The gruesome stories of the hardest, most ruthless rugby players from around the world since World War I. As talented as they were fiery, many were just as lively off the pitch as on it. In our era of citing commissioners, super slow-motion replays and trial by social media, some of their actions are quite hard to believe! Foreword by Nigel Owens. -- Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru

When Argentinian World Cup winners Ricky Villa and Ossie Ardiles were unveiled as Tottenham Hotspur's new signings in the summer of 1978 it was one of the most sensational transfer coups English football had ever seen. The pair were an instant success. Ossie claimed the limelight with his wonderful control and comedy English, but when Ricky dribbled his way round half the Manchester City team to score the greatest FA Cup final goal ever in 1981 he swerved his way into the hearts of the nation and a permanent place in English football folklore. Never truly comfortable speaking in English, for the first time - with the help of co-author and translator Federico Ardiles (Ossie's son) - Ricky Villa is able to tell his story. From his childhood growing up on a farm in rural Argentina, playing alongside teenage sensation Diego Maradona for Argentina, to the dark early days after arriving in London when he was unable to communicate and suffered serious depression, through to the elation of scoring that wonder goal at Wembley. Ricky also talks about the pain of being caught between two countries he loved during the Falklands conflict as well as his experiences as a member of Argentina's 1978 World Cup squad which won a tournament tainted ever since with allegations of bribery and intimidation by Argentina's ruling military Junta.

Labels such as 'icon' or 'legend' are rarely attached to one individual to the degree that they are to Bruce Lee. He only made a handful of films, yet four and a half decades after his untimely death at the age of 32, the Little Dragon's influence on culture is as strong as ever. Named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century, Lee wasn't just an actor and martial artist, but a director, inventor, husband, father and philosopher. His martial art, jeet kune do, is still practised around the world, while UFC champions credit him with inspiring the growing sport of mixed martial arts. His films kick-started a global kung fu boom and retain the power to awe today, while his thoughts - collected in a series of books from Lee's own notes - still inspire. Bruce Lee: The Life of a Legend is a unique oral biography that combines the memories of Lee's original students, close friends, co-stars and colleagues - those who knew him best - to provide a candid view on the action movie star adored by millions, capturing the essence of a complex man in a way no straightforward narrative ever could. Further, for the first time ever in print, legendary professional boxing, bodybuilding and MMA champions and personalities from the motion picture industry pay homage to Lee, giving a blend of unique perspectives on a man who changed the face of their respective sports.

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

And Bring the Darkness Home is a haunting exploration of how the mental scars of war destroyed an international cricket career, tore a family apart and left destitute a man who seemed to have it all. Tony Dell was the only Test cricketer to fight in the Vietnam War. His journey to the summit of the game, playing for Australia against England in the Ashes, was as unlikely and meteoric as any in cricket history. His descent was painful and harrowing. It was in his mid-60s, living in his mother's garage, that he learned the truth about what had led him on a path of self-destruction. A diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder allowed him to piece together the ruins of his life and also to search for answers, for himself and the thousands of other sufferers. The restlessness and urgency that once drove him to the top of the game was turned on authorities who refused to learn the lessons from history. PTSD robbed Tony Dell of memories of his playing career and left a palpable sense of loss. It also gave him a life-changing mission.

**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** Gypsy Queen to the Gypsy King, Tyson Fury's wife Paris reveals the magical highs and epic lows of life with the Heavyweight Boxing World Champion, as she shares their life story and what keeps them strong through the good times - and the bad. Paris Fury is Tyson's rock, the wife he thanks for all his success. Both from Traveller families, she married him at 19 and is hands-on mother to their six children, as well as at his side through every fight. Always glamorous, strong, grounded, and her own woman. When Tyson's struggles with depression, OCD and alcohol have threatened to overwhelm them, she has held them together, and helped to see Tyson through to the greatest boxing victories. With all her warmth, humour and honesty, she tells her story - from her Traveller childhood, falling in love, making a home and a family, to coming through Tyson's darkest moments. She vividly describes the anguish of their worst times, and what it's like to be at the ringside. And she shows what it takes to balance the fame, the fans and all the sporting pressures alongside everyday family life.

Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2014 After finishing high school in New York, Oliver Horovitz was accepted to Harvard University. But there was a problem; he couldn't start until the following year. With time on his hands and a long-standing love of golf, the solution was obvious: a gap year at the University of St. Andrews, alongside the iconic Old Course, known around the world as 'the home of golf'. At the end of term, Ollie joined the St. Andrews caddie trainee programme and spent the summer lining up at the caddie shack, looping two, sometimes three, rounds a day, with the notoriously gruff veteran caddies. And so began an adventure that would change his life in unexpected ways.

Susie Petruccelli grew up in a sports-mad, male-dominated family in California, fighting to find her own identity and path. And she did. She won a place on the soccer programme at Harvard University and felt on top of the world - talented, strong, loved and worthy. Less than a year later, however, it had all slipped away. The prize-winning RAISED A WARRIOR is Susie's honest, human and cathartic story of how she, as player and mother, rediscovered herself and the love of a game that almost broke her. Alongside, she examines the growth of the women's game and the issues still confronting the sport as it fights for the equalities it deserves. WINNER OF THE VIKKI ORVICE PRIZE.

Alex Blackwell lived and breathed our national sport of cricket for thirty years. Starting as a kid, she spent her childhood and teen years on the field with her identical twin, Kate, who was equally devoted to the bat and ball. While both sisters went on to represent Australia, Alex built a 15-year career in the green and gold, eventually rising to the captaincy, notching up an eye-watering list of sporting achievements and etching her name into cricket's history. But life off the field brought challenges of its own. From her professional debut, Alex was unafraid to call out hypocrisy and go in to battle against the traditional hierarchies of the game. Speaking out and becoming a passionate advocate for women and LGBTQI people in sport won her many fans and much respect, but it didn't come without a price. Fair Game is the unmissable account of life and leadership inside Australia's most loved sporting team, told by one of its most capped players of all time. This is the story of the sacrifices and victories, the extreme highs and devastating lows, that come with playing sport at the highest level, and of what it takes to be truly courageous on and off the field.

'Our incredible story under a supreme manager shared in all its glory.' Jordan Henderson The definitive account of Jurgen Klopp's astonishing revival of Liverpool Football Club FULLY UPDATED FOR THE 2020-2021 SEASON Liverpool Football Club's stunning Premier League title victory deserves a place in the official record of great sporting achievements. Talismanic manager Jurgen Klopp delivered a first title in 30 years as the Reds became the only team in British history to hold the European Cup, Super Cup, World Club Cup and domestic league title simultaneously. A difficult title defence followed, derailed by an unrivalled injury crisis during a thankless, Covid-shaped season. Still Klopp's Liverpool weathered this storm to secure Champions League football again, surmounting personal tragedy and endless professional setbacks. But what makes the club tick? Can the lessons of its success be replicated by others? Melissa Reddy reveals the inside story of Jurgen Klopp's astonishing revival of the Liverpool FC, weaving together the great highs and lowest points with incisive and insightful reporting. Believe Us offers unparalleled access behind the scenes, featuring interviews with everyone from fans and key backroom staff to players including captain Jordan Henderson, and of course Klopp himself. The perfect gift for any fan of the club or its inimitable leader, this is a story unlike any other: this means more.

You're not born with resilience but you can find it on the journey with hard work, belief and the help of those around you. Gareth Thomas has learned to push on even when everything seems most futile. His willingness to expose his deepest emotional frailties as a man and come through even stronger as a result has made him a national hero. In the Sunday Times Bestseller PROUD, Gareth focused closely on the intense experience of coming out in a very public arena of global sport. STRONGER is the broader story of how Gareth has managed to deal with the adversity life has thrown at him across the years, from childhood to his most recent gruelling announcement that he was HIV positive.

A revealing biography of the Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps that includes exclusive interviews with his family, teammates, and friends and never-before-revealed details about his life. Michael Phelps is an American sports hero, perhaps the greatest Olympic athlete the world has ever known. His unprecedented eight gold medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics have made him a superstar. But his journey to Olympic immortality is every bit as compelling as his achievements in the pool. From learning to cope with ADHD to the story of how Phelps became the greatest swimmer ever, Phelps' tale is told in full detail here for the first time. The author, Bob Schaller, has known Phelps and his coach for more than eight years, and has extensively interviewed him, along with his mother, sisters, coach, and teammates. Filled with revelations, career statistics, and insightful analysis of how Phelps achieved the seemingly impossible, this is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn the complete story behind the legend.

