|
Books > Biography > Sport
In 2017, world-class ultrarunner Hillary Allen was at the top of
her sport--and it felt like she was running on top of the world as
she competed in Norway's Tromso Skyrace. Allen was nearly halfway
through the 50-kilometer race when she fell 150 feet off an exposed
ridge, fracturing her back and breaking multiple ribs, both feet,
and both of her lower arms. Beginning with the dramatic story of
her accident and rescue, Out and Back: A Runner's Story of Survival
Against All Odds recounts Allen's fight to return to the life she
loves. With vulnerability that reveals remarkable strength and
introspection that yields wisdom, Allen shares the story of her
recovery both physically and mentally, and hard-earned knowledge
that the path forward is not always linear, that healing takes
time, and that the process of rediscovery is ongoing as she learns
what it takes to survive--and thrive. Out and Back is an
inspiration to anyone who knows what it means to reclaim and
rebuild your life, one day and one step at a time.
Lou Gorman is best known for having assembled the great but
star-crossed Red Sox team of 1986. Few, perhaps, know that he also
laid the foundation for the Mets club that clawed past them. Or
that he is the only baseball executive involved in the start-up of
two teams (the expansion Mariners and Royals), that he won a World
Series with the Orioles, or that he has drafted Roger Clemens,
signed George Brett, developed Jim Palmer, and traded away Jeff
Bagwell. In all, Gorman has spent parts of five decades in the
front offices of five major league franchises, directly involved in
the development of clubs that won three World Series, five pennants
and eight division titles. The stories behind those teams and
Gorman's dealings with players, managers, and other of baseball's
higher-ups are shared here for the first time.
The mixed-race Hawaiian athlete George Freeth brought surfing to
Venice, California, in 1907. Over the next twelve years, Freeth
taught Southern Californians to surf and swim while creating a
modern lifeguard service that transformed the beach into a
destination for fun, leisure, and excitement. Patrick Moser places
Freeth's inspiring life story against the rise of the Southern
California beach culture he helped shape and define. Freeth made
headlines with his rescue of seven fishermen, an act of heroism
that highlighted his innovative lifeguarding techniques. But he
also founded California's first surf club and coached both male and
female athletes, including Olympic swimming champion and "father of
modern surfing" Duke Kahanamoku. Often in financial straits, Freeth
persevered as a teacher and lifeguarding pioneer--building a legacy
that endured long after his death during the 1919 influenza
pandemic. A compelling merger of biography and sports history, Surf
and Rescue brings to light the forgotten figure whose novel way of
seeing the beach sparked the imaginations of people around the
world.
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.
An honest, end-of-career autobiography from widely adored Harlequins
and England rugby star Danny Care
They say everything happens for a reason, and I think my life is proof
of that. There have been a series of moments, some of them tough
setbacks, that have proved over time to be pivotal to the person – and
player – I am today. There was the time when my dreams of a football
career came to an abrupt end but opened the door for rugby in my life;
the ill-judged sledging outing that may have cost me the opportunity to
go on a Lions tour; the times when my name made the headlines for the
wrong reasons; the choice I made to miss an England tour, which led to
meeting the love of my life on a party island halfway across the world;
and the devastating moment when Eddie Jones dropped me from the England
squad and I thought my international career was over.
I sometimes wondered if it was meant to be but I kept on smiling and I
worked hard as I kept my focus on playing the game that I love, that I
owe everything to. And now, a little older and a little wiser – and
with over 100 England caps, three Six Nations championships and two
Premiership titles to my name, I want to tell you my story. The highs
and lows, the good and the bad and everything in between.
Once in a great while there appears a baseball player who
transcends the game and earns universal admiration from his fellow
players, from fans, and from the American people. Such a man was
Hank Greenberg, whose dynamic life and legendary career are among
baseball's most inspiring stories. The Story of My Life tells the
story of this extraordinary man in his own words, describing his
childhood as the son of Eastern European immigrants in New York;
his spectacular baseball career as one of the greatest home-run
hitters of all time and later as a manager and owner; his heroic
service in World War II; and his courageous struggle with cancer.
Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a
secular Jew who, during a time of widespread religious bigotry in
America, stood up for his beliefs. Throughout a lifetime of
anti-Semitic abuse he maintained his dignity, becoming in the
process a hero for Jews throughout America and the first Jewish
ballplayer elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
More than any other sports figure, Vince Lombardi transformed football into a metaphor of the American experience. The son of an Italian immigrant butcher, Lombardi toiled for twenty frustrating years as a high school coach and then as an assistant at Fordham, West Point, and the New York Giants before his big break came at age forty-six with the chance to coach a struggling team in snowbound Wisconsin. His leadership of the Green Bay Packers to five world championships in nine seasons is the most storied period in NFL history. Lombardi became a living legend, a symbol to many of leadership, discipline, perseverance, and teamwork, and to others of an obsession with winning. In When Pride Still Mattered, Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss captures the myth and the man, football, God, and country in a thrilling biography destined to become an American classic.
*** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A heroic outsider - a pleasure to
read.' - The Guardian 'A fulsome evocation of football before the
Premier League.' - The i 'Such a good storyteller...joyous.' -
Financial Times 'Honest, raw, revealing and very funny. How to live
a life and career to the full. Insightful book about the most
successful outsider inside football ever...' - Henry Winter, Chief
Football Writer, The Times 'Pat is a wonderful one-off...and this
is the story of why that is.' - John Murray, Chief Sports
Correspondent, BBC Radio 5 Live 'Unusually vibrant and elegant with
heroic doses of humour, insight and self-effacement, this is an
absolute must-read for the football connoisseur.' - Omid Djalili
'The biggest influence of my professional career both on and off
the pitch.' - Graeme Le Saux 'I grew up captivated by Pat Nevin the
player. As a man he taught me even more about the beauty of the
game. One of football's great mavericks, and Chelsea's greatest
players. And he can spin a mean tune too.' - Sam Matterface 'I used
to walk miles to see Pat Nevin play football and I'd do the same
now to read his thoughts. Always challenging, always entertaining.'
- Lord Sebastian Coe 'A refreshingly honest and thought-provoking
autobiography. As deftly delivered as some of Pat's ball skills in
his 1980's heyday.' - ToffeeWeb Pat Nevin never wanted to be a
professional footballer. His future was clear, he'd become a
teacher like his brothers. There was only one problem with this -
Pat was far too good to avoid attention. Raised in Glasgow's East
End, Pat loved the game, playing for hours and obsessively
following Celtic. But as he grew up, he also loved Joy Division,
wearing his Indie 'gloom boom' coat and going on marches - hardly
typical footballer behaviour! Placed firmly in the 80s and 90s,
before the advent of the Premier League, and often with racism and
violence present, Pat Nevin writes with honesty, insight and wry
humour. We are transported vividly to Chelsea and Everton, and
colourfully diverted by John Peel, Morrissey and nights out at the
Hacienda. The Accidental Footballer is a different kind of football
memoir. Capturing all the joys of professional football as well as
its contradictions and conflicts, it's about being defined by your
actions, not your job, and is the perfect reminder of how life can
throw you the most extraordinary surprises, when you least expect
it.
Richard Parks has what must be one of contemporary sport's most
extraordinary and inspirational stories. Soon after he turned
thirty, the professional career in rugby that had been his life for
over a decade was cut short by injury, leaving him faced with an
uncertain future. But unlike many other young athletes, Richard
decided to tackle his fears, anxiety and depression head on, taking
inspiration from Ranulph Fiennes and a line from his grandmother's
eulogy - "The horizon is only the limit of our sight" and setting
out on challenges that have become part of his everyday life.
Richard created history with his first endeavour - the 737
Challenge - by becoming the first person to conquer the highest
mountain on each of the world's continents and venture to both the
North and South Poles within seven months. Then in 2013 he tackled
three hugely challenging events - an ultramarathon through the
Peruvian jungle, the world's highest mountain bike race, and a
double iron man triathlon in Snowdonia - in preparation for an even
more extraordinary challenge: to record the fastest solo,
unsupported and unassisted journey to the South Pole. These three
challenges and the Antarctic speed record quest that saw Richard
ski 11 hours a day enduring perishing conditions, broken skis and
spending Christmas and New Year alone on the ice, were all filmed
for a major four-part series to be broadcast on Channel 5 later
this year. Beyond the Horizon is an amazing, inspiring, and
exciting story for armchair adventurers, extreme sports and
mountaineering fans alike.
