In 2011 the world was shocked when the news broke that Joost van der Westhuizen, known for years as the golden boy of South African rugby and a former Springbok captain, had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND).

This rare condition attacks the central nervous system, causing progressive disability. There is no known cure. All who have seen Joost in action will know that he is not one to give up without a fight. His game-changing prowess as a brilliant scrum half is now focused on a battle for survival and, more importantly, on making a difference to the lives of others with the disease. In a race against time, Joost has a dream to fulfil. He says: “In the beginning you go through all the emotions and you ask, ‘Why me?’ It’s quite simple. ‘Why not me?’ If I have to go through this to help future generations, why not me?” His acceptance of his symptoms is equally pragmatic: “One day you can’t move your arm, another day you don’t have speech. Every day you are reborn and you take the day as it comes.”

Glory Game – The Joost van der Westhuizen Story is a compelling narrative of redemption set against the backdrop of an illustrious career in rugby. It is the story of a modern-day warrior forced to face his own human frailty. Joost shows us that beyond ambition, success and fame lies the true wealth of family and friends, and that within a ravaged body the spirit can remain invincible.

A New York Times bestseller and a Book of the Year for the Evening Standard and The Times.

Is getting a little less comfortable the key to living a happier, healthier life?

When journalist Scott Carney came across a picture of a man in his fifties sitting on a glacier in just his underwear, he assumed it must be a hoax. Dutch guru Wim Hof claimed he could control his body temperature using his mind and teach others to do the same. Sceptical, Carney signed up to Hof’s one-week course, not realising that it would be the start of a four-year journey to unlock his own evolutionary potential.

From hyperventilating in a Polish farmhouse to underwater weight training in California, and eventually climbing Mt Kilimanjaro wearing just shorts and running shoes, Carney travelled the world testing out unorthodox methods of body transformation and discovering the science behind them.

In What Doesn’t Kill Us he explains how getting a little less comfortable can help us to unlock our lost evolutionary strength.

An eye-opening memoir of family drama, stardom, despair, and resilience from the wildly popular wrestling superstar.

Saraya-Jade Bevis, formerly WWE’s Paige, is one of the biggest names in the wrestling world. She is the youngest two-time WWE Divas Champion and was inaugural NXT’s Women Champion. She ranked first in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Female 50 and was named Diva of the Year by Rolling Stone in 2014. She was also the subject of the critically and commercially successful 2019 film Fighting with My Family, produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and starring Florence Pugh. But before ascending to wrestling superstardom, she was just Saraya.

Hell in Boots is Saraya’s real, uncensored, story. From her early days in her famous (and chaotic) wrestling family, to leaving home at fifteen, to forging her own path in professional wrestling, Saraya has been through hell and back. As she fought to make it in the incredibly competitive—and at times sexist—wrestling world, she faced incredible highs and devastating lows. Saraya recounts years of struggling with substance abuse, clawing back her pride after an ex’s sex tape leaked, adjusting to stardom in the WWE, healing from a nearly career-ending injury, a making triumphant return to wrestling as AEW Women’s World Champion. Through it all, Saraya tells her whole truth in a way she never has before.

*** Instant New York Times bestseller *** *** USA Today bestseller *** *** Wall Street Journal bestseller *** From legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA master Rickson Gracie comes a riveting, insightful memoir that weaves together the story of Gracie's stunning career with the larger history of the Gracie family dynasty and the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, showing how the connection between mind and body can be harnessed for success both inside and outside the ring. Undefeated from the late 1970s through his final fight in the Tokyo Dome in 2000, Rickson Gracie amassed hundreds of victories in the street, on the mat, at the beach, and in the ring. He has joined the pantheon that includes Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Jackie Chan as one of the most famous martial artists of the twentieth century. Jiu-Jitsu, the fighting style developed and pioneered by his family, has become one of the world's most prominent martial arts, and Vale Tudo, the "anything goes" style of Brazilian street fighting over which the Gracies had a monopoly, was an early precursor to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Simply put, without the Gracie family, there would be no sport of "MMA," no 4-billion-dollar UFC empire, and no "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" at strip malls all across America. In Breathe, for the first time, Rickson reveals the full story of how his father and uncles came to develop Jiu-Jitsu, what it was like to grow up among several generations of world-renowned fighters from the Gracie clan, and the principles and skills that guided him to his undefeated record. From learning to assert himself on the streets of Rio to gaining fame and honor in Japan and emerging through heartbreaking tragedy, the martial arts master shares tales of overcoming challenges, extolling universal virtues and showing readers how pride and ego are the enemies of success. With never-before-seen photos and profound insights into the sport and way of life that only a studied legend can provide, Breathe is an entertaining and magnified view of an enduring legacy as well as an inspiring tale of weathering life's complexities and overcoming them with style and grace.

