Sportsbiografier

At first he was The Kid, then The Splendid Splinter and Thumping Theodore - to say nothing of Teddy Ballgame. But the tag that really fits is Hitter. ?A riveting retrospective? (Baseball americanca). Index; career statistics; photographs.

Jaco van Gass was 23 when he was hit by a grenade in Afghanistan in 2009. Losing his left arm he sustained life-threatening injuries but by a miracle, he survived. Jaco has fought to build a post-injury life as an adventurer and professional athlete, heading to the North Pole and even cycling competitions in an Olympic velodrome. This is his story.

Maurice "Smiley" Harris' story is one of a young man's struggles to find direction in his life afterbeing recruited by some of the nation's top Division I NCAA football programs in the country.He eventually signed with and played for legendary Coach Bobby Bowden at FSU (Florida StateUniversity). A severe neck injury abruptly ended Maurice's dream of one day becoming aprofessional athlete and entering the NFL draft became, a personal nightmare. Maurice startedmaking terrible decisions, than shortly after graduating from FSU he made one that had himfacing a felony crime and eventually sentenced to eight years in prison. His misguided choicesprofoundly changed his life but were used as a compass for future challenges after being releasedfrom prison. Spending years incarcerated led to painful experiences and many unforeseensetbacks for Maurice. His vociferous personality and redemptive spirit led him to a place ofcourageously taking steps to atone for his past mistakes. He is determined to not allow priorfailings to dictate future outcomes. Maurice (Smiley) Harris is no longer SIDELINED.

LeBron James is a six-foot-eight gift from the basketball heavens. He was the undisputed finest high school player in America. He was the one NBA scouts drooled over, corporations dreamed of, event promoters begged for, and now fans clamor after. Never before had a high school basketball player been so highly touted or an eighteen-year-old athlete been the subject of such fascination. Maybe no basketball player in the world has had that level of attention.Now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron has become a certified NBA all-star. Love him or hate him, there is no denying that LeBron James is a force on the basketball court, and his rags to riches story is the stuff that dreams are made of.Ryan Jones has updated his smash hit book King James to incorporate everything that is LeBron: the controversy, the star power, the shoes, the cars, the hobnobbing with the world's most famous celebrities, and, of course, the game. This is a book for every fan of LeBron James and for anybody interested in reading about an NBA legend in the making.

The Definitive Biography. Everyone with an interest in motorcycling knows the legend of Joey Dunlop but now, for the first time, they can get to know the man himself. This definitive new biography is the most comprehensive ever written on the man. In turns hilarious, triumphant and tragic, this is Dunlops story as it has never been told before - by those who were part of it.

Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape is the astonishing biography of French cycling star Jacques Anquetil. For the first time since his death in 1987, it reveals the extraordinary truth behind the legend, the man and the cyclist.His list of 'firsts' alone makes him worthy of a place in the cycling pantheon: the first man to win the Tour de France five times; the first man to win all three grand tours - the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España; and the first man to win both the Tour and Vuelta in the same year.However, the extraordinary life of Anquetil does not stop at his achievements on a bike. He candidly admitted to using drugs, offended legions of fans by confessing that his only motivation for riding was financial and infamously indulged his enthusiasm for the high life. He also seduced and married his doctor's wife, had a child with her daughter and then sustained a ménage à trois with both wife and stepdaughter under the same roof for 12 years. When this 'family' eventually imploded, he attempted to inspire jealousy in his former lovers by having a child with his stepson's ex-wife.Containing exclusive contributions from Anquetil's family, friends, teammates and rivals, Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape untangles myth from reality and confirms that fact is definitely stranger than fiction.

Gata will share in his first volume how he became one of the world elite class players and contender for the title of World Chess Champion. Why and how he used different styles of play and will reveal how this learning process helped him to become a chess professional.

"Winner of the Autumn House Nonfiction Prize"--Cover page 1.

A lively chronicle of how the 2020 Crimson Tide became Nick Saban's "ultimate team."Was Alabama's Crimson Tide in 2020 the greatest team of all time? The squad went 13-0 in a pandemic year, scored a combined 107 points against SEC powerhouses LSU and Florida, crushed Ohio State in a National Championship Game 52-24 in a contest that wasn't even that close, and followed it up with another top-rated signing class.Nick Saban called his boys the "ultimate team," but it wasn't just because they kicked the ever-living hell out of everyone on the football field. It was because the team leveraged a power and influence born of Southern pride to push back against a hateful legacy of racism that a populist president was exploiting to divide the nation. At a time when Americans needed real leaders in the face of so much hate, the sports world answered the call and fought back for the soul of the country.In the summer of 2020, the Tide players left their training facility and, led by their celebrated coach, marched to a campus doorway made infamous sixty years earlier by another political demagogue and showed what people can accomplish when they fight together for a just cause in the name of unity. The most powerful force in a state crazy for college football had chosen to make a stand and replace George Wallace's "Segregation forever!" with a different message, written by one of the players: "All lives can't matter until Black lives matter."?There have been some great football teams through the years, and they all deserve respect. But here's what we know for sure: They all would have been appreciative of what this Alabama team represented, and proud of what it accomplished. The Crimson Tide in 2020 captured something special that moved it beyond the conversation of best ever, and into the place reserved for most important of all time.

When Ray Ciancaglini was sixteen, he took a hard blow to the head in a boxing match. With the misconception that you had to be knocked out to sustain a concussion, he stepped into the ring again the following week and suffered a second concussion while still in the recovery phase of the initial one. The injurious effects to Ray's brain from this "second impact" altered the course of his existence forever. Andy Siegel is a New York City personal injury lawyer who has dedicated his legal career to representing survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI). He is also the author of The Tug Wyler Mystery Series, a collection of emotionally charged and thought provoking medical-legal thrillers. With his highly acclaimed debut novel Suzy's Case Andy personified the intensity of the experience of TBI survivors and their families.Ray and Andy have collaborated on a joint mission: to raise awareness about the dangers of concussion and to encourage a safe return to athletic competition after sustaining a head injury.Second Impact: The Ray Ciancaglini Story chronicles the account of a young boy's life whose future had been filled with tremendous promise tragically sent off course by his instinctive competitive spirit. Written in the third person, each chapter ends with Ray's comments on those life events highlighting the mistakes he made. This unique format allows the reader to follow the story in the form of a novel yet benefit from Ray's insightful reflections in retrospect.All proceeds donated to Ray's non-profit organization. Please visit thesecondimpact.com for more information.

Paul Davis's story takes us on a journey through almost 50 years at the top in football: a leading player's take on an extraordinary period in Arsenal's history. Davis won titles and cups with Arsenal but, to do so, had to battle against the odds. Through his own experiences, he looks back on his achievements as a player, a coach and an educator.

''Fantastic book written by a true LFC legend.'' Jurgen Klopp''George Sephton is part of the brickwork of Liverpool Football Club and was witness to so many iconic moments. He has lived through a huge chunk of our history, from when Liverpool were in the Second Division, when he used to come to Anfield with his father, all the way to being crowned World Club and Premier League champions. It''s been a rollercoaster ride, and George has been there for all the ups and downs - but mainly the ups.'' Sir Kenny Dalglish''The voice of George Sephton has been heard at Anfield for so long that you could be forgiven for imagining him poised with a wind-up gramophone and a 78-rpm record of Gerry with his ukulele and a single Pacemaker, on a comb and tissue paper, piping Alan A''Court and Alf Arrowsmith onto the field.'' Elvis CostelloGeorge Sephton''s relationship with Liverpool Football Club began in 1971 when he wrote to the club secretary applying to be the stadium announcer. His first match also marked the debut of Kevin Keegan. For the past fifty years, Sephton has been at Anfield for all but a handful of home fixtures, as well as travelling with the team to major finals. From the highs of winning numerous league titles and European Cups, to the lows of Heysel and Hillsborough, Sephton has been with Liverpool through it all. From encounters with great managers and legendary players - from Bill Shankly to Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes to Jurgen Klopp, he tells his unique and entertaining story of the greatest club in the world.

The most respected pitchside reporter in football share incredible stories ¿ on and off the field ¿ from more than thirty years at the forefront of the beautiful game.