Sportsbiografier

Women now often beat men in ultra-endurance events. Two journalists explore the physiological and psychological battle of the sexes and meet the gutsy women who triumph despite society's expectations.

Grit, guts and gumption defined Amarnath's rollercoaster career. According to both Sunil Gavaskar and Imran Khan, Amarnath was the best batsman of their era. But strangely, he kept getting dropped from the Indian team, and subsequently became famous for his comebacks, earning him the moniker 'the comeback king'. He was a player who didn't flinch in the face of fire: a fearless cricketer and a man who just wouldn't be defeated or denied.

Tennis is one of the only sports in which women have consistently played on the same stage as men for the past 50 years, creating their own culture and narrative. Building Champions explores the complex, remarkable stories of winning players from across the globe and asks what this generation can tell us about the future of women's tennis.

One of the most surprising footballstories you will ever read: the life of George Robledo, the forgotten foreigngenius of English football.

True story of a wee Glasgow guy who left school with no formal qualifications and had many jobs before ending up running a business in Australia and New Zealand. There are many coincidences along the way, including meeting famous people and also people from growing up - some I'd not seen or spoken to for 50 years! And also family who have a habit of dying on certain days. Set initially in Glasgow and moving around the city, encountering many strange day-to-day scenarios and events to ending up on a beach in Sydney and then on to Redland Bay in between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Jobs at this time took me all around Australia and New Zealand with trips also to Japan and four times per year back to the UK for a week for company meetings. Birthdays in later life were special times with my 40th in Glasgow, 50th on the Gold Coast and 60th in Melbourne at the famous horse race. My disabled brother, Alexander, was my hero growing up and still is after his achievements in the world of darts. Read about his exploits and be mesmerised by where he ended up having such a short sports career. My family have been strong throughout and my friends are all wacky, but in a really funny kind of way. If you are still wondering about this book, then just let me say - I would like to thank my parents for the gift of life. And thank the gift of life for me having so much fun. Thank fun for giving me a wonderful life. Thank a wonderful life for the opportunity to write this book. Thank this book for giving other people the chance to enjoy my life.

As a follow-up to his hugely popular 2016 autobiography Trailblazer, Ryan Sandes' new book explores the gripping and often life-threatening adventures this extraordinary ultra-trail runner has experienced around the globe since then. Not only have these projects tested the very edge of human endurance, but on several occasions, Ryan literally had to run for his life. Along with a 1 500-kilometre Himalayan adventure, read about his attempt at completing the first 700-kilometre solo run up Namibia's legendary Skeleton Coast - only to stumble upon some very angry Namibian soldiers conducting controversial seal clubbing. And, with his running partner Ryno Griesel, becoming the first people to run the entire circumference of Lesotho in one go, during which they find themselves fighting off an attack from local herdsmen armed with rocks and knobkerries. In between these adventures, Ryan battles to balance a challenging career with a dedicated commitment to his young family. Run. Risk. Reward. is packed with adventure, humour and some fascinating insights into the psyche of an ultra-endurance athlete. These people are not like you and me...

From a youth team player at Scunthorpe to the England Manager's job, by way of Liverpool, Newcastle and Hamburg, Keegan considers the extravagant highs of a football man who touched the game with genius, who was never sacked in his life, and who came within an ace of triumph as a manager.

This is a deeply researched biography of the new face of tennis. A man who, at a tender age has achieved more than the stars of the previous generation did at his age. At just 19 years of age, Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open and became the world's youngest number one in the game. At only 21 he had four Grand Slam titles.For Carlos Alcaraz, everything - from his charm to his star power to his tennis mojo - starts with a smile. It's a performance free of cynicism and radiating happiness.But does the smile mask a more complex character? One who grew up in humble circumstances in a small village in Murcia. A man with strong family traditions who has a tattoo of his grandfather's favourite saying - 'Cabeza Corazon y cojones (brain, heart and balls) - inked on his left wrist. Mark Hodgkinson talks to those who know him best - including his coaches, family friends, old teachers, and competitors - to provide a fascinating insight into the spartan showman of tennis and a GOAT in waiting.

