The second edition of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year is updated with a new chapter describing Nick's eventual completion of the Fastnet Race thirty years after his first, ill-fated attempt. The world-famous Fastnet Race takes yachts from the Isle of Wight to the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland and back. The 1979 race began in perfect conditions, but was soon engulfed by the deadliest storm in the history of modern sailing. By the time it passed, the havoc caused was immeasurable, and fifteen sailors had lost their lives. It had been Nick Ward's childhood ambition to sail in the Fastnet Race, and being asked to join the crew of the 30-foot yacht Grimalkin was a dream come true. But then the storm hit. Grimalkin was capsized again and again. With the skipper lost overboard, after hours of struggle three of the crew decided to abandon the boat for the liferaft. Nick and another crewmember, both unconscious, were left on the beleaguered yacht in the middle of the Irish Sea. Both were presumed dead. Gerry died a few hours later, and Nick was left to face the storm alone.

When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Dick Allen in 1960, fans of the franchise envisioned bearing witness to feats never before accomplished by a Phillies player. A half-century later, they're still trying to make sense of what they saw. Carrying to the plate baseball's heaviest and loudest bat as well as the burden of being the club's first African American superstar, Allen found both hits and controversy with ease and regularity as he established himself as the premier individualist in a game that prided itself on conformity. As one of his managers observed, "I believe God Almighty hisself would have trouble handling Richie Allen." A brutal pregame fight with teammate Frank Thomas, a dogged determination to be compensated on par with the game's elite, an insistence on living life on his own terms and not management's: what did it all mean? Journalists and fans alike took sides with ferocity, and they take sides still. Despite talent that earned him Rookie of the Year and MVP honors as well as a reputation as one of his era's most feared power hitters, many remember Allen as one of the game's most destructive and divisive forces, while supporters insist that he is the best player not in the Hall of Fame. God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen explains why. Mitchell Nathanson presents Allen's life against the backdrop of organized baseball's continuing desegregation process. Drawing out the larger generational and business shifts in the game, he shows how Allen's career exposed not only the racial double standard that had become entrenched in the wake of the game's integration a generation earlier but also the forces that were bent on preserving the status quo. In the process, God Almighty Hisself unveils the strange and maddening career of a man who somehow managed to fulfill and frustrate expectations all at once.

Eddie Plank won 326 games and has the most complete games and shutouts by a left-handed pitcher in Major League history. But how much do we know about the hurler best known as "Gettysburg Eddie" in his playing days? And what of him that we do know is factual? This biography of Plank sorts out the truth and the myths--and everything in between--as he made his way from a college team in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, all the way to the Hall of Fame, 20 years after his death. Along the way, readers will discover what made Plank so great, the secrets behind his famous crossfire delivery, and more.

How the captains of the last 50 years have gone about leading the world's most successful rugby team. The job of All Blacks captain comes with a scrutiny that puts it alongside the prime minister in terms of profile and public expectation. It takes a strong, confident and assured personality to captain a team where failure is never tolerated. The Captain's Run is a behind the scenes journey into the world of All Blacks captaincy. It reveals how the great captains dealt with the pressure of the toughest job in world rugby, how they coped with failure, and what they would have done differently, if given their time again.

This book is the story of baseball pioneer J.L. Wilkinson (1878-1964) and the team he founded and owned, the famed Kansas City Monarchs. A white man, Wilkinson earned respect throughout the world of African American baseball by treating his players with fairness and respect. Wilkinson began his baseball career in Iowa as a player and later organizer of a traveling women's team in 1908 and the groundbreaking multi-racial All-Nations club in 1912. When he founded the Monarchs in 1920, Wilkinson was the only white owner of a Negro National League (NNL) team. Wilkinson led the Monarchs to great success, winning two Negro Leagues World Series championships and numerous pennants in the NNL and then the Negro American League. During the Great Depression Wilkinson developed an ingenious portable lighting system for night games that is credited with saving black baseball. He resurrected the career of legendary pitcher Satchel Paige in 1938. In 1945 Wilkinson signed a rookie named Jackie Robinson to the Monarchs and played a key role in the integration of major league baseball. J.L. Wilkinson was posthumously inducted in to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, joining fourteen Monarchs players in the Hall.

His Name is McNamara is the riveting story of the life and career of football manager and former player Jackie McNamara. Jackie played for a series of clubs but is best known for the trophy-laden decade he spent at Celtic, culminating in a spell as club captain and a Scottish international career. His departure from Celtic in 2005 was controversial and abrupt, taking the football world by surprise when he signed for Wolves despite a last-minute attempt by the club to keep him in Glasgow. After spells at Aberdeen, Falkirk and Partick Thistle, he finished playing and moved into management with Thistle, Dundee United and York City. Jackie pulls no punches as he gives us the inside track on a career at the highest level of the game and the battling qualities he needed to succeed. It was those qualities that he drew on when his life was threatened by a brain aneurism in early 2020. His Name is McNamara is a story of success and survival.

