Sportsbiografier

Conor McGregor's trainer tells the amazing story of his long road to success in the world's fastest-growing sportGrowing up in Dublin, John Kavanagh was a skinny lad who was frequently bullied. As a young man, after suffering a bad beating when he intervened to help a woman who was being attacked, he decided he had to learn to defend himself. Before long, he was training fighters in a tiny shed, and promoting the earliest mixed-martial arts events in Ireland. And then, a cocky kid called Conor McGregor walked into his gym ...In Win or Learn, John Kavanagh tells his own remarkable life story - which is at the heart of the story of the extraordinary explosion of MMA in Ireland and globally. Employing the motto 'win or learn', Kavanagh has become a guru to young men and women seeking to master the arts of combat. And as the trainer of the world's most charismatic champion, his gym has become a magnet for talented fighters from all over the globe. Kavanagh's portrait of Conor McGregor - who he has seen in his lowest moments, as well as in his greatest triumphs - is a revelation. What emerges from Win or Learn is a remarkable portrait of ambition, discipline, and persistence in the face of years and years of disappointment. It is a must read for every MMA fan - but also for anyone who wants to understand how to follow a dream and realize a vision.'For anyone interested in following their dream to the end of the line' Tony Parsons'It kept me up well past my bedtime' Sean O'Rourke, RTE Radio One'Remarkable' Irish Times'Kavanagh is open and honest about his upbringing ... The journey hasn't been easy, but Kavanagh's inbuilt determination has carried him all the way' Irish Examiner

On 26th July 2015, Chris Froome entered the record books. He won cycling's ultimate race - the Tour de France - for the second time.Taking a double Yellow Jersey was a staggering achievement. This memoir shows just how remarkable it was, given the uphill struggle Froome faced. Growing up in Kenya, biking down mile after mile of dusty road, and staying in a humble tin hut, he developed a fierce passion and determination to win.The road to Europe was long, gruelling and filled with setbacks - but it prepared him for teamwork as a domestique and then the leap to leader of Team Sky and a shot at winning the Tour de France. In The Climb, written with the renowned investigative reporter David Walsh, he vividly recounts the struggles, the rivalries, the battles, the comebacks. Finally he traces his path to triumph and his mission to help clean up cycling.Inspiring and exhilarating, it will leave you ready to face your own challenges in life, whatever they may be.'Engaging, vividly evoked' Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year'What Chris has done is phenomenal' Sir Chris Hoy

"Excellent" The Times"Kevin''s immense knowledge shines on every page." Gary Lineker"A football book by a fan for the fans. A treasure trove..." Alan Davies"An entertaining romp through the back alleys and glamour parks of English football." FourFourTwoPartly autobiographical, partly polemical, but mostly funny, Who Are Ya? is a snapshot of modern football, exploring the history of all 92 English Football League clubs.During his time as a broadcaster, Kevin Day has spoken to thousands of football players, managers and most importantly fans from across the generations. He spent thousands of hours crossing the country on trains, planes, automobiles, coaches ΓÇô and once a donkey called Lightning ΓÇô watching football at all levels. This book is the result of that: a tale of being chased down a railway line at Cardiff, a story of meeting George Best, an account of a lady getting her first Hull City tattoo at the age of 80!Crisply funny and with a host of celebrity football fan contributors ΓÇô including Stephen Fry, Jo Brand, Alfie Boe, Eddie Izzard, Gabby Logan, and Romesh Ranganathan ΓÇô Who Are Ya? celebrates the joys and miseries of being a football supporter.

Roger Federer's sporting exploits are well-known, but who is the man behind them? This book captures the Federer phenomenon over fifteen thematically arranged chapters. And there's no shortage of anecdotes: the book is as entertaining as Federer's game.

The autobiography of Eddie Jones, the England Rugby head coach and one of the most respected coaches in sport.

Vladimir Kramnik held the title of Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2007. This book tells the remarkable story of Kramnik's top-level clashes, while providing an exciting view behind the scenes of the chess world. Added to this are Kramnik's own comments on some of his most memorable games, as well as numerous colour photographs.

Thomas Gravesen was one of the last footballing mavericks, once dubbed 'a grenade with the pin pulled out'. Hailing from rural Denmark, he fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a top player but never lost his unique identity, earning a reputation for his bizarre antics and eyebrow-raising behaviour. Gravesen lined up for Real Madrid's glamorous Galacticos and enjoyed colourful spells at European giants Hamburg, Everton and Celtic. Remembered as a cult hero at all of his past clubs, he is a truly fascinating individual. After abruptly ending his career and disappearing, he re-emerged years later in bizarre circumstances in Las Vegas. Did he really lose $54 million at cards? Did he really bring dynamite to training, and spend his summers in a dark basement? Known as a 'unicorn' due to his mysterious life, this is a fascinating, helter-skelter journey into the mind of 'Mad Dog'. Team-mates, coaches and friends recount what it was like to be swept up in the surreal whirlwind of the most unorthodox individual they've ever encountered.

England manager Gareth Southgate's decision to appoint Kane, still just twenty-three years old, as the team captain in 2017 could have been seen as premature, bringing with it pressure that could damage a young player's career. However, he knew that Kane, a modest, humble and inspiring figure was up to the task.Having lost faith in the national team, English fans weren't sure the players would even make it out of their group. No one could have predicted that this young and relatively inexperienced side would achieve their best result since 1990, or that their captain would win the tournament's Golden Boot with six goals. Perhaps most importantly for the team and their manager, they brought the country together to make for an unforgettable summer.While their eventual semi-final loss to Croatia came as a stinging disappointment, this is just the start for the team and their skipper, one of our most exciting players for a generation and a truly world-class English star.In this in-depth biography, bestselling sports writer Frank Worrall traces Kane's journey from an ordinary childhood in north London, growing up just a few miles from White Hart Lane, to the most remarkable tournament of his career.

