On January 5th 1971, former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston was found dead at his Las Vegas home. Liston's death, labelled an overdose, has long hung over Las Vegas and the boxing world, leaving unanswered questions about his ties to mob kingpins, drug lords, billionaire hoteliers and powerful promoters. Against the backdrop of the pivotal era in the history of Las Vegas when the mob turned a sleep desert oasis into a gambling paradise, Shaun Assael's The Murder of Sonny Liston is both a riveting murder hunt and a stunning portrait of a city that was home to the Rat Pack, race riots and glittering high-rises along the strip.

Land of Tempest reveals Eric Shipton at his best - writing with enthusiasm and humour about his explorations in Patagonia in the 1950s and 1960s. He is an astute observer of nature and the human spirit, and this account of his travels is infused with with his own zest for discovery and the joy of camaraderie. Undaunted by hardship or by injury, Shipton and his team attempt to cross one of the great ice caps in Patagonia. It's impossible not to marvel at his determination, resilience and appetite for travel and adventure, be it climbing snow-clad mountains, or walking in forested foothills. Shipton takes a reader with him on his travels, and the often-inhospitable places he visits are a stark contrast to the warmth of the people he encounters. Land of Tempest is essential reading for anyone who loves nature, mountains, climbing, adventure or simply the joy of discovering unknown places.

Christopher Hilton documents the race that caused the worst crash in motor racing history in this new and full study of the fateful day. Through a host of interviews - with drivers, team members, journalists and spectators - and original research at Le Mans, Hilton examines the aftermath of the crash that has affected what we see of motorsport on our television screens today. The worst crash in motor racing history - killing more than 80 people - was produced by a ferocious and haunting combination of circumstances: nationalism, raw speed, the nature of a 24-hour race, and chance. The crash drew in Mike Hawthorn, the blond playboy from Farnham, in a Jaguar, and Juan-Manuel Fangio, one of the greatest drivers of all, in a Mercedes. A crowd of 250,000 watched hypnotised as Hawthorn set out to break Fangio, the two cars going faster and faster...and faster. Another English playboy, Lance Macklin, was caught up in the crash in his Austin-Healey, along with a 50-year-old Frenchman driving under the assumed name of Pierre Levegh. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It cost him his life, even as his car was torn to pieces that scythed into the dense crowd. After 6.2 7pm on 11 June 1955 nothing would ever be the same again and the consequences of the momentous crash are still being felt. In this new and full study of the fateful day, Christopher Hilton sets the race itself in the context of the 1950s. Through a host of interviews - with drivers, team members, journalists and spectators - and original research at Le Mans and in the Mercedes archive in Stuttgart, he recreates every aspect of the race and the crash. Much of the material has never been seen before. He examines the aftermath - the bitter blame game, the conflicting testimonies, the direct threat to motorsport in Europe - and chronicles the beginning of the culture of safety that has affected what we see of motorsport on our television screens today.

Bill Ivy had a steely determination to succeed, an almost fearless courage, which meant he never backed away from a challenge, and a love of fashion and fast cars. In this fascinating biography of Ivy, Mick Walker highlights that Ivy was certainly not only a great rider, but also a unique personality. Walker documents a fitting tribute to Ivy's life that will interest any motorcycle enthusiast. When Bill Ivy was fatally injured while practising for the East German Grand Prix in July 1969, motorcycle racing lost one of its greatest-ever competitors. As a tribute to Bill, leading motorcycle historian Mick Walker has written "Bill Ivy: The Will to Win". Bill Ivy was certainly not only a great rider, but also a unique personality. He had a steely determination to succeed, an almost fearless courage, which meant he never backed away from a challenge, and a love of fashion and fast cars. Although only 5ft 2in tall, he more than made up for his lack of stature by his immense upper body strength, which meant he could cope with any size of motorcycle from a 50cc Itom to a 750cc Norton-engined Matchless G15 CSR. It was as a member of the Yamaha factory team that he not only became World Champion, but also set the first 100mph TT lap record on a 125cc machine - only a decade after Bob McIntyre had first achieved this feat on a machine with an engine size four times larger! "Bill Ivy: The Will to Win" is a fitting tribute to one of the world's greatest-ever motorcycle racing stars.

