporate America's first modern spokesmen, and he
remained, nearly into his eighties, a fiercely devoted fisherman.
With his son, John Henry Williams, he devoted his final years to
the sports memorabilia business, even as illness overtook him. And
in death, controversy and public outcry followed Williams and the
disagreements between his children over the decision to have his
body preserved for future resuscitation in a cryonics facility--a
fate, many argue, Williams never wanted.
With unmatched verve and passion, and drawing upon hundreds of
interviews, acclaimed best-selling author Leigh Montville brings to
life Ted Williams's superb triumphs, lonely tragedies, and
intensely colorful personality, in a biography that is fitting of
an American hero and legend.
Oscar ""Happy"" Felsch was a rising star weaned on sandlot fields
of Milwaukee who threw away his promising career for a few bucks
after participating in the throwing of the 1919 World Series. Did
Felsch really play to lose the series, or just say that he did for
fear of retribution from crooked gamblers? None of the banned eight
talked about the scandal more than Felsch, and this book analyzes
how his three interviews revealed his ultimate gullibility, and why
getting drawn into futile greed was easier than chasing down a fly
ball. His rampant contradictions on the subject served as a
metaphor for the entire scandal. Felsch's jovial, child-like
exuberance for the game served him well as a player, but his lack
of formal education became his downfall. On the field, Felsch was
hitting his peak as a ballplayer in 1920, the year the scandal hit
the newspapers. His speed, run-producing power, and stellar
defensive prowess earned comparisons to the great Tris Speaker; all
attributes that might have garnered him Hall of Fame consideration.
Instead, he settled on playing fallen hero to far away, remote
baseball enclaves of Montana and Canada.
Meet Gary Fisher. The maverick kid bike racer who cycled straight
into the Acid Test scene and lit up the Grateful Dead gigs, the
relentless tinkerer who transformed an industry and sold mountain
biking to the world and the visionary who's still working flat-out
every day to prove that bikes are the answer to a healthier,
happier future for everyone. A collaboration with cycling writer
Guy Kesteven, Being Gary Fisher and the Bicycle Revolution is an
autobiography of sorts. It's also a mind-blowing trip of ingenious
innovation, dogged determination and boundless energy. Get caught
up in Gary's crazy tales and his lifelong mission to invite
everyone to the greatest dance on earth.
Now a major motion picture starring Jon Voight, Nic Bishop, and C.
Thomas Howell. This riveting true story of courage, strength, and
football at the height of racial tension in Birmingham, Alabama
tells the story of Coach Tandy Gerelds, his running back Tony
Nathan, and a high school football game that healed a city.In the
midst of violent, impassioned racial tensions in Birmingham,
Alabama, new football coach, Tandy Gerelds, was struggling to
create a winning football team at Woodlawn High School--one of the
last schools in Birmingham to integrate. The team he was handed did
not have the caliber of players he needed to win--until he saw Tony
Nathan run. But Tony was African American and Coach Gerelds knew
that putting him in as running back would be like drawing a target
on his own back and the back of his soon-to-be star player. But
Coach Gerelds saw something in Tony, and he knew that his decision
to let him play was about more than football. It was about doing
what was right for the school--and the city. And soon, the only
place in the city where blacks and whites got along was on Coach
Gerelds's football team. With the help of a new school chaplain,
Tony learned to look beyond himself and realized that there was
more at stake than winning a game. In 1974, Coach Gerelds's
interracial team made Alabama history drawing 42,000 fans into the
stadium to watch them play. It was this game that triggered the
unity and support of the Woodlawn High School Colonels and that
finally allowed a city to heal and taught its citizens how to love.
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