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All the Colors Came Out: A Father, a Daughter, and a Lifetime of Lessons
By Kate Fagan. 2021
"A love story for the ages" from # 1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Fagan comes an unforgettable story about…
basketball and the enduring bonds between a father and daughter that "will heal relationships and hearts." (Glennon Doyle)Kate Fagan and her father forged their relationship on the basketball court, bonded by sweaty high fives and a dedication to the New York Knicks. But as Kate got older, her love of the sport and her closeness with her father grew complicated. The formerly inseparable pair drifted apart. The lessons that her father instilled in her about the game, and all her memories of sharing the court with him over the years, were a distant memory.When Chris Fagan was diagnosed with ALS, Kate decided that something had to change. Leaving a high-profile job at ESPN to be closer to her mother and father and take part in his care, Kate Fagan spent the last year of her father&’s life determined to return to him the kind of joy they once shared on the court. All the Colors Came Out is Kate Fagan&’s completely original reflection on the very specific bond that one father and daughter shared, forged in the love of a sport which over time came to mean so much more.Studded with unforgettable scenes of humor, pain and hope, Kate Fagan has written a book that plumbs the mysteries of the unique gifts fathers gives daughters, ones that resonate across time and circumstance.
Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf's Most Colorful Superstar
By Alan Shipnuck. 2022
A juicy and freewheeling biography of legendary golf champion Phil Mickelson—who has led a big, controversial life—as reported by longtime…
Sports Illustrated writer and bestselling author Alan Shipnuck.Phil Mickelson is one of the most compelling figures in sports. For more than three decades he has been among the best golfers in the world, and his unmatched longevity was exemplified at the 2021 PGA Championship, when Mickelson, on the cusp of turning fifty-one, became the oldest player in history to win a major championship. In this raw, uncensored, and unauthorized biography, Alan Shipnuck captures a singular life defined by thrilling victories, crushing defeats, and countless controversies. Mickelson is a multifaceted character, and all his warring impulses are on display in these pages: He is a smart-ass who built an empire on being the consummate professional; a loving husband dogged by salacious rumors; a high-stakes gambler who knows the house always wins but can&’t tear himself away. Mickelson&’s career and public image have been defined by the contrast with his lifelong rival, Tiger Woods. Where Woods is robotic and reticent, Mickelson is affable and extroverted, an incorrigible showman whom many fans love and some abhor because of the overwhelming size of his personality. In their early years together on Tour, Mickelson lacked Tiger&’s laser focus and discipline, leading Tida Woods to call her son&’s rival &“the fat boy,&” among other put-downs. Yet as Tiger&’s career has been curtailed by scandal, addiction, and a broken body, Phil sails on, still relevant on the golf course and in the marketplace. Phil is the perfect marriage of subject and author. Shipnuck has long been known as the most fearless writer on the golf beat, and he delivers numerous revelations, from the true scale of Mickelson&’s massive gambling losses; to the inside story of the acrimonious breakup between Phil and his longtime caddie, Jim &“Bones&” Mackay; to the secretive backstory of the Saudi golf league that Mickelson championed to wield as leverage against the PGA Tour. But Phil also celebrates Mickelson&’s random acts of kindness and generosity of spirit, to which friends and strangers alike can attest. Shipnuck has covered Mickelson for his entire career and has been on the ground at Mickelson&’s most memorable triumphs and crack-ups, allowing him to take readers inside the ropes with a thrilling immediacy and intimacy. The result is the juiciest and liveliest golf book in years—full of heart, humor, and unexpected turns.
