'Mountains have given structure to my adult life. I suppose they have also given me purpose, though I still can't guess what that purpose might be. And although I have glimpsed the view from the mountaintop and I still have some memory of what direction life is meant to be going in, I usually lose sight of the wood for the trees. In other words, I, like most of us, have lived a life of structured chaos.' Structured Chaos is Victor Saunders' award-winning follow-up to Elusive Summits (winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize in 1990), No Place to Fall and Himalaya: The Tribulations of Vic & Mick. He reflects on his early childhood in Malaya and his first experiences of climbing as a student, and describes his progression from scaling canal-side walls in Camden to expeditions in the Himalaya and Karakoram. Following climbs on K2 and Nanga Parbat, he leaves his career as an architect and moves to Chamonix to become a mountain guide. He later makes the first ascent of Chamshen in the Saser Kangri massif, and reunites with old friend Mick Fowler to climb the north face of Sersank. This is not just a tale of mountaineering triumphs, but also an account of rescues, tragedies and failures. Telling his story with humour and warmth, Saunders spans the decades from youthful awkwardness to concerns about age-related forgetfulness, ranging from 'Where did I put my keys?' to 'Is this the right mountain?' Structured Chaos is a testament to the value of friendship and the things that really matter in life: being in the right place at the right time with the right people, and making the most of the view.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A raw, honest, and revealing co-memoir by Brie and Nikki Bella: twin sisters, WWE Hall of Fame inductees, and stars of the hit E! shows Total Bellas and Total Divas. As twins, the Bellas have always competed. Legend has it that Nikki drop-kicked Brie in the womb so that she could make her grand entrance first. But the rest of the world often treated them as identical and even interchangeable, so they decided to do something about it. After they made it into WWE, the Bellas accomplished so much together: bringing in young girls and women while building the Bella Army, helping the transition of female performers from Divas to Superstars, starring in Total Divas and Total Bellas, and founding companies like Birdiebee, Nicole + Brizee Beauty, and Bonita Bonita Wine. Though their early journey began with loss, abuse, and plenty of rough times, these challenges "shined the diamond." They resolved to be survivors and the heroes of their own stories, and to take control and responsibility for their lives. Eventually, they would come to show girls everywhere that they can do anything. The Bellas may be identical twins-but as individuals, they have proven themselves Incomparable.

Little did a young Alan Williams know when he received his first bike-a fat-tire, red and white Columbia with only a single gear-that he would one day ride a bicycle across the northern United States. In his narrative, Williams chronicles his two-month cycling trip from Oregon to New Hampshire, where he would celebrate the fulfillment a lifelong dream by dipping his bicycle wheels in the Atlantic Ocean.

Williams shares the emotions and moments that led up to his decision to ride across the country and chronicles his subsequent 3,700-mile journey that included laboring up switchbacks on mountain roads, speeding down from mountain passes, bucking headwinds across a seemingly endless prairie, fearing that a tender derriere might derail the mission, and experiencing the elation of reaching the Atlantic coast. While sharing descriptions of places of interest, photographs, and training tips, Williams also offers a glimpse into the physical and mental effort required to complete such a journey.

For anyone considering undertaking a bicycle expedition of any length, "From Sea to Shining Sea" provides guidance, advice, and inspiration from a man who sacrificed and persevered in order to achieve a successful cross-country bike ride he will never forget.

For one brief period in the early 1940s, Pete Reiser was the equal of any outfielder in baseball, even Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio, but his penchant for running into outfield walls while playing defense prematurely ended his journey to Cooperstown. Pitcher Herb Score was a brilliant pitcher until a Gil McDougald line drive shelved his career. And Thurman Munson was one of the games best catchers in the late 1970s until a tragic plane crash ended his life. These three players and fourteen others (Smoky Joe Wood, Vean Gregg, Kirby Puckett, Hal Trotsky, Tony Oliva, Paul Dean, Ewell Blackwell, David Ferris, Steve Busby, J.R. Richard, Tony Conigliaro, Johnny Beazley, Mark Fidrych, and Lyman Bostock) enjoyed brilliant careers--potentially worthy of the Hall of Fame--that were cut short by injury, illness or death. Some enjoyed several seasons of success only to see their playing days end just short of numbers worthy of Cooperstown; others enjoyed only a season or two of brilliance. The profiles concentrate on the players accomplishments and speculate on how their careers might have developed if they had continued.

A coach is part teacher, part parent, part student, part mentor, and part guru. He must possess a stern hand and a comforting touch-and the wisdom to discern when each is needed. Each decision he makes is a part of a perilous high wire act that can propel a team forward or send a season tumbling downward. But when does a coach truly become a coach? Is it after some athletic director looks across the desk, offers his hand, and says, "Congratulations, you've got the job?" Is it after that first win? That first championship? Or is it when all those nagging questions in the back of the mind finally stop nagging? Scott Illiano, head baseball coach of the West Essex High School Knights, chronicles his incredible journey from waiter in a chain restaurant to championship coach in Our Time. Discover how an unproven coach and a patchwork group of underdogs battle injuries, biting cold temperatures, and fierce competition in their quest to win the Greater Newark Tournament, the oldest and most prestigious baseball tournament in the state of New Jersey. Fifteen kids and four coaches share a dream and a whole lot of heart. Through their journey, in victory and defeat, struggle and success, readers will find out when a coach becomes a coach.

