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Books > Biography > Sport
Accidental Olympian is the uplifting story of a judo athlete who
wasn't afraid to dream big. Colin Oates trained in the wilds of
Norfolk, at a village hall club run by his father. Entering the
Olympics seemed an impossible dream, but Oates defied the odds to
qualify for and compete at two Olympic Games. The boy born in
Harold Wood, Essex, battled not only local prejudices within the
judo fraternity but took on and beat many of the world's top
players. Under the coaching and guidance of his father, Oates
travelled the globe to fight in places he'd never heard of.
Discover how Oates, supported by a judo-crazy family, smashed his
way to being the British number-one under-66kg player for nearly a
decade before qualifying for the Olympics. At London 2012, Oates
defeated an ex-world champion and was only stopped by the eventual
gold medallist. At Rio 2016, he faced the heartbreak of an early
exit but was soon appointed a Great Britain elite coach. This is a
genuine David and Goliath story where the underdog comes out on
top.
The Honourable Mrs Victor Bruce: record-breaking racing motorist;
speedboat racer; pioneering aviator and businesswoman - remarkable
achievements for a woman of the 1920s and '30s. Mildred Bruce
enjoyed a privileged background that allowed her to search for
thrills beyond the bounds of most female contemporaries. She raced
against the greats at Brooklands, drove 200 miles north of the
Arctic Circle and won the first ladies' prize at the Monte Carlo
Rally. Whilst Amy Johnson was receiving global acclaim for her
flight to Australia, Mildred learned to fly, and a mere eight weeks
later she embarked on a round-the-world flight, becoming the first
person to fly solo from the UK to Japan. Captured by brigands and
feted by the Siamese, Japanese and Americans, she survived several
crashes with body and spirit intact, and became a glittering
aviation celebrity on her return. A thoroughly modern woman, she
pushed similar boundaries in her unconventional love life and later
became Britain's first female airline entrepreneur. This is the
story of a charismatic woman who defied the conventions of her
time, and loved living life in the fast lane.
1966 legend Sir Geoff Hurst is the only footballer in history to
score a World Cup final hat-trick. To mark his 80th birthday, he
has named the 80 sportsmen who most inspired and motivated him
throughout his life. Sir Geoff, who scored 24 goals in 49 England
games, also had a talent for cricket, and has an in-depth knowledge
of all the major sports. His A to Z of sporting heroes covers
multiple sports and decades, from Muhammad Ali to Zinedine Zidane.
The book is filled with surprising facts, and Sir Geoff challenges
you to count how many times you exclaim, 'I didn't know that!' when
reading his entertaining and enlightening breakdown on his sporting
idols. Writing in collaboration with renowned sports historian
Norman Giller, who reported Sir Geoff's West Ham debut in 1960,
Hurst personalises each profile with anecdotes that offer a unique
insight into the individual. Pitch Publishing are planning a
similar book on the greatest post-war sportswomen, but for now
enjoy Sir Geoff Hurst discussing his 80 greatest sportsmen.
'Women's sports have needed a manifesto for a long time. With Good
for a Girl we finally have one' Malcolm Gladwell 'The invitation to
have a long overdue conversation for a long overdue cultural shift'
Alysia Montano, Olympian, co-founder of &Mother, and author of
Feel-Good Fitness 'This is the book we've been waiting for' Kate
Fagan, author of What Made Maddy Run Lauren Fleshman has grown up
in the world of running. One of the most decorated collegiate
athletes of all time and a national champion as a pro, she was a
major face of women's running for Nike before leaving to shake up
the industry with feminist running brand Oiselle and coach elite
young female runners. Every step of the way, she has seen how our
sports systems - originally designed by men, for men and boys -
fail young women and girls as much as empower them. Girls drop out
of sports at alarming rates once they hit puberty, and female
collegiate athletes routinely fall victim to injury, eating
disorders or mental health struggles as they try to force their way
past a natural dip in performance for women of their age. Part
memoir, part manifesto, Good for a Girl is Fleshman's story of
falling in love with running as a girl, battling devastating
injuries and self-doubt, and daring to fight for a better way for
female athletes. Long gone are the days when women and girls felt
lucky just to participate; Fleshman and women everywhere are waking
up to the reality that they're running, playing and competing in a
world that wasn't made for them. Drawing not only on her own story
but also on emerging research on the physiology and psychology of
young athletes of any gender, Fleshman gives voice to the
often-silent experience of the female athlete and argues that the
time has come to rebuild our systems of competitive sport with
women at their centre. Written with heart and verve, Good for a
Girl is a joyful love letter to the running life, a raw personal
narrative of growth and change, and a vital call to reimagine
sports for young women.
