'Beautifully written, meticulously researched and stuffed with rich sporting and social history ... Unputdownable' Mail on Sunday

After the Second World War, as the BBC tightened its grip on the national consciousness, two of the most famous English voices were commentators on games of cricket. John Arlott and E.W. ('Jim') Swanton transformed the broadcasting of the nation's summer game into a national institution.

Arlott and Swanton typified the contrasting aspects of post-war Britain. Because of their strong personalities and distinctive voices - Swanton's crisp and upper-class, Arlott's with its Hampshire burr - each had a loyal following. As England moved from a class-based to a more egalitarian society, nothing stayed the same - including professional cricket. Wise, lively and filled with rich social and sporting history, Arlott, Swanton and the Soul of English Cricket shows how, as the game entered a new era, these two very different men battled to save the soul of the game.

The lost memoir from Lou Gehrig--"a compelling rumination by a baseball icon and a tragic hero" (Sports Illustrated) and "a fitting tribute to an inspiring baseball legend" (Publishers Weekly). At the tender age of twenty-four, Lou Gehrig decided to tell the remarkable story of his life and career. He was one of the most famous athletes in the country, in the midst of a record-breaking season with the legendary 1927 World Series-winning Yankees. In an effort to grow Lou's star, pioneering sports agent Christy Walsh arranged for Lou's tale of baseball greatness to syndicate in newspapers across the country. Those columns were largely forgotten and lost to history--until now. Lou comes alive in this "must-read" (Tyler Kepner, The New York Times) memoir. It is an inspiring, heartfelt rags-to-riches tale about a poor kid from New York who became one of the most revered baseball players of all time. Fourteen years after his account, Lou would tragically die from ALS, a neuromuscular disorder now known as Lou Gherig's Disease. His poignant autobiography is followed by an insightful biographical essay by historian Alan D. Gaff. Here is Lou--Hall of Famer, All Star, MVP, an "athlete who epitomized the American dream" (Christian Science Monitor)--back at bat.

Author Cornel Vena was just a teenager when World War II ended, changing life in the tiny Transylvanian village of his childhood forever. A ruthless Bolshevik army swarmed over the land, and his family faced an uncertain future living under a communist regime. But it soon became clear that the country was keen to promote its athletic prowess on an international stage, offering a glimmer of hope to the young man. If Cornel could shoot, ride, fence, run, and swim well enough, he might be able to find freedom. Success in the sporting arena offered better conditions for athletes and priceless opportunities to escape the constraints of communism; however, the athletes who survived the intense training regimen could not fail. An entire country counted on them to succeed, and losing was not tolerated. The weak would be punished, and those who succeeded would be rewarded. Join Cornel as he prepares to confront superhuman physical challenges in this inspiring true story of one man's quest for freedom, set against the backdrop of the 1956 Olympic Games. Romanians, history students and athletes alike will find important lessons that continue to resonate today in "Barbed Circles: The Perfect Score."

Drugs in professional sports. Today''s news? Not to the authors who take you behind the scenes into the backrooms, the board rooms and the high perches of politics where the quest for a state''s profit often outweighs giving the public a fair return for their loyalty and support. This is not your average sports story. It delves into the experiences of two people who defied fierce opposition and personal threat to do the right thing in the management of Thoroughbred Racing and Professional Hockey and in the evaluating and negotiating of Pro Baseball and Football teams. We are not born with integrity. It is the product of our pasts, how we meet life''s challenges, and in our case, the deep faith which gave us the courage to confront our enemies and realize our goals. Biographical in form, you will relive the author''s early years and travel the diverse paths their lives took. You may often ponder how this successful partnership evolved, Man/Woman. Catholic/Jew. Poor Boy/Rich Girl. New England Newspaper columnist/ New York entertainment writer. Running sports facilities, hosting thousands of patrons daily at an arena, stadium or paying field was a unique challenge. Vin Bartimo had the prime responsibility for the action, Roz Muller was the champion of the fans. Together, they made winners of losing entities, shared their largesse with the communities in which they operated and gave the public what they wanted and deserved.

This the the first biography ever written on Marvin Hart, the forgotten heavyweight champion from the South. Hart gained popularity as a middleweight and light-heavyweight in the Louisville, Kentucky area before moving up to heavyweight and defeating the highly touted top contender Jack Johnson. Hart then won the vacant world's heavyweight championship in a fight to the finish against Jack Root. Like other books in Pollack's "In the Ring" series, this book is meticulously researched using next-day local primary source materials, and details Hart's boxing career.

The sixth volume of the "Biographical Dictionary of American Sports," this supplement provides biographies for 616 athletes, coaches, managers, officials, administrators, writers, and broadcasters who have played an active role in American sports or helped to promote them. Most of the entries are from team sports, including baseball (202), football (181), and basketball (58). Some entries treat individual sports, including track and field (29), golf (14), and tennis and other racquet sports (16). Other sports covered include ice hockey, horse racing, boxing, swimming, bowling, skating, shooting, wrestling, skiing, and cycling. Thirty women athletes are included.

