-
Born to be a Footballer: My Autobiography
‘A brilliant insight into Liam’s life in football’ Kevin Moran‘Insightful, often joyous, and hugely entertaining’ Roddy Doyle
‘One of our country’s great footballers, and definitely our most beautiful’ – John Giles
The #2 Irish Bestseller
“Being a footballer was my destiny.”
After being expelled from school for playing football for his country, fifteen-year-old Liam Brady travelled to London to join Arsenal, and soon became an indispensable part of their glorious 1970s team. Rightly considered one of the Republic of Ireland’s best-ever footballers, he went on to enjoy successes with Juventus, Sampdoria and West Ham, as well as managing Celtic and Brighton and Hove, and becoming assistant manager of his national team. Today he is best known for his much-respected TV punditry and searingly intelligent insights into the game he adores.
Full of honest insights, amusing anecdotes and recollections of extraordinary times, with Born to be a Footballer Brady delivers a compelling story of a fifty-year career that is unparalleled in Irish sport.
Read more
£9.10£19.00Born to be a Footballer: My Autobiography
£9.10£19.00 -
The Tourist: What happens on tour stays on tour … until now!
What Goes on Tour, Stays on Tour…Until Now!
As a cricketer, broadcaster and celebrity jungle-dweller, Phil Tufnell has travelled the world far and wide. From the great cricket tours of Australia and South Africa to his equally memorable jaunts to Benidorm and Blackpool, Phil has spent much of his life living out of a suitcase, meeting a host of colourful and memorable characters along the way.
The Tourist takes you out on the road, into the dressing room and behind the scenes of the commentary box to reveal just what really happens on Tour. Did Phil once push a baby grand piano down the stairs of a plush hotel? Did he accidentally eat a rat? Was he blamed for England being bowled out for 46 against the West Indies without even being in the team?
There’s only one way to find out…
It’s time to take a hilarious trip across the world with one of our most treasured sports personalities.
Read more
£4.70£20.90 -
Kammy: The Funny and Moving Autobiography by the Broadcasting Legend
Foreword by Ben Shephard
‘Everyone loves Kammy . . . Full of humour and endless blunders’ – The Times
‘What a man, what a life, what a story, and what a great read’ – Paddy McGuinnessPresenter, commentator, (sometimes masked) singer, footballer, manager and campaigner, Kammy has done it all. His irrepressible enthusiasm – and a couple of legendary gaffes on Sky Sports – have seen him become broadcasting royalty.
Now Kammy reveals all in this funny and moving autobiography. What happens when you double cross José Mourinho? What it’s like to play with Vinnie Jones? Who comes off better: Kammy or a rampaging gorilla? How did Kammy end up releasing his own top-ten record? What’s the real story behind his infamous line, ‘I don’t know, Jeff!’?
But despite the crazy tales, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Kammy had a tough upbringing, faced racism during his playing career and has, in recent years, dealt with a rare brain condition – apraxia – that has affected his speech and seen him say goodbye to Sky Sports. Relating his battle against the condition, Kammy shows how he’s met every challenge with courage, determination and his infectious smile.
Packed with hilarious stories and featuring a cast of famous names, from Elton John to Channing Tatum, this is a book about friendship, courage and why it’s always important to have a good laugh.
‘A talented (and daft) lad from the Boro who has entertained the nation for decades, on and off the pitch. So get the tissues ready – this book will make you laugh and cry in equal measure’ – Steph McGovern
Read more
£12.00£20.90 -
The Red on Revolution: Be Ready for Anything
Buy The Red on Revolution: Be Ready for Anything First Edition by Mike Chadwick (ISBN: 9781801509077) from Amazon’s Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
£12.20£14.20The Red on Revolution: Be Ready for Anything
£12.20£14.20 -
Centenary Babe – Nursing Days: Adelaide, South Australia 1952 to 1959
“These nursing experiences are TRUE TO LIFE!”If you are looking for facts, documented history, historical accuracy ………. this is not the book for you! This is a personal account by Janet Cornelius of her dream to become a children’s nurse and her experiences along the way, during the 1950’s. She writes with expression and bits of drama from her days. Her nursing friend Dorothy Kitto when reading the book stated “all I can say is these nursing experiences are VERY TRUE TO LIFE!”
Read, enjoy and be inspired that an ‘ordinary’ life is in fact an ‘extraordinary life’ when you look at it differently!
“Hurrah! I have finished with school days…….. All I now wished to do was to be a nurse, nursing babies and children. I was still only 15 years and 7 months old. I had to be 18 to begin training.
So I became the very first Casualty Porteress…………….. How proud I was of my blue cross-over overall. I remember changing in the Red Cross “Room” in Casualty itself. The room itself had only four walls, no roof, but still called a “room”. Each morning I started at 8.00a.m. and worked until 5.00p.m.”“How wonderful it was to learn to roll cotton wool swabs/balls. All the cotton wool came in large rolls and had to be rolled into small balls by hand, teasing the cotton wool out to make it light and then rolling it into balls in the palm of my hand.”
“Each day’s work was different. I never knew what I was going to do but I enjoyed this variety very much. Working with so many different people was a great lesson for me. I began to grow up as I saw more of the world. One of the people that I met was “Harry”. Yes, I do remember him. He was a mine of information. Any difficulties was a chance to go and see Harry. He was my original “Mr. Fix It”
“Most of these [baby] bottles went to Rose Ward…….. This was one of my favourite wards. We had babies from just born to three months old. It was a lovely ward to work in BUT OH SO BUSY. There were four cots to each cubicle and we were given a cubicle to look after. If we started at 7.00a.m. we had to “top and tail” (wash the face and bottom, and change the nappy, no throw away nappies) of each baby before feeding it. We had 1 1/4 hours to do this AND feed each one. We were not allowed to “prop” a bottle, that is leave it on the pillow so the baby could suck the teat, while we watched and fed another one. OH NO! definitely not allowed.”