Matt Jansen had it all. He was young, quick, audaciously skilful and, at the turn of the millennium, regarded as one of the most intelligent attacking talents in English football. His potential seemed boundless. After bursting onto the scene with Carlisle in 1997 and helping his hometown club win promotion, Sir Alex Ferguson had tried to lure him to Old Trafford - but foreseeing only bench spot at United, Jansen instead opted for Steve Coppell's Crystal Palace. In 1998, he moved to Blackburn, where he formed an attacking triumvirate with Andy Cole and Damien Duff, and proved himself to be a constant threat for Blackburn and a lethal finisher, scoring 16 times in the 2001/02 season and earning himself a place in Sven Goran-Eriksson's England squad. Widely tipped to be part of England's campaign at the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Eriksson instead surprised many with his conservative selection of Martin Keown over the rising star; Keown wouldn't play a single minute at the tournament and England would crash out to ten-man Brazil - but Jansen didn't see a minute of it. While England battled it out in the Far East, Jansen had taken a holiday to Rome where he was involved a serious traffic accident. He suffered a brain haemorrhage and slipped into a six-day coma. Jansen survived and, astonishingly, he was back playing for Blackburn just four months later. Physically he may have felt he was ready to return to top-flight football, but mentally he was nowhere near. Battling the spectre of the accident, he was unable to recapture the instinctive genius that had previously defined him. In an effort to reignite his career, he joined Coventry, Bolton and then Wrexham but he was never able to find his former footballing self and was finally forced to admit that his playing days were over. He has since channelled his energies into a new career as a coach - proving to be wise, erudite and compassionate in his new role, but also a continuing object of fascination for those who wonder what might have been. This is the story of a career destined for the stratosphere, cruelly snatched away by the vagaries of fate. Brilliant, bold, and at times brutal in its honesty, this powerful tale of shattered dreams and a life rebuilt is a testament to an inspiring, unconquered soul.

With a Foreword by Simone BilesThe sensational two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles's heartfelt, inspiring memoir chronicling her unlikely path to the podium--including the unprecedented challenges, the joy of winning, the crushing pain of defeat, and the love and support of her devoted family and teammates that helps her stay strong. It was a rare and stunning reversal: after the judges at the 2024 Paris Olympics determined that Jordan had rightfully scored third place for her performance--following a successful challenge by her coach--she earned the bronze medal. Later, Jordan's euphoria turned to devastation when the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped her of that medal based on nothing but semantics. Jordan called the ruling, "One of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many."In her powerful, eye-opening memoir, Jordan digs deep, sharing the story of her life's challenges--the racism she encountered as a gifted Black girl in a predominantly white elite sport, the childhood coach who called her fat and led her to develop eating issues, the grueling practices, the injuries, the moments of nearly calling it quits. Through it all, Jordan refused to give up. Through sheer grit--and the love of her family--she kept working and winning. When Simone Biles stepped away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a case of the "twisties," Jordan stepped in to play a key role in securing silver for Team USA. And in Paris, Jordan made history as part of the first all-Black podium in all of men's and women's gymnastics.Told with refreshing candor and Jordan's irrepressible spirit, I'm That Girl is a glimpse of life in the psychologically and physically demanding upper echelons of women's elite gymnastics. Exploring the deep bonds so often forged in pressure cookers, Jordan speaks openly about her relationships with her teammates, including her best friend and "big sister" Simone Biles, and how their support for one another has proved invaluable on and off the mat.With the highs, lows, twists, and turns characteristic of the sport, and featuring a 16-page color photo insert, I'm That Girl reveals how one extraordinary young woman keeps her balance in a uniquely dizzying life. By way of her unwavering tenacity, Jordan has changed the culture of gymnastics, fighting every day to ensure that the girls she inspires are not pre-judged for their hair, their bodies, or their skin color. Insightful and deeply moving, I'm That Girl is a testament to the power of perseverance and the transformative joy of doing what you love, told by a fierce and unique individual who has been and will always be That Girl--the ultimate hype woman who shows up and gives it her all.

The most complete and rounded picture of Matt Busby - the man and the manager - ever written, from an author widely regarded as the best Manchester United historian alive today. Contains never-before-heard interviews with Matt Busby, Sir Alex Ferguson and other key Manchester United figures.

Through the eyes of one of convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally's many victims, Ireland's Protected Predator takes readers on a harrowing journey through his brutal reign of terror. This shocking story explores the former basketball coach and Fianna Fä il activist's warped obsession with handcuffs and how he blackmailed powerless children into silence by threatening to circulate Polaroid images taken during these depraved attacks. Masquerading as a respected member of the community, he escaped justice for more than three decades with the help of many in our society who are meant to protect us. Jason Clancy recounts his journey from his traumatised teenage years to successfully campaigning for a Commission of Investigation to examine how Bill Kenneally was allowed to continue roaming the streets preying on innocent boys decades after admitting to torturing them. For the first time, this book delves into the more sinister question of how Bill Kenneally escaped justice for decades - and whether the those in authority positions were complicit in covering up his crimes.