The hugely entertaining autobiography of one of the most popular and highly respected managers in the English Football League. Mention West Ham United FC and the name Harry Redknapp immediately springs to mind. The Hammers' boss is an institution in the game; his experience of English football in the Nineties from the perspective of one club is unsurpassed. His was a controversial appointment, as he took over as manager at West Ham in 1994 to succeed former favourite Billy Bonds. But Redknapp broke the mould: he was one of the first Premiership managers to recruit heavily from abroad, and he gives a refreshing insight into how such players as Raducioiu, Dani, Boogers and other foreign buys adjusted - or in many cases, failed - to adapt to the frenetic pace and unique culture of English football. More recently he has proved a shrewd investor in British talent. The likes of Trevor Sinclair, Neil Ruddock and Ian Wright have ensured that the Hammers have been a force to be reckoned with throughout this season's Premiership campaign. Away from football, Redknapp recalls his narrow escape from a near-fatal car accident in 1990 and the unique relationship with son Jamie, a quality player for Liverpool and England who is now married to pop star Louise. In an extra chapter to the original hardback edition, Harry comments on the Hammers' performance during the 1998-99 season, and reveals the truth behind the many colourful and often controversial incidents that have beset the East End club in recent months.

Shortlisted for the 2017 Cross Sports Book Awards Best Biography of the Year Bryant is one of basketball's greatest-ever players, a fascinating and complicated character who says he knew when he was a boy that he would be better than Michael Jordan. Aloof and uncompromising, Bryant is the grand enigma of American professional basketball, easily the most driven player in the history of the sport, the absolute master of study and preparation. But his career has also been one of almost constant conflict: with his teammate Shaquille O'Neal; with Phil Jackson, coach of the championship-winning Lakers team that Kobe led; with the law; with his wife Vanessa; and with so many of his contemporaries, opponents and teammates. Comprehensive and unflinching, Showboat unravels the conundrum that is Kobe Bryant.

"Mr. Snyder writes lyrically, and his research appears to be impeccable: It's hard to imagine that anyone has slipped through his interview net... When Bundini died, Ali was abroad and unable to attend the funeral, but he sent flowers with a card that read: 'You made me the greatest.' Many members of the boxing fraternity, George Foreman and Larry Holmes included, think that Ali wasn't exaggerating. Mr. Snyder's affecting portrait will convince the rest of us as well." -Gordon Marino, Wall Street Journal "I think Bundini was the source of Muhammad Ali's spirit. I wouldn't even call him a trainer or cornerman, he was more important than a trainer. Ali had an unmeasurable determination and he got it from Bundini." -George Foreman "When you talk about Bundini, you are talking about the mouthpiece of Muhammad Ali, an extension of Muhammad Ali's spirit. There would never have been a Muhammad Ali without Drew Bundini Brown." -Khalilah Camacho-Ali (Muhammad Ali's second wife) "Bundini gave Ali his entire heart. Bundini played a very important part in Ali's career. He was Ali's right hand man. He knew exactly how to motivate him. He was the one guy who could really get him up to train and get him ready to fight." -Larry Holmes Fifty years after he coined the iconic phrase Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Drew "Bundini" Brown remains one of boxing's most mysterious and misunderstood figures. His impact on the sport and the culture at large is undeniable. Cornerman and confidant to two of the greatest fighters ever-Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali-Brown lived an extraordinary American life. After a poverty-stricken childhood in Jim Crow Florida, Brown came of age traveling the world as a naval steward. On being discharged, he settled in New York City and spent wild nights in the jazz joints of Harlem, making a name for himself as the charismatic street philosopher and poet some called "Fast Black." He married a white woman from a family of Orthodox Jewish immigrants, in dramatic defiance of 1950s cultural norms, and later appeared in films such as the blaxploitation classic, Shaft. In Bundini, Todd Snyder digs deep into Brown's expansive story, revealing not only how he became Muhammad Ali's "hype man," but also, as boxing's greatest motivator, how he became a model for others who seek to inspire, in any endeavor.

