History of sport Books

Book Synopsis‘I was never as proud to be part of a team as I was being part of that team.’ PAT JENNINGS By the end of the 1970s, the Northern Ireland football team was in the doldrums. Against a background of civil unrest, the team had endured long periods of playing all their games away from home and had just finished bottom of the British Championship for the fourth successive year. Two years later they walked onto the pitch against France to play for a place in the 1982 World Cup semi-finals. In Fields of Wonder, Evan Marshall charts Northern Ireland’s incredible World Cup journey in thrilling detail, from the appointment of Billy Bingham as manager and the winning of the British Home Championship in 1980 through the ups and downs of the qualifying stages, and that night of pulsating drama against Spain in Valencia. Based on interviews with manager Billy Bingham and with many of the players, including Pat Jennings, Martin O’Neill, Gerry Armstrong and Norman Whiteside, and told against the backdrop of the Troubles, this book vividly captures the struggles, spirit and magic of Northern Ireland’s 1982 World Cup campaign.Trade Review'Evan Marshall's new book captures the remarkable spirit of Billy Bingham’s fabled team of the early-80s' -- Darren Fullerton * BelfastLive *'I am old enough to remember names from the early days of the (GAWA) ‘Green and White Army’ through my childhood 1050’s and teenage 1060/70s and early adult life in the 1980s and beyond - Danny Blanchflower, Harry Gregg, George Best, Gerry Armstrong, Norman Whiteside, Sammy McIlroy, Pat Jennings to name just a few and of course manager Billy Bingham. Those nostalgic names and bygone days are captured perfectly in this detailed but easy to read book. It is a fitting testament to a team and outstanding players who shone and gave hope and entertainment on the pitch to many against the background of the dark days of our casually referred to ‘Troubles’. Players who showed that the sectarian divide could be forgotten and the spirit of believing that they could achieve success was all that mattered. And were proved right in that memorable wonderful world cup field of dreams in Spain in 1982. Even if you are not a seasoned football fan this is an enjoyable read complete with a series of photographs that I certainly enjoyed.' -- George Larmour * Amazon *

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Book SynopsisThe quintessential book for Newcastle United fans everywhere, Sky Sports presenter Pete Graves tells the inside story of the Magpies today, using exclusive interviews with Eddie Howe and other club legends.Welcome to Newcastle United, the most exciting football club in the world right now.Since joining the team in 2021, Eddie Howe has been determined to transform Newcastle United from a perennial underachiever into one of the biggest teams in not just the Premier League, but Europe as well. With the players, fans and decision-makers finally all working together, and with the pain of the past behind them, the Magpies are ready for a new era to begin...Telling the story of Newcastle through some of its most competitive moments, including Kevin Keegan and Bobby Robson's stewardships, as well as touching on some of its trickier times, television presenter and diehard fan Pete Graves recaps the team's history and goes inside the club to show what is so exciting about this team today.Featuring interviews with key figures past and present, including Eddie Howe himself, Graves builds a picture of what's happening with Newcastle, both on and off the pitch, as they climb the league and set their sights on silverware.With extensive research and unparalleled access, Here to Compete is the incredible story of a team reborn and the man who is on course to build an empire.

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Book SynopsisLiverpool FC On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the club's glorious past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary of Reds history - with an entry for every day of the year. From the acrimonious Victorian foundation of the club to the 21st century's heady European and FA Cup victories, the Anfield faithful have witnessed the First Division triumphs of the '20s and '40s turn into an avalanche of silverware in the '60s, '70s and '80s - and they have also witnessed tragedies. Pivotal days in history which saw the airing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone', the completion of multifarious Doubles and Trebles and the shock retirement of Bill Shankly all form a backdrop against which Liverpool greats - Kevin Keegan, Ian Rush and Billy Liddell, Steven Gerrard, Tommy Smith and Kenny Dalglish - loom larger than life.

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Book SynopsisIn this hugely entertaining collection of stories taken from over a hundred years of world tennis history, award-winning sports historian Peter Seddon has gathered together the most extraordinary events ever to occur on a tennis court. They include the Wimbledon final between the tea-drinking vicar and a convicted murderer, and the ‘Match of the Century’ between the ‘Women’s Libber’ and the ‘Male Chauvinist Pig’. There are matches played on board ship and on the wings of an airborne plane, a game played in full regimental dress, and meet the player who rated himself so highly he played an entire match while carrying someone ‘piggy-back’. The stories in this book are bizarre, fascinating, hilarious, and, most importantly, true. Revised, redesigned and updated for a new generation of tennis fanatics, this book is a unique look at the curiosities of an endlessly popular sport, revealing the ‘strawberries and cream’ game as you’ve never seen it before. Word count: 45,000

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Book SynopsisThe Knockout explores what it's like for boxers knocked out in the ring. How does it feel to land or receive that ultimate blow?

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Book SynopsisThe Isle of Man TT is arguably the most historic motorsport event on the planet. Its 37 mile Mountain Course is the world's oldest racing circuit that is still in use. Three wheeled machines first appeared in 1923, and were an instant hit with the spectators. Early pioneer Fred Dixon set the standard for technical innovation with his banking sidecar, but lack of manufacturer support meant that the class was soon dropped. When sidecar outfits made a comeback at the TT in the 1950s, it was West German BMW machines which dominated the podium places. The Munich factory supported World Championship contenders such as Max Deubel, Georg Auerbacher and Siegfried Schauzu, and it was not until the late 60s that BSA-mounted British riders began a fight-back. Through the 1970s Yamaha two stoke engines were the weapon of choice at the TT, and powered the likes of World Champions George O'Dell and Jock Taylor; that is until Mick Boddice secured the support of Honda UK. Boddice battled it out wi