Now three years of training were coming to an end. I was studying very hard. My final exams were approaching and I had to pass the University exam plus the Adelaide Children’s Hospital theory and practical exam. A group of us walked to the university exam together which was to take place at the university itself. Our last walk from the Children’s Hospital to the building where we had sat through so many lectures.”
So whether you are into nursing, history, or the social life during the 1950’s in South Australia, this could be the book for you!
There is no high drama, just the everyday experiences of not having the school grades and having to study again, being the first nurse on hand as a boy is hit by a train, and then the unexpected romance at 24 years of falling in love with an RAF man from England, and making the long 5 weeks’ sea journey to England where she knew no-one……. and all this in the years before mobile phones, internet and telephone calls across the Atlantic were direct dial without the operator listening in!
Read more
£4.30£7.60 -
The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz – Costa Book of the Year 2019
One of the Sunday Times paperbacks of the Year 2020
One of the Financial Times best books of 2020‘Totally gripping’– Simon Sebag Montefiore
‘Pilecki is perhaps one of the greatest unsung heroes of the second world war … this insightful book is likely to be the definitive version of this extraordinary life’ — Economist
Would you sacrifice yourself to save thousands of others?
In the Summer of 1940, after the Nazi occupation of Poland, an underground operative called Witold Pilecki accepted a mission to uncover the fate of thousands of people being interned at a new concentration camp on the border of the Reich.
His mission was to report on Nazi crimes and raise a secret army to stage an uprising. The name of the detention centre — Auschwitz.
It was only after arriving at the camp that he started to discover the Nazi’s terrifying plans. Over the next two and half years, Witold forged an underground army that smuggled evidence of Nazi atrocities out of Auschwitz. His reports from the camp were to shape the Allies response to the Holocaust – yet his story was all but forgotten for decades.
This is the first major account to draw on unpublished family papers, newly released archival documents and exclusive interviews with surviving resistance fighters to show how he brought the fight to the Nazis at the heart of their evil designs.
The result is an enthralling story of resistance and heroism against the most horrific circumstances, and one man’s attempt to change the course of history.
Read more
£10.40£12.30 -
Remarkable Women of the Second World War: A Collection of Untold Stories
They were told to hold the fort. They did far more than that.
When the Second World War broke out, the task of keeping society afloat fell on the shoulders of the women left behind. Women the world over stepped into boots they’d never worn before – becoming engineers, labourers and intelligence experts. Their houses were razed to the ground, they fled their enemy-occupied countries and they picked up guns to defend their homes, but their stories are rarely told.
Remarkable Women of the Second World War is a collection of twelve of these stories, all carefully gathered and retold by Victoria Panton Bacon. These are the stories of Galina Russian navigator who flew on the front line for the Red Army alongside the feared Night Witches; Ena, an ATA engineer who didn’t think much of the Spitfires and Hurricanes she worked on; and Lee, a Jewish girl who fled Frankfurt and arrived in Coventry on a Kindertransport train. These women weren’t remarkable because of high rank or status, but because of their grit, resilience and determination. These are the tales of ordinary women who did extraordinary things.
Read more
£14.10£18.00 -
The Man Who Never Was: The Remarkable Story of Operation Mincemeat (Now the subject of a major new film starring Colin Firth as Ewen Montagu)
Now the subject of a major new film starring Colin Firth as Ewen Montagu in Operation Mincemeat.
In the early hours of 30 April 1943, a corpse wearing the uniform of an officer in the Royal Marines was slipped into the waters off the south-west coast of Spain. With it was a briefcase, in which were papers detailing an imminent Allied invasion of Greece. As the British had anticipated, the supposedly neutral government of Fascist Spain turned the papers over to the Nazi High Command, who swallowed the story whole. It was perhaps the most decisive bluff of all time, for the Allies had no such plan: the purpose of ‘Operation Mincemeat’ was to blind the German High Command to their true objective – an attack on Southern Europe through Sicily. Though officially shrouded in secrecy, the operation soon became legendary (in part owing to Churchill’s habit of telling the story at dinner). Ewen Montagu was the operation’s mastermind, and in his celebrated post-war memoir, The Man who Never Was, he reveals the incredible true story behind ‘Operation Mincemeat’.
Read more
£7.60£12.30 -
The Very Young Person’s Guide to Ballet Music
Discover the world’s most famous ballets, including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Spartacus, and The Firebird accompanied by 10 sound clips of child-friendly pieces.
“The perfect way to discover the stories behind famous ballets and introduce the melodies to your children. Simply adorable.” Myleene Klass
Learn about the music and stories of ballet in the second book of The Very Young Person’s Guide To… series.
Pull on your pointe shoes and follow our heroes as they explore beautiful scenes inspired by some of ballet’s most loved music, including Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Spartacus, and The Firebird. Young readers can discover iconic moments including Swan Lake’s Dance of the Cygnets, The Clog Dance from La Fille Mal Gardée, and Don Quixote’s Dance of the Matadors. Original illustrations capture the beautiful story of the ballet, while the sound button brings the composer’s dazzling pieces to life. Every spread features fascinating facts about the ballet, performers, the composer, and the music.
Ideal for young children starting music and dance lessons, The Very Young Person’s Guide to Ballet Music is guaranteed to delight and inspire.
Read more
£14.90£19.00The Very Young Person’s Guide to Ballet Music
£14.90£19.00 -
The Empress Frederick Writes to Sophie Her Daughter: Victoria, Princess Royal and Later Queen of the Hellenes; Letters of German Royalty, 1889-1901
The letters of Empress Frederick shed light on German politics and society during the late 19th century, and the outlook Germany’s royal family held on matters domestic and foreign.