The biography of the new Chelsea manager.

This is the first full-length biography of Ron Greenwood, West Ham United's most successful trophy-winning manager - a man who was instrumental in the development of 1966 World Cup-winning heroes Moore, Hurst and Peters. Ron lacked the ruthlessness of his more feted contemporaries, Bill Shankly and Don Revie, with whom his trophy success did not compare. But his West Ham team of the mid-1960s had its own moments of heady triumph - an FA Cup win in 1964 (the club's first), a European Cup Winners' Cup victory in 1965 (only the second European win by an English club) - and crucially they were always easy on the eye, even in defeat. Then there was the little matter of supplying three team members to England's World Cup victory in 1966, at a tournament in which their perfection of Greenwood's near-post cross ploy proved devastating. After 16 years at West Ham, Greenwood became England manager in 1977 and led them to the 1982 World Cup. An impeccable sportsman, deep thinker and skilled communicator, he was a noble servant to football.

Samir Chopra is an immigrant, a "voluntary exile," who discovers he can tell the story of his life through cricket, a game that has long been an influence-really, an obsession-for him. In so doing, he reveals how his changing views on the sport mirror his journey of self-discovery. In The Evolution of a Cricket Fan, Chopra is thus able to reflect on his changing perceptions of self, and of the nations and cultures that have shaped his identity, politics, displacement, and fandom. Chopra's passion for the sport began as a child, when he rooted for Pakistan and against his native India. When he migrated, he became a fan of the Indian team that gave him a sense of home among the various cultures he encountered in North America and Australia. This "shapeshifting" exposes the rift between the Old and the New world, which Chopra acknowledges is "cricket's greatest modern crisis." But it also illuminates the identity dilemmas of post-colonial immigrants in the Indian diaspora. Chopra's thoughts about the sport and its global influence are not those of a player. He provides access to the inner world of the global cricket fan navigating the world that colonial empire wrought and that cricket continues to connect and animate. He observes that the Indian cricket team carries many burdens-not only must they win cricket matches, but their style of play must generate a pride that assuages generations of wounds inflicted by history. And Chopra must navigate where he stands in that history. The Evolution of a Cricket Fan shows Chopra's own wins and losses as his life takes new directions and his fandom changes allegiances.

Early in the twentieth century, fate thrust a young Babe Ruth into the gleaming orbit of Ty Cobb. The resulting collision produced a dazzling explosion and a struggle of mythic magnitude. At stake was not just baseball dominance, but eternal glory and the very soul of a sport. For much of fourteen seasons, the Cobb-Ruth rivalry occupied both men and enthralled a generation of fans. Even their retirement from the ball diamond didn't extinguish it.
On the cusp of America's entry into World War II, a quarter century after they first met at Navin Field, Cobb and Ruth rekindled their long-simmering feud--this time on the golf course. Ty and Babe battled on the fairways of Long Island, New York; Newton, Massachusetts; and Grosse Ile, Michigan; in a series of charity matches that spawned national headlines and catapulted them once more into the spotlight.
"Ty and The Babe" is the story of their remarkable relationship. It is a tale of grand gestures and petty jealousies, superstition and egotism, spectacular feats and dirty tricks, mind games and athleticism, confrontations, conflagrations, good humor, growth, redemption, and, ultimately, friendship. Spanning several decades, "Ty and The Babe" conjures the rollicking cities of New York, Boston, and Detroit and the raucous world of baseball from 1915 to 1928, as it moved from the Deadball days of Cobb to the Lively Ball era of Ruth. It also visits the spring and summer of 1941, starting with the Masters Tournament at Augusta National, where Cobb formally challenged Ruth, and continuing with the golf showdown that saw both men employ secret weapons.
On these pages, author Tom Stanton challenges the stereotypes that have cast Cobb forever as a Satan and Ruth as a Santa Claus. Along the way, he brings to life a parade of memorable characters: Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Grantland Rice, Tris Speaker, Lou Gehrig, Will Rogers, Joe DiMaggio, a trick shot-shooting former fugitive, and a fifteen-year-old caddy with an impeccable golf lineage.
No other ball players dominated their time as formidably as Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Even today, many decades since either man walked this earth, they tower over the sport. Who was better? Who was the greatest? Those questions followed them throughout their baseball careers, into retirement, and onto the putting greens. That they linger yet is a testament to their talents and personalities. Praise for the Writing of Tom Stanton:
"Ruth and Cobb come together as never before in this charming story of rivalry and friendship. Stanton, a keen storyteller, has written a book that surprises and delights."
--Jonathan Eig, author of "Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig"
"The wardrobe mistress of baseball history seems to have assigned the white hat to Babe Ruth and the black hat to Ty Cobb for all time. The Babe, the legendary Sultan of Swat, has become the patron saint of the sport, flamboyant and loud, larger than life, hail fellow well met, a character who hit mammoth home runs and wiped the runny noses of neighborhood urchins. Cobb has become the villain, foul mouthed and cantankerous, unliked and unloved by even his teammates. . . . Now Tom Stanton comes along to rearrange the roles in his terrific new book, "Ty and The Babe," which chronicles the relationship between the two baseball icons. He takes off the hats and tells us about the real people. And it all is great fun."
--Leigh Montville, author of "The Big Bam"
"Wonderful! "Ty and The Babe" is rich, elegant, and powerful. Tom Stanton vividly brings back to life two rival sports icons in a rollicking tale filled with tension, humor, and warmth. It's fantastic."
--Ernie Harwell, Hall of Fame broadcaster
"Frankly, "Ty and The Babe" had me hooked from the opening page, a thoroughly absorbing tale that has all the charm and elements of an unforgettable film--the two greatest players from baseball's Golden Era, blood feuds, dueling rivals, brawling fans, mythologizing sportswriters and the consequences of a rapidly changing game . . . all capped off by a poignant golf match between a pair of fading titans. Tom Stanton has beautifully re-created the most romantic period of American sports, provided new and powerful insights into a pair of greatly misunderstood figures in Cobb and Ruth, and given baseball and golf fans everywhere something to cheer lustily about."
--James Dodson, author of "Final Rounds" and "Ben Hogan: An American Life"

A finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in Poetry--a collection that examines the myth and history of the prizefighter Jack Johnson
The legendary Jack Johnson (1878-1946) was a true American creation. The child of emancipated slaves, he overcame the violent segregationism of Jim Crow, challenging white boxers--and white America--to become the first African-American heavyweight world champion. "The Big Smoke," Adrian Matejka's third work of poetry, follows the fighter's journey from poverty to the most coveted title in sports through the multi-layered voices of Johnson and the white women he brazenly loved. Matejka's book is part historic reclamation and part interrogation of Johnson's complicated legacy, one that often misremembers the magnetic man behind the myth.

Autobiography of popular ex-Norwich and Scotland goalkeeper Bryan Gunn, one of the great heroes of the game who, since hanging up his gloves, has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for leukaemia charities in memory of his daughter Francesca. Foreword by Sir Alex Ferguson.

The hilarious, heartwarming and - unbelievably - true story of Maurice Flitcroft, the World's Worst Golfer 'The story of its greatest anti-hero is just what the game needs' Spectator When 46-year-old crane driver Maurice Flitcroft chanced his way into the Open - having never before played a round of golf in his life - he ran up a record-worst score of 121. The sport's ruling classes banned him for life. Maurice didn't take it lying down. In a hilarious game of cat-and-mouse with The Man, he entered tournaments again - and again, and again - using increasingly ludicrous pseudonyms such as Gene Pacecki, Arnold Palmtree and Count Manfred von Hoffmanstel (more often than not disguised by a fake moustache). In doing so, he sent the authorities into apoplexy, and won the hearts of fans from Muirfield to Michigan, becoming arguably the most popular - and certainly the bravest - sporting underdog the world has ever known 'Hilarious' Esquire

Anthony Daly was the most successful captain in the history of Clare hurling, leading the county to two All-Irelands and three Munster titles. Regarded as an inspirational figure by his fellow players, Daly's innate leadership and character prompted the Clare players, just three years after he had finished his playing career, to pursue him as manager at the age of just 34. During his three years in charge, he took Clare to the cusp of two All-Ireland finals, agonisingly losing the 2005 and 2006 semi-finals to the eventual winners, Cork and Kilkenny. It was that kind of ambition and drive to succeed which attracted Dublin hurling to Daly. Taking over the county in 2009, he led Dublin, in 2011, to their first National League title in 72 years and, in 2013, their first Leinster title in 52 years, before he retired as manager in September 2014. Dalo takes us from the early days growing up in Clarecastle through the early part of his career with Clare, the golden years and the extension into management, punctuated with intense and revealing stories from the dressing-room. Interlaced with drama, tragedy, his love of other pursuits, and his immense wit, Anthony Daly's autobiography offers a compelling insight into a unique personality in modern Irish sport.