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE CRICKET WRITERS' CLUB DEREK HODGSON BOOK OF THE YEARLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2024'This entertaining book is gripping reading for any cricket buff' Sunday Times'An epic contest superbly retold . . . a fascinating slice of social history, it is a spellbinding read' Vic Marks'You should go out and buy it now, because the book is brilliant' SpectatorDavid Kynaston and Harry Ricketts relive the compelling story of a gripping Ashes-deciding Test match that heralded the dawn of an new era for English cricket. The Ashes are on the line as England and Australia meet at Old Trafford in July 1961 for the fourth Test. For most of the match, England have their noses ahead until a dramatic final day, of intensely fluctuating fortunes, as the tourists eventually storm to victory. In short, an Ashes classic, told here by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts in vivid and immersive detail, recreating the sometimes agonising experience of millions of armchair viewers and listeners. At the heart of Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes are two strikingly contrasting personalities: England's captain, the Cambridge-educated, risk-averse, establishment-minded Peter May; and Australia's captain, the charismatic, risk-taking, open-minded Benaud a contrast not only between two individuals, but between two cricketing and indeed national cultures. Whereas Benaud and Australia symbolised a new, meritocratic era, May and England seemed, in what was still an amateur-dominated game, to look back to an old imperial legacy out of sync with the dawning Sixties. The sharply observed final chapters take the story up to the present day. They relate the after-lives' of the match's key participants, including Ted Dexter, Bill Lawry and Fred Trueman as well as May and Benaud; trace the continuing chequered relationship between English cricket and broader social change; and, after six more decades of fierce Ashes rivalry, wrestle with the perennial conundrum for all England supporters why do the baggy green caps usually beat us?

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Book SynopsisTHE DEFINITIVE, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BOOK ABOUT FOOTBALL ''Football conquered the world with its capacity to astonish, and this is its definitive history'' The IndependentThere may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final. In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of football''s rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world''s most popular sport. The Ball Is Round illuminates football''s role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game. ___________________________________''Goldblatt writes with authority, humour, and passion, not least in the accounts of famous or significant matches scattered throughout the book'' Times Literary Supplement''Since it became a worldwide phenomenon, nobody has attempted to write an overall history of the game. Now David Goldblatt''s stunning book will be the measure against which all other such volumes are judged'' The Guardian ''Goldblatt''s magnum opus . . . Anyone with a brain and an interest in football will enjoy this book'' The Daily Telegraph (London)

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewReally novel way to approach the game, and pretty unique to basketball. * Sopan Deb, The New York Times *A very insightful and engaging new book...The thing with this book that sets it apart is that the experts are not the usual suspects on ESPN, but a soap opera casting director weighing in on the game's most prolific floppers, magicians analyzing Chris Paul's mystifying dribbling techniques, cartographers breaking down Steph Curry's deadeye three-point shooting, and plenty more. * Brooklyn Digest *“How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius is a rewarding read for anyone who loves the sport. It approaches basketball from a number of unique angles that make it feel new and exciting. It is almost as if one is reading about the game for the first time. Greene has written one of the best basketball books of recent years, one that combines history, reporting, and analysis in a very exciting way. Even the most ardent basketball fans will be invited to rethink well-worn truisms about the game’s development, why it developed the way it did, and what makes it so appealing. By looking at the game of basketball, from its rudimentary beginnings to the way it is played today, Greene helps readers see the game anew.” * Fansided *

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Book Synopsis''ABSORBING'' Guardian''ENTHRALLING'' New Statesman''EPIC'' Evening Standard''INESCAPABLE'' The Sunday Times''MAGISTERIAL'' Irish ExaminerFully revised and updated, the definitive history of Argentinian football from the award-winning author of Inverting the PyramidAlfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistua, Juan Roman Riquelme, Lionel Messi... Argentina has produced some of the greatest footballers of all time. But the rich, volatile history of Argentinian football is made up of both the sublime and the ruthlessly pragmatic. Jonathan Wilson, having lived in Buenos Aires, is ideally placed to chart the sport''s development in a country that, perhaps more than any other, lives and breathes football, its theories and its myths.Fully revised and updated, this new edition looks at the contrasting evolution of Argentinian football over thTrade Review'Wilson, as you would expect from the author of several important books on football history and tactics, goes far deeper than the stereotype ... fine-grained and often original research . . . as a writer who knows and appreciates Argentina, he is prepared to take on the more demanding task of telling the story in parallel with that of the country's turbulent political and social evolution . . . densely detailed but absorbing book' -- Richard Williams * GUARDIAN *'Ambitious . . . [Wilson] has a fine eye for detail and a solid grasp of the big picture. He writes confidently about the sport, including tactics and strategies, but also about social and political questions . . . A sprawling, vibrant book about soccer in Argentina, a country where the sport is every bit as important and reflective of the society as it is anywhere in the world' * KIRKUS REVIEWS *'From Alfredo Di Stefano to Lionel Messi, Argentine football get the Jonathan Wilson treatment in this exhaustive, illuminating history. HBO could make this into a series' * SPORT *'Jonathan Wilson's INVERTING THE PYRAMID is easily the best game about soccer I've ever read, atreatise on tactics that's worth a hundred dismal 'autobiographies'. Now Wilson has turned his considerable powers to one country and its obsession with the game: ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES. It's a history of Argentina as reflected in the sport, and how life in Argentina has been reflected in the sport . . . This is the kind of book you don't see too often, an attempt to use a broad canvas and to include detail far beyond team sheets and scorelines . . . Conceiving of and writing a book like this is an achievement in and of itself' -- Michael Moynihan * IRISH EXAMINER *'Wilson is one of soccer's most respected historians and anoraks and here he delivers the definitive history of the beautiful game in Argentina' -- Mark Keane * IRISH DAILY MAIL *'Wilson is a cerebral and knowledgeable sports journalist . . . and what he gives us in ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES is not just a history of the game in Argentina, but also an exhaustive account of all the cultural, social and political context in which moments such as the country's World Cup victories in 1978 and 1986 took place ... the extraordinary attention to detail will reward the dedicated reader as he serves up reams of entertaining titbits, involving one-handed strikers, buried chickens and plenty more, alongside serious consideration of the junta's reign of terror and other instances of Argentine discord' * CATHOLIC HERALD *'Jonathan Wilson's enthralling and often disturbing history of Argentinian football . . . Wilson, one of the best of a new generation of football writers eager to to emphasise the bigger picture, untangles the social, economic and political narratives . . . He offers a nuanced examination of the extraordinary talents of Maradona and Lionel Messi, "the all-time great who never played at home". He deconstructs the Anglocentric interpretations of both 1966 and 1986 . . . Wilson's vignettes of former legends are well observed . . . The author is at his best when he is dissecting Argentinian football's idealised, aesthetically pleasing past, the psychodrama of its modern game, and its chequered football history' -- Anthony Clavane * NEW STATESMAN *Immensely readable and wonderfully researched history of a nation and its long-term love for the beautiful game . . . after reading this excellent history, you'll be convinced that it won't be long before they add to their two World Cup titles * THE PINK *The definitive history of Argentinian football -- Barry Glendenning * THE GUARDIAN *Epic in sweep ... a history of Argentinian football that is also a truly magnificent history of that country ... an unfailingly fascinating read * EVENING STANDARD Books of the Year 2016 *'In its expression of ruined promise, domestic football in Argentina has mirrored the country's social, financial and political life. Three of the greatest of all footballers (Alfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi) inherited the fire, passion and trickery of their native game in Argentina and all went on to spend their best years in Europe. An inescapable sense of regret and decay pervades this thorough and evocative chronicle' -- Nick Pitt * THE SUNDAY TIMES Best Sports Books of 2016 *Immensely readable and wonderfully-researched history of a nation and its long-term love for the beautiful game * BIRMINGHAM POST *This is a huge, magisterial study of Argentinian football and the culture and violence that informs it ... The country has lurched from one coup to the next, Juan Peron looms large in Wilson's story. He writes movingly about the dirty war that went on in the background to the country's World Cup triumph, and shares laugh-out-loud yarns from its 1986 World Cup victory -- Richard Fitzpatrick * IRISH EXAMINER *For unpicking what it is about Argentine football that appeals and appals in almost equal measure read Angels with Dirty Faces by Jonathan Wilson, one of those writers who writes about the familiar in the most unfamiliar of ways -- Mark Perryman * PHILOSOPHY FOOTBALL *This enthralling socio-political account of a football-obsessed nation illuminates on many levels -- Antony Clavane, author of A Yorkshire Tragedy * DAILY GAZETTE *