Over forty years since Thurman Munson's death, Thurm: Memoirs of a Forever Yankee revives the life of the famous New York Yankees catcher. In collaboration with longtime Yankee historian Marty Appel, Munson chronicles in his own words his path to the majors, his career success, his approach to being the first team captain in nearly forty years since Lou Gehrig, the Yankees return to glory when they won the 1977 and 1978 World Series, the breakdown of his body as he gave his all to the sport, and his absolute dedication to his wife and children above all else. Munson, the Ohio native who quickly rose to Yankee stardom, played in an age of Hall of Famers, including a competitive relationship with teammate Reggie Jackson, a fierce rivalry with Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, and clashes with new owner George Steinbrenner on their way to championships. Munson shares further stories such as catching for pitchers Ron Guidry, Catfish Hunter, and Goose Gossage, who all later attributed their success to Munson behind the plate. Appel's conclusion gracefully recounts Munson's tragic death at age thirty-two in the plane he was piloting and with Diana Munson writing the Foreword, they reflect on the impact Munson left in baseball and in life and celebrate his timeless legacy.

Approaching his middle forties, Gavin Boyter wondered what his life was all about. A Scot living in London, single and with no kids, he was living for the job and the dwindling hope of a career in film. He had been a club runner all his life, pretty good but not at the front all that often. He was what he called an ordinary runner and he came to wonder just what an ordinary runner might be capable of. How about John O'Groats to Land's End, the longest linear run in Britain, and how about making a film of it? And how about writing a book? As usual, Gavin was neither the first nor the quickest but Downhill from Here is his real triumph, written in such an engaging and witty voice the reader accompanies him every step of the way.

Anneli Drummond-Hay's autobiography is a fascinating insight into the making of an equestrian champion through her struggle for survival.

It is a heart-warming story of a war baby with aristocratic connections, who grew up with very little money and even less love. She never went to school, she had no friends growing up, but she did have a gift with the horses in which she sought solace.

The big love story of her life was one particularly special horse, Merely-AMonarch. He was invincible in eventing, but as female eventers were not permitted to compete in the Olympics in that era, Anneli switched to show jumping. She came so close to going to three Olympics but was foiled at the last moment each time, despite winning just about everything else in the sport.

Besides her wonderful horses, Anneli gives an amazing account of the people she met - from Harvey Smith to the Queen, in front of whom she was asked to lend her horse for the British Olympic effort, and refused; to her asking a favour, in person, of Colonel Gaddafi.

The jet-set life of an elite show jumper may be glamorous but there are more lows than highs, whether it's her top ride being stolen, a potential plane disaster above the Alps, or the sudden death of a star horse.

As The Princess Royal so rightly says in the foreword to this book: 'Thank goodness Anneli decided to write her story.'

The only British-born boxer to have won the world heavyweight crown was Bob Fitzsimmons, who reigned from 1897-1899. Since then, a host of challengers had attempted to duplicate Fitzsimmons' success and bring the championship back to British shores. They were duly turned back by the defending title-holders, who were vastly superior in every department. Many fans had come to the depressing conclusion that they would never see a Briton wear the crown in their lifetime. When Frank Bruno emerged, followed later by Lennox Lewis, it appeared that Britain finally had two fighters who could compete with the elite in the division, succeed where others had failed, and win the big prize. Bruno and Lewis: The Boxing Years gives an account on how these two fighters changed the global image of British heavyweights by their respective successes inside the square ring. The road to the top was not always easy, and both men had to overcome setbacks along the way. The pair eventually clashed in an exciting historical contest in 1993-a fight which pitted two Britons against each other to contest the world heavyweight crown for the first time.