Wilson on the Wing is the exhilarating story of the life and times of Davie Wilson, one of the greatest forwards ever to play for Rangers FC. Spotted as a schoolboy, Wilson began at Ibrox in 1956. After being lauded in the Scottish press for his early performances, he became a stalwart of the great Rangers side of the early 1960s. He soon gained a reputation as not just a creator of goals but a regular scorer, and was part of an attacking trident that netted over 100 goals in the 1962/63 season. Wilson on the Wing traces Davie's life from his mining-village roots to his emergence as one of the greatest Scottish wingers of his generation. The book is filled with anecdotes and memories from Wilson's playing career - as well as his time at Rangers, there are stories from playing at Dundee United and Dumbarton, plus his 22 Scotland appearances. With contributions from, among others, Sir Alex Ferguson, Denis Law and members of Davie's family, this heart-warming tale presents the inside story of a true Scottish football legend.

***** A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK & SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER "Felix White's beautifully, elegantly and passionately written book reminds me why I love cricket so much. And reading, come to that." - Stephen Fry "The love of cricket is both communal and individual. Felix has a wonderful knack of evoking both in a book full of life, joy and resilience." - Gideon Haigh "Whether you love cricket or are still confused by the rules of the game, you'll love this. Felix's writing is warm and witty. A joy to read." - Cariad Lloyd Felix White, for reasons often beyond him, has always been deeply in love with cricket. His passion for the game is at the fore on the BBC 's number one cricket podcast and 5Live show, Tailenders, which he co-presents with Greg James and Jimmy Anderson. It's Always Summer Somewhere is his funny, heartbreaking and endlessly engaging love letter to the game. Felix takes us through his life growing up in South West London and describes how his story is forever punctuated and given meaning by cricket. Through his own exploits as a slow left arm spinner of 'lovely loopy stuff', to the tragic illness of his mother, life with The Maccabees and his cricket redemption, Felix touches on both the comedic and the tragic in equal measure. Throughout, there's the ever-present roller coaster of following the England cricket team. The exploits of Tufnell (another bowler of 'lovely loopy stuff'), Atherton, Hussain et al, are given extra import through the eyes of a cricket-obsessed youth. Felix meets them at each signposted moment to find out what was really behind those moments that gave cricket fans everywhere sporting memories that would last forever, sending the book into an exploration of grief, transgenerational displacement and how the people we've known and things we've loved culminate and take expression in our lives. It's Always Summer Somewhere is an incredibly honest detail of a life lived with cricket. It offers a sense of genuine empathy and understanding not just with cricket fans, but sports and music fans across the world, in articulating our reasons for pouring so much meaning into something that we simply cannot control. Culminating in the heart-stopping World Cup Final in 2019, the book finally answers that question fans have so often asked... what is it about this game?

'Immaculate footballer. Imperial defender. Immortal hero of 1966. Master of Wembley. Captain extraordinary. Gentleman of all time.' These are some of the words inscribed beneath the statue of England's World Cup-winning captain, Bobby Moore, at Wembley stadium. Since Moore's death, of bowel cancer at just 51, these accolades represent the accepted view of this national treasure. But what do we actually know about Bobby Moore as a person? What about the grit alongside the glory? Moore was undeniably an extraordinary captain and player. Pele called him the greatest - and fairest - defender he ever played against. His feats for West Ham United and England are legendary and his technical mastery of the game ahead of its time. Few footballers since have come close to his winning combination of intelligence, skill, temperament and class. Yet off the pitch, Moore knew scandal, bankruptcy, divorce and drink. What about the string of failed businesses, whispers of bad behaviour, links to the East End underworld and turbulent private life? Ignored by the football world post-retirement, this great of the game drifted into obscurity and, famously, there was no knighthood. Acclaimed football writer Matt Dickinson traces the journey of this Essex boy who became the patron saint of English football, peeling away the layers of legend and looking at Moore's life from all sides - in triumph, in failure, in full.