The American image of Alabama during the 1960s could be summed up by two distinct, and seemingly disconnected, images: Birmingham's Bull Connor targeting hoses against civil rights marchers and Coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant guiding University of Alabama football to three national championships during the decade. By the end of the 1960s, however, both images had faded. Birmingham solved the worst of its civil rights problems and began to move into the modern era. Alabama football, on the other hand, appeared mired in mediocrity. Back to back 6-5 seasons suggested that Bear Bryant and his program could not adapt to the modern, integrated era of Southeastern Conference (SEC) football. The football program came under attack by its own university when the Afro-American Student Association sued the famous coach and the athletic department for not recruiting black athletes. While this suit was eventually dropped in federal district court, the message was clear. The University of Alabama had to recruit black athletes with the same fervor as white ones. Bryant's era seemed as dead as that of Bull Connor and the rabid segregationists. The year 1971, however, changed everything in Alabama football. This book examines why the team waned in the late 1960s and how was it revived in the 1970s. Read within the context of the social and political changes of the Civil Rights Movement, John David Briley's book is more than a history of a successful team; it also examines in detail, with probing interviews and extant manuscript sources, the internal process of cultural changes at Alabama that helped produce the team's and the coach's resurgence. This book is for anyone interested in sports, football, or civil rights.

This book tells the story of two of Great Britain's finest Olympic athletes, Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. Their achievements at the 1924 Paris Olympics, immortalised in the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire, are the stuff of legend. They both won Olympic gold medals and became heroes of the day. But they also went on to lead fascinating lives after they retired from running. This beautiful book tells their remarkable stories with great charm and confirms the view that, as men, they shall always rank as among the finest this great sport of athletics has ever produced.

Miami, 1963. A young boy from Louisville, Kentucky, is on the path to becoming the greatest sportsman of all time. Cassius Clay is training in the 5th Street Gym for his heavyweight title clash against the formidable Sonny Liston. He is beginning to embrace the ideas and attitudes of Black Power, and firebrand preacher Malcolm X will soon become his spiritual adviser. Thus Cassius Clay will become 'Cassius X' as he awaits his induction into the Nation of Islam. Cassius also befriends the legendary soul singer Sam Cooke, falls in love with soul singer Dee Dee Sharp and becomes a remarkable witness to the first days of soul music. As with his award-winning soul trilogy, Stuart Cosgrove's intensive research and sweeping storytelling shines a new light on how black music lit up the sixties against a backdrop of social and political turmoil - and how Cassius Clay made his remarkable transformation into Muhammad Ali.

We are finite beings in an infinite existence on a neverending exploration called life, notes this teenage author. Struggling with the basic questions we all encounter along the journey yet guided by his father's often overused but subtly comforting adage Life Is Not A Dress Rehearsal, Anthony Orlando takes us through his unique adventures in the hope that we might all find the answer to life's queries. With the pioneer attitude that man was meant to explore, Anthony combines the stories of his interesting travels with insights from a teenage soul to write Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal: The Spiritual Journey of a Teenage Traveler. From a near hole-in-one on the cliffs of Pebble Beach to a historic journey through Colonial Williamsburg, Anthony's trek is a refreshingly original parable that allows us to explore our own existence and the underlying spiritual thread. insights into the beauty of the human condition, and a distressing search into life and death at their worst, Anthony tells the saga of human nature in prose so down-to-earth and inviting that we cannot help but join him on his reflective journey.

"To Be Still and Know "is the third book of the Back Roads and Bridges series by Randy Eason. In these pages, he continues to share his outdoor adventures with family, friends, and God, and the life lessons learned through these experiences, where the heart of the hunter is openly portrayed for all to see.

It is said that God speaks to us all, if we just learn to listen. Author Randy Eason has found in nature the place where God's will reveals itself within him, where he can clear his mind of the day-to-day clutter and his spirits are lifted.

He employs a descriptive style that puts you right there in the tree stand with him, and a respect for all of nature, especially the animals he pursues. These stories are a refreshing read for hunters of all ages, even those whose feet have never left the pavement.