The inspiring, against-the-odds story of Gino Bartali, the cyclist who made the greatest""comeback in Tour de France history and secretly aided the Italian resistance during World War II
Gino Bartali is best known as an Italian cycling legend who not only won the Tour de France twice but also holds the record for the longest time span between victories. In "Road to Valor, "Aili and Andres McConnon chronicle Bartali's journey, from an impoverished childhood in rural Tuscany to his firt triumph at the 1938 Tour de France. As World War II ravaged Europe, Bartali undertook dangerous activities to help those being targeted in Italy, including sheltering a family of Jews and smuggling counterfeit identity documents in the frame of his bicycle. After the grueling wartime years, the chain-smoking, Chianti-loving, 34-year-old underdog came back to win the 1948 Tour de France, an exhilerating performance that helped unite his fractured homeland.
Based on nearly ten years of research, "Road to Valor "is""the first book ever written about Bartali in English and the only book written in any language to explore the full scope of Bartali's wartime work. An epic tale of courage, resilience, and redemption, it is the untold story of one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century.

Over and Out is the remarkable story of a neglected cricket hero. Albert Trott was good enough to play for Australia and England, but at the height of his powers no Test team would pick him. He brought an Ashes series to life by taking 8-43 on debut and his batting average for Australia was 102.5. This was the man who cleared the Lord's pavilion with the biggest of hits. Over and Out celebrates his exploits on the field, which for far too long have been hidden by the taboo of suicide. It also addresses the mystery of Albert Trott, how he responded to the external forces that fashioned his life and ultimately why he did what he did. From fame to broke and broken, from Melbourne to Middlesex his story is compelling. While lesser men have found their place within the cricketing pantheon, it has been the fate of 'Dear Trotty' to be excluded, the permanent outsider. There is no portrait of Albert Trott in the Long Room in the Lord's pavilion. It is time for him to take up his rightful place in the history of the game.

This first-ever history of the Illinois State University football program chronicles Redbird legends and lore, from the 1880s team to today's Missouri Valley Football Conference powerhouse. Dan Verdun covers the early years (1887 to World War II) and the post-war era (late 1940s to 1950s) before delving into a decade-by-decade examination of the program. The 1950 Corn Bowl team, playoff appearances, NFL draft picks, and the 2014 team's second-place finish in the FCS National Championship are all included. Opening with a foreword by James "Boomer" Grigsby, an ISU all-American linebacker who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005, Illinois State Redbirds Football includes many names that will be familiar to Illinois State fans, including Frank Chiodi, Guy Homoly, Kevin Glenn, Laurent Robinson, Brock Spack, and Tre Roberson. Informed by extensive research and personal interviews, Verdun relays the inside stories of several players and explores the details of where they came from, how they arrived at ISU, what they accomplished on the playing field, and the paths their lives took after graduation. This engaging account retells the greatest moments in ISU Redbirds history with fresh new insight. It will appeal to ISU fans and alumni, and those fascinated by sports history and the history of the region will also find much of interest in this comprehensive volume.

There are very few major personalities in the world of sports who have so much to say about our National Pastime. And even fewer who are as well respected as Bill White.
Bill White, who's now in his mid 70s, was an All-Star first baseman for many years with the New York Giants, St.Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies before launching a stellar broadcasting career with the New York Yankees for 18 years. He left the broadcast booth to become the President of the National League for five years.
A true pioneer as an African-American athlete, sportscaster, and top baseball executive, White has written his long-awaited autobiography in which he will be candid, open, and as always, most forthcoming about his life in baseball. Along the way, White shares never-before-told stories about his long working relationship with Phil Rizzutto, insights on George Steinbrenner, Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Bob Gibson, Bart Giamatti, Fay Vincent, and scores of other top baseball names and Hall of Famers.
Best of all, White built his career on being outspoken, and the years fortunately have not mellowed him. UPPITY is a baseball memoir that baseball fans everywhere will be buzzing about.