Who is The Secret Cyclist and why all the secrecy?"Every public aspect of our lives is so tightly controlled that being truly honest is all but impossible in a newspaper interview, never mind a whole book.

'A joy to read' Daily TelegraphAlexandra Heminsley thought she could swim. Believing that a life lived fully isn't one with the most money earned, the most stuff bought or the most races won, but one with the most experiences, experienced the most fully, she decided to conquer her fear of the water.

In this candid autobiography, Jens Lehmann reflects on the 23-year playing career as an elite goalkeeper, performing at the pinnacle of European and International football. In a career spanning four decades, Lehmann was twice voted Europe''s best goalkeeper. He won league titles in both England and Germany, and the UEFA Cup with his boyhood club Schalke. This extraordinary sportsman has now taken stock to write about his career. Imparting his own dry humour, Lehmann takes us from Schalke to rivals Borussia Dortmund, via Milan. From there he moves to Arsenal, before his career comes to a close with Stuttgart in Germany.

The eagerly anticipated new autobiography from Arsenal and England legend Tony Adams.

Earmarked as an England captain in the making, Paul became a target for top clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool, but he always stayed loyal to his beloved club, deeming Maine Road the spiritual home at which his destiny lay. But then, in September 1990, disaster struck.

Packing his collection of football programmes (1,134 of them - football fans are sticklers for statistics), Dave is aghast to be informed that the programmes do not fall into that category.

**WINNER British Sports Book Awards SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR****Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award**Gareth Thomas had it all. He was a national hero, a sporting icon. He was a leader of men, captain of Wales and the British Lions. To him, rugby was an expression of cultural identity, a sacred code. It was no mere ball game. It gave him everything, except the freedom to be himself.This is the story of a man with a secret that was slowly killing him. Something that might devastate not only his own life but the lives of his wife, family, friends and teammates. The only place where he could find any refuge from the pain and guilt of the lie he was living was on the pitch, playing the sport he loved. But all his success didn t make the strain of hiding who he really was go away. His fear that telling the truth about his sexuality would lose him everything he loved almost sent him over the edge.The deceit ended when Gareth became the world s most prominent athlete to come out as a gay man. His gesture has strengthened strangers, and given him a fresh perspective. Gareth s inspiring and moving story transcends the world of sport to tell a universal truth about feeling like an outsider, and facing up to who you really are.

'A history of modern Spain told through one of world football's most intense rivalries' Independent'Sports Book of the Year' Sunday TimesIt's Messi vs Ronaldo, it's Catalonia vs Castilla.

An original biography of Senna, based on new research and interviews, examining his status as a legend.

As the great rivals raced to victory, their relationship deteriorated badly, beginning with the breaking of a gentleman's agreement, and public spats followed, culminating in Prost accusing Senna of deliberately trying to ride him off the circuit, and fearful that the Brazilian would get someone killed with his daring overtaking feats.

Acclaimed analysis of the life and career of Formula 1's most successful driver - Michael Schumacher

The world-champion freestyle skateboarder and the man who brought the ollie - the trick that revolutionised the sport by taking it from the ground to the air - to street skating shares the history of skateboarding, as he tells the dramatic story of his life.

Ferrari, the name itself evokes the world of speed, a world of fast cars, heroic deeds and glamour. This is the story of the man behind the name. This biography goes back to Enzo Ferrari's origins and traces his remarkable rise to prominence.

Just One More Goal is the acutely observed story of the development of modern football, as seen through the eyes of one man, David Pleat.

The official, access-all-areas inside story of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team'This book lifts the lid on what life is really like inside our team and it has been based on unprecedented access - nobody has ever been this close to what happens behind the scenes.' Toto WolffWith exclusive and unprecedented access to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, award-winning writer Matt Whyman charts the journey of the Silver Arrows as they face their greatest challenge: the race back to the front. Once untouchable, the winner of seven Drivers' World Championships and eight consecutive Constructors' World Championships confront the reality of no longer being F1's top dog.Whyman, fully embedded across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, follows decorated drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, Team Principal Toto Wolff, and the extraordinary men and women that design, build and race the team's cars as they fight back - on and off the track.From the tension of pre-season testing to the thrill and glamour of race weekends - including blue riband events such as Silverstone, Monaco, and the first-ever Las Vegas Grand Prix - the book provides fascinating insight into the world of the fastest sport on earth and one of its most successful teams. Whyman reveals the pressure cooker environment of elite competition, shares the secrets of teamwork and high performance, and foregrounds the remarkable individuals who push to the limits in their quest for victory. The book will also include never-before-seen photographs of life inside the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team.

Fasten your seatbelts as Formula 1's favourite underdog, Guenther Steiner, takes you on a wild ride through his ten years at Team Haas. From the first seeds of his idea to establish a new F1 team to the challenges of funding and building that team from the ground up, Guenther shares the real story of the origins of Team Haas, immerses readers in the high and lows of its first decade on the grid, and opens up about his departure from the team at the end of 2023. As Guenther recalls his proudest achievements and the many, many disasters he has faced, he takes readers into the boardrooms, pit lanes and garages, and out on to the circuits of the world's greatest race tracks. We spend time with drivers, mechanics, executives, sponsors, commentators and fans, and take in many private moments too, all the while grappling with the big challenges and small details that keep the wheels of a Formula 1 team turning. Told in his inimitable style, packed with hugely entertaining stories, outspoken opinions and unvarnished truths, this is Guenther at his very best - insightful, opinionated and completely unfiltered.