Paul Parker's England manager, Sir Bobby Robson, once described him as a player who "leaps like a salmon and tackles like a ferret". Paul's positional sense saw him snuff out the threat of the world's top strikers as he wrote his name into football's history books with his dazzling displays in the Italia 90 World Cup. The night England lost the semi-final to Germany on penalties saw Paul intrinsically involved in both goals, in a game which has gone down in football history. At the time he was captain and one of the most high-profile players of a buoyant QPR team. He later won a host of medals with Manchester United as Sir Alex Ferguson built a dynasty on the defence, marshalled by Paul. In his autobiography, Paul relives the years of struggle against racism which brought him to the top level of English football, reveals how he saved Fulham Football Club from extinction, why he left QPR and refused to sign for Arsenal and Spurs and how he struggled to cope with the debilitating injury which cost him his career. Never one to shirk an opinion, Paul reveals his thoughts on everything from bungs to racism, from the proliferation of England caps in the modern era to having a winning mentality. He also tells bundles of stories about the many personalities within the game with whom he has worked including Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Robson, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Paul Gascoigne, Bobby Gould, Trevor Francis and Malcolm MacDonald. With a foreword by Sir Alex Ferguson, "Paul Parker: Tackles Like a Ferret" will entrance fans of all three clubs, plus a much wider audience who still hark back to that night in Turin when England so nearly reached the World Cup Final.

The autobiography on one of cricket's best-loved characters. With his trademark bow tie, his distinctive rich, plumy voice and his eccentric observations Henry Blofeld is one of Britain's prized experts. He has been close to the heart of the game for over 40 years. As a leading commentator on Test Match Special and cricket writer, at home and abroad, he has informed and entertained wide audiences with his extensive knowledge and perception of cricket at the very highest level. Last year Henry Blofeld was forced by major heart surgery to take stock of his life and here in this autobiography he offers sharp pictures and vivid memories, a few sad, and many humorous.

At a time when the sporting world seems to be losing its perspective, author John Clendening provides another viewpoint. In "Love Letters to Sports," he celebrates sports at its best-its moments in time that capture our hearts and remind us of the role it can play as a touch point in our lives. In this memoir, Clendening narrates his special sports moments, such as his first-ever road trip with his eight-year-son and how his son's sports obsession at a young age reminds him of his own. He tells of going to a football game in Texas and falling in love all over again with a certain cheerleader, and how his favorite announcer brought him to tears on the night his youngest daughter was born. This collection of 19 personal essays pays tribute to our own moments in time and moments in life when sports play a supporting role in creating memories never to be forgotten. From football to tennis, from baseball to golf, from the fields of youth to the armchair of middle age, this is not a book about love, nor is it one about sports. It's about the many times and places the two have met in one man's life.