Remember when Zinedine Zidane lifted the World Cup in 1998? Kylian Mbappe doesn't. The forward wasn't born when the French team first became world champions. But it was Mbappe's unique talent that helped France reach the summit of world football once again in 2018, erasing years of failure, rancour and shame. For Les Bleus, the road between these two highs was blighted by bitterly painful lows. Zidane's headbutt; a players' strike; infighting and recriminations; even sex scandals and blackmail. Mbappe witnessed it all as he honed his prodigious talent in the banlieues of Paris, and his story embodies France's journey from disaster to triumph. In Sacre Bleu, Matthew Spiro traces the rise, fall and rise again of Les Bleus through the lens of Kylian Mbappe. Featuring a foreword by Arsene Wenger and interviews with leading figures in French football, Spiro asks what went wrong for France and what, ultimately, went right.

For much of the twentieth century, boxing was one of America's most popular sports, and the heavyweight champions were figures known to all. Their exploits were reported regularly in the newspapers-often outside the sports pages-and their fame and wealth dwarfed those of other athletes. Long after their heyday, these icons continue to be synonymous with the "sweet science." In The Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring, Paul Beston profiles these larger-than-life men who held a central place in American culture. Among the figures covered are John L. Sullivan, who made the heavyweight championship a commercial property; Jack Johnson, who became the first black man to claim the title; Jack Dempsey, a sporting symbol of the Roaring Twenties; Joe Louis, whose contributions to racial tolerance and social progress transcended even his greatness in the ring; Rocky Marciano, who became an embodiment of the American Dream; Muhammad Ali, who took on the U.S. government and revolutionized professional sports with his showmanship; and Mike Tyson, a hard-punching dynamo who typified the modern celebrity. This gallery of flawed but sympathetic men also includes comics, dandies, bookworms, divas, ex-cons, workingmen, and even a tough-guy-turned-preacher. As the heavyweight title passed from one claimant to another, their stories opened a window into the larger history of the United States. Boxing fans, sports historians, and those interested in U.S. race relations as it intersects with sports will find this book a fascinating exploration into how engrained boxing once was in America's social and cultural fabric.

Ken Scotland was born on 29 August 1936 within sight of Heriot's Goldenacre ground, which he would go onto grace with great panache and skill several years later. A prodigious talent at fly-half while at school, he was converted into a full-back during the international trials of 1957 and was capped in that position against France at Colombes just a few weeks later, scoring all of his country's points as the Scots recorded their first win on French soil since 1949. Having joined the army after leaving school, Scotland then attended Cambridge University and it was from there that he was selected for the 1959 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand. During this epic four-month tour he won plaudits far and wide as one of the superstars of the Lions' team. Using entries from the dairy he kept during this tour, Scotland brings to life one of the great Lions expeditions, taking us right into the heart of the changing rooms, hotels, bars and in the heat of battle on the field. Scotland played in five Tests for the Lions and won a total of twenty-seven caps for his country before retiring in 1965 with a reputation as one of the finest players ever to play for Scotland well established. He would continue to play club rugby for several years afterwards while enjoying a successful business career. At eighty-three he has finally decided to tell his life story. Working with Allan Massie, the doyen of Scottish rugby journalism, he has created a rich and powerful testimony to his life and rugby career, throwing new light on his own achievements as well as providing fresh insight the great players of his era. It is as fascinating as it is evocative of a time and a game long past and a must-read for rugby fans of all generations.

"A thrilling, cinematic story. I loved every minute I spent with these bold, daring women whose remarkable journey is the stuff of American legend." --Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy The Boys in the Boat meets A League of Their Own in this true story of a Depression-era championship women's team. In the early 1930s, during the worst drought and financial depression in American history, Sam Babb began to dream. Like so many others, this charismatic Midwestern basketball coach wanted a reason to have hope. Traveling from farm to farm near the tiny Oklahoma college where he coached, Babb recruited talented, hardworking young women and offered them a chance at a better life: a free college education in exchange for playing on his basketball team, the Cardinals. Despite their fears of leaving home and the sacrifices that their families would face, the women joined the team. And as Babb coached the Cardinals, something extraordinary happened. These remarkable athletes found a passion for the game and a heartfelt loyalty to one another and their coach--and they began to win. Combining exhilarating sports writing and exceptional storytelling, Dust Bowl Girls takes readers on the Cardinals' intense, improbable journey all the way to an epic showdown with the prevailing national champions, helmed by the legendary Babe Didrikson. Lydia Reeder captures a moment in history when female athletes faced intense scrutiny from influential figures in politics, education, and medicine who denounced women's sports as unhealthy and unladylike. At a time when a struggling nation was hungry for inspiration, this unlikely group of trailblazers achieved much more than a championship season.