Famed for her charity work and promotion of social welfare, Victoria, Princess Royal – also styled as ‘the Empress Frederick’ – demonstrates a refined and sensitive soul. She is watchful and sensitive to political developments, both in Germany and elsewhere, and provides commentary and opinion on the events of her time. The letters were originally written in English – which is the language that Victoria and her daughter Sophie would habitually speak amongst themselves.
Thought lost amid the maelstrom of the Second World War, the letters of the Empress were salvaged by servants of a household ransacked during the conflict which devastated much of Europe. Thus, readers may gain insight into the period ranging from 1889 to 1901; these were the Empress’s mature years, wherein her wisdom and eloquence was at its height. Her views upon the retirement of Chancellor Bismarck, the rising ambitions of the headstrong Kaiser Wilhelm II, the elderly Queen Victoria of England, and others, are candidly spoken about. The book concludes on a tragic note; in great pain from the advanced stages of cancer, the Empress struggles to correspond with her beloved daughter, but nevertheless makes the greatest effort to do so.
Read more
£12.30 -
Untapped Potential: Born in Scotland, Found in the Royal Signals
“Untapped Potential follows George’s career in the army, from the age of 16 when he joined the Army Apprentices College, of which he became the Junior Regimental Sergeant Major, to the moment, 27 years later, that he reluctantly decided to leave.
The story, told with great frankness, relates the good times and the less good times, the ups and downs, the sad events as well as the happy ones; but the characteristic sense of humour is never far below the surface – indeed, seldom below it at all!
It is also an account that graphically illustrates what it was like to serve in the British Army at the time.”
Read more
£12.20£14.20 -
The Royal Line of Succession: Official Souvenir Guide
The Royal Line of succession can be traced back over 2,000 years of British history. This book includes the genealogies of Britain’s Royal Families, from the days of the Kings of Wessex in the 6th century to the present day, together with brief introductions to each historical period and change of dynasty. It is an invaluable guide to this fascinating subject.Read more
£2.70 -
A Brief History of the British Monarchy: From the Iron Age to King Charles III
The British monarchy is at a turning point. Concise and engaging, this book charts the very beginnings of British reign through to the longest serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – and looks forward to the reign of King Charles III.Much more than a linear history, this is the intertwined story of royalty and state, of divisions, invasions, rivalries, death and glory; the story of nation fates deeply tied with the personal endeavours of monarchs through the ages. Black expertly weaves together thematic chapters from the origins of monarchy, medieval times and sixteenth-century developments, to the crises of the seventeenth-century, settlement and imperialism, and the challenges of the modern age. Exploring the House of Wessex, the Norman Conquest, Henry VIII and the Tudors, Victorianism and key events such as abdication of Edward VIII, this book is a necessary and comprehensive guide to the British Monarchy and how it has shaped history – and our lives today.
Read more
£10.40£16.10 -
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: 1926–2022: A celebration of her life and reign
Long did she reign and peacefully may she rest: this beautiful and thoughtful tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates the life of a remarkable woman whose 70 years on the throne made her the longest-reigning monarch in British History.
Royal biographer Brian Hoey describes the childhood, accession and coronation of young Elizabeth, and chronicles her extraordinary and dignified transfiguration into beloved wife, mother and grandmother during her seven decades of unflagging service and dedication as Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth. He also explains the constitutional roles and public duties of this accomplished stateswoman, conducted with such outstanding grace and professionalism throughout her life.
As the royal family, her country, and countless people around the world prepare to say goodbye, he describes all the honour and ceremony one would expect to be lavished on this cherished sovereign and considers the everlasting effect that her work, life, and legacy will continue to have for many years to come.
Read more
£8.70£9.50 -
Fleet Air Arm Boys Volume Three: Helicopters – True Tales From royal Navy Men and Women Air and Ground Crew (Fleet Air Arm Boys, 3)
Helicopters have been going to sea with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm for over 70 years. Initially used for search and rescue (SAR) duties from aircraft carriers, the rapid development of both the helicopters and service experience resulted in them taking on the vital anti-submarine (and later anti-ship) attack roles.
The 1956 Suez campaign saw the first operational use of Whirlwind helicopters for the insertion of troops by air into a battle zone, a capability which was expanded with more helicopters such as the Wessex, Sea King and today’s Merlin. Through their vital role in the 1960s Indonesian Confrontation, the Commando helicopter force became universally referred to as the ‘Junglies’, by which name they are still known today.
It is often said that if either of the 1982 Task Force aircraft carriers had been lost the Falklands War could not have been won. The same would surely have been true without helicopters. Their vital tasks, including inserting Special Forces behind enemy lines, protecting the Task Force from Exocet missile attack and recovering wounded troops whilst under enemy fire, are rightly hailed as being instrumental. At home, the essential SAR effort by both the Royal Navy and their RAF counterparts has resulted in incredible stories of saving lives against the odds.
Royal Navy destroyers and frigates have also long since benefitted from having their own helicopter Flight aboard. Frequently operating in extremes of weather, flying a Wasp, Lynx or today’s Wildcat from and back to a heaving deck is every bit as risky as flying fixed-wing aircraft off the carriers of old using the cat and trap system.
Once dismissed as a novelty, the helicopter has more than proved itself. Indeed, for ten years until the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, the Fleet Air Arm’s operational force was entirely rotary-wing. Today’s Merlins and Wildcats, with their dedicated aircrew, maintenance and support staff continue to demonstrate just how vital an asset the helicopter has become.
Here are the words of the men and women themselves, skilfully brought to life by Steve Bond and profusely illustrated in colour and b/w.
Read more
£19.00£23.80 -
British Royal Tombs
- The classic guide to all burials of the kings, queens and lords protector of England, Scotland and the United Kingdom, with photographs, drawings and detailed appendices
Aidan Dodson’s British Royal Tombs covers all the burials of the kings, queens (and lords protector) of England, Scotland and the United Kingdom, from the occupant of the great Sutton Hoo ship burial, to George VI, last Emperor of India, including of course the long-lost Richard III. This fully revised edition of a book that became an immediate classic of its kind will be equally interesting to the interested visitor and the student. The career of each ruler is briefly described, followed by what is known about his or her burial arrangements and the subsequent history of the tomb and its contents. Each tomb is illustrated as far as possible by at least one photograph or drawing.
The posthumous fate of royal spouses is also included, together with information on each of the cathedrals, churches, chapels and other structures that house or once housed royal tombs; there are detailed diagrams for the major sites. A list of monarchs, family trees and an extensive bibliography complete the book.
Read more
£10.40£16.10British Royal Tombs
£10.40£16.10 -
A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Edition: 1926-2022 The Life and Reign of Her Majesty (Fox Chapel Publishing) Articles, Stunning Photos, Family Tree, Timelines,…
The most complete collection of in-depth content regarding Queen Elizabeth II.
- A commemorative keepsake and tribute to the childhood, life, royal family, and reign of Queen Elizabeth II
- Fascinating articles detailing historical events, major milestones, the royal family tree and timeline, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, her legacy, the modern monarchy, and more
- Never-before-seen photographs, stunning illustrations, timelines, family trees, and other insightful visuals
- Profiles of George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Prince Philip, and other members of the royal family and line of succession
With these pages, we remember a queen who devoted herself to her country and the people within it.
In 1926, a princess was born in Mayfair, London. Named Elizabeth after her mother, she was third in line to the throne, but expected to be pushed further down the line of succession when her uncle had his own children. From the meeting and wedding of her parents in 1923 to her birth in 1926 and details of her childhood, upbringing, and education, read about the young princess who was originally third in line to the throne.
Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952 at 25 years old after the death of her adored father. This tribute carefully details the monumental events that followed, including her coronation that took 18 months to plan, the birth of the Commonwealth, her influential role as one of the most experienced heads of state in the world, pivotal moments such as her iconic state visit to China in 1986 that improved relations between the two countries, and more.
In this touching tribute to one of Britain’s most loved monarchs, we explore the woman who has ruled over generations, her legacy, the history of her royal family, and more, with expertly written articles by the most knowledgeable historians and royal family experts, including Scott Reeves, June Woolerton, Jon Wright, and others.
A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Edition is the ultimate, jam-packed resource for history lovers and admirers of Queen Elizabeth II.
Read more
£9.50 -
Kings and Queens of Britain, Illustrated History of: A visual encyclopedia of every king and queen of Britain, from Saxon times through the Tudors and Stuarts to today
In this beautifully illustrated and updated edition, just prior to the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles Phillips charts the complete history of the royal families of Britain. Beginning in the earliest times with the legend of King Arthur, Eric Bloodaxe and the real-life history of Macbeth, he describes the lives and legends of the kings and queens of Britain, their consorts and children, and the pretenders, usurpers and regents who played a role in the making of the United Kingdom. Fact boxes highlight the essential events of each reign, as well as maps, charts and family trees. Over 500 fine art paintings, sculptures, engravings, artefacts, photographs, maps and illustrations reveal the heritage and pageantry of royal Britain. A valuable reference book for any historian, this guide will fascinate every reader interested in one of the longest-running monarchies in the world.Read more
£12.20£14.30 -
Elizabeth: An intimate portrait from the writer who knew her and her family for over fifty years
THE NO 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER NOW FEATURING EXCLUSIVE MATERIAL ABOUT CHARLES III’s CORONATION WITH ADDED PHOTOGRAPHS
A personal account of the life and character of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, from the writer who knew her family best
‘Compelling . . . Fascinating’ DAILY MAIL
‘The writer who got closest to the human truth about our long-serving senior royals’ THE TIMES
‘The book overflows with nuggets of insider knowledge’ TELEGRAPH
Paints a unique picture of the remarkable woman who reigned for seven decades. Fascinating insights’ HELLO!
__________Gyles Brandreth first met the Queen in 1968, when he was twenty.
Over the next fifty years he met her many times, both at public and at private events. Through his friendship with the Duke of Edinburgh, he was given privileged access to Elizabeth II.
He kept a record of all those encounters, and his conversations with the Queen over the years, his meetings with her family and friends, and his observations of her at close quarters are what make this very personal account of her extraordinary life uniquely fascinating.
From her childhood in the 1920s to the era of Harry and Meghan in the 2020s, from her war years at Windsor Castle to her death at Balmoral, this is both a record of a tumultuous century of royal history and a truly intimate portrait of a remarkable woman.
Enjoy this special edition now featuring an exclusive postscript about King Charles III’s Coronation with photographs.
__________Praise for Gyles Brandreth’s bestselling royal writing:
‘Beautifully written book. I have read many other books about Philip but this is the best’ DAILY EXPRESS
‘Brilliant, totally inspiring . . . It’s a joy to read a book that comes from a perspective of fondness’ KIRSTIE ALLSOPP, THE TIMES
‘As a sparkling celebration of Prince Philip, the book will be hard to beat’ TELEGRAPH
‘So readable and refreshing even after the millions of words that have been written about Prince Philip in the past couple of weeks’ THE TIMES
‘Brilliant . . . There is so much in this book you won’t find anywhere else’ LORRAINE
Read more
£17.90£23.80 -
Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II
A Sunday Times Book of the Year
Queen Of Our Times is the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II by one of Britain’s leading royal authorities, Robert Hardman. This commemorative edition includes an epilogue reflecting upon Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, her passing and her funeral.
‘Sensational’ – Kirsty Young, The Platinum Pageant (BBC)
With fascinating revelations from those who knew her best and special access to unseen royal papers granted by Elizabeth II herself, author and royal expert Robert Hardman explores the full, astonishing life of our longest reigning monarch in this authoritative yet intimate biography.
The book also charts the way in which the Queen raised the future King Charles III as both son and heir.
Elizabeth was not born to be queen, being third in line to the throne. Yet from her accession as a young mother of two in 1952 to the age of Covid-19, she proved an astute and quietly determined figure, leading her family and her people through more than seventy years of unprecedented social change. She faced constitutional crises, confronted threats against her life, unified the Commonwealth, saw fifteen British prime ministers come and go, charmed world leaders, and steered her family through a lifetime in the public eye. Her Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in June 2022 and her death mourned months later, both events a reminder of the huge impact she had made.
Queen of Our Times is a must-read study of dynastic survival and renewal, spanning abdication, war, romance, danger and tragedy. It is a compelling portrait of a leader whose legacy of steadfast service lives on.
Read more
£18.20 -
Becoming the 0.1%: Thirty-four lessons from the diary of a Royal Marines Commando Recruit
‘A practical and no-nonsense guide on dealing with the toughest situations, from someone who has been there and done it.’ — Levison Wood
‘It will help you to navigate life.’ — The Times
***
Historical recruitment campaigns to become a Royal Marines Commando drew on a harrowing but intriguing narrative: 99.9% Need Not Apply. In 2005, only one in a thousand applications for the Royal Marines were successful in reaching the end of training, earning the Coveted Green Beret – a world renowned symbol of excellence.
Becoming the 0.1% is the first-ever diary account of this training regime, charting the odds-stacked journey of Gareth Timmins, a 20-year-old recruit at the time, and providing a psychological framework for understanding how he was able to cultivate the mental strength and resilience needed to push through to success.
Each week of training is accompanied by lessons on his short-comings and growth to peak performance. It uses real-life and often terrifying experiences to describe to the reader the edge you need to cultivate a 0.1% mindset and succeed in life and work, by learning how to:
- Visualise achievements
- Combat fatigue and burnout
- Stay motivated by not losing sight of the end goal
- Eradicate complacency and achieve mastery
- Redefine expectation and regulate disappointment
- Live without convenience
- Thrive under pressure
- Break down self-imposed limitations
- Be held accountable to others
- Break down self-imposed limitations
- Thrive under pressure
- Live without convenience
- Redefine expectation and regulate disappointment
- Eradicate complacency and achieve mastery
- Stay motivated by not losing sight of the end goal
- Combat fatigue and burnout
Read more
£7.00£12.30 - Visualise achievements
-
Royal Family Operations Manual: The history, dominions, protocol, residences, households, pomp and circumstance of the British Royals
This book, written by royal expert and correspondent Robert Jobson offers a complete examination of the British Royal Family, looking behind the scenes at the current heirs of a kingdom that has been ruled nearly uninterruptedly by a monarch since 774AD. Chapters include explanations of the Windsor bloodline, the family tree and personalities, their royal residences, palaces and country retreats, military connections, charity work, and annual engagements. * Examines the royal finances, including personal incomes, state salaries and charitable activities * Details the births, marriages and deaths of the past 70 years, as well as state ceremonies, jubilees and other royal celebrations * Includes fascinating behind the scenes details on annual events, domestic rituals, personalities, pets and family gatherings * Illustrated throughout, and including Intimate, candid photographs of how the institution of the Royal Family functionsRead more
£19.30£23.80 -
Joscelyne’s Beach: A Memoir of Leigh-on-Sea
In 1909 – when Arthur Joscelyne was six – his father emptied the family savings from the jug on the mantelpiece to buy 200 yards of beach on the north shore of the River Thames.Arthur helped run ‘Joscelyne’s Beach’ for 20 years. His boyhood reminiscences vividly bring to life a world long disappeared. The tide, the gulls, and the dinghies set the scene for a cast of characters that will never be forgotten.This lyrically beautiful memoir offers an exquisite snapshot of English coastal life before, during and after the First World War.See also Arthur Joscelyne’s companion book: Joscelyne’s Tales of Old Leigh and Chalkwell.REVIEWS OF Joscelyne’s Beach:“Beyond the bounds of this idyllic place, two world wars came and went, generations grew and faded, and Southend relentlessly enlarged . . . This small patch of private foreshore somehow seemed to enshrine so much of Southend’s – and the English seaside’s history, as well as a haunting sense of a vanished happy world . . . If this book is as widely read as predicted, this bewitched morsel of land will once again become Joscelyne’s Beach in theminds of people far beyond Essex.”The Evening Echo“Here are recollections at first hand from Edwardian childhood to the 1940s, with a broad variety of people and events, hopes and disappointments brought to life with insight . . . Francis Turnidge the sailmaker; the magnificently uniformed Gravesend coastguards; a champagne-quaffing countess and many others. Boats are an underlying thread: a ‘white elephant’ hire dinghy too posh to use; a rowboat from Gamages which proved invaluable; buying a Gravesend shrimper for £20 . . . An unusual and beguiling book, with its background of sun, sand and seaweed.”Classic Boat“This lyrical memoir offers a vivid insight into Leigh-on-Sea and its characters before, during and after the First World War.”Essex MagazineRead more
£10.40 -
Stuart Broad: Broadly Speaking: THE MUST-READ SPORTS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 2023
Stuart Broad is the ultimate competitor – someone addicted to the pressures of Test cricket, the big occasions and being thrust into the heat of battle.
For over seventeen years, he’s left it all on the field. A multiple Ashes winner and Wold Champion, Broad was integral to some of the greatest England teams of all time. His awards and achievements, however, don’t tell the whole story. He has always been a cricketer of more than mere numbers. Broad’s passionate and spontaneous behaviour has mad him a fan favourite. No other player feeds off the crowd quite like he does.
In his autobiography, Broad shares the moments from the game which have made him and those that almost broke him. What’s clear, however, is his unwavering belief in his own ability to become one of the best ever.
Candid, entertaining, and refreshingly honest, this book reveals the personal side of a true cricketing great.
__________The longevity of his career, and what he has achieved, should never be forgotten. Ben Stokes
He loves the big moments, the pressure situations. That’s a true sign of a champion, I think. He’s been incredible for England for a long, long time. Glen McGrath
Stuart Broad is the ultimate Ashes warrior. Ricky Ponting
One of England’s greatest players of all time. Joe Root
Read more
£11.90£23.80 -
Kammy: The Funny and Moving Autobiography by the Broadcasting Legend
Foreword by Ben Shephard
‘Everyone loves Kammy . . . Full of humour and endless blunders’ – The Times
‘What a man, what a life, what a story, and what a great read’ – Paddy McGuinnessPresenter, commentator, (sometimes masked) singer, footballer, manager and campaigner, Kammy has done it all. His irrepressible enthusiasm – and a couple of legendary gaffes on Sky Sports – have seen him become broadcasting royalty.
Now Kammy reveals all in this funny and moving autobiography. What happens when you double cross José Mourinho? What it’s like to play with Vinnie Jones? Who comes off better: Kammy or a rampaging gorilla? How did Kammy end up releasing his own top-ten record? What’s the real story behind his infamous line, ‘I don’t know, Jeff!’?
But despite the crazy tales, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Kammy had a tough upbringing, faced racism during his playing career and has, in recent years, dealt with a rare brain condition – apraxia – that has affected his speech and seen him say goodbye to Sky Sports. Relating his battle against the condition, Kammy shows how he’s met every challenge with courage, determination and his infectious smile.
Packed with hilarious stories and featuring a cast of famous names, from Elton John to Channing Tatum, this is a book about friendship, courage and why it’s always important to have a good laugh.
‘A talented (and daft) lad from the Boro who has entertained the nation for decades, on and off the pitch. So get the tissues ready – this book will make you laugh and cry in equal measure’ – Steph McGovern
Read more
£9.50£20.90 -
The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe V. Wade
The astonishing untold history of the million and a half women who surrendered children for adoption due to enormous family and social pressure in the decades before Roe v. Wade.“It would take a heart of stone not to be moved by the oral histories of these women and by the courage and candor with which they express themselves.” –The Washington Post
“A remarkably well-researched and accomplished book.” –The New York Times Book Review
“A wrenching, riveting book.” –Chicago Tribune
In this deeply moving and myth-shattering work, Ann Fessler brings out into the open for the first time the hidden social history of adoption before Roe v. Wade – and its lasting legacy. An adoptee who was herself surrendered during those years and recently made contact with her mother, Ann Fessler brilliantly brings to life the voices of more than a hundred women, as well as the spirit of those times, allowing the women to tell their stories in gripping and intimate detail.
Read more
£8.30 -
You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption
An adoption expert and transracial adoptee herself examines the unique perspectives and challenges these adoptees have as they navigate multiple cultures“Your parents are so amazing for adopting you! You should be grateful that you were adopted.”
Angela Tucker is a Black woman, adopted from foster care by white parents. She has heard this microaggression her entire life, usually from well-intentioned strangers who view her adoptive parents as noble saviors. She is grateful for many aspects of her life, but being transracially adopted involves layers of rejection, loss, and complexity that cannot be summed up so easily.
In “You Should Be Grateful,” Tucker centers the experiences of adoptees to share deeply personal stories, well-researched history, and engrossing anecdotes from mentorship sessions with adopted youth. These perspectives challenge the fairy-tale narrative of adoption, giving way to a fuller story that explores the impacts of racism, classism, family, love, and belonging.
Read more
£18.10£22.80 -
Stories of 20 More Mighty Muslim Heroes (Mighty Muslim Heroes series)
Changing misconceptions one hero at a time. The second book in the Mighty Muslim Heroes series, featuring 20 Muslim women and men who have shaped, and continue to shape our world.
Do you know Muslims come from every part of the world? Do you know of the Muslim women who are making strides in astrophysics, activism, education, and many other fields? You know Galileo and Newton but do you know Ibn al-Haytham and Mariam al-Asturlabi?
Stories of 20 More Mighty Muslim Heroes hopes to inspire and empower children with these legendary multicultural biographies.
Jam-packed with information, titbits, aspirations, and achievements of each Muslim hero from the past and present, this sequel is sure to leave every child feeling empowered and encouraged. Each story is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations or real life images.
If your child enjoyed Stories of 20 Mighty Muslim Heroes, Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World, and Goodnight stories for Rebel Girls®, then they will love Stories of 20 More Mighty Muslims Heroes.
Help change misconceptions one hero at a time by clicking the BUY NOW button today.
A portion of book profits is donated to Human Appeal Australia (a registered British charity) that serves underprivileged communities around the world.
Read more
£10.40 -
Daily Wisdom: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad
This attractive presentation of the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings engages the reader in a moment of daily reflection. With 365 traditions covering the whole year, Daily Wisdom explores Islamic morals and manners in all aspects of everyday life. Beautifully presented, this ideal gift item is a must for every home.
Abdur Raheem Kidwai is professor of English at the Aligarh Muslim University in India and a well-known author of many works on the Qur’an and Islam.
Read more
£10.00£10.40Daily Wisdom: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad
£10.00£10.40 -
Muhammad and the Empires of Faith: The Making of the Prophet of Islam
In Muhammad and the Empires of Faith, Sean W. Anthony demonstrates how critical readings of non-Muslim and Muslim sources in tandem can breathe new life into the historical study of Muhammad and how his message transformed the world. By placing these sources within the intellectual and cultural world of Late Antiquity, Anthony offers a fresh assessment of the earliest sources for Muhammad’s life, taking readers on a grand tour of the available evidence, and suggests what new insights stand to be gained from the techniques and methods pioneered by countless scholars over the decades in a variety of fields. Muhammad and the Empires of Faith offers both an authoritative introduction to the multilayered traditions surrounding the life of Muhammad and a compelling exploration of how these traditions interacted with the broader landscape of Late Antiquity.
Read more
£23.40£31.40 -
One of Us: England’s Greatest Rugby Players
In 2013, England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster embarked on an ambitious project to turn Twickenham Stadium into England Rugby’s ‘sixteenth man’. Drawing upon the rich heritage created by all those who have worn the red rose since the birth of international rugby, he introduced a series of innovations around the stadium, which has since become the most advanced rugby ground in Europe. Inside the England dressing room, a roll of honour records the names of all those to have worn the shirt. Each player, when selected to represent their country, receives a unique number that indicates their place in a tradition that began on 27 March 1871 at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, when the world’s first international rugby match took place. The current team are seated around the dressing room according to their position. Behind where each player sits is a list of the ten players per position to have represented England, under the title One of Us. This fascinating book explores the process behind these innovations and details the achievements of those deemed to be England’s greatest players.Read more
£3.30 -
Fringes: Life on the Edge of Professional Rugby
Updated edition of the #1 Amazon Bestseller
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2020Sports books tend to detail extraordinary achievements, triumphs against the odds or commemorate World Cup winning captains.
This book does not do that.
For many, playing professional sport is the Dream Job. Few manage it, very few make it to the top and for the rest, life is very different. This is their story.
In Fringes, Ben Mercer invites you to witness life at the outer edges of professional rugby. This is a first hand account of what life is like as a journeyman professional athlete. You play, but to the wider public you don’t exist. You earn but you don’t drive a flash car. You sometimes pack out a stadium but sometimes, you play in a deserted park. This is the story for the majority of sports professionals. Only the minority taste the top, only one person gets to lift the cup or win the medal, only 15 get to play for England at any one time. For the rest, that’s not the case.
Ben Mercer is a former professional rugby player who after becoming disillusioned and uninspired plying his trade in the English Second Division, accepted an offer out of the blue to go to France and do something different – help an amateur team turn professional. This is a first hand account of what life is like in the lower reaches of professional sport – where your employment status is as precarious as your health and barely anyone will know your name.
It’s about how it feels to live year to year, with teammates constantly on the move. It’s about how professionalism irreversibly changes the French club Stade Rouennais as they move up the divisions, about the tension between progress and identity in a rugby team. It’s also about how it feels to actually be out there on the field, how it feels to occasionally do something extraordinary and how it feels when this is no longer enough for you to make the sacrifices that you need to make to keep playing.
There’s no ghostwriting, it’s an unmitigated meditation on how it feels and what it means to play rugby for a living, to dedicate yourself to an uncompromising but occasionally beautiful game.
If you’ve wanted to know what life is really like as a professional athlete, on the Fringes, away from the glitz and glamour of the international game then look no further.
Read more
£11.40 -
Newport Rugby Greats
Newport RFC played their first game in 1876, and quickly established themselves as one of the leading clubs in the country. They played a dominant role in Welsh and British rugby, providing the national team with some of its greatest stars. The ‘Black and Ambers’ are one of a select group of teams in world rugby to have beaten the All Blacks, Wallabies and the Springboks. Formed in 2003 as a result of the regionalisation of Welsh rugby, Newport Gwent Dragons started life with a third place finish in the 2003/04 Celtic League. Some notable club highlights include reaching the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup in 2007 and 2015, and reaching the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2011. Like Newport RFC, they play at Rodney Parade, one of Welsh Rugby’s spiritual homes. Peter Jones documents Newport’s most iconic players and managers from the team’s early beginnings to the present day. With unprecedented access to the club’s archives, Newport Rugby Greats provides a history of some of the club’s heroes, complete with facts and figures, along with their most memorable games.Read more
£11.00£16.10Newport Rugby Greats
£11.00£16.10 -
St Helens Match of My Life: Saints Legends Relive Their Greatest Games
St Helens Match of My Life features the proud tales of some of the greatest rugby league players ever to wear the Red Vee of St Helens. The Saints are known as one of the most successful teams of the Super League era, but the memories also cover the glory days before the game switched to the summer months. Ray French – legendary rugby league player and commentator – talks fondly about the 1966 Challenge Cup Final victory over fierce rivals Wigan Warriors, while Paul Loughlin recalls scoring 14 points in a 15-14 win over Leeds in the John Player Trophy Final – only to see the morning’s newspaper headlines focus on one of his team-mates. Current St Helens captain James Roby was the first player to score a try at the new Wembley. Tommy Martyn remembers going from top of the world to rock bottom in just ten days. Keith Mason explains how his life changed from being a rugby player to attending film premieres with some of the biggest stars in the world. Tommy Makinson, Apollo Perelini, Phil Veivers and Paul Wellens also share their memories.Read more
£13.20£16.10 -
Arthur Gould: Rugby’s First Superstar
Arthur Gould is the definitive biography of the record-breaking Welsh international player who is widely acknowledged as the first superstar of rugby. Such was his fame and renown, that upon his tragic, early death in 1919, aged just 54, Gould’s funeral in Newport was reported as the biggest Wales had ever seen. Nicknamed ‘Monkey’ due to his childhood fondness for climbing trees, Gould played the majority of his club rugby for Newport RFC and won a then-record 27 Welsh caps; 25 of which were at centre (a record only bettered by Steve Fenwick in 1980); and captained his country 18 times (a record only beaten in 1994 by Ieuan Evans). A true sporting sensation, when he retired in 1899 Gould had played more first-class matches and scored more tries and drop goals than any other player. Gould’s superstar status was illustrated late in his career when a testimonial appeal received widespread public support and resulted in the Scottish and Irish unions cancelling their fixtures with Wales in protest at the apparent breach of the game’s strict amateur ethos. The controversy deepened when the Welsh Football Union (now the WRU) stood firmly behind their iconic player and withdrew from the International Rugby Board. Fearing that lucrative fixtures with Welsh clubs might be lost and that Wales might join forces with the newly established Northern Union of professional rugby, England’s Rugby Football Union brokered a ‘one-off’ dispensation which enabled Gould to benefit from the testimonial while retaining his amateur status, and ensured that international fixtures were resumed. Comprehensively researched and written by acclaimed rugby historian, Gwyn Prescott, with the full support and encouragement of the Gould family, Arthur Gould – Rugby’s First Superstar includes over 100 illustrations and will be enjoyed by all who love rugby and treasure its sporting and cultural heritage.Read more
£14.80£17.10Arthur Gould: Rugby’s First Superstar
£14.80£17.10 -
Charlie Faulkner: The 1 and Only
Immortalised in Max Boyce’s ‘The Pontypool Front Row’, Charlie Faulkner was a key member of the 1970s Wales team which dominated Northern Hemisphere rugby, winning all four of the Five Nations Championships he played in, with three Triple Crowns and two Grand Slams. The early days, the glory years with Pontypool, Wales and the 1977 Lions, his time as a coach – in this long-awaited autobiography, Faulkner takes us behind the scenes and tells us in his own words how it was, with his trademark humility and humour. In progress when Faulkner died in early 2023 aged 81, the book has been completed by co-author Greg Lewis with input from teammates, friends and family.Read more
£9.50 -
Winning the Fight: My Autobiography
‘Maggie has changed the way the game is played forever’ – The Sunday Times
Maggie Alphonsi is not only a national sporting icon, the face of international women’s rugby and star player of the England side that won the World Cup in 2014. She is also an inspirational and totemic figure who transcends sport.
The compelling story of her life makes her achievements even more extraordinary. Hers is an against-all-the-odds tale, becoming the best player in the world despite having to battle against racism, sexism, and prejudice.
It is a book forged from the raw emotion, passion, and testimony of an iconic player, who rose to the elite of world sport when the world was seemingly stacked against her. It is a moving and revealing story of a woman who was not prepared to be defined by anyone but herself and gives the reader a unique insight into how she met her goals.
Read more
£15.40£19.00Winning the Fight: My Autobiography
£15.40£19.00 -
Around the World in 80 Minutes: In Search of Rugby Greatness
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 – SPORT
‘A mesmerising, unforgettable journey around world rugby. ‘
Donald McRae – Twice Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year‘Magnificent. a hugely intelligent and entertaining.’
Stuart Barnes, Sunday Times‘Really enjoyed it.’
Will Carling‘An absolutely marvellous book. Recommended heartily.’
Jonathan Drennan, Sydney Morning HeraldCONTRASTING CHARACTERS, COLLIDING CULTURES, THE SAME OVAL-SHAPED BALL. A JOURNEY TO FIND THE RUGBY’S MOST REMARKABLE PEOPLE, TEAMS AND PLACES.
What makes rugby special? Which individuals and teams have defined the modern game? Around the World in 80 Minutes charts the ‘golden era’ of global rugby union between 1973 and 2023 and goes in search of the sport’s most influential trailblazers.
Robert Kitson, the Guardian’s long-time rugby union correspondent, assesses the game’s current health, tracks down the battered gladiators of yesteryear and asks some pertinent questions. Does rugby retain its old rugged charm? What does its future look like? And what, ultimately, constitutes rugby ‘greatness’?
Observant, amusing and thought-provoking, the journey takes in some of the game’s more prominent names – including David Campese, Brian O’Driscoll, Maggie Alphonsi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Eddie Jones and Sir Clive Woodward – to reflect on rugby’s intangible shared joy.
Millions of fans continue to find rugby maddeningly irresistible and endlessly compelling. This book is for them, and for anyone else wondering where the appeal lies.
Read more
£15.20£19.00 -
Scrum Queens: The Story of Women’s Rugby (Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 2023)
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023**
The first ever book telling the story of women’s rugby, from its origins to today.
‘Donnelly has created a masterpiece’ – Sara Orchard, BBC
‘A vitally important book, bringing to life the rich history of women’s rugby’ – Maggie Alphonsi, Former England Player
‘A much-needed treasure trove of women’s rugby history – insightful, informative and inspiring’ – Sarah Mockford, Rugby World Editor
Comprehensively researched and detailed, Scrum Queens charts the fascinating journey of women’s rugby as well as celebrating the success and heroics of the sport’s top players and teams, from widespread social disapproval to the modern era of Olympic recognition and professionalism.
The book includes:
- All of the major moments in the history of the women’s game from widespread societal disapproval to groundbreaking games during the war, the first World Cup in 1991 and the first appearance at the 2016 Olympics.
- Stories of the pioneers who fought to get the game played in its earliest days, like New Zealand’s Nita Webbe and France’s Henry Fléchon, and the modern-day drivers like England’s Carol Isherwood.
- Specific team successes in the sport such as New Zealand’s dominance, their long-time rivalry with England and the emergence of teams such as Ireland and Fiji.
Read more
£12.90£18.00 -
Robertson (Ultimate Football Heroes – The No.1 football series): Collect Them All!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!This is the story of Andy Robertson, flying full-back for Liverpool Football Club and captain of the Scotland national team. Follow his incredible journey from being on the brink of starting a university degree before breaking into the first-team of Queens Park, to going on to become a Premier League and Champions League winner with Liverpool. Discover how Robertson’s high energy pressing, progressive passing and darting overlaps created Klopp’s perfect system to help guarantee Liverpool domestic and European success.
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.
Read more
£6.00£6.60