A talented yet ferocious player, and one of the acknowledged 'bad-boys' of rugby, Mark Jones' on-field brutality was a direct consequence of the off-field torment he suffered with a debilitating stammer. In Fighting to Speak, his revealing and uplifting autobiography, Jones explains how his frustration with his stutter led to a self-loathing and the internalising of an explosive hate that only playing rugby could release - with his unfortunate opponents often on the receiving end of his rage. Sent off six times and banned for over 33 weeks for violent conduct during his career, the dual-code Wales international and Great Britain RL forward was desperately unhappy and detested the thuggish reputation he'd created. After one exceptionally ugly incident, when he broke another player's eye socket, Jones realised that in order to defeat his demons and control his bad behaviour he needed help to conquer his stammer. Mark Jones fought and won the hardest battle of his life with a steely determination and has now found the inner peace and dignity he'd longed for as a young man. He has decided to tell his story in order to seek redemption for his violent past on the rugby field, and to help others overcome their stammers.

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

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

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

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

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

After fifteen years at the very pinnacle of test rugby, leading the most successful squad in Welsh history, Dan Biggar tells his story.

‘When I reflect on it all, I can say without any doubt that I gave it everything.’

Dan Biggar has never fitted the mould. Throughout his long and decorated career, he has had to confront the critics, to silence the cynics. His playing style has been described as brash, aggressive and forthright, and it has earned him a reputation he has never been able to shake. But to anyone who knows him off the pitch, he is one of the most grounded ambassadors the game could ask for.

Honest and self-critical, Dan offers a rare insight into his personal and professional life. He talks candidly of his place within rugby, from the Premiership through to the Lions, and of the power dynamics within Wales’ most successful squad ever. He also opens the changing room doors and explores his relationships with past team mates, coaches and managers, from Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards to Alun Wyn Jones and Wayne Pivac.

The Biggar Picture is the story of a man who has taken in the joy, the graft and despair to become one of the sport’s most compelling figures – and Wales’ most capped fly-half.

FORMER NBA STAR LUTHER WRIGHT SHARES HIS HARROWING AND UPLIFTING JOURNEY OF FINDING GOD--AND HIMSELF--WHEN HE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE.
Luther Wright had the life hoop dreams are made of. A first-round NBA draft pick for the Utah Jazz, he was a rookie on a team with basketball legends Karl Malone and John Stockton. He had money, women, cars, and a luxurious bachelor pad overlooking Salt Lake City. But within a year, ravaged by drugs and unable to cope with life as an NBA star, he was homeless, broke and addicted to crack cocaine.
Wright never wanted to play basketball, yet standing more than seven feet tall even as a boy, he thought he had no choice. In this heartrending memoir, he writes candidly about the self-destructive spiral he found himself on after neglecting his passions to pursue the dreams of others. After years of living on the streets, he finally found a gift greater than anything his millions could have bought him--God. Today, Wright offers a simple message: believe in yourself, follow your dreams, and only then will you find your "Perfect Fit."

Jack Doyle was a 6ft 5in Irishman with a giant appetite for life. In 1933 he drew 90,000 to London's White City to see him fight and was making GBP 600 a week on stage as a singer. He was 19. By the age of 30 he had earned and squandered a GBP 250,000 fortune (worth millions today). His motto was, 'A generous man never went to hell,' and he lived his life like a hellraiser. In his heyday as a heavyweight boxer, singer and playboy, his celebrity rivalled the Prince of Wales, and he and his wife - the beautiful Mexican film star and singer Movita, who later married Marlon Brando - were as popular in the thirties and forties as Olivier and Leigh or Burton and Taylor.This remarkable biography rescues a glittering period of social and boxing history from obscurity and restores Jack and Movita to their rightful place in the showbiz and sporting pantheon. Jack's ring presence and personality reached back to the days of the Regency Buck and his friendships with the Royal Family, his fist-fight with Clark Gable, his life as a film star and gigolo, his throwing of a fight by knocking himself out, and his extraordinary post-war career as an all-in wrestler, are the stuff of legend confirmed here by seven years' exhaustive research, during which Taub tracked down and interviewed the leading player's in Jack's life.The book is being released in autumn 2007 in conjunction with the screening of the RTE documentary "Jack Doyle: A Legend Lost", for which Michael Taub acted as consultant and in which he appears throughout.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DON REVIE - ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX AND CONTROVERSIAL MEN EVER TO GRACE THE GAME OF FOOTBALL 'Engrossing' - Sunday Times 'Impeccably researched... As a life and times, Evans's account is immaculate.' - Jonathan Liew, New Statesman 'A poignant and engrossing read... a well-crafted biography.' - FourFourTwo 'Thoroughly researched and engagingly written, this superb biography sheds new light on one of the most controversial, enigmatic figures in football history' - Leo McKinstry, journalist, historian and award-winning author 'Excellent' - Johnny Giles, Leeds United legend 'Essential reading' Ryan Sabey, the Sun Whenever the greatest managers the game has ever produced are mentioned, names like Busby, Shankly, Paisley and Ferguson trip off the tongue. Despite dominating the game in the late 1960s and '70s there is one name missing: Don Revie, the former Leeds United and England manager. Revie was one of the most complex and controversial men ever to grace the game of football. As a player, he was crowned Footballer of the Year and credited with creating the modern centre-forward. As a manager, he took a Leeds United side languishing in the lower half of the second division and turned them into not only league champions, but one of the most dominant sides in the country. As England manager, Revie lost the magic touch and became increasingly indecisive. After three years in the role and fearing the sack, Revie became the first man to walk out on England. Then came the backlash. Revie was branded a traitor and banned from the game for 10 years, and the press declared open season on the manager. Accused of offering bribes to throw matches, his reputation was destroyed. Shunned by the football establishment, he died just 12 years after walking out on England. Revie's death, at the age of 61, robbed him of the opportunity ever to rebuild his reputation as one of the most important figures ever seen in English football. The life and times of this multifaceted, enigmatic, pioneering football man have still never been fully explored and explained in detail before. Featuring new interviews with Johnny Giles, Kevin Keegan, Norman Hunter, Eddie Gray, Allan Clarke, Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Malcolm Macdonald and members of the Revie family, this long-overdue biography reveals how today's football owes so much to Don Revie. --- Shortlisted for THE SUNDAY TIMES Sports Book Awards 2022 'A no-holds-barred insight that convinces the reader that Don Revie stands amongst the giants of English football.' -Lord Mann 'Meticulously researched and expertly crafted exploration' - Jeff Powell, Daily Mail 'A superb read'. - Alex Montgomery, Chief football writer and former Chairman of the Football Writers Association