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Book SynopsisGermany did not have professional players or a national league until the 1960s, yet it became one of the most successful football nations in the world. Tor! (Goal!) traces the extraordinary story of Germany’s club and international football, from the days when it was regarded as a dangerously foreign pastime, through the horrors of the Nazi years to postwar triumphs and the crisis of the new century. Tor! challenges the myth that German football is ‘predictable’ or ‘efficient’ and brings to life the fascinating array of characters who shaped it: the betrayed pioneer Walther Bensemann; the enigmatic genius Sepp Herberger; the all-conquering Franz Beckenbauer; the modern misfit Lothar Matthäus. And even the radio commentator Herbert Zimmermann, whose ecstatic cries of ‘Tor!’ greeted the winning goal in the 1954 World Cup final and helped change a whole nation’s view of itself. Fully revised and updated ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Tor! is the definitive history of German football.

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Book SynopsisCelebrating 150 years of The Open Championship. The official book produced in partnership with The R&A at St Andrews, to celebrate The 150th Open, which began its journey in Prestwick on the west coast of Scotland in 1860.This beautiful book captures and celebrates the stories and history that make The Open so unique, with a fascinating and lively narrative history of the Championship, including interviews and exclusive content from champions of the game past and present.From caddies to greenkeepers clubhouses to breathtaking courses, through archive imagery and stunning photography, these pages reveal the fascinating sights, stories and characters from this revered Championship's long and remarkable history.

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Book SynopsisWINNER of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2015In the last two decades football in Britain has made the transition from a peripheral dying sport to the very centre of our popular culture, from an economic basket-case to a booming entertainment industry. What does it mean when football becomes so central to our private and political lives? Has it enriched us or impoverished us?In this sparkling book David Goldblatt argues that no social phenomenon tracks the momentous economic, social and political changes of the post-Thatcherite era in a more illuminating manner than football, and no cultural practice sheds more light on the aspirations and attitudes of our long boom and now calamitous bust. A must-read for the thinking football fan, The Game of Our Lives will appeal to readers of Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby and Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson. It will also be relished by readers of British social history such as Austerity Britain by David Kynaston. ''Brilliantly incisive. Goldblatt is not merely the best football historian writing today, he is possibly the best there has ever been. Goldblatt''s book could hardly be more impressive'' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewBrilliantly incisive. Goldblatt is not merely the best football historian writing today, he is possibly the best there has ever been. Goldblatt's book could hardly be more impressive -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Offers an enlightening, enriching experience. It is based on a formidable range of sources, personal observation and a pleasingly sardonic turn of phrase. Not all football writers know their stuff, let alone the socio-economic context, but Goldblatt does. Altogether this is an exceptional book -- David Kynaston * Guardian *Not just the best soccer book in many years but an exemplary account of the changing character of British society in the post-Thatcher era -- David Runciman * Wall Street Journal *David Goldblatt examines [English football] peerlessly ... A superb history of a sport and of a nation * Evening Standard *Goldblatt is a trusted guide ... Rich with statistics, this is an admirably balanced account of the beautiful game * Daily Mail *Prodigious research and a fluent writing style ... this is a fine book which should have an appeal much beyond the game -- Mihir Bose * Independent *An encyclopaedic portrait of English football stripped of all the non-stop hype. The beautiful game is, after all, a dirty business * Financial Times (Life & Arts) *An intensely readable socioeconomic study of English football in the age of globalisation * New Statesman *A book that informs and inspires, a truly great piece of writing * Philosophy Football *The best pub talker of a book for years * Sunday Sport *Goldblatt has a gift for exploring the way the game holds a mirror up to our lives ... His deconstruction of the modern game could hardly be bettered * Observer *[A] bold analysis of Britain's economic and social change refracted through football * The Times *A salient overview of the past quarter-century * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisCHELSEA FC: THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY goes to the heart of what gives the club its personality. The author has access to all the key characters, including Mourinho, Abramovich and the star players, plus legendary names of the past.He addresses all the controversies, including: the near suffocation through lack of cash in the 1970s and in 2002; the impact of Abramovich''s money; the club and fans'' response to racism; how the hooliganism which dogged Chelsea for years has been tackled. On the lighter side, Chelsea is regarded as the country''s glamour club, and fashions, good and dreadful, will feature alongside celebrity fans and the worlds of art and music. And then there is the football at the core of it all, creating moments of huge tension and excitement.