The Life Of Fred Archer By E . M . Humphris. A biography of England's most famous jockey. Preface - "The author has flatteringly asked me to write a preface to this book on the famous Fred Archer, and as I knew him well and saw him ride a vast number of his races it gives me great pleasure to do so; and I commence by speaking of the five Derbys he won, all of which I witnessed. Archer had his first Derby success on Silvio, who started at 100 to 9, in 1877, and, after a pretty finish, won by half a length from Glen Arthur, both the pair outstaying the favourite, Rob Roy, who was beaten three-quarters of a length for second place, with Rhidorroch fourth, a head behind Mr Mackenzie's colt .His next win at Epson was in 1880, when he rode a most remarkable race on Bend Or, as he was greatly handicapped by having has his arm badly injured through Muley Edris savaging him after he had ridden that ill tempered brute in a gallop on Newmarket Heath a short time before, and also by Bend Or coming badly down the hill to Tattenham Corner owing to having sore shins. Archer, for all that, rode with such judgement that, bringing his mount with one long run, he caught Robert the Devil, on whom Rossiter certainly should have won as the race was run, in the last two strides, to beat him by a head." Originally published in 1934. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

From the moment a hopelessly bored eleven year old boy watched Gower effortlessly pull his first ball in Test cricket for four, he instantly forgot the fact that West Ham were crap and had just been relegated and his life long love affair with cricket had begun. These are the recollections of how being pretty good at bowling a hard red ball at three tall sticks in the ground has allowed Stuart Simmonds the chance to travel the cricketing world, play against some seriously good players, meet some very famous people and most importantly avoid having to ever get what can only be described as a normal, sensible job. Written with huge amounts of charm, Stuart takes us on a journey around club grounds, county grounds, test grounds and an enormous amount of time coaching in playgrounds, all spent together with what seems like an awful lot of very entertaining people. Any profits from this book will be distributed between local charities. There are plenty of superstar autobiographies that tell you what its like to receive a standing ovation when you walk back through the pavilion at Lords, the Oval or the MCG having scored a brilliant hundred or a match winning bowling spell and of the boys on tour celebrations afterwards. This sadly, is not going to be one of those books. This is the tale of someone living their sporting life in the surreal world between so called professional excellence and the so called charm of the village green. There without the slightest hint of glamour, with all the frustrations and the occasional triumphs of the top flight club circuit in Sussex and its regular visits to the seaside. There are also the recollections of the seasons spent playing and coaching overseas, trying to see if you really were any good after all. Told with intelligence, humour and above all honesty, these are the memoirs of someone trying to make ends meet doing the things they love for a living, whilst occasionally bumping into somebody famous along the way.

The 1995 Open Champion and legendary wild man of golf recalls the best and worst of his life: his inspirational play on both US and European tours; the demons that afflicted him on the course and his addiction to gambling and drink; and the trashed hotel rooms and spectacular marital problems. John Daly took professional golf by storm when he came out of nowhere to win the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Indiana. A big hitter, Daly quickly became a favourite with PGA crowds for his long drives and no-frills philosophy of 'grip it and rip it.' Almost as quickly he became a controversial figure thanks to his on-course fits of temper and off-course bouts of drinking and gambling. He won the Open Championship in 1995 at St Andrews, then suffered through six years of poor play and personal turmoil before winning the BMW International Open in Munich in September 2001. In February 2004 he returned to the winner's circle on the PGA Tour, winning the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. Daly has been married four times, and his spectacular marriage bust-ups have attracted endless media headlines. His fourth wife, Sherrie, and her parents were indicted on federal drug and gambling charges in 2003; they were accused of selling cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines from 1996 to 2002 and of laundering the proceeds through local banks. She has only recently been released from a federal penitentiary to return to the family home. Daly talks openly in his book about his controversial private life, the tantrums, the additictions to drink, gambling and women, and reflects on a new course in life in this richly entertaining read.

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.

'Modern Heroes' is a series of modern and colourful books about the lives of eight remarkable people whose influence has shaped how we live today. This book looks at the life of Muhammad Ali.

Under the attentive guidance of a volunteer manager passionate about baseball, a group of boys assembled as the "B" team to play travel baseball for their town team. In "Shortstop ... or Bust ," author Linda Padilla-Diaz shares a compilation of stories covering the journey through the five years her two sons played competitive traveling youth baseball-from her perspective as both a mother and the manager's wife.