A compelling resource for sports enthusiasts, Jesse Owens: A Life in American History places the life and athletic accomplishments of Jesse Owens within the context of race and American history in the early 20th century. The year 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest track and field athletes in intercollegiate and Olympic history. This book examines Jesse Owens' upbringing, religious and spiritual life, and collegiate years and includes an examination of race, politics, and Nazi Germany as a backdrop to the 1936 Olympics. It also considers Owens' personal economic hardships after his triumph at the Olympic Games, his death, and his legacy. This biography series title will appeal to general readers, history buffs, and sports enthusiasts. Chapters are organized around the major developments in Jesse Owens' life, from his birth in Oakville, Alabama in 1913 to his death in Tucson, Arizona in 1980, and all of his groundbreaking athletic achievements in between. Primary source documents, sidebars, a timeline, and a bibliography provide valuable additional information for readers. The final chapter, "Why Jesse Owens Matters," explores his cultural and historical significance. Provides readers with an understanding of race, politics, amateur athletics, and the 1936 summer Olympic Games Demonstrates how pivotal moments in the life of Jesse Owens worked together to make him a champion Shows the importance of family, coaches, and friends in Owens's life and career Illustrates the importance of Owens's performance in the Berlin Olympics and how it created a platform for other African American athletes

Cycling Book of the Year - Cross British Sports Book Awards When the 'Iron Curtain' descended across Europe, Dieter Wiedemann was a hero of East German sport. A podium finisher in The Peace Race, the Eastern Bloc equivalent of the Tour de France, he was a pin-up for the supremacy of socialism over the 'fascist' West. Unbeknownst to the authorities, however, he had fallen in love with Sylvia Hermann, a girl from the other side of the wall. Socialist doctrine had it that the two of them were 'class enemies', and as a famous athlete Dieter's every move was pored over by the Stasi. Only he abhorred their ideology, and in Sylvia saw his only chance of freedom. Now, playing a deadly game of cat and mouse, he plotted his escape. In 1964 he was delegated, once and once only, to West Germany. Here he was to ride a qualification race for the Tokyo Olympics, but instead committed the most treacherous of all the crimes against socialism. Dieter Wiedemann, sporting icon and Soviet pawn, defected to the other side. Whilst Wiedemann fulfilled his lifetime ambition of racing in the Tour de France, his defection caused a huge scandal. The Stasi sought to 'repatriate' him, with horrific consequences both for him and the family he left behind. Fifty years on, and twenty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dieter Wiedemann decided it was time to tell his story. Through his testimony and that of others involved, and through the Stasi file, which has stalked him for half a century, Herbie Sykes uncovers an astonishing tale. It is one of love and betrayal, of the madness at the heart of the cold war, and of the greatest bike race in history.

The remarkable biography of a small-town athlete who became one of the greatest players in NFL history. Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a superstar for the NFL in the 1930s and one of the pioneer players of the league. He led the Chicago Bears to success on the gridiron as a larger-than-life personality, helping raise the popularity of the NFL during the Great Depression. In Bronko: The Legendary Story of the NFL's Greatest Two-Way Fullback, NFL Films historian Chris Willis tells the remarkable story of how Bronko became an NFL legend. Throughout his nine-year NFL career, Bronko's name became synonymous with power football. While the new league fought to gain respect and recognition, Bronko immediately captured the attention of sports fans in Chicago and across the country. The bruising fullback could do everything: run, block, tackle, and even throw the occasional pass. With the complete cooperation of the Nagurski family and unlimited access to personal letters, family scrapbooks, and photos, Bronko is the definitive biography of a true sports pioneer and NFL great.

Also availabe as an eBook

Those who waved to us across fairways saw the idyllic tableau of father and son, side by side in shared golf passion. Beneath that façade, however, was a boy struggling to grow up and away-and a father searching for a way to help rather than hinder...
-From Playing Partners

If there's one thing as mysterious and powerful as the bond between a father and son, it's the bond between the game of golf and those who fall in love with it. In this beautifully told memoir, George Peper, coauthor of the runaway bestseller Cinderella Story, tells a story of fathers, sons, and golf-and how the three magically came together.

A young father and hardworking editor in chief of GOLF Magazine, George Peper desired nothing more than to hear his son someday say: "Want to go out and hit a few, Dad?" But when that day finally arrived, and Peper's young son Scott joined him on the links, Peper soon discovered that how he looked at and felt about golf would change forever.