Snowboarding maverick Billy Morgan has dedicated his life to redefining what is possible. With two world firsts to his name, he is also the first British male to win an Olympic medal on snow. Emerging from working-class origins in Southampton, a long way off piste, Morgan came late to the traditionally bourgeois world of snowsports. Driven by a latent love for fun, he reaches far beyond the cliches of stoner kids and street slang to explore the courage required at his sport's highest levels. Morgan's specialist event, Big Air, involves flying off a 50-metre ramp at 70 miles per hour, spinning and twisting while airborne, then landing. Even within the death-defying world of adventure sports, it is one of the most dangerous disciplines imaginable. In this groundbreaking autobiography, Morgan outlines the culture, ethos and philosophy of his sport. A sport in which one wrong move can cause life-changing injury. A sport whose party-animal practitioners feel peculiarly attuned with nature. Drop In! is a testament to human potential.

Around 1860 a wave of talented youth intensified the Berlin chess scene. Within a short time Berthold Suhle, Philipp Hirschfeld and Gustav Neumann ranked among the best players in the world. After a few years, Suhle went on to become an authority in ancient Greek, and Hirschfeld proved a successful businessman (while remaining a sparring partner of Johannes Hermann Zukertort). Neumann retained a fascination for the game and grew into one of the world's strongest players. Despite their achievements little has been known about their lives and games. Drawing on a range of sources, the authors fill this gap, providing games with both old and new analyses. An introductory chapter on Berlin chess before 1860 and an appendix on Bernhard von Guretzky-Cornitz complete the book.

As a WWE wrestler with millions of fans, Shawn Michaels had adulation and all the attention he could ask for, but he found himself longing for something more. When he became a committed Christian at the height of his career, Shawn learned what it's like to be a man of faith in a secular arena. Wrestling for My Life documents Shawn's journey to finding a new way of life--one that's marked by faith, family, and forgiveness. As you watch Shawn's testimony unfold, you'll learn about: The power of self-discipline The importance of finding a supportive mentor who challenges you to be the best version of yourself The freedom that's found in true forgiveness Praise for Wrestling for My Life: "Shawn's greatest challenge came from deep within himself, and it's been awe-inspiring to watch this man pull himself from the depths of his own personal hell by immersing himself in his faith in God. I couldn't be more amazed at the man, husband, father, and friend he has become." -The Undertaker "I am certain that you will enjoy getting to know Shawn Michaels from the pages within as much as I have in his everyday life. If you read one book this year, make it this one" -Pastor Matthew Hagee "Shawn's story is an important reminder of life's priorities and how we choose to use our given gifts. While I work with Shawn outside of the wrestling world, I can still strongly attest to his perseverance, passion, and humility. These pages offer an inside look into how he found strength for better change." -Jeff Wayne, Executive Vice President Programming of Outdoor Channel

Joe DiMaggio was, at every turn, one man we could look at who made us feel good.

In the hard-knuckled thirties, he was the immigrant boy who made it big -- and spurred the New York Yankees to a new era of dynasty. He was Broadway Joe, the icon of elegance, the man who wooed and won Marilyn Monroe -- the most beautiful girl America could dream up.

Joe DiMaggio was a mirror of our best self. And he was also the loneliest hero we ever had.

In this groundbreaking biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Richard Ben Cramer presents a shocking portrait of a complicated, enigmatic life. The story that DiMaggio never wanted told, tells of his grace -- and greed; his dignity, pride -- and hidden shame. It is a story that sweeps through the twentieth century, bringing to light not just America's national game, but the birth (and the price) of modern national celebrity.

**Winner of the William Hill 2018 Sports Book of the Year Award** A Sunday Times Book of the Year and Telegraph Best Book of 2018 'Extraordinary' Clare Balding The poignant, life-affirming story of a determined boy, a visionary coach, and how the dream of a record-breaking Channel swim became reality Eltham, South London. 1984: the hot fug of the swimming pool and the slow splashing of a boy learning to swim but not yet wanting to take his foot off the bottom. Fast-forward four years. Photographers and family wait on the shingle beach as a boy in a bright orange hat and grease-smeared goggles swims the last few metres from France to England. He has been in the water for twelve agonizing hours, encouraged at each stroke by his coach, John Bullet, who has become a second father. This is the story of a remarkable friendship between a coach and a boy, and a love letter to the intensity and freedom of childhood.