"Shortstop ... or Bust " describes Padilla-Diaz's love of the game and delves into parents' fixation for their children's extracurricular activities, seeking the glorified shortstop position. The humorous, touching chronicle of lefty Derek and manager Harry provides firsthand insight into the growing revolution and competitiveness of youth travel baseball. The story begins with the modest commencement of the team with overzealous coaches and dads and describes their winning transformation through several seasons. Padilla-Diaz offers an entertaining play-by-play account of events and provides an up-close view of the games the team played.

Offering a personal account into the harried nature of youth baseball, "Shortstop ... or Bust " presents an informative, amusing, and bittersweet story about the five-year journey of a group of boys who worked hard and played hard to win.

Dick Stuart (1932-2002) began as a minor league first baseman, noted for his outsized ego and terrible fielding. His brash personality and 66 home runs for the Lincoln Chiefs of the Western League made him a national figure in 1956. In 1958, he came up to the majors in Pittsburgh and played some fine seasons with the Pirates, and later the Boston Red Sox. In 1961, he was selected for the National League All-Star team, and he led the American League in RBI in 1963. A wise-cracking bon vivant, his career was not what it might have been. If he had worked harder, he might have been a better player. If Bill Mazeroski hadn't ended the 1960 Series with a home run, Stuart, who was on deck, might have been the hero. Yet his great hitting ability, quick wit and love for the limelight made him one of the most interesting players of his era.

The Hash House Harriers - sometimes called the drinking club with a running problem. It is the largest non-competitive running club in the world. Hashing involves running from a pub, following a trail of flour around a circular course for five miles or so, and then returning to the pub for a beer or ten. This is four years in the life of 'Navigator' - a geographically-challenged hasher from the Isle of Wight. He travels with the Hash to wonderful places like Denmark, Germany, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Bradford, Howarth and Cardiff. He also visits Harwich; 'miss Harwich' - no, not a beauty contest - more a piece of lifestyle advice Hashing involves running, drinking, singing - and in some cases taking your clothes off, but not necessarily in that order. It is a fun activity that should not be taken seriously in any way. This is a light-hearted yet highly entertaining read, laced with the mischief and adventures that befall an 'adult' social club with a wickedly-juvenile approach to their shared hobby; running.. or was that drinking?

One of the most colourful and controversial characters in Welsh rugby history, Mike 'Spikey' Watkins remains the only player since 1882 to captain Wales on his debut, and win. Discarded by Cardiff RFC and banned by the WRU after the infamous 'Hookers Night Out' incident in November 1978, Spikey, who had regularly played for the Wales B team and was understudy to Bobby Windsor, thought his chance of a prized Welsh cap has disappeared. In this brutally frank and hard-hitting autobiography, 'Spikey' Watkins, the loveable rogue of Welsh rugby, lifts the lid on his roller-coaster playing career and explains how he fought back against the 'blazer-brigade' he despised, returned to captain a hugely successful Newport team and finally got the call from the WRU, due to public pressure from the supporters who adored him, to captain his country to victory against Ireland in 1984.

Cincinnati Reds leadoff hitter Johnny Temple batted over .300 three times between 1954 and 1959. A tobacco chewing, tough-talking hustler, he had a fiery disposition on the field which led many sportswriters, teammates and opposing players to refer to him as a throwback to baseball's early days-an Eddie Stanky or Enos Slaughter type who would challenge anyone to a fight. He and Milwaukee Braves shortstop Johnny Logan engaged in one of the Major League's longest-running feuds. Temple was an expert glove man, forming one of the premier double play combinations of the 1950s with shortstop Roy McMillan. Following his retirement in 1964, making ends meet became a daily struggle. Temple's life ended in disappointment and disgrace.

Meet Mallory Weggemann: a Paralympic gold-medalist, world champion swimmer, ESPY winner, and NBC Sports commentator whose extraordinary story will give you the encouragement you need to rise up to meet any challenge you face in life. On January 21, 2008, a routine medical procedure left Mallory paralyzed from her waist down. Less than two years later, Mallory had broken eight world records, and by the 2012 Paralympic Games, she held fifteen world records and thirty-four American records. Two years after that, a devastating fall severely damaged her left arm. But despite all of the hardships that Mallory faced, she was sure about one thing: she refused to give up. After two reconstructive surgeries and extended rehab, she won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships. And even better, she found confidence, independence, and persevering love. She even walked down the aisle on her wedding day against all odds. Mallory's extraordinary resilience and uncompromising commitment to excellence are rooted in her resolve, her faith, and her sheer grit. In Limitless, Mallory shares the lessons she learned by pushing past every obstacle and expectation that stood in her way, teaching you how to: redefine your limits remember that healing is not chronological be willing to fail lean on your community embrace your comeback write your own ending Mallory's story reminds us that we can handle whatever challenges, labels, or difficulties we face in life, and we can do it on our own terms. Because when we refuse to accept every boundary that hems us in--physical, emotional, or societal--we become limitless.