Phil shares his personal ecstasy and anguish in learning the lessons of life through wrestling. The vivid and intimate descriptions of his hilarious and sometimes terrifying experiences keep you wanting to read more about his life.

A raw, uplifting story from one of the most important hidden figures in track and field history. When Pauline Davis first began to run, it wasn't with any thought of future Olympic glory. A product of the poor neighborhood of Bain Town in The Bahamas, she carried the family's buckets every day to fetch fresh water-and ran sideways, sprinting barefoot from bullies, to get the buckets of water home without spilling. But when a seasoned track coach saw Pauline sprinting, he saw the heart of a champion. In Running Sideways, Pauline Davis shares her inspiring story. Born and raised in the ghetto, Pauline fought through poverty, inequality, racism, and political machinations from her own country to beat the odds and become a two-time Olympic gold medalist, the first individual gold medalist in sprinting from the Caribbean, the first woman of color on the World Athletics council, and a central figure in the Russian anti-doping campaign. A casualty herself of the doping plague that hit track and field-she wouldn't be awarded her individual gold medal until after Marion Jones was infamously stripped of her medals for doping-Pauline dedicated her years on the World Athletics council to clean sport and fair play. Running Sideways is a book about determination, faith, focus, and an incredible will to succeed. It's about a trailblazer in women's sports, not just in The Bahamas, not just in track and field, but on the global stage.

Sue Barker first walked through those famous wrought-iron gates aged 13 in 1969 to play in the National Schools event. What Sue didn't know then, was that every year for the next half century, she would be back in some capacity. As a junior, aged 15, as a semi-finalist and Grand-Slam winner ranked No.3 in the world, as a broadcaster leading the BBC coverage for thirty years and for the first time, as a fan in 2023.

And now she returns as a storyteller.

The magic has stayed the same,but times have changed. With her first-hand insight and perspective, Sue paints an intimate portrait of the place, past and present, full of behind-the-scenes details drawn from her own experiences as well as personal conversations with her former mentors, contemporary players, friends and colleagues - giants of the game such as Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Roger Federer, Venus Williams and many others. They share poignant memories with her and some startling revelations, from Sampas's deep regret that he didn't involve his parents more in his Centre Court triumphs to Borg divulging that McEnroe was always the quietest presence in the locker room ... You cannot be serious!

From the most talked-about matches and famous rivalries to the fashions and trends, from the stunning breakthroughs, to the near wins and gut-wrenching disappointments, Sue's personal history of Wimbledon is touched throughout by Championship stardust and is as tightly packed with stories as the courts are with blades of grass.

The Tiger Woods of his day, legendary professional golfer HARRY VARDON (1870-1937), from Jersey in the Channel Islands, was the sport's first superstar. He won six British Open championships-a record that stands to this day-and was the first British golfer to win the U.S. Open. Some consider him the best player in the history of the game. In this classic work of sports literature, Vardon offers his stupendous and invaluable insight into the game. Part biographical, part instructional, part inspirational, Vardon's advice covers: the makings of a player the mistakes of the beginner the choice and care of clubs "concerning caddies" the pleasure of a good drive individuality in putting the proper attitude toward your opponents "golf for ladies" tips for the left-handed player and much more. First published in 1904, this beautiful replica edition features all of the essential original diagrams and photographs. It will delight and encourage the modern golfer, no matter how seriously-or lightheartedly-one takes the game.

Pappy: The Gentle Bear is the story of a coach who won chapionships at Kansas State, Northwestern and Cal, then moved on to the San Francisco 49'ers as personnel guru. He became perhaps the most important catalyst for coooperation between university communities and the fledgiling NFL.