Swing and a Hit: Nine Innings of What Baseball Taught Me
By Jack Curry, Paul O'Neill. 2022
The fun and fiery memoir of All Star Yankee and five-time World Champion, Paul O&’Neill.In SWING AND A HIT, O&’Neill…
elaborates on his most important hitting principles, lessons, and memories—exploring those elements across ten chapters (to align with the nine innings of a baseball game and one extra inning). Here, O&’Neill, with his intense temperament, describes what he did as a hitter, how he adjusted to pitchers, how he boosted his confidence, how he battled with umpires (and water coolers), and what advice he would give to current hitters. O&’Neill has always been a tough out at the plate. Recalling how he started to swing at bat as a two-year-old and kept swinging it professionally until he was thirty-eight, O&’Neill provides constant insights into the beauty and frustration of playing baseball. The legendary Ted Williams said using a round bat to hit a round ball is the most difficult thing to do in sports. Naturally, O&’Neill, who once received a surprise call from Williams that was filled with hitting advice, agrees. SWING AND A HIT features O&’Neill&’s most thoughtful revelations and offers clubhouse stories from some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball—hitters, managers, and teammates like Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Pete Rose, and Bernie Williams. Remember, O&’Neill, ever the perfectionist, was the type of hitter who believed that pitchers didn&’t ever get him out. For that incredible reason and so many others, SWING AND A HIT is essential reading for any baseball fan.
The Commando: The life and death of Cameron Baird, VC, MG
By Ben Mckelvey. 2017
On 22 June 2013, Corporal Cameron Baird was a 2nd Commando Regiment Special Forces soldier when he led his platoon…
into a known Taliban stronghold to back-up another Australian unit under heavy fire. In the pronged firefight, Cameron was mortally wounded. In 2014, Cameron's bravery and courage under fire saw him posthumously awarded the 100th Victoria Cross, our highest award possible for bravery in the presence of the enemy. Cameron Baird died how he lived - at the front, giving it his all, without any indecision. He will forever be remembered by his mates and the soldiers he served with in the 2nd Commando Regiment. THE COMMANDO reveals Cameron's life, from young boy and aspiring AFL player, who only missed out on being drafted because of injury, to exemplary soldier and leader. Cameron's story and that of 4RAR and 2nd Commando personifies the courage and character of the men and women who go to war and will show us the good man we have lost.
Brave New World: Inside Pochettino's Spurs
By Guillem Balague. 2017
Since joining the club in 2014, Mauricio Pochettino has transformed Tottenham from underachievers into genuine title contenders. In the process,…
he has marked himself out as one of the best young managers in the world, more than holding his own against the Premier League's established heavyweights. He has done so by promoting an attacking, pressing style of football and by nurturing home-grown talent, fully endearing himself to the Spurs faithful along the way.Guillem Balagué was granted unprecedented access to Pochettino and his backroom staff for the duration of the 2016-17 season, and he has therefore been able to draw on extensive interview material with Pochettino, his family, his closest assistants, players such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane, and even a very rare conversation with Daniel Levy to tell the manager's story in his own words. From Pochettino's early years as a player and coach to his transformation of Tottenham into one of the best teams in England, the book uniquely reveals the inner workings of the man and of his footballing philosophy. It also lays bare what it takes to run a modern-day football team competing at the highest level over the course of a single campaign. The result is the most comprehensive and compelling portrait of a manager and of a club in the Premier League era. Read by Piers Hampton
The Boy on the Shed: Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year
By Paul Ferris. 2018
Today was his first climb to the top. He knew if he was there, watching, then she would never leave…
him. Her name was Bernadette and he climbed the shed every day. This is a not a football book, as such. Rather, it is a memoir by someone who happened to have superior ability at the sport during his formative years which led him on a remarkable journey. Paul Ferris became a professional footballer and at the age of 16 was the youngest ever to play in Newcastle United's first team. Coming from Northern Ireland and being a skilful winger with dancing feet, he was inevitably hailed as 'the new George Best'. But the story of his time in the game, particularly as a young player, is one of insecurity, injuries, uncertainty, fear and, ultimately, a failure to fulfil his hopes and dreams.The book opens in Lisburn, near Belfast. The Ferris family are Catholics in a predominantly Protestant town at the height of the 'Troubles'. Ferris re-lives his childhood and teens with brutal candour laced with black humour. The Boy on the Shed is a beautifully written account of a life, but it also lifts the lid on big personalities at Newcastle United.