The two became companions and competitors-a man and a boy finding out about themselves and each other on the deceptively tranquil stage of an eighteen-hole course. At the local golf club and on courses around the world, Scott progressed as a player, and Peper watched him learn how to hit shots, manage a course, and face the pressure and pain that comes to everyone serious about the game. When Scott's scores began to drop perilously close to his own, Peper saw himself reflected in his son's eyes. Once idol and mentor, he had turned into Scott's quarry-his son's first and foremost opponent.

As he chronicles their odyssey, Peper reflects on his relationship with his own father and all they left unsaid. He faces his expectations of his son and of himself. By the time Scott moves to the edge of manhood-and into the competitive ranks of amateur golf-Peper has grown older, and PLAYING PARTNERS becomes a bittersweet ode to mortality in all its richness and complexity. This marvelous, heartfelt story beautifully explores our capacity to care: about the joy in a boy's face, about the shot that lies ahead, and about what it means to win in life and in this unique and much loved game.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER A unique, unfiltered memoir from the NBA champion and fifteen-time all-star ahead of his induction into the Hall of Fame.Kevin Garnett was one of the most dominant players the game of basketball has ever seen. He was also one of its most outspoken. Over the course of his illustrious twenty-one-year NBA career, he elevated trash talk to an art form and never shied away from sharing his thoughts on controversial subjects. In KG A to Z, published ahead of Garnett's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, he looks back on his life and career with the same raw candor. Garnett describes the adversity he faced growing up in South Carolina before ultimately relocating to Chicago, where he became one of the top prospects in the nation. He details his headline-making decision to skip college and become the first player in two decades to enter the draft directly from high school, starting a trend that would be followed by future superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He shares stories of playing with and against Bryant, James, Michael Jordan, and other NBA greats, and he chronicles his professional ups and downs, including winning a championship with the Boston Celtics. He also speaks his mind on a range of topics beyond basketball, such as fame, family, racism, spirituality, and music. Garnett's draft decision wasn't the only way he'd forever change the game. His ability to play on the perimeter as a big man foreshadowed the winning strategy now universally adopted by the league. He applies this same innovative spirit here, organizing the contents alphabetically as an encyclopedia. If you thought Kevin Garnett was exciting, inspiring, and unfiltered on the court, just wait until you read what he has to say in these pages.

2012 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work Biography/Autobiography "A powerful and poignant memoir." Cornel West, from the foreword "John Carlos is an American hero. And finally he has written a memoir to tell us his story and a powerful story it is. I couldn't put this book down." Michael Moore Seen around the world, John Carlos and Tommie Smith's Black Power salute on the 1968 Olympic podium sparked controversy and career fallout. Yet their show of defiance remains one of the most iconic images of Olympic history and the Black Power movement. Here is the remarkable story of one of the men behind the salute, lifelong activist John Carlos. John Carlos is a former track and field athlete and professional football player, and a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights. He won the bronze medal in the 200-meter race at the 1968 Olympics, where his Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy. Dave Zirin is the author of four books, including Bad Sports: How Owners are Ruining the Games We Love, A Peoples' History of Sports in the United States, and What's My Name, Fool?

An intimate portrait of Muhammad Ali that explores his ascent to greatness in the prizefighting ring and his extraordinary accomplishments as a celebrated humanitarian. Muhammad Ali is arguably the greatest boxer of all-time. Yet, outside his record-breaking achievements in the ring, he was admired by millions of people worldwide for his compassionate heart and altruistic endeavors. Throughout his life, Ali demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing justice and freedom that should never be forgotten. In Muhammad Ali: A Humanitarian Life, Margueritte Shelton shows how the "People's Champion" transformed his success in the boxing ring into a powerful platform to further his fight against inequality, injustice, and oppressive politics. Ali ascended to greatness during a violent decade of protests and revolutionary movements, and Shelton vividly portrays the personal journey of this bold young dreamer as he pursued athletic glory to become a champion in the ring and a champion for human rights. Featuring a rare collection of letters as well as exclusive interviews, this book offers unique personal perspectives on the man who became world-renowned as the "Greatest of All Time." With an emphasis on Ali's humanitarian endeavors, Muhammad Ali reveals that the champion's greatest achievement was his lifelong fight to transform the world as a messenger of peace.