An extraordinary account of the life of unknown club boxer, Frank Steele, who sparred with legendary boxing greats like Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Ernie Shavers. Impoverished from birth and poorly educated, Frank did the best he could to parlay his boxing prowess and brute strength into fame and fortune. Hired as Foreman's chief sparring partner to help prepare the champ for the Ali "Rumble in the Jungle" fight in Africa, he was fired after doing his job too well -- beating up Foreman and knocking his headgear into the audience. When Ali heard about the incident, he paid Frank $3,000 for the secret to defeating the unbeaten and seemingly invincible champion. This is the untold story of what lead to the greatest upset in boxing history.Ben Clement's research for this book included nine months of interviews with Frank Steele, researching boxing history, and speaking with one of Frank's promoters and the residents of Gary who remembered "The Man of Steel." Ben believes that Frank represents all of the nobodies out there whose lives lack notoriety or infamy, but still have dignity, value and importance nonetheless. He's inspired most by his parents, Fanny & Thestal Clement, and others in their generation who braved the dangers and indignities of racism and inequality while raising black children to become responsible, productive, successful, influential, and patriotic Americans. Ben grew up, and still lives, in Gary, Indiana.

In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance has made her one of the top athletes and gymnasts in the world-and how you too can overcome challenges in your life. Simone Biles' entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, along with drive to succeed no matter the obstacle, are what brought her to the national spotlight during the Olympic Games and have catapulted her ever since-including 25 World Championship medals. But there is more to Simone than her accomplishments. In this book Simone shares: how she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive the ways she's continued competing at the highest level and having fun doing what she loves a behind-the-scenes looks at gymnastics events, including the Olympics the events and challenges that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team Along the way, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story-one filled with daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams. Courage to Soar: presents a positive role model for young girls, whether athletes or not is an ideal gift for birthdays, holidays, or to celebrate important achievements is perfect for school assignments and reports is an inspirational story for fans of gymnastics or any sport contains an eight-page, full-color photo insert

Jean-Pierre Rives epitomised the French rugby tradition of flair coupled with guts and glory. He captained the team a record 34 times, gaining 59 caps in all, the first against England in 1975. He led France to the Grand Slam in 1981 and was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. After retiring, this most charismatic of flankers - his long blond hair stood out as he led by example, turned to sculpture and painting, hence the title of this book. He exhibits regularly at prominent public venues all over the world and was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor and the National Order of Merit by the government of France. He divides his time between the South of France and California. Before French rugby writer Richard Escot's persistence paid off and Rives told him, 'OK, come down to the atelier and we'll see what happens,' little was known about the former player - beyond, that is, what Jean-Pierre considers to be an extravagant reputation. Previously he had guarded his silence; now, in a series of eight conversations, Rives reveals himself to be a natural talker, prepared to provide an insight both into his unique character and what it is like to play rugby at the highest level.

'People think they know him but unless you read this book you will never know the REAL Alun Wyn Jones' - Warren Gatland 'One of the greatest, and seemingly indestructible, players in history' - A Daily Mail Book of the Year Belonging is the story about how the boy from Mumbles became the most capped rugby union player of all time. It is the story of what it takes to become a man who is seen by many as one of the greatest ever Welsh players. What it takes to go from sitting cross-legged on the hall floor at school watching the 1997 Lions tour of South Africa, to being named the 2021 Lions captain. But is it also about perthyn - belonging: playing for Wales, working his way through the age grades and club rugby and his regional side. How to earn the right to be there, and what it feels like to make the sacrifices along the way. Feeling the connection to players who have come before, and feeling the ties to the millions in front rooms and pubs across the country, coast to coast. Knowing that deep down you want to belong, as everyone does. From playing on the rain-swept pitches of Swansea to making his test debut against Argentina in Patagonia in 2006; from touring with the Lions in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021 to dealing with loss and creating a family - Belonging is the autobiography of one of the most compelling figures in world rugby. Told with characteristic honesty, this is his unique personal story of what it takes and what it means to play for your country: what it means to belong.

Geoff Shreeves is a giant of football. From reporting pitchside on the biggest matches to his iconic appearances in EA's FIFA series, Geoff's warmth, humour and expertise have made him a constant fixture of the sport. In Cheers Geoff! he shares hilarious, bizarre and moving stories from across his incredible career. A The Times Sports Books of the Year 'Cracking read . . . loved it' - Piers Morgan 'Packed with brilliant anecdotes about the biggest names' - The Mirror There are just a handful of people who have been ever-present for the thirty years of the Premier League, but only one person has been at the very epicentre for the entire period: Geoff Shreeves. From signalling the very first ball to be kicked on Sky's Premier League coverage to facing down Sir Alex Ferguson's wrath (on countless occasions), Geoff is an integral part of the football fabric, respected by everybody in the game while still asking the toughest questions. Geoff's interviews with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Arsene Wenger, Frank Lampard and Alan Shearer have become the stuff of legend, but it is his close personal relationships with the game's star names that really sets him apart. Packed full of hilarious stories on and off the pitch - including trying to teach Sir Michael Caine how to act, a frightening encounter with Mike Tyson, as well as getting a lift home from the World Cup with Mick Jagger - Cheers, Geoff! is a must-read autobiography for any fan of the beautiful game. A natural storyteller, Geoff brings an astonishing catalogue of tales to life with his unique brand of experience, insight and humour. 'A legend' - Arsene Wenger 'No one handles the big moments better' - Jordan Henderson With a foreward from Alan Shearer.