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Book SynopsisThe Victorian era witnessed a dramatic growth in sport, none more than football, both Association and Rugby, particularly in northern England. Diligently researched, this tome covers the first ever representative game in 1870 up to season 1900-01. Included are details of 622 representative matches, 90 league tables and 99 cup competitions

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Book SynopsisThey think it’s all over…it is now, with this comprehensive guide to football shirts through the years. From the obscure to the ubiquitous, The Football Shirts Book is packed with over 150 original and super rare shirts from the greatest game on earth. Covering everything from the iconic to the unusual, even the most hard-core fans will find out something new about the kit of their favourite team.Including full-colour photography, as well as interviews with football shirt design teams, musicians, and fashion designers, this guide offers a full exploration of the brands, design, and sponsorship history behind the world’s best-loved football shirts. It is a must-have for those crazy about football shirts, as well as those whose interest is piqued by history, design, and pop-culture.

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Book SynopsisOf all games, cricket has long prided itself on its ethical traditions, but to modern sceptics the idea of cricket encapsulating a higher morality is actually something of a myth. Playing the Game? looks at the changing ethics of cricket, from its gentlemanly roots right up until the present day. After decades of sledging, intimidatory bowling, blatant gamesmanship and dissent, the MCC adopted `The Spirit of Cricket' in 2000 in an attempt to reclaim the game's original ethos - but was it already too late? While the concept is a noble one, its impact has so far been limited, as award-winning cricket scribe Mark Peel explains. As well as looking back to the infamous Bodyline series of 1932/33, Peel also investigates the effects of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket; takes the ICC to task on their failure to quell rowdy behaviour and gamesmanship; examines the double standards of Western cricketing nations towards Pakistan; and delves into the recent ball-tampering affair that has tainted Aussie cricket.

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Book SynopsisIn Heart of Dart-ness, TV's Ned Boulting sets out to answer the forty-something year old question: What exactly is darts? Is it a sport, a freak show, a side-show, a pantomime, a riot or a party?From Purfleet to Minehead, Milton Keynes to Frankfurt, Ned embarks on a journey back to the beginning of the modern game. He tracks down some of the household names who graced childhood television screens and are still among us; names such as Andy Fordham, whose fifty bottles of Pils a day habit led to his near death on the oche, Cliff Lazarenko, whose prodigious drinking was the stuff of legend even among his not exactly abstemious peer-group, Phil Taylor, the greatest of all time, as well as the Europeans, Michael van Gerwen, and Raymond van Barneveld.Is it entertainment, or exploitation? To answer that question, as well as every other, he learns that all roads lead to the Heart of Dart-ness, and the biggest character the game has ever produced, Eric Bristow.Perhaps darts is after all, just exactly what it sets out to be; an anti-sport sport, a two-fingered salute to the establishment, a piss-up in a brewery, the ultimate escape. The best night out.

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Book SynopsisCricket is defined by the characters who have played it, watched it, reported it, ruled upon it, ruined it and rejoiced in it. Humorous and deeply affectionate, Cricketing Lives tells the story of the world's greatest and most incomprehensible game through those who have shaped it, from the rustic contests of eighteenth-century England to the spectacle of the Indian Premier League. It's about W. G. Grace and his eye to his wallet; the invincible Viv Richards; and Sarah Taylor, 'the best wicketkeeper in the world . . . male or female'. Paying homage, too, to the game's great writers, Richard H. Thomas steers a course through the despair of war, tactical controversies and internecine politics, to reveal how cricket has always stormed back to warm our hearts as nothing else can.Trade Review'absorbing and entertaining . . . Thomas has done something unusual but actually very simple and effective. He tells cricket's long and involved history through some of the interesting and characterful men (and a few women) who have played the game at the highest level. It is at heart, a Brief Lives of Cricket - not a discrete series of character portraits but a continuous flowing narrative that hops from player to player with elegance and wit . . . In short, he knows his stuff . . . this is a very good cricketing history indeed, and highly recommended.' - Marcus Berkmann, The Spectator; 'In the unlikely event that you won't find any cricket to watch over the summer, this joyous book should fill a gap. Thomas, a journalism lecturer, concentrates on the game's rich tapestry of people and anecdotes . . . this book is a chance to feast not just on the heroics of Stokes and "Beefy" Botham, but the early days of cricket - Oliver Cromwell who liked it initially but later tried to ban it, Frederick, Prince of Wales, who died in 1751 after being hit by a ball . . . W. G. Grace and his eye for his wallet, the playboys and profligates, boozers and buccaneers between the wars, the brutality of Bodyline . . . you name it, it's all here. Terrific.' - Daily Mail; 'Richard H. Thomas offers all of cricket's history in his Cricketing Lives, and he has written the kind of book you'd love to settle down with on a winter's night as the wind blows outside, a warm and generous history that glows with love as well as learning . . . Thomas has a knack for finding the quote you've never read, the reference that sends you scuttling towards unfamiliar books.' - Wisden Cricket Monthly; '[an] entertaining collection of portraits of cricket's characters. . . So colourful and well told is this book, heavy on research but light in touch, that it should interest even those who find the game dull . . . The book will certainly appeal to those who love dipping into Great Lives and who already feel, with Douglas Jardine, the former England Captain, that cricket is "that beautiful, beautiful game that is battle and service and sport and art".' - The Critic; 'As with most things there are other ways of tackling a task and Richard Thomas has found a hugely entertaining way to present the enduring story of how our splendid game got to where it is today. He even manages, and fair play to him for this, to end on an upbeat note . . . The key to Thomas's success is in part the ability to tell a story well . . . but that ability is much enhanced by the depth of his knowledge.' - CricketWeb.net; 'It is likely that most ACS members will have on their shelves other books that cover most of the same ground. But there is a freshness to the telling of the familiar stories that makes this a hugely enjoyable take on cricket history and a compelling read to which I looked forward to returning each evening while preparing this review.' - Journal of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians; 'What an enthralling voyage this book affords, with its vivid style and sequences of fascinating detail. Richard Thomas has created something unusually readable.' - David Frith, founding editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly; 'A wonderful read. Exhaustive and comprehensive as a reference tome, but also infused with a passion for the game and its players that distinguishes a mere cricketing aficionado from a true cricket lover.' - Phil Steele, BBC Sport; 'The game could wish for no more companiable host than Richard H. Thomas. This is a warm and welcoming amble through history, with a new story at every turn.' - Jon Hotten, Wisden Cricket Monthly

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Unbroken – a major motion picture releasing in 2015 – this is the bestselling true story of three men and their dreams for a racehorse, Seabiscuit. In 1938 one figure received more press coverage than Mussolini, Hitler or Roosevelt. He was a cultural icon and a world-class athlete – and an undersized, crooked-legged racehorse by the name of Seabiscuit. Misunderstood and mishandled, Seabiscuit had spent seasons floundering in the lowest ranks of racing until a chance meeting of three men. Together, they created a champion. This is a story which topped the bestseller charts for over two years; a riveting tale of grit, grace, luck and an underdog’s stubborn determination to win against all odds. Made into a major motion picture starring Toby Maguire and Jeff Daniels.Trade Review‘A rip-roaring narrative from a cobwebbed chapter of the Depression.’ Sunday Times ‘Hillenbrand tells the story of the triumphs and tribulations of her cast of misfits with flair and skill, relishing the larger than life characters who inhabited this forgotten demimonde.’ Sunday Times ‘Most readable … a wonderful tale.’ Daily Mail ‘This season’s literary sensation.’ Financial Times

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2023 Sports Book Awards for Best Football Writing of the Year Discover the origins of the Lionesses that brought football home. England's Lionesses are on the front and back pages; their stars feature on prime-time television; they are named in the national honours lists for their contribution to their sport and to society. The names of Lucy Bronze, Steph Houghton and Ellen White are emblazoned across the backs of children’s replica jerseys. These women are top athletes – and top celebrities. But in 1921, the Football Association introduced a ban on women’s football, pronouncing the sport 'quite unsuitable for females'. That ban would last for half a century - but despite official prohibition the women’s game went underground. From the Dick, Kerr Ladies touring the world to the Lost Lionesses who played at the unsanctioned Women's World Cup in Mexico in 1971, generations of women defied the restrictions and laid the foundations for today's Lionesses - so much so that in 2018 England's Women’s Super League became the first fully professional league in Europe...when just a few decades previously women were forbidden to play the sport in England at all. This book tells the story of women’s football in England since its 19th-century inception through pen portraits of its trailblazers. The game might have once been banned because of its popularity – find out about the subversive women who kept organising their teams and matches despite the prohibition, who broke barriers and set records – the legends of the game who built the foundations of the stage upon which today’s stars flourish. 'At what feels like a pivotal moment, Carrie’s forensic research and depth of knowledge make her the perfect person to guide us through the constantly changing landscape of women’s football' - Kelly Cates, TV presenterTrade Review'At what feels like a pivotal moment, Carrie’s forensic research and depth of knowledge make her the perfect person to guide us through the constantly changing landscape of women’s football' -- Kelly Cates, TV presenter'One of the most talented and considered minds working in women’s football today' -- Carl Anka * The Athletic *'The name of this book is taken from the reason given by the Football Association when it banned women from playing football in 1921. Carrie Dunn gives you a detailed look at that era in time and paints portraits of the trailblazers who built the foundations for today’s game' * Goal.com - 12 best things to buy to celebrate the 2022 Women's European Championship *'When it comes to women’s football and the history of the Lionesses, Carrie always brings expertise at the back, amazing research in centre midfield and never misses up front when it comes to passion' -- Colin Murray, BBC Radio 5 Presenter and Writer'Her passion and erudition seep through every syllable' * The Guardian *'It now feels extraordinary how invisible women have been in the history of sport - gaps that are starting to fill like in the insightful work of Carrie Dunn's Unsuitable for Females. She does great job recreating the past, taking us to the present and raising questions. More of that please!' -- Guillem Balague, football broadcaster and expert'Carrie Dunn's passion for her subject is there on every page. A brilliantly researched and important book' -- Adrian Durham, football broadcaster and award-winning author'I've worked with Carrie and I know 'Unsuitable for Females' will be an insightful, enlightening, witty, and thought-provoking read' -- Ricky Hill, former England men's international'Carrie Dunn is an inspiration - she has been championing women in football for many years, through her research, teaching and journalism. Those recent converts to the joy of the women's game will find Carrie's work on the Lionesses' history gives rich context to this success' -- Jo Swinson, author of 'Equal Power' and former MP'Unsuitable for Females is far more than just a history book ... [it] is a triumph of storytelling and skilfully fills in some of those historical gaps from the sport that have remained unexplored for too long' -- Tim Stillman, football writer'This book shows how women's football had to fight for its presence. It's extremely well written' -- Stuart Cosgrove * Off the Ball *'Carrie is my go-to for anything concerning The Lionesses. She’s always got an anecdote or insight I’ve never heard or considered before. Impeccably researched, I implore you to read Unsuitable for Females from cover to cover' -- Lynsey Hooper, presenter and broadcaster'One of the leading voices in women's football' * Mirror Sport *'Just incredible ... it’s so interesting' -- Nicky Campbell * BBC Radio 5 *'A great book ... a remarkable story' * BBC CWR (Coventry and Warwickshire), Breakfast Show *'A fantastic, really interesting history' -- Trisha Goddard'Recounting the troubled, shocking but ultimately immensely inspirational story of the women's game in England, Dunn's riveting book tells of the courageous female players who defied the half-century ban on women's football and the glorious rise of the Lionesses' * Waterstones Online *

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Book SynopsisPablo Escobar had one obsession. Not drugs, not money, not power... football.Narcoball uncovers the incredible story of Colombian football during the early 1990s - shaped by drug lords, rivalries, and ambition. It uncovers a football empire backed by cartels - where victory was a currency of its own, and defeat, a matter of life and death.This is a different story of Pablo Escobar and his rivals. A tale of clandestine deals that reshaped Medellin''s football clubs, where fortunes were won and lost. It unveils the extraordinary bonds that Escobar forged with football''s luminaries and why his influence reached unprecedented heights, leading to the astonishing 5-0 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires, the murder of referees, and the ruthless coercion of officials culminating in the killing of Andrés Escobar - the Colombian defender who paid the ultimate price for an own goal in the 1994 World Cup. It is also an examination of a people''s relationship with both

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Book SynopsisPacked with photography, narrative, and race results, Le Mans 100 is the official illustrated centennial history of this iconic motorsport event.Trade Review"...a treasure trove of history, captivating stories, and mesmerizing imagery that took me on a journey through the legendary endurance race’s rich past.Its stunning visuals, captivating narratives, and comprehensive coverage of a century of racing make it an essential addition to any motorsport library. Smale’s passion for the subject matter shines through on every page, ensuring that readers will be captivated by the stories and images, just as I was." -- Juston Cornelison * Winding Road Magazine *“Le Mans 100 is the ultimate chronicle of a marquee race.” * Stuttcars Porsche Road & Race Cars *"There's a huge variety of photos...this ork will also be useful to researchers, both casual and professional, who need a quick-hit summary of each year’s running. The constant evolution of race categories in Le Mans history is also tracked.This is an appropriate and practical capsulized history of the world’s most important race for sports cars." * Hemmings Motor News *"Far more than just a magnificent coffee table book (which it most certainly is), “LE MANS 100: A Century at the World’s Greatest Endurance Race” by Glen Smale is truly the definitive book on the hundred-year history of that iconic racing event." * AutoMatters,net *"This is an appropriate and practical capsulized history of the world’s most important race for sports cars." * Hemmings.com *"There are at least three good reasons to single out this book from the several that are even worth knowing about. To wit: the author’s qualifications, the book is officially endorsed by the race organizer, and the winningest Le Mans driver wrote a very lucid Foreword." * Speed Readers *Table of ContentsForeword Introduction 1 The 1920s First Steps 2 The 1930s Building a Solid Foundation 3 1949 & 1950s New Beginnings 4 The 1960s Let the Good Times Roll 5 The 1970s Forced Induction 6 The 1980s Zuffenhausen Rules 7 The 1990s Going Where . . . ? 8 The 2000s Diesel Power Rules 9 The 2010s & Early 2020s Winds of Change List of Abbreviations Bibliography About the Author Index

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Book SynopsisHidden Realms by Martyn Farr showcases 100 of the most outstanding caves, potholes and mines across the UK and Ireland. Martyn is one of the world’s most respected cavers, and he has been at the forefront of cave exploration in the UK and further afield for decades. Throughout Hidden Realms he combines his experience and passion for caving to present his favourite subterranean sites – the best of the best in the UK and Ireland. This is an explorer’s-eye view of the most secret and wild places in the British Isles. Many of the most highly rated and classic caves and mines are here – Gaping Gill with its almighty chasm and Porth yr Ogof with the swirling waters of White Horse Pool. Also captured are more remote, difficult-to-explore and seldom-visited places – including the challenging-to-reach bivvy site known as Restaurant at the End of the Universe in Ogof Daren Cilau and Circus Maximus in Ogof Draenen. For pure, pristine displays of formations the wonders of Neverland in Upper Flood Swallet cannot be surpassed. Here, too, there are a wide range of mines, today mostly abandoned and silent. Some, such as Nenthead, contain important and intriguing industrial archaeology. Others offer an underground adventure for intrepid explorers: the Tyrolean crossings and bridges of the Croesor–Rhosydd Slate Mine or the thrilling challenges of Cwmorthin Slate Mine which will test the nerve of all comers. Venture into the world of caving – at its spectacular, mysterious and inspirational best. Martyn’s stunning photographs capture moments held in time that most people have never seen, and the accompanying texts skilfully weave nuggets about the history of the sites hidden beneath us. We don’t yet know how many more caves and tunnels there are waiting to be explored. Some may be the hardest places in Britain and Ireland to reach, yet enormous scope remains for discovery and original exploration. For most, this is undoubtedly an unknown realm. Within these pages, underground wonders are presented to the wider world to fire the imagination.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Acknowledgements South Wales Mid and North Wales Mendips and Southern England Forest of Dean Peak District and Central England Yorkshire and Northern England Scotland Ireland Glossary

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Book SynopsisPeak Rock is a celebration of significant developments at the cutting edge of rock climbing in the Peak District, from the day that James W Puttrell first set foot on rock at Wharncliffe in the late nineteenth century, through to modern day ascents on the area's gritstone and limestone crags. Meticulously researched and written by a team of local authors, this is the story of the sharp end of Peak District climbing as told through the words of many of the Peak's - and the world's - top climbers, including: James W Puttrell, Jack Longland, Joe Brown, Don Whillans, Ed Drummond, Tom Proctor, John Allen, Ron Fawcett, Andy Pollitt, Jerry Moffatt, Johnny Dawes, Ben Moon, Miles Gibson, Pete Whittaker, Steve McClure, Ryan Pasquill and many more. The late Giles Barker first started work on Peak Rock - then titled Peak Performance - in the early 1980s, before progress was halted by his premature death in 1992. It was almost twenty years before Phil Kelly picked up where Giles left off, pulling together Giles' original research and interviews, which were stored at the Mountain Heritage Trust. Phil enlisted Graham Hoey to work on the book, updating the manuscript with their own interview material and other primary source information, writing a number of missing chapters and also adding a number of chapters, including the significant developments of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Phil and Graham brought in a team of experienced Peak District climbers drawing on their knowledge of specific developments - trad climbing, sport climbing, bouldering, gritstone, limestone - and worked with them to develop individual chapters. This resulting book on the history of Peak District climbing is the most comprehensive to be published since Eric Byne and Geoff Sutton's High Peak in 1966.

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Book SynopsisThis sumptuous book, a feast of nostalgia, celebrates thewonderful era of the European Formula 2 Championship, which began in 1967 andconcluded in 1984. F2 pitted emerging heroes against the greats of the day andin its earlier years virtually all the top F1 drivers.

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Book SynopsisCelebrating 100 years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, motorsport’s iconic endurance race, technical illustrator Mick Hill takes us on a potted history of this world-famous event. The follow-on book to his successful Grand Prix’s Winning Colours, Mick once again allows his signature artwork to take centre stage, presenting a complete visual record of every winning car since the championship began back in 1923. Including details of the cars’ drivers, as well as interesting facts about each race, such as weather conditions, distance covered and average speeds, Le Mans Winning Colours is a book to treasure for all racing-car enthusiasts.

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Book SynopsisAmerican Football - The Ultimate Book is a richly illustrated volume that covers all facets of this fascinating sport: the most famous teams and players, historic games, the Super Bowls and the stars of the halftime show, trophies and victory rings, and stadiums. Informative texts by German sports journalist Alex von Kuczkowski complete this must-have book for all fans of American football.This is an actual lifestyle book about the quintessential American sport. The sport with the largest fan base in the USA has been gaining more and more fans in Europe for years. Famous players like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning are portrayed, as well as German players who have made it to the NFL like Sebastian Vollmer and Amon-Ra St. Brown. The main focus is on the American NFL league.

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Book Synopsis'Genius ... Squires' creativity shines through in this collection - there's simply no one better at what he does.' - Best Football Books of 2019, FourFourTwo***Half-and-half scarves? VARs? England winning penalty shoot-outs?Modern football can be baffling. But if you're contemplating throwing it all in for the simpler pleasures of quantum mechanics, don't despair just yet: help is at hand.In Goalless Draws, David Squires unpicks the modern game with an unmissable selection of his Guardian football cartoons from 2014 to the 2018 World Cup. From the ever-dizzying managerial roundabout to the absurdities of the transfer window, and from the annual tradition of poppygate to the 'stable genius' of José Mourinho, the result is a riotous reminder of all the pitfalls of the modern game, as well as everything that keeps us coming back for more.

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Book SynopsisPublished in collaboration with the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest), organisers of the Le Mans 24 Hours, this official book celebrates the centenary of the world's greatest sports car race. Besides recalling the most memorable moments in the event's history, the book takes an imaginative thematic approach in examining a huge range of topics to give a complete picture of the entire period, right up to Ferrari's victory in the centenary year. All the important subjects have their place, including the great drivers and cars, and are presented in an appealing style with plenty of thought-provoking angles. Technical evolution receives particularly enlightening coverage, with emphasis on the innovations and curiosities so evident at Le Mans over the years. Extensive period illustration blends with 'infographics', diagrams, poster artwork and memorabilia to provide a visually vivid presentation. This is the complete story of the Le Mans 24 Hours, told from the inside.

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Book SynopsisThe importance of cricket to the English imagination has been immortalised in the art and literature of a thousand years. It is a story that is known in part, but one that has never been explored in full. And it is lined with surprises, forgotten tales, unnoticed details - ranging from medieval manuscript illustrations, through a dazzling variety of visual art, poetry, fiction, and drama, to recent portraits of contemporary heroes.Echoing Greens will explore the depth of the bond between cricket and the English imagination. For countless artists and writers across the centuries, the culture and aesthetics of cricket - white-clad players, the crack of bat on ball, booming appeals, admiring applause, figures running up to bowl, batsmen leaning, waiting, swinging the blade - have been as essential to the English landscape as the hills and meadows immortalised by Gainsborough, Constable and Turner. And in pursuing this journey, Echoing Greens will show t

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Book SynopsisCelebrating the astonishing career and life of American race-car driver and consecutive NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. Now Promotionally Priced!

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisLe Mans hosted the fastest racing cars on the planet, top speeds on the world-famous Mulsanne straight exceeding 250mph for the first time in 1988. This decade''s new Group C regulations challenged motorsport engineers to achieve race-winning engine performance while saving fuel, fostering the original rationale of this historic event as a proving ground for emerging automotive technologies. It accelerated the development of control electronics and aerodynamics, and soon increasingly sophisticated racing coupés were setting new performance standards. The 1980 event was uniquely won by Jean Rondeau, a Le Mans resident, with a car of his own manufacture. After seven impressive Porsche successes, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, both returning to motorsport after long absences, won in 1988 and 1989. By the end of the decade, Le Mans was contested by Aston Martin, Jaguar, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota.- Highly detailed year-by-year coverage of t

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Book SynopsisRobin Oakley brings alive the colourful world of those who ride and train jumping horses.With elegant production and gripping images, Sixty Years of Jump Racing chronicles the social and economic changes which have brought the sport's ups and downslike the development of sponsorships and syndicate ownership, the near loss of the Grand National, the growing domination of the Cheltenham Festival and the growth of all-weather racing to meet the bookies' demands for betting shop fodder. Pace and colour is provided by stories of the horses who have been taken to the heart of racing crowds, like the Irish-trained hurdler Istabraq and Best Mate, the three-times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup for England. Famous rivalries and memorable races are re-lived and key victories revisited in portraits of and interviews with the owners, jockeys and trainers who have dominated the sport.The emphasis will be largely on the past fifty yearsfrom Arkle to Tony McCoybut a significant Trade ReviewA very fine book indeed… a love letter to a sport the two authors adore… Readers of this will be grateful to Oakley and Gillespie. A good job has been done * Racing Post *A labour of love written with Edward Gillespie… it charts National Hunt racing from the mid-1960s when the incomparable steeplechaser Arkle’s reign ended to the retirement of the 20-times champion jockey Sir AP McCoy in 2015. At its heart is a series of insightful interviews with leading trainers that illustrate the sport’s evolution * Yorkshire Post *Highly recommended… People bitten by jump racing after watching the National, the Champion Hurdle or the Cheltenham Gold Cup will find this book a useful guide to a sport with deep roots. Whether it will help them pick out winners is another matter... * The Pink, Southampton *For the true racing fan Sixty Years of Jump Racing will revive a host of memories * XtraTime *A colourful anecdote-packed history of steeplechasing and hurdling. This is a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the sport that maintains the strong gallop right through the 280-odd pages * Blackpool Gazette *This beautifully produced book encapsulates a majestic history * Cotswold Life *A great coffee table read * Three Counties Race Club Magazine *This book lays out the history in a way that has not been achieved before... A must for all horse racing fans * Firetrench *an exceptional book for any sport lover, let alone National Hunt enthusiast… there is never a dull moment – this is a book I keep on my bedside * Fitzdare Times *What we have, in some ways, is a love letter to a sport the two authors adore. This is highly readable and is enhanced by glorious photographs. * Racing Post *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Racing’s acronyms and abbreviations Foreword by Edward Gillespie The Cheltenham Gold Cup The Champion Hurdle The Grand National The Champion Trainers Women in Racing The Jockey’s Life The Champion Jockeys Ireland Finding the Horses The Royals and Racing Running Racing Paying for Racing Betting on Racing Epilogue Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA journey through the wild madness of bicycle racing in Flanders.LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019''A joy.'' Ned BoultingEvery nation shapes sport to test the character traits it most admires.In The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman, committed Belgophile and road cycling obsessive Harry Pearson takes you on a journey across Flanders, through the lumpy horizontal rain, up the elbow juddering cobbled inclines, past the fans dressed as chickens and the shop window displays of constipation medicines, as he follows races big, small and even smaller through one glorious, muddy spring.Ranging over 500 years of Flemish and European history, across windswept polders, along back roads and through an awful lot of beer cafes, Pearson examines the characters, the myths and rivalries that make Flanders a place where cycling is a religion and the riders its lycra-clad priests.Trade ReviewAn enormously entertaining cycling journal * Times Literary Supplement *Absolutely splendid ... full of wonderful things. -- Rhod Sharp * BBC Radio 5 Live *Harry Pearson’s class and wit were the reason I wanted to start writing in the first place. To read his words on cycling and Flanders, two of the best things in the world, is a joy. -- Ned BoultingEntertaining -- Richard Williams * The Guardian *The ever amiable Harry Pearson invites us to accompany him on a tour of Flanders ... [the cyclists' stories] illuminate the landscape and history of this little understood pocket of Europe. * Guardian Books of the Year *A witty, engaging guide to the spring bike races in Flanders ... [Pearson] covers a lot of quirky historical ground in his "bone-shaking tour". * Telegraph Books of the Year *Table of ContentsPrologue: Brick chimneys and iron men 1. The Final 200 Kilometres 2. A Motor for a Heart 3. Donkeys and Carnivals 4. A Wednesday in Hell 5. Holey Socks and a Cool Head 6. It's a Family Affair 7. Show Me the Money 8. The Bulldog and the Red Guard 9. The Devil and Meester Maertens 10. D'ye Ken Tom Boonen? 11. Pot Bellies and Barbra Streisand 12. Staying Small Acknowledgements Index Picture credits