He may live in Madrid but he continues to make front-page
headlines. This is David Beckham's own story of his career to date,
for Manchester United, Real Madrid and England, and of his
childhood, family and private life. Featuring David's first full
account of a turbulent year in Spain, on and off the field, and
England's fortunes in Euro 2004. This is Beckham's fascinating life
story in his own words. His rise through the ranks at the biggest
club side in the world. His complex relationship with United boss
Alex Ferguson. The England story, from being vilified by the nation
before returning as the prodigal son to eventually captaining his
country. His acrimonious falling-out with his manager and departure
from Old Trafford in June 2003. And starting a new chapter of his
life on foreign soil in the glare of the world's press. Now from
Beckham himself, we gain a vivid and eye-opening insight into the
family man behind the famous footballer, the international model
and fashion leader. He describes how he first met and then married
ex-Spice girl Victoria Adams, and the upbringing of their two
children Brooklyn and Romeo. How his family's every step is
monitored by a posse of newshounds and paparazzi. Also, the
influence of his parents, growing up as a shy youngster in the
family home, and how their subsequent split affected him. Intimate
and soul-searching, this is the real David Beckham like we have
never seen before. NEW FOR THIS PAPERBACK EDITION: - Beckham's
first season with Real Madrid from within the dressing room, with
key stories on the likes of Figo, Roberto Carlos and Zidane. - His
exclusive reaction to the sensational allegations about his private
life; their effect on his relationship with Victoria and a
reappraisal of their living arrangements. - England and Euro 2004:
the players' threatened strike in support of Rio Ferdinand;
Eriksson as England boss; and all the behind the scenes stories
leading up to and including the Finals in Portugal. - One year down
the line, does Beckham have any regrets about leaving Manchester
United? And is there any truth in the rumours that he is unsettled
in Madrid?
"Over two decades, Brett Favre was as compelling a figure as any in
the National Football League. He alone was 'Must-See TV.' In
Gunslinger, Jeff Pearlman provides an extraordinary look at every
facet of the life of a man who performed on sport's grandest stage
and who had one helluva time along the way."--Al Michaels In
Gunslinger, Jeff Pearlman tells Brett Favre's story for the first
time, charting his unparalleled journey from a rough rural
childhood and lackluster high school football career to landing the
last scholarship at Southern Mississippi, to a car accident that
nearly took his life, and eventually to the NFL and Green Bay,
where he restored the Packers to greatness and inspired a fan base
as passionate as any in the game. Yet he struggled with demons:
addiction, infidelity, the loss of his father, and a fraught,
painfully prolonged exit from the game he loved, a game he couldn't
bear to leave. Gritty and revelatory, Gunslinger is a big sports
biography of the highest order, a fascinating portrait of the man
with the rocket arm whose life has been one of triumph, fame,
tragedy, embarrassment, and--ultimately--redemption. "The
compelling, complete story of his legend, and his faults."--Chicago
Tribune
Genius is seldom recognized in its own time. In the case of Ezzard
Charles it took several decades but late really is better than
never. Ezzard Charles: A Boxing Life traces Charles' early life in
a small country town all the way to his fights with Jersey Joe
Walcott, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and more during the wild,
glamorous and wonderfully dirty business of boxing in the 1950s,
one of the sport's last Golden Ages. Readers will learn about
Charles' frustrated attempts to get a shot at the 175-pound world
title; his three wins over the legendary Archie Moore; and his
futile struggle to win the respect of boxing fans spoiled by Louis'
power and charisma. This is the book today's sports' fans have been
waiting for - the one that answers their questions about the man
The Ring magazine called the greatest light heavyweight who ever
lived. For reasons no one can quite explain, there has never been a
biography of one of modern prizefighting's most revered and skilled
practitioners - until now. Ezzard Charles: A Boxing Life is a long
overdue addition to the vast collection of good literature covering
the fight game.
In Copying It Down, Harvey Dorfman recounts his experiences in the
world of sports. From his childhood sickbed, Dorfman went on to
achieve a myriad of successes, including goalie on a national
co-champion soccer team and coach of a high school basketball team
that won a state championship, and is a possessor of four World
Series Rings (three with Oakland; and one with Florida). He
eventually attained a status of world renown in the field of sport
psychology. Here, in the second of three volumes, Dorfman shares
anecdotes that include the fourteen years spent in the dugouts of
three major league teams. The book concludes in 1998, when his
professional associations with major league baseball organizations
ended.
|
|