Tony Kelly was football crazy from the age of seven. At sixteen
Nyrere Anthony Kelly was the youngest ever player in the first team
at Bristol City and in his twenties he went professional, playing
for clubs such as Stoke City, Cardiff City, Leyton Orient and Bury
in the second and third divisions of the Football League and
starring in a Swedish side. But his blossoming soccer career was
marred by a series of mishaps and misdeeds which drove him to
disaster. Ruined by an addiction to gambling, he lost his job, his
career, his partner and all his money. Now he has written his story
- as Kelly puts it, to "invite the public, my family and my friends
into my secret hell of racism, despair, depression, stardom,
gambling addiction and ultimately self-destruction". Red Card is a
tragic yet uplifting story of a sportsman's battle with his demons,
on and off the pitch. Published with the kind assistance of the
Professional Footballers' Association
The Sunshine Kids is no ordinary autobiography. Twins Fabio and
Rafael Da Silva have seen it all in football - from the favelas of
Brazil to the height of the European game with Manchester United.
Their performances and contribution to one of the most glittering
periods in the club's history cemented their place in the heart of
every United fan. Theirs is an incredible journey and story - and,
with Wayne Barton ('The pre-eminent writer on Manchester United' -
Martin Edwards) the pair tell all. The sheer personality pours from
the pages as Rafael's energy shines through in tales of fierce
rivalries with Liverpool and Manchester City, and Fabio reveals his
battle with anxiety as he sought to establish himself at Old
Trafford. From the experience of joining the best team in Europe,
to the human aspect and difficulty that comes with it, their
familial relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson and their careers
since leaving United - you'll discover just why the twins have been
adored wherever their football careers have taken them.
This is a paperback reprint - back due to popular demand. It
includes analysis of his greatest races and the changing technology
of his bikes. It is an in-depth, richly illustrated biography of
one of motorcycling's best-loved characters. Fourth in a series
intended to cover the careers of the world's greatest motorcycle
racing champions, "Bob McIntyre - The Flying Scot" tells the story
of the man who never actually won a world championship - but
certainly deserved to. In many ways he was the two-wheel equivalent
of car racing driver Stirling Moss, who is seen as one of the
greats in his sport although he never won an official world title.
Well over four decades since his untimely death, following an
accident that occurred while racing his 500cc Manx Norton at Oulton
Park, Cheshire in August 1962, Bob McIntyre's memory lives on. An
annual Bob McIntyre Memorial race meeting held at East Fortune
attracts racing enthusiasts from as far afield as Australia. Not
only was 'Bob Mac' a brilliantly gifted rider and self-taught
mechanic, he was also a man of the people, someone who would always
help a fellow competitor or take the time to sign an autograph or
chat to a fan. He was also honest, loyal and modest; his word was
his bond. Unlike the three riders already covered in this series,
John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, Bob Mac was very
much a self-made man; someone who started from the very bottom and
reached the very top in his chosen profession. He was the first man
to lap the Isle of Man TT circuit, the most fearsome in the world,
at over 100 mph; and this was just one of his great achievements.
This in-depth account of his career focusses on the bikes and the
races but also provides an insight in Bob's life away from the
track. Lavishly illustrated with many previously unpublished
photographs, it is a must-read for any motorcycling fan.
'Sunny' Jim Young is reckoned by some Celtic historians to be the
greatest Celt of them all, winning nine League Championships (three
as captain) and six Scottish Cups. Amazingly, he was only capped
once for Scotland, and his tragic death aged only forty plunged the
whole of Scottish football into sadness. This book profiles the
life and career of a Parkhead legend.
When Peter Minto first discovered the name of F N S Creek, he began
to unravel a forgotten legend of British football. He soon found
that there was far more to this man than it seemed...When the First
World War broke out, F N S Creek found himself battling in the
squalid trenches of Flanders and soon transferred into the Royal
Flying Corps performing dangerous aerial reconnaissance and bombing
missions behind enemy lines, eventually earning a military cross
for his contributions. Despite the short life expectancy of
aircrew, Creek returned to England to study at Trinity College,
Cambridge, and there he first discovered his talent for football. F
N S Creek quickly grew to celebrity status with his spectacular
scoring ability, earning caps for England and later going on to
coach the Olympic team for sixteen years. Throughout his career he
revolutionised the coaching of football throughout the nation
whilst also becoming a successful cricketer, writer, journalist and
broadcaster. In this extensively-researched biography of a
forgotten legend of English football, Peter Minto presents the
remarkable life of F N S Creek.
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