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Play Like Your Football Heroes: Pro tips for becoming a top player
From Matt Oldfield, the author of Ultimate Football Heroes, and former professional footballer, Seth Burkett, comes an exciting new book for young football stars in the making. In bite-size chapters, learn the secrets of 20 footballing legends, including how to dribble like Messi, overcome adversity like Harry Kane and set and score goals like Vivianne Miedema. With top tips on how to train, play, think and live smart, as well as challenges for the reader, this inspiring and interactive guide will inspire football-mad kids to play just like their heroes.Read more
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Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics
‘MASTERFUL’ Time Out
‘REVELATORY’ Scotland on Sunday
‘GLORIOUSLY READABLE’ Metro
‘FASCINATING’ Independent
‘EXCELLENT’ Telegraph
‘ABSORBING’ GuardianWinner of the British Sports Book Awards
Football Book of the YearThe fifteenth anniversary edition, fully revised and updated, of Jonathan Wilson’s modern classic.
In the modern classic, Jonathan Wilson pulls apart the finer details of the world’s game, tracing the global history of tactics, from modern pioneers right back to the beginning, when chaos reigned. Along the way, he looks at the lives of great players and thinkers who shaped the sport, and probes why the English, in particular, have proved themselves unwilling to grapple with the abstract.
Fully revised and updated, this fifteenth-anniversary edition analyses the evolution of modern international football, including the 2022 World Cup, charting the influence of the great Spanish, German and Portuguese tacticians of the last decade, whilst pondering the effects of football’s increased globalisation and commercialisation.
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Ødegaard (Ultimate Football Heroes – the No.1 football series): Collect them all!
As the son of a former footballer, Martin Ødegaard spent his early years at local Norwegian sports club Drammen Strong and, at the age of 10, joined the youth division at Strømsgodset where he trained with older players. By the age of 15, Ødegaard was playing in the UEFA Champions League and even represented Norway in a friendly against the UAE, making history as Norway’s youngest ever national team player. In 2015, Ødegaard caught the eye of Real Madrid where he trained with both the first team and the reserves. In 2021, Ødegaard moved to Arsenal where he quickly became an essential part of the team and was named captain ahead of the 2022-23 season.Discover how this midfielder from Norway balanced full-time education with a burgeoning football career to hone his skills. From training and playing with opponents many years older and representing his country aged just 15, to holding the captaincy for both Norway’s national team and Arsenal.
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.
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Neymar (Ultimate Football Heroes – the No. 1 football series): Collect Them All!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!‘As Neymar Jr made the long walk to the penalty spot, he knew this was his chance, the one that he had dreamed of since the age of three. If he scored, Brazil would be Olympic Champions for the first time ever.’
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is the boy who carries the hopes of Brazil on his shoulders. Although he now faces a new challenge at Paris Saint-Germain, it was his years playing for Barcelona, in a fearsome attacking trident alongside Messi and Suarez, that made him a legend across the world. This is the heart-warming true story of Neymar’s road to glory.
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 super-star 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 -
Saka (Ultimate Football Heroes – The No.1 football series): Collect them all!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!Bukayo Saka has the world at his feet. Since breaking through the ranks at Arsenal, the young forward has gone from strength to strength, helping his team lift the FA cup for a record 14th time. His versatile style of play means he can help his team all over the pitch. Discover how the boy born in Ealing, went on to represent England at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final, achieved his dream of representing his country at such a young age and overcame adversity to become the ultimate football hero.
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.
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£5.70£6.60 -
The People’s Game: How to Save Football: THE AWARD WINNING BESTSELLER
*WINNER OF BEST SPORTS WRITING AT THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023*
*Out now: Includes brand new material*
THE AWARD-WINNING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
‘Neville at his authentic best. [He] is the closest thing to a spokesman there is for English football.’ Sunday Times
‘Brilliant.’ Mail on Sunday
‘Gary Neville usually talks a lot of sense, and writes it too . . . Neville’s words are timely.’ Henry Winter, The Times
__________The beautiful game is under threat. The greed and selfishness of the biggest clubs is harming the sport, with smaller clubs struggling for financial survival and supporters being left behind.
It’s time to fix football.
__________Football is the people’s game. A sport accessible to everyone and enjoyed by millions around the world.
But football is broken. Beneath the glamourous sheen of the Premier League, it’s a game that’s rusting and rotten. The growing influence and wealth of the biggest teams is harming the game, leaving fans out of pocket and smaller clubs clinging to survival. The European Super League, which looked to eradicate competition in favour of guaranteed profits, was just the beginning.
