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By John Motson. 2009
From Ronnie Radford to Wayne Rooney, John Motson's knowledge and passion for football are unrivalled. In Motty, he shares his…
story for the first time and guides us through a career which has spanned forty years and over 2,000 matches. From reporting on the exploits of the giant-killing Hereford team in the 1972 FA Cup that made his name on Match of the Day, to the estimated twenty-million viewers who tuned in to his commentary on England's match with Portugal at the 2006 World Cup, Motson's time in the commentary box has delivered some unforgettable anecdotes. In dozens of fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, we hear about the greatest football matches he has watched and the greatest players and managers he has been privileged to know. Many of them are football icons; Bill Shankly, Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough, Alf Ramsey, and Matt Busby, amongst countless others.Motty is essential reading for anyone who has grown up with the undisputed voice of football.By Mark Gregory. 2021
A top-to-bottom look at England's national game, from one of the UK's leading business economists.The Premier League is the most…
commercially successful football league in history, the self-proclaimed 'best league in the world'. But success has come at a cost, unbalancing the English game to a profound and damaging degree.Football's stumbling response to COVID-19 and the European Super League disaster are just the most recent examples. It is estimated that more than two thirds of the country's 92 professional clubs are loss-making; payments to agents each year regularly total more than the combined income of all 44 clubs in Leagues 1 and 2; supporters have been squeezed to the limit; racist incidents are on the rise; grassroots facilities are in a dreadful state; and failed World Cup bids have severely weakened England's standing in the global game. The national team's performance at Euro 2020 can't paper over the cracks.There is an alternative. In this revealing and eye-opening analysis, leading economist Mark Gregory reveals the breadth and depth of the problems facing our national men's game, and shows us a way to bring football home for good.By Dr Kathleen Griffiths, Dr Helen Christensen. 2011
All of us feel anxious from time to time, but for one in six people in the UK chronic depression…
can become unbearable and severely disrupt everyday life. The Mood Gym is an interactive programme designed for those who would like to manage existing negative emotions and prevent mental health problems in the future.Drawing on the latest research and based on two proven techniques - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy - this unique guide will:- assess your mood and anxiety levels through interactive quizzes- help you to change unhelpful patterns of thought and behaviour- offer proven coping strategies to help you deal with depression and let you enjoy your life once more- outline complementary therapies, such as relaxation and meditation, to assist you in your recoveryThe Mood Gym is a unique guide that will help you feel better.By Iain Carter. 2010
'I am the Ryder Cup, I suppose' Colin MontgomerieFor twenty years Colin Montgomerie has been Europe's go-to guy in the…
Ryder Cup. He has been the catalyst, the leader, the closer. The man they call on to take down America's big guns, the man they turn to when a win is desperately needed to steady the nerves. Now in the twilight of his career he has one last role to play: In 2010 he is Captain of Team Europe in their quest to regain their trophy. Montgomerie's record in golf's showpiece tournament is unparalleled. Since 1991 he has performed in eight Ryder Cups, winning five of them and has never, ever been beaten in a singles match. He is the most talked about European golfer of his generation but, agonisingly he has never managed to win one of golf's major championships.Monty's Manor gets right inside Colin Montgomerie's history with the Ryder Cup from his debut in 1991 right up to and including the drama and excitement of this years contest in Wales. Iain Carter has had unprecedented access to key players on both sides of the pond, caddies, coaches, friends, foes, rivals and reporters. Through their eyes we look back on two decades of successes and near misses. It is through them that we get to see the real 'Monty'.By Malcolm Folley. 2017
**THE ONLY DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST RACE - FULL OF EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH NIKI LAUDA, ROSS BRAWN, DAMON…
HILL, DAVID COULTHARD, SIR JACKIE STEWART, OLIVER PANIS AND 2016 WORLD CHAMPION NICO ROSBERG**Circuit de Monaco. Monte Carlo. The ultimate race in the Formula One calendar.When you think of Formula One, you think of Monaco. Once a year, yachts jam the harbour, celebrities fill the stands and luxury sports cars litter the streets as of thousands of people gather from across the world to watch the greatest, and one of the oldest, races in motorsport.Monaco is glamorous, prestigious and seductive. But for the drivers, it is the most demanding race of the year. The narrow streets, tight corners and sharp elevations make it the ultimate test of driving skill. It is physically draining and mentally exhausting.Proposed today, the race would not exist but it remains the jewel in the crown for every Formula One driver. There is simply no other race like it. Win at Monaco and your name is etched in history. You will join the likes of Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.With exclusive interviews and insight from drivers and a wealth of F1 insiders, award-winning sportswriter Malcolm Folley goes behind the scenes to discover what it's really like to drive and live and breathe this iconic circuit. He reveals along the way a unique and definitive portrait of the circuit, and recreates in thrilling detail its most extraordinary weekend, when only three cars finished.By Sophie Fletcher. 2014
Hypnotherapist and experienced doula Sophie Fletcher shares with you the secrets to having a safe, natural and positive birth. Using…
a powerful combination of mindfulness, hypnosis and relaxation techniques, Sophie will ensure you feel genuinely excited and completely prepared for birth.With stories from women who have successfully used the tools in this book, and downloadable hypnosis and relaxation tracks, discover how to:- use your mind and body together to stay focused and in control- draw on visualisation and breathing techniques to help birth progress- feel positive and empowered, before, during and after you give birthReassuring, practical and based entirely on what works, Mindful Hypnobirthing is your essential guide to giving birth the way you want to.By Sophie Fletcher. 2019
Hypnotherapist and experienced doula Sophie Fletcher shares with you the secrets to having a safe and positive birth experience. Using…
a powerful combination of mindfulness, hypnosis and relaxation techniques, Sophie will ensure you feel genuinely excited and completely prepared for birth.With stories from women who have successfully used the tools in this book, and downloadable hypnosis and relaxation tracks, discover how to:- use your mind and body together to stay focused and in control- draw on visualisation and breathing techniques to help birth progress- feel positive and empowered, before, during and after you give birthReassuring, practical and based entirely on what works, Mindful Hypnobirthing is your essential guide to having a calm and confident birth experience.By Arnold Thomas Fanning. 2018
Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize 2019'[A] painfully intense, courageous and gripping account of [Fanning's] journey to the underworld of…
madness and back. This is a brave and instructive book.' Irish Times'Extraordinary. An account of mental illness, grief, delusions, homelessness, a fractured family relationship ... and all while trying to recover and create. Superb writing on a frequently difficult subject.' Sinéad Gleeson Arnold Thomas Fanning had his first experience of depression during adolescence, following the death of his mother. Some ten years later, an up-and-coming playwright, he was overcome by mania and delusions. Thus began a terrible period in which he was often suicidal, increasingly disconnected from family and friends, sometimes in trouble with the law, and homeless in London.Drawing on his own memories, the recollections of people who knew him when he was at his worst, and medical and police records, Arnold Thomas Fanning has produced a beautifully written, devastatingly intense account of madness - and recovery, to the point where he has not had any serious illness for over a decade and has become an acclaimed playwright. Fanning conveys the consciousness of a person living with mania, psychosis and severe depression with a startling precision and intimacy. Mind on Fire is the gripping, sometimes harrowing, and ultimately uplifting testament of a person who has visited hellish regions of the mind.'Arnold Thomas Fanning offers the most vivid and unflinching window into the mind of someone who is in the throes of madness ... It was like nothing I'd read before' Rick Edwards'Mind on Fire is a truly powerful, arresting, haunting account. Arnold Thomas Fanning has reckoned with the darkest matter of his heart and mind, and I challenge anyone not to be moved by that.' Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither and A Line Made by Walking'In this strange and singular book, Arnold Thomas Fanning mercilessly excavates the infernal underworld of his own years of madness. As reminiscent as it occasionally is of John Healy's The Grass Arena, and even of Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, the book is ultimately not quite like anything else I've read, and brought me as close to the lived reality of mental illness as I have ever been. It's a significant achievement: a painful, inexorable work of autobiography, whose existence is its own form of redemption.' Mark O'Connell, Baillie Gifford Prize-shortlisted author of To Be a Machine'This is an extraordinary memoir about how it feels to be depressed, delusional, desperate' The Observer 'Incredibly important' Emilie Pine, author of Notes to Self'A ratcheting pace, a tight first-person immediacy, and utterly staggering to be a passenger over its entire warped course ... An indelible, ground-shaking account' Hilary A White, Irish Independent, Memoir of the Year, Best Reads of 2018'A spellbinding memoir that should prove both moving and hopefully cathartic for the reader.' RTE Culture 'Told in tight and immediate first-person, and imbued with a startling momentum that ratchets unnervingly, Fanning's publishing debut ... is a significant achievement and should be a talking point in publishing this year.' Irish Independent 'Fanning's debut book lays it on the line in a deeply personal and compelling chronicle of his descent into depression and his way back out.' RTE Guide'Wonderful' Joseph O'Connor, Irish Times Books of the Year'Unsparingly direct, searing and honest ... It is gripping to read and must have been exhausting to live' Medical Independent 'One of the most gripping and revealing memoirs I've read in a long time. A controlled and artful exploration of absolute loss of control, an unsBy Dr Sarah Vohra. 2020
*For fans of Fearne Cotton's Calm and Matt Haig's Notes of a Nervous Planet*At some point in our lives we…
will all struggle with our mental health. But how many of us know what to actually do when we're struggling? How do you spot the warning signs and what can you do to stop things from escalating? From leading Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Sarah Vohra (aka The Mind Medic), comes The 5 Senses Plan - a practical guide to improving your mental wellbeing using your 5 senses to help you along the way. The 5 Senses Plan offers expert advice and easy-to-follow exercises on how to optimise your senses, including:· SIGHT: how to see beyond the negative and use CBT techniques to reframe thought patterns· HEARING: exploring the role of a mentor and creating a space to listen and be listened to· SMELL: how to introduce calming scents into your life and the science behind aromatherapy · TOUCH: putting your worries in a worry box to help validate and contain your thoughts · TASTE: how to eat for your mind and discovering mood-boosting micronutrientsDr Vohra debunks the myths and conflicting advice surrounding mental health, setting out a 10-week plan to equip you with the knowledge and strategies for a happier, calmer mind. With The 5 Senses Plan, feel empowered with the knowledge to take control of your own mental health, the confidence to have honest conversations and the strength to seek support early.By Gwendolyn Leick. 2001
Situated in an area roughly corresponding to present-day Iraq, Mesopotamia is one of the great, ancient civilizations, though it is…
still relatively unknown. Yet, over 7,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the very first cities were created. This is the first book to reveal how life was lived in ten Mesopotamian cities: from Eridu, the Mesopotamian Eden, to that potent symbol of decadence, Babylon - the first true metropolis: multicultural, multi-ethnic, the last centre of a dying civilization.By Fraser Marr, Neil Jeffries. 1997
Most relationships between a fan and a favourite football team go way beyond the casual. Almost always that relationship is…
a torrid, steamy and passionate love affair. A love affair that rarely lives up to expectations. A love affair that seldom satisfies and, most of the time, just plain hurts. So it is for supporters of Leeds United, a club with a big reputation secured in the late 1960s and early '70s, but tarnished in the '80s and rebuilt only partially in the '90s. Come the start of the 1996-97 season, Leeds were a Premiership club on paper, but on the pitch looked far from it. The supporters groaned and the new board acted swiftly, manager Howard Wilkinson being replaced by the once disgraced George Graham. The football world watched as the former Arsenal supreme sought to rebuild both Leeds and his own reputation. All the club had was time, hope and the love of its fans . . . Love Hurts tells the story of some of those fans. It is a diary of one extraordinary season, told and photographed in a uniquely personal way by two men for whom following Leeds is a labour of love requiring hours of motorway travel to matches offering variable amounts of torment and despair, of ecstasy and humour. The book pulls no punches, and points the finger whether the team wins or loses. No quarter is given and no fan of any team who reads is can fail to recognise the joy and pain it contains.By Maarten Meijer. 2014
So who is Louis van Gaal? An inflexible ex-PE teacher who only knows how to act like a dictator or…
a footballing visionary that has made him one of the greatest ever European managers? Wherever he has gone, Van Gaal has been accused of being a domineering disciplinarian and a control freak. He is certainly, by his own admission, a man who leaves nothing to chance. A disciple in the 1970s of Rinus Michels’ Total Football philosophy, he is a fascinating contradiction – an ultra-individualist utterly devoted to the collective effort. He believes in the team over the individual, in always having a plan and a team prepared to follow it. Van Gaal led the young Ajax team he moulded to Champions League glory in 1995, went on to win titles across Europe with Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich and served two stints as national coach of Holland. It is a career that has never been short on colour and drama – from fallouts with players to rants at the media wherever he has managed. Dutch football commentator Maarten Meijer’s has written the definitive biography of van Gaal – both the man and his methods. It offers the best psychological insight so far – from his earliest roots to his greatest triumphs – into the man given the task of returning the glory days to Manchester United.**New chapter on Louis van Gaal's first season with Manchester United**By Paul Lindley. 2017
'Read on, and rediscover how to live a fuller and more successful life' SIR RICHARD BRANSON, from the forewordThere are…
some 400 million people worldwide whose creativity, imagination and determination put the rest of us to shame. They are experts in their field, despite having no experience to speak of. Once, you were one of them too. They are toddlers - and they hold the key to unlocking our creative potential as adults.In Little Wins: The Huge Power of Thinking Like a Toddler, Ella's Kitchen founder Paul Lindley reveals the nine characteristics and behaviours that we can all learn from recalling our toddler selves. From attention-grabbing tactics that would humble most marketing experts to the art of thinking divergently, Lindley shows how much we've lost in getting old - and how we can get it back. Never mind growing up; it's time we grew down.By Joe Marler. 2020
SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEARThe truth about being a rugby player from the horsey's mouth.This book…
is not just about how a psychiatrist called Humphrey helped me get back on my horse and clippity-clop all the way to the World Cup semi-final in Japan. It's the story of how a fat kid who had to live up to the nickname Psycho grew up to play and party for over a decade with rugby's greatest pros and live weird and wonderful moments both in and out of the scrum. That's why I'm letting you read my diary on my weirdest days. You never know what you're going to get with me. From being locked in a police cell to singing Adele on Jonathan Ross (I'll let you decide which is worse), being kissed by a murderer on the number 51 bus to drug tests where clipboard-wielding men hover inches away from my naked genitalia, melting opponents in rucks, winning tackles, and generally losing blood, sweat and ears in the name of the great sport of rugby. This is how (not) to be a rugby player.By Carolinne White. 2010
'Perpetua shouted out with joy as the sword pierced her, for she wanted to taste some of the pain and…
she even guided the hesitant hand of the trainee gladiator towards her own throat'Lives of Roman Christian Women is a unique collection of letters and documents from the third to the fifth centuries, celebrating Christian women from across the Roman Empire. During a crucial period in which Christianity transformed from a persecuted faith to the official religion of the Empire, these writings reveal the women who chose to dedicate their lives to Christ, by embracing martyrdom or by adopting a life of poverty and prayer, renouncing not only wealth but also their duties as wives and mothers.By David Tucker. 2009
London Walks is the award-winning original walking tour company. Written by the expert and knowledgeable guides who lead the walks,…
London Stories is the perfect way to discover the rich history of London and its hidden gems, including:Sinister London - haunted London and Jack the Ripper.Literary London - from Shakespeare to Dickens.Public Houses - the old pubs of Soho. Mystery and Secrets - the city's hidden past.A Tale of Two Cities - Westminster and the Square Mile.Perfect for tourists who want to experience London life beyond Trafalgar Square as well as for Londoners keen to step off the Circle Line and discover the secrets on their own doorstep, London Stories offers a fascinating glimpse into the capital's rich history. With photos, maps and illustrations to bring the stories to life, London Stories is for those who love London, written by those who know it best.By Stuart Maconie. 2017
The Sunday Times Bestseller'A tribute and a rallying call' - GuardianThree and half weeks. Three hundred miles. I saw roaring…
arterial highway and silent lanes, candlelit cathedrals and angry men in bad pubs. The Britain of 1936 was a land of beef paste sandwiches and drill halls. Now we are nation of vaping and nail salons, pulled pork and salted caramel.In the autumn of 1936, some 200 men from the Tyneside town of Jarrow marched 300 miles to London in protest against the destruction of their towns and industries. Precisely 80 years on, Stuart Maconie, walks from north to south retracing the route of the emblematic Jarrow Crusade. Travelling down the country’s spine, Maconie moves through a land that is, in some ways, very much the same as the England of the 30s with its political turbulence, austerity, north/south divide, food banks and of course, football mania. Yet in other ways, it is completely unrecognisable. Maconie visits the great cities as well as the sleepy hamlets, quiet lanes and roaring motorways. He meets those with stories to tell and whose voices build a funny, complex and entertaining tale of Britain, then and now.By Anthony Birley. 1976
One of the most controversial of all works to survive from ancient Rome, the Augustan History is our main source…
of information about the Roman emperors from 117 to 284 AD. Written in the late fourth century by an anonymous author, it is an enigmatic combination of truth, invention and humour. This volume contains the first half of the History, and includes biographies of every emperor from Hadrian to Heliogabalus - among them the godlike Marcus Antonius and his grotesquely corrupt son Commodus. The History contains many fictitious (but highly entertaining) anecdotes about the depravity of the emperors, as the author blends historical fact and faked documents to present our most complete - albeit unreliable - account of the later Roman Caesars.By John Scally. 2017
As former England striker and television pundit Jimmy Greaves famously said, football is 'a funny old game'. In A Load…
of Balls: Football's Funny Side, John Scally confirms the truth of his statement by providing a potpourri of double entendres, timeless quips and amusing anecdotes from the tongues of football's elite. Hundreds of silly stories and priceless nuggets have been sourced to recreate the unique excitement, drama and unpredictability of football in the words of the sport's practitioners. The result is a wry, quirky and sometimes outlandish catalogue of comic creations. For lovers of the absurd, outrageous and totally bizarre, this selection of stories and quotes will amuse and delight. Packed with priceless gaffes from the likes of David Beckham ('My parents have been there for me since I was about seven'), Bobby Robson ('We didn't underestimate them; they were just a lot better than we thought') and Paul Gascoigne ('I've never made any predictions about anything and I never will'), this hilarious collection is guaranteed to tickle the funny bone of even the most casual sports fan.By Transport For London. 2015
This charming yet practical pocket guide to cycling in London will treat you to 25 leisure routes across the city,…
allowing you to get the most out of London and the TFL ‘Bike for Hire’ scheme. With this book you will discover a fresh and healthy alternative to public transport which offers quirky and exciting pedalling routes across the city. With a range of rides taking cyclists through London’s parks, along the River Thames and through much-loved cultural highlights, this book is packed with suggestions to discover the hidden gems of the city from the comfort of your bike. With maps detailing each route, and highlighting landmarks and points of interest along the way, as well as safety tips and fitness information, this is the only handbook casual and regular cyclists will need to make the most out of London.