Search results for ""author paul zanon""

Imagine living in a box at the bottom of the sea for a month at a time. Locked away in a saturation chamber, plumbed to depths of more than 500 feet, this has been David Beckett's love, life and work for all his adult life. Destined to become a pig farmer in the late 1960s, a twist of fate saw David become an air diver, and within a short space of time he progressed to saturation diving. He would brush with death on more than one occasion - not least when helping to recover 47 bodies of the victims of the Sumburgh chinook disaster in Scotland's Shetland Islands - and when called in to assist with the deadliest peacetime shipwreck in Europe, as the MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994 and claimed 852 lives. Amongst the depths of despair, there are many lighter moments, including treasure hunting in the Philippines, almost clinching a contract to salvage the bursar's safe from the Titanic and surviving a 24-hour typhoon which brought 80-foot waves crashing down on his boat. The Loonliness of a Deep Sea Diver is gritty, sometimes comical and offers a unique glimpse into a life at sea, much of it at the bottom.

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In a footballing career spanning 21 years, Tony Gale played over 720 games on almost every league pitch across the four divisions. He is one of only 16 players in the UK to have played over 300 games for two teams and one of a handful to be part of a Premier League winning side. As a pundit he's commentated on over 3,000 live games for the likes of Sky and Capital Gold, covering virtually every major football competition in his inimitable light hearted manner. Gale made his first team debut at Fulham Football Club at the ripe age of 16, before being made captain at 18. Playing alongside a golden era of greats, the anecdotes which Gale recounts while playing alongside George Best, Bobby Moore and Rodney Marsh are a nostalgic masterclass. Moving to West Ham for the next decade, the Pimlico born defender was part of the iconic 'Boys of 86' squad, which broke 17 records that year, 16 of which are still unbeaten. Exiting at his lowest point from West Ham in 1994, with two weeks to go before the new season, Gale was in effect homeless and jobless in footballing terms. That however all changed when he landed a place at Blackburn Rovers. Sir Kenny Dalglish recalled the decision to include 35-year-old Gale into the squad of 94/95. "His experience was a big help and the positive impact he made in the dressing room was excellent. He made his contribution to us winning the league, same as everybody on that team." Void of any media training, Gale's move into radio and television commentary in the late 90's was as natural as kicking a ball. In the words of Chris Kamara, "The one thing that stayed with Galey is that dressing room humour, which you all miss when you stop playing football. The one liners, the windups. Galey brought them from the dressing room and into real life."

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Growing up on one of Scarborough's toughest estates, Paul Ingle pulled on his first pair of boxing gloves at the age of seven. Known by fans, foes and friends as 'The Yorkshire Hunter' he fought almost 200 times as an amateur, representing his country in every major international tournament and, in November 1999, beat Manuel Medina for the IBF featherweight world title. Months later, in front of a packed crowd at Madison Square Garden, Paul came off the canvas and stopped Junior Jones in an eleven-round epic to add the IBO belt. In December 2000, he fought Mbulelo Botile in what ought to have been a straightforward defence. But then, knocked down in the twelfth, Paul was rushed to hospital where he had emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain. The Yorkshire Hunter tells the story of an endearing and enduring man who never left his roots. With a foreword by Kellie Maloney, this is the tale of a fighter whose fiercest battle came outside the ring.

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Sinner and Saint is the inspirational story of Martin Murray, St Helens' flawed yet favourite son. A promising amateur teenage boxer, Murray was drawn into a life fuelled with drugs, alcohol and street fighting. By the age of 24, he had completed four jail sentences, one of them in a notorious Cypriot prison. He still managed to win the ABA welterweight title in 2004 - while on the run! The reintroduction of boxing back into his life and a settled family life proved to be his saviour. Turning pro in 2007, Murray went on to win the Commonwealth and British middleweight titles, and challenged for the world title on no fewer than four occasions. Murray pulls no punches as he recounts his story in the most intimate and vivid way - a rollercoaster life ultimately redeemed through his success in boxing.

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Mooresy: The Fighter's Fighter is the life story of one of Britain's most-loved boxers. Not always an angelic teen and a product of the 'Salford Overspill', Jamie Moore was sucked into the slipstream of the thrill which came with car theft. At 15, his luck ran out after a helicopter police chase. Boxing turned out to be his saviour. Progressing through the amateur ranks, he turned pro in 1999 aged 20 and went on to become British, Irish, Commonwealth and European light middleweight champion. Known by many as 'Britain's most exciting fighter' Moore engaged in some epic battles, and was one half of boxing's Fight of the Year three times within a five-year period. Four shoulder operations and three brain scans prompted him to quit in 2010. He was snapped up by Sky Sports and started training his own stable of champions. Life was good. That life was almost permanently taken away from him in August 2014, after being shot at five times in Marbella. Despite having a bullet lodged in his right hip and constant pain to his left leg as a result of another bullet passing straight through his thigh, Moore does not dwell on his brush with death.His serene acceptance of life is inspirational as he remains a husband, proud father, former champion, trainer - and occasional actor.

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