This isn’t what football is about. Something’s got to change. Enough is enough.
Gary Neville has had a front-row seat in football for over 30 years, witnessing the sport at every level – as a player, a coach, a pundit and an owner. Most of all, he’s a fan. Shocked by the state of the game, Gary looks to find out how we got into this mess, who’s responsible, and what we can do about it.
The People’s Game is Gary’s vision for a brighter future. Drawing on interviews with those at the epicentre of the sport’s biggest issues – from the role of ownership to the lack of funding in the football league, the rise in racism, ownership models and the future of the women’s game – he explains how football has sleepwalked into this mess and offers a new path forward. With stories from his own playing career, as well as insight into some of the biggest footballing decisions in recent history, this is a total look at the game today.
This is a passionate, personal and critical account of how football lost its soul, and what we can do to get it back.
__________Read more
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Casemiro (Ultimate Football Heroes) – Collect Them All!
Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Casemiro enrolled in the youth academy of Sao Paulo, playing for his country in the Under-17s and Under 20s, and making his senior debut in 2011 against Argentina. Proving himself a highly skilled player, it wasn’t long before he caught the eye of European scouts during his 2012 Copa Sudamericana performance, and earned a loan to Real Madrid and then to Porto. In 2022, Casemiro transferred to Manchester United.Discover how this defensive midfielder from Brazil overcame family struggles, balancing his home life with a burgeoning football career to hone his skills. From playing in the Sao Paulo youth academy and representing Brazil in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup to signing for Manchester United and becoming a crucial member of the Brazil National Team.
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.
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My Life, My Football
Ballon d’Or winner. Champions League winner. Serie A winner. Captain of Ukraine at their first-ever World Cup. Andriy Shevchenko conquered the football world. His career featured some of the sport’s greatest characters – from Valerij Lobanovsky, who shaped his early years at Dynamo Kyiv, to Carlo Ancelotti, Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo and Kaka as part of a world-class Milan team. But Shevchenko’s story transcends football. Growing up 150km from the Chernobyl disaster, witnessing the decline of the Soviet Union and its descent into lawlessness, the struggles of his beloved Ukraine to gain independence in 1991 – and then the agony of the Russian invasion of his homeland in 2022. This is a football and human story like no other.Read more
£11.20£12.30My Life, My Football
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Vinícius Júnior (Ultimate Football Heroes – The No.1 football series): Collect them all!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!Hailing from a poor family, Vini Jr saw football very much as a hobby rather than a career opportunity. But there was no denying that the young boy from São Gonçalo had bags of talent. Moving quickly through the ranks at Flamengo, he immediately caught the eye of the most successful European football club ever and soon joined Real Madrid. Discover how this winger honed his superior close control dribbling ability, added trickery, flair and flamboyance to his playing style and scored the winning goal in a UEFA Champions League final at only 21 years of age!
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.
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£6.00£6.60 -
Haaland (Ultimate Football Heroes – The No.1 football series): Collect them all!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!Norwegian international Erling Haaland is the rising star of Europe. Having already smashed Messi, Ronaldo and Harry Kane’s record of quickest player to twenty Champions League goals, ‘The Terminator’ is proving to be a ruthless, efficient, goalscoring machine. At such a young age, the world is his playground. Discover how he’s caught the eye of the footballing world and whether he’ll pip Mbappe to a Ballon d’Or!
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.
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Salah (Ultimate Football Heroes) – Collect Them All!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s superstar forward, and he is on a mission to become the best player in the world. This exciting book follows his adventures across the world – from the heat of Egypt to the magic of Rome, the roar of Anfield stadium and – finally – his big chance in a Champions League Final.
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 super-star professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.
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Ronaldo (Ultimate Football Heroes – the No. 1 football series): Collect them all!