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious, heartwarming and - unbelievably - true story of Maurice Flitcroft, the World's Worst Golfer'The story of its greatest anti-hero is just what the game needs' SpectatorWhen 46-year-old crane driver Maurice Flitcroft chanced his way into the Open - having never before played a round of golf in his life - he ran up a record-worst score of 121. The sport's ruling classes banned him for life.Maurice didn't take it lying down. In a hilarious game of cat-and-mouse with The Man, he entered tournaments again - and again, and again - using increasingly ludicrous pseudonyms such as Gene Pacecki, Arnold Palmtree and Count Manfred von Hoffmanstel (more often than not disguised by a fake moustache).In doing so, he sent the authorities into apoplexy, and won the hearts of fans from Muirfield to Michigan, becoming arguably the most popular - and certainly the bravest - sporting underdog the world has ever known'Hilarious' EsquireTrade ReviewHilarious—EsquireThe story of its greatest anti-hero is just what the game needs.—Spectator

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Book Synopsis'Passionate and moving and provides further evidence of the universality of football' Jonathan Wilson, FourFourTwoThe definitive story of the Middle East's unstoppable rise to football superpower, and the road to the Qatar World CupWhen James Montague first began covering football in the Middle East two decades ago, people asked him what future there could possibly be for the beautiful game in one of the most volatile regions in the world. In the years that followed, it would become one of the biggest stories in global sport, from the from revolutionary ultras of the Arab Spring and the takeover of some of the world's biggest clubs by the Emirati super rich, to Qatar's controversial journey towards hosting the 2022 World Cup finals.The only Western journalist covering the story on the ground from the very beginning, James Montague tells the definitive tale of the region's rise to ultimate power player in the global game in a fully revised and updated edition. Travelling to every country in the Middle East and meeting fans, players, workers and campaigners, he paints an unforgettable picture of football in a controversial, vibrant and surprising new world.Trade ReviewA vibrant account of sport in the world's most volatile region * GQ *Passionate and moving and provides further evidence of the universality of football. -- Jonathan Wilson * Four Four Two *An excellent book, which is so, so much more than a book about sport or football; it is also a travelogue and a treatise on the politics of the Middle East. * Independent *A courageous, amusing and informative work * Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis*A MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING SPORTS WRITER*'Hamilton's book is a marvel . . . I'm not sure he could write a dull sentence if he tried' Spectator One of Duncan Hamilton's favourite writers on cricket, Edmund Blunden, wrote how he felt going to watch a game: 'You arrive early, earlier even than you meant . . . and you feel a little guilty at the thought of the day you propose to give up to sheer luxury'.Following Neville Cardus's assertion that 'there can be no summer in this land without cricket', Hamilton plotted the games he would see in 2019 and write down reflectively on some of the cricket that blessed his own sight. It would be captured in the context of the coming season in case subsequent summers and the imminent arrival of The Hundred made that impossible. He would write in the belief that after this season the game might never be quite the same again.He visits Welbeck Colliery Cricket Club to see Nottinghamshire play Hampshire at the tiny ground of Sookholme, gifted to the club by a local philanthropist who takes money on the gate; his village team at Menston in Yorkshire; the county ground at Hove; watches Ben Stokes's heroics at Headingley, marvels at Jofra Archer's gift of speed in a Second XI fixture for Sussex against Gloucestershire in front of 74 people and three well-behaved dogs; and realises when he reaches the last afternoon of the final county match of the season at Taunton, 'How blessed I am to have been born here. How I never want to live anywhere else. How much I love cricket.'One Long and Beautiful Summer forms a companion volume to Hamilton's 2009 classic, A Last English Summer. It is sports writing at its most accomplished and evocative, confirming his reputation as the finest contemporary chronicler of the game. Trade ReviewDuncan Hamilton has written some of the best books about sport in recent years. All lovers of cricket will love this book. You could say that Hamilton has done it again. -- Michael Henderson, on The Great Romantic * The Cricketer *Brilliantly expresses the passion that millions like him, in pursuit of happiness and belonging, feel for the beautiful game. Simply magnificent -- on Going to the Match * Mail on Sunday *Hamilton is a worthy biographer -- on The Great Romantic * The Times *A wonderfully languorous piece of time travel back to the so-called Golden Age of cricket -- on The Great Romantic * Guardian *Hamilton has achieved the difficult task of humanising an icon while clearing the rubbish away from his plinth -- on The Great Romantic * The Hindu *Duncan Hamilton is already a multiple award-winning sports writer, but it is hard to imagine he will write a better book than this superb, elegiac portrait of . . . Cardus -- on The Great Romantic * Daily Mail *Rich in observation * The Cricketer *

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