The Ashes: England vs. Australia: ultimate cricket rivalry
By Graeme Swann. 2017
Graeme Swann leads us on a compelling adventure through one of world sport's most engrossing rivalries. He knows as much…
as anybody about the heat of England v Australia battles, having played in three series wins and also the whitewash defeat of 2013-14 when its intensity ended his international career. However, it brought out some of his best displays in Test cricket. But he is just one of dozens of colourful characters to have added their chapters to this great tome. The mock obituary of English cricket in the Sporting Times of 1882 was the forerunner of summers and winters of heaven and hell, depending on which side of the divide you were situated. When it comes to on-field relations nothing quite compares to the over-my-dead-body feel of the Ashes.From Grace to Sir Don, the most graceful of them all. From the foulest play to the fairest - contrast the 1932-33 Bodyline series affair to the image of Andrew Flintoff hunched over a distraught Brett Lee in 2005. From Ray Illingworth's famous walk-off in the Seventies, when an England team-mate was assaulted by a spectator, to Steve Waugh's hugely emotional lap of honour when he retired a quarter of a century later. Swann's book will reveal the magic of a series that first gripped him in his front room in Northampton as an aspiring spin bowler in the mid-1980s.
True: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson
By Kostya Kennedy. 2022
True is a probing, richly-detailed, unique biography of Jackie Robinson, one of baseball's—and America's—most significant figures.For players, fans, managers, and…
executives, Jackie Robinson remains baseball’s singular figure, the person who most profoundly extended, and continues to extend, the reach of the game. Beyond Ruth. Beyond Clemente. Beyond Aaron. Beyond the heroes of today. Now, a half-century since Robinson’s death, letters come to his widow, Rachel, by the score. But Robinson’s impact extended far beyond baseball: he opened the door for Black Americans to participate in other sports, and was a national figure who spoke and wrote eloquently about inequality.True: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson by Kostya Kennedy is an unconventional biography, focusing on four transformative years in Robinson's athletic and public life: 1946, his first year playing in the essentially all-white minor leagues for the Montreal Royals; 1949, when he won the Most Valuable Player Award in his third season as a Brooklyn Dodger; 1956, his final season in major league baseball, when he played valiantly despite his increasing health struggles; and 1972, the year of his untimely death. Through it all, Robinson remained true to the effort and the mission, true to his convictions and contradictions.Kennedy examines each of these years through details not reported in previous biographies, bringing them to life in vivid prose and through interviews with fans and players who witnessed his impact, as well as with Robinson's surviving family. These four crucial years offer a unique vision of Robinson as a player, a father and husband, and a civil rights hero—a new window on a complex man, tied to the 50th anniversary of his passing and the 75th anniversary of his professional baseball debut.
Finish Strong: A Father's Code and a Son's Path
By Paul Daugherty, Nate Ebner. 2021
The inspiring story of Nate Ebner's bond with his unconventional father and its remarkable consequencesNate Ebner and his father were…
inseparable. From an early age, they worked side-by-side in the family junkyard, where part of the job was dispensing citizen's justice to aspiring robbers, and they worked out side-by-side in their grungy homemade gym. Even though Nate was a great peewee football player in football-mad Ohio, he followed his father's passion for rugby and started playing for the same club as his father when he was only thirteen years old. But Nate had to face the fact that there was no way to make a living as a professional rugby player in this country. So Nate gave his dad the news that he planned to quit rugby and go out for the football team at Ohio State University, with an eye toward making the NFL. As a goal for someone who hadn't even played high school football, this was completely ridiculous. Without blinking, his father told him that if he gave up what he had built in rugby, he had to see it through. It was the last conversation they ever had--the next day, his father was brutally murdered at work by a would-be robber. Nate went on to make the Ohio State team and when NFL Draft Day came, he was selected by the New England Patriots. Three Super Bowl rings later, his legacy in the sport is secure. But he got another unexpected chance to honor his father's memory when the Olympics admitted rugby as a sport for the 2016 Games. Against long odds, he made the team and competed in Rio in the sport he and his father loved above all others.An astonishing story of what a father will do for a son and what a son will do for a father, Finish Strong is a powerful reminder that the lessons parents embody for their children continue to bear fruit long after they are gone.
Abdi's World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun
By Myles Schrag, Abdi Abdirahman. 2021
"You cannot fail to be inspired by Abdi's story, an authentic tale by someone who clearly cherishes running and life."…
– Gary Lough, distance coach and former pro runnerAbdi's World is a quirky place where the only American distance athlete to qualify for five Olympics shares the stories that shaped his enduring love of running and his laid-back approach to life. Abdi Abdirahman arrived in Tucson, Arizona as a teenager when his family escaped civil war in their home country of Somalia. How the "Black Cactus," as he is affectionately known, stumbled upon a career as one of the world's most durable and beloved track and road racers of the 21st century is a story of resilience, commitment, and respect for friends and competitors alike—told here in a guide that is part life lessons, part training tips, part autobiography, and all Abdi. He has traveled the globe and shared his joie de vivre at every stop, showing a magician's ability to balance work and play that anyone young or old, in or out of running, could learn from to live a more meaningful life. Enter Abdi's World to join him on his insightful journey—and see what happens when you meet his stride.
Maverick Commissioner
By Boria Majumdar. 2022
The Indian Premier League. Its mere mention forces cricket fans across the world to sit up and take notice. World…
cricket&’s most valued property has only grown stronger with time. Conceived and implemented by Lalit Modi in 2008, the IPL has forever revolutionised the way cricket is marketed and run globally. Modi had built and orchestrated the tournament by his own rules and after the stupendous success of the IPL, the same rules were questioned by the administration. Modi was subsequently banned for life.How and why did it happen? What went on behind the scenes? How did it all start to go wrong between Modi and the others? Are there secrets that will never come out? This book is all about everything you never got to know. Each fact corroborated by multiple sources who were in the thick of things, Maverick Commissioner is a riveting account of the IPL and the functioning of its founder, Lalit Kumar Modi. Did Modi have a long telephone conversation with a BCCI top brass the day he left India for good? What really was discussed? Is Lalit Modi the absent present for the IPL and Indian cricket?Soon to be made into a film by Vibri Motion Pictures, Maverick Commissioner documents things exactly as they happened. No holds barred and no questions left out. It doesn&’t judge Lalit Modi. All it does is narrate his story. Who is the real Lalit Modi? Let the readers decide.
Chasing Excellence: The Remarkable Life and Inspiring Vigilosophy of Coach Joe I. Vigil
By Pat Joseph Melgares. 2020
Winner, Best Sports Book, International Latino Book Awards; Best Biography, Independent Book Publishers Association Dr. Joe I. Vigil—known simply as…
"Coach" to virtually everybody he has ever met—rose from poverty to become a towering figure in the running world. Coach has won 19 national championships and coached 425 All-Americans, 22 Olympians...and an army of "Vigilantes" who seek to emulate his unique blend of compassion, competitive spirit, and commitment to others. In this long-overdue biography about America's preeminent distance-running coach, author and Vigilante Pat Melgares shares Coach Vigil's tale not just through the consummate storyteller's own words but also through those of more than 50 family members, friends, former runners, and foes who have been shaped by his presence over a lifetime. Coach Vigil is driven by a persistent desire to learn, a deep faith in people, and an unwavering loyalty to his hometown of Alamosa, Colorado. His life is an American dream—a must-read for anyone who loves an underdog or seeks to understand the timeless qualities that forge a leader. "Chasing Excellence" has been Coach Vigil's mantra for decades, for himself and those he teaches. Now in his 90s, he's as relentless as ever in that quest. "If you are a teacher, a coach, an administrator . . . or anyone in a leadership role . . . read this book! If you are an athlete or anyone in pursuit of achieving excellence in your field . . . read this book! – Ryun G., verified purchaser
Ayeisha McFerran: Great Irish Sports Stars (Great Irish Sports Stars #6)
By David Caren. 2022
OLYMPIAN, HOCKEY WORLD CUP GOALKEEPER OF THE TOURNAMENT, WINNER OF FOUR ALL AMERICAN AWARDS 'It was down to Ayeisha now.…
If she saved the next penalty, Ireland, the tournament underdogs, would be in the final – for the first time ever.' Growing up in Larne in County Antrim, Ayeisha was fearless. If she wasn’t climbing trees, she was playing soccer, Irish dancing or throwing the javelin. When Ayeisha discovered hockey, she was hooked! The inspirational story of one of the best hockey goalkeepers in the world, who lost her mum at a young age, went into foster care, and found a home between the goal posts in the Senior Women’s Irish hockey team.
An Evening with Blowers
By Henry Blofeld. 2002
Henry Blofeld is one of the greatest characters in cricket. For nearly thirty years his distinctive rich, plummy voice and…
his famous expression 'My dear old thing!' have delighted the millions of listeners to BBC Radio's Test Match Special.In his entertaining one-man show An Evening with Blowers Henry takes his audience on a hilarious journey from his eccentric childhood in Norfolk to his schooldays as a prolific batsman at Eton and his successful career as an international cricket writer and broadcaster. He tells many colourful anecdotes about the game of cricket and his BBC colleagues including John Arlott and Brian Johnston and reveals what really happened when the Queen presented the TMS team with a special cake!(p) 2002 BarryMour Productions
Sven: My Story
By Sven-Göran Eriksson. 2013
Perhaps no football manager has ever had his personal life dissected as thoroughly as Sven-Goran Eriksson. Yet the man that…
monopolized the British press during five tumultuous years as England manager remains an enigma. Who, precisely, is Sven?Here, in his no-holds-barred autobiography, the secretive Swede takes us on one of the wildest rides in world football. Populated by fake sheikhs, Italian lawyers, Nottingham outlaws and, of course, many of the biggest names in the game, his is a 40-year-long career that coincides with the evolution of football into a global multibillion-pound industry.Most of all, this is a surprisingly tender, sometimes heartbreaking, but never bitter account of a simple man with a most complicated story. A man who has reached a crossroads in his life, who until now has never stopped to ask himself the question: was it worth it?
The Tour According to G: My Journey to the Yellow Jersey
By Geraint Thomas. 2018
For years Geraint Thomas appeared blessed with extraordinary talent but jinxed at the greatest bike race in the world: twice…
an Olympic gold medallist on the track, Commonwealth champion, yet at the Tour de France a victim of crashes, bad luck and his willingness to sacrifice himself for his team-mates. In the summer of 2018, that curse was blown away in spectacular fashion - from the cobbles of the north and the iconic mountain climbs of the Alps to the brutal slopes of the Pyrenees and, finally, the Champs-Elysees in Paris. As a boy, G had run home from school on summer afternoons to watch the Tour on television. This July, across twenty-one stages and three weeks, and under constant attack from his rivals, he made the race his own.With insight from the key characters around Geraint, this is the inside story of one of the most thrilling and heart-warming tales in sport. Not only can nice guys come first - they can win the biggest prize of all.(P)2018 Quercus Editions Limited
Against the Wind: An Ironwoman's Race for Her Family's Survival
By Lee Dipietro. 2015
To one woman, running was more than a passion--it was a lesson in perseverance. Lee DiPietro discovered the exhilaration of…
endurance athletics when she ran her first half marathon in her late twenties. From that day forward, she took on every marathon that she could, and despite having to juggle her running with her responsibilities as mother and wife, she quickly established herself as one of the best runners in the United States. Over the next thirty years Lee won race after race, running in everything from local competitions to the three most challenging endurance races: the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, and the Ironman triathlon. What she did not know, as she climbed the ranks of the running world, was the struggle her family would face and the role her running would play in helping her persevere in the face of great adversity. When Lee’s husband was diagnosed with cancer and her son suffered a devastating accident, she found herself falling back on the lessons she had learned as a marathoner to help her endure the sudden family trials. In Against the Wind, DiPietro takes us through her harrowing yearlong fight for the lives of her husband and son. Despite the great difficulties she faced, throughout it all remained her love for running. Against the Wind is a story that will resonate with readers whose lives have been affected by cancer as well as those who are dedicated to endurance sports. It proves that running is a tool to save lives--far from just a sport and test of one's mettle.
I Call Him "Mr. President": Stories of Golf, Fishing, and Life with My Friend George H. W. Bush
By Barbara Bush, Michael Patrick Shiels, Ken Raynor. 2017
A presidential tale of friendship, travel, and the great outdoors! In I Call Him “Mr. President”, Ken Raynor—head professional at…
Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunkport, Maine for thirty-eight years—tells the story of how President George HW Bush befriended him during Bush’s annual summer sabbatical to seaside Kennebunkport, Maine. Raynor’s personal relationship with Bush led him to experience everything from fishing trips to the wilds of Newfoundland to countless outings on the golf course, including Bush’s last as commander in chief. Along the way, Raynor assisted Bush, a WWII veteran, in welcoming world leaders, former presidents, celebrities, and PGA Tour stars to the quaint Cape Arundel Golf Club and saw the excitement in their eyes during the outings. But he most cherishes his time after the rounds, in the Bush family home on nearby Walkers Point or in a tiny fishing boat, when the President would put his feet up, stare out at the Atlantic, and recount the days’ events. In this book, Raynor reflects on the life lessons he gained from a friendship born outdoors that has continued to develop over decades, during golf outings that have ranged from Maine to Augusta National to the White House putting green, international fishing trips, retreats at Camp David, flying in Marine One, and many other unforgettable experiences. Raynor has likely played more rounds with a POTUS than any PGA professional in history.
Boise State of Mind: The Emergence of College Football's Grittiest Underdog
By Gunderson Joel. 2018
After decades of under-the-radar success, the Boise State Broncos became a household name during the 2006-07 NCAA football season. That…
was when the 12–0 Broncos were set to face the 11–2 Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. A David vs. Goliath event, everyone expected the Sooners, who played in the highly competitive Big 12 conference and had dominated since coach Bob Stoops took over in 1999, to beat the no-names from the Western Athletic Conference. The match-up would end up becoming one of the greatest college football games ever played, with Boise State beating Oklahoma, 43–42, on a trick-play two-point conversion to win in overtime. But where did it all start? How did a school in Idaho become one of the most successful and polarizing schools in the country? In Boise State, writer Joel Gunderson tells the story of how the school went from a junior college to Division I, climbing the ranks and building a program that has since beaten such college football powerhouses as Oregon, Georgia, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma, and has the highest winning percentage in the country since 2000. With in-depth interviews with current and former players, coaches, and administration, Gunderson offers an entertaining story of the growth of a program that rose from anonymity to becoming arguably the most successful underdog in the country. While the city of Boise in Idaho has a population of approximately 223,000 people, the state, in general, is not a sports powerhouse. The closest NFL team is the Seattle Seahawks, who are a 7.5-hour drive away. There are currently only six players in the NFL that were born in Idaho. So how did Boise State, known mostly for its blue turf, become known for football excellence? This is more than a Cinderella story. It’s about how they arrived, how they conquered, and how they’ve maintained in the cut-throat business that is college football.
My Kids Play Hockey: Essential Advice for Every Hockey Parent
By Burns Christie Casciano. 2018
For the past several years veteran hockey mom Christie Casciano’s monthly Hockey Mom columns have been required reading for the…
half million readers of USA Hockey Magazine. Drawing on her twenty years in the youth hockey trenches, she brings a wit and wisdom that comes with spending countless hours in the rink. Mixing in a little cutting humor and some good old-fashioned motherly advice, her articles speak to and for grizzled veterans and newcomers to the sport alike. My Kids Play Hockey is a compilation of Christie’s work. Some of her topics include: Back to School, Back to Hockey: Getting Ready for a Fresh Season How to Act Like an Adult at a Youth Hockey Game Organizing Your Hockey Household Valuable Lessons Learned during a Losing Season Striking a Balance between being Coach and a Parent Whether your kid shoots a puck, kicks a soccer ball or swings a baseball bat, Christie’s sound and sage advice should be required reading for all sports parents. Because when it comes to keeping your head in the game, this mother definitely knows best.