The Number 1 football series – over 1 million copies sold. Now includes the incredible return to Manchester United as an Old Trafford legend! ‘As he walked up to take his spot-kick, Cristiano knew that Real would win the trophy if he scored. He had the chance to be the hero yet again.’ Cristiano Ronaldo overcame poverty and childhood illness to become one of the best football players ever. Escaping the hot streets of Madeira, Ronaldo first proved himself as a wonder-kid at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, before becoming a legend for Real Madrid and Portugal. This is the story of how the gifted boy became a man, a team-player and a legend.Read more
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Get It On: How the ’70s Rocked Football
SHORTLISTED FOR BEST SPORTS WRITING AT THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023
“Sheer joy” – Patrick Barclay
“Exhilarating” – When Saturday Comes
“Perfect” – Josh Widdicombe
“★★★★★” – FourFourTwo
Four years after the crowning glory of 1966, and a decade after the abolition of the maximum wage, a brash new era dawned in English football. As the 1970s took hold, a new generation of larger-than-life players and managers emerged, appearing on television sets in vivid technicolour for the first time.
Set against a backdrop of strikes, political unrest, freezing winters and glam rock, Get It On tells the inside story of how commercialism, innovation, racism and hooliganism rocked the national game in the 1970s.
Packed with interviews with the legends of the day, this footballing fiesta charts the emergence of Brian Clough, Bob Paisley and Kevin Keegan and the fall of George Best, Alf Ramsey and Don Revie, presenting a vibrant portrait of the most groundbreaking decade in English football history.
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£11.20£12.30Get It On: How the ’70s Rocked Football
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A Love Letter to Football: From the Terraces to a Transplant and Back Again – The Perfect Stocking Filler for Football Fans this Christmas
“Profoundly moving, brilliantly written and beautifully observed, this is a Fever Pitch for our times, a wonderful antidote to the ills of modern football and a reminder of the power for good the game still wields.” — Oliver Holt, Chief Sports Writer, The Mail on SundayA Love Letter to Football is the story of how the beautiful game, from the litter-strewn pitches of the grassroots to packed stadiums at the top of the sport, can help carry us through our darkest days.
In 2016, Mark Davies was diagnosed with a rare and incurable blood cancer. A lifelong supporter of Middlesbrough Football Club, his devotion to the club and passion for a game so cherished by billions of people has been essential in helping him navigate the uncertainty of diagnosis and treatment. It’s been a fundamental part of his life in other ways too, from dealing with depression to fatherhood, not to mention some of the trials and tribulations of life’s broader challenges.
This honest, funny and entertaining account of a life-changing experience, love for a football club and the way the game has been a bedrock throughout his life underlines that football may not be more important than life and death, but the joy and ecstasy it can bring – even for a Middlesbrough fan – really can help when times are hard.
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Football Rising Stars 10 Book Box Set (Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho … Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden)
A 10-book box set of inspiring biographies of rising stars in international football!Football Rising Stars dives into the incredible journeys of ten of the world’s best young players. Featuring fresh talents from England, Portugal, Norway, France, Germany and Spain, the series covers their unique rise; from playing football in the park and 5-a-sides to performing in front of capacity crowds on the biggest stage and in the biggest leagues.
This 10 book box set includes:
1. Jadon Sancho
2. João Felix
3. Erling Braut Haaland
4. Trent Alexander-Arnold
5. Marcus Rashford
6. Kylian Mbappe
7. Kai Havertz
8. Phil Foden
9. Ansu Fati
10. Bukayo SakaRead more
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Messi (Ultimate Football Heroes – the No. 1 football series): Collect them all!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold. Now with an updated cover and new chapter that includes Messi’s mega move to Paris Saint-Germain.The only player in history to win SEVEN Ballon d’Or trophies.
Lionel Messi is a legend – Barcelona’s star player and the world’s best footballer. But when was young, he was so small that his friends called him ‘Little Leo’ and coaches worried he wasn’t big enough. Yet through bravery, talent and hard work, he proved them wrong. Messi tells the magical story of how the tiniest boy in South America grew up to become the greatest player on earth.
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.
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The Celebrated Captain Barclay: Sport, Money and Fame in Regency Britain
On 1st June 1809 Captain Robert Barclay undertook what was then the greatest sporting feat ever attempted – to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours for 1000 guineas. Six weeks later, exhausted and on the verge of collapsing, he completed his challenge and instantly became the most famous sporting figure of Regency times. Gentleman, pugilist, athlete, trainer and soldier – Captain Barclay’s life was reckless, extravagant and thrilling. Enormous sums of money were won and lost on him and he himself earned several fortunes, though he was to die in deranged poverty. His remarkable story opens a window on the world of 18th century sport – a rough, dangerous and often corrupt world driven by money.Read more
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Hero/Villain: Satoshi: The Man Who Built Bitcoin
The inside story of the man who invented Bitcoin and his battle to protect it.In 2008, when the Bitcoin Whitepaper was published online, the technology world changed forever. Hero / Villain: Satoshi: The Man Who Built Bitcoin tells the story of how an awkward, Australian security specialist first created something revolutionary under the moniker “Satoshi Nakamoto” and how he spent every moment thereafter either in self-imposed hiding or in court trying to protect his invention.
Initially intended to be a force for good that would allow people to transact directly and inexpensively online, it wasn’t long before Bitcoin became something else: a store of value with a cast of powerful investors hell-bent on manipulating it for their own gain.
For the first time, the real inside story of Bitcoin is laid bare—a story with greed, power, and betrayal at its heart. With firsthand interviews with the man most likely to be Bitcoin’s inventor and those who have fought with him to ensure Bitcoin fulfills its positive and potentially world-changing purpose, Hero / Villain: Satoshi: The Man Who Built Bitcoin serves as an important book in the context of a world where cryptocurrency is in turmoil.
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From the Mill to Monte Carlo: The Working-Class Englishman Who Beat the Monaco Casino and Changed Gambling Forever
This is the story of a man who went from Yorkshire mill worker to Monte Carlo millionaire. Amongst the men ‘who broke the bank at Monte Carlo’, Joseph Hobson Jagger is unique. He is the only one known to have devised an infallible and completely legal system to defeat the odds at roulette and win a fortune. But he was not what might be expected. He wasn’t a gentleman or an aristocrat, he wasn’t a professional gambler, he was a Yorkshire textile worker who had laboured in the Victorian mills of Bradford since childhood. What led a man like this to travel nearly a thousand miles to the exclusive world of the Riviera when most people lived and died within a few miles of where they were born? The trains that took him there were still new and dangerous, he did not speak French and had never left the north of England. His motivation was strong. Joseph, his wife and four children, the youngest of whom was only two, faced a situation so grave that their only escape seemed to be his desperate gamble on the roulette tables of Monte Carlo. Today Jagger’s legacy is felt in casinos worldwide and yet he is virtually unknown. Anne Fletcher is his great-great-great niece and in this true-life detective story she uncovers how he was able to win a fortune, what happened to his millions and why Jagger should now be regarded as the real ‘man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo’.Read more
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HMS to HMP: 33 Years of Gambling Addiction
This is my story, warts and all, to share my journey and battle with a 33 year long gambling addiction.
I wish it was a story, I wish I had exaggerated and falsified parts of it, but unfortunately, it is my life, I have lived it, and those around me have lived it and experienced every bit of hurt.
From the age of 9, my life was dominated and I was controlled by gambling. My teenage years and young adulthood seen the beginning of behaviors that would cause hurt and anguish for those I loved. I joined the Navy at 18 and could have had an amazing career had it not been for my addict. I had many opportunities to change and ask for help but I ignored them as my addicts ego was huge. This ego would win along with my addict to take me to what I believed would be my lowest point by being sent to prison in 2018 but this wouldn’t be the end of the hurt.
This book covers my childhood, young adulthood, 13 years in the Royal Navy and my pathway to prison. There are stories of addiction, domestic arguments, emotional abuse and even an episode of physical violence.
For the addict reading this, I try to explain the thought processes, the feelings and the emotions that drove my behavior, as well as identifying areas that you, yourself could identify and work on to avoid these same behaviors.
For the affected others, I hope that by sharing my thought processes, and explaining the way I manipulated others, that this will help you to recognise the signs in your loved ones, to assist you in getting them the help they need, or if needs be, to leave and protect yourself, before you are broken by the addict inside of them.
I mention my ‘addict’ as we are two completely different people; my addict is horrible, he manipulates, lies, commits fraud and will hurt anyone without a second thought to protect his love of gambling and his addiction. I wouldn’t want to spend a single day in his company and I despise his behavior. I don’t look to blame him solely or to use him as an excuse as I’m a grown adult who made bad decisions, but they were dominated by his influence and the gambling industry who have very little in the way of morals, who even today, continue to prey on the vulnerable addicts amongst us.
The real Andy or ‘Drew’ as I have now been affectionately known as, is a completely different person; he is loving, caring, empathetic, intelligent, thoughtful, honest and he has a real desire to use his understanding of his addicts behavior to help others avoid hitting the same depths that he did.
For those of you thinking, it’s not a big deal and an easy addiction to control and break, the chances are you are the lucky one as you have not been touched by it; if you touch it, you will get burnt. ‘Just stop’ is not possible.
If you have been, then you will know the truth. A gambling addiction is like all others, it is relentless, cruel and shows no mercy; it is hard to spot and easy to hide.
I was a manipulative monster who would lie, cheat and take everything and anything I needed to feed it; it will destroy loved ones, relationships, careers and ultimately, it takes lives through suicide.
It is not though, impossible to understand it, to identify the trauma or behaviors that allow it to flourish and to take back control. Recovery is possible; it will be hard, it will take time and there will be many hurdles to overcome but it is worth it.
There is always hope, help and a way out if you choose to ask for and accept the help available. I could never achieve abstinence alone, let alone recovery.
My support network is huge, the people involved care and my peers are my idols. I am now in recovery and thriving thanks to all of these people and the help they have given me.Jonny, you are a legend and Dave, all I can say is, we all need to ‘be more Dave’.
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The Hustlers: Gambling, Greed and the Perfect Con
A racy, entertaining story of gambling, greed and the perfect con.Read more
£12.00£14.20The Hustlers: Gambling, Greed and the Perfect Con
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A Gambling Man
Charles II was thirty when he crossed the Channel in fine May weather in 1660. His Restoration was greeted with maypoles and bonfires, like spring after long years of Cromwell’s rule. But there was no going back, no way he could ‘restore’ the old. Certainty had vanished. The divinity of kingship fled with his father’s beheading. ‘Honour’ was now a word tossed around in duels. ‘Providence’ could no longer be trusted. As the country was rocked by plague, fire and war, people searched for new ideas by which to live. Exactly ten years later Charles II would stand again on the shore at Dover, laying the greatest bet of his life in a secret deal with his cousin, Louis XIV.
The Restoration decade was one of experiment: from the science of the Royal Society to the startling role of credit and risk, from the shocking licence of the court to the failed attempts at toleration of different beliefs. Negotiating all these, Charles II, the ‘slippery sovereign’, played odds and took chances, dissembling and manipulating his followers. The theatres were restored, but the king was the supreme actor. Yet while his grandeur, his court and his colourful sex life were on display, his true intentions lay hidden.
A Gambling Man is a portrait of Charles II, exploring his elusive nature through the lens of these ten vital years – and a portrait of a vibrant, violent, pulsing world, racked with plague, fire and war, in which the risks the king took forged the fate of the nation, on the brink of the modern world.
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£12.20£14.20A Gambling Man
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Gunpowder and Geometry: The Life of Charles Hutton: Pit Boy, Mathematician and Scientific Rebel
August, 1755. Newcastle, on the north bank of the Tyne.
In the fields, men and women are getting the harvest in. Sunlight, or rain. Scudding clouds and backbreaking labour. Three hundred feet underground, young Charles Hutton is at the coalface. Cramped, dust-choked, wielding a five-pound pick by candlelight. Eighteen years old, he’s been down the pits on and off for more than a decade, and now it looks like a life sentence. No unusual story, although Charles is a clever lad – gifted at maths and languages – and for a time he hoped for a different life. Many hoped.
Charles Hutton, astonishingly, would actually live the life he dreamed of. Twenty years later you’d have found him in Slaughter’s coffee house in London, eating a few oysters with the President of the Royal Society.
By the time he died, in 1823, he was a fellow of scientific academies in four countries, while the Lord Chancellor of England counted himself fortunate to have known him. Hard work, talent, and no small share of luck would take Charles Hutton out of the pit to international fame, wealth, admiration and happiness. The pit-boy turned professor would become one of the most revered British scientists of his day. This book is his incredible story.
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Genie: A Scientific Tragedy
“A tragic tale of obsession, exploitation, and lost souls. And the questions Rymer poses about human experience and experiments on humans make the story both intellectually absorbing and emotionally disturbing. Genie is a wondrous feat of storytelling and investigative journalism, compulsively readable while forcing us to think hard about our own humanity.” –Amy Tan, New York Times bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club
The compelling story of a young woman’s emergence into the world after spending her first 13 years strapped to a chair in a closed room, and her rescue and exploitation by scientists hoping to gain new insight into language acquisition.
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£10.90Genie: A Scientific Tragedy
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Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
The tenth anniversary edition of the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest: the search for the solution of how to calculate longitude and the unlikely triumph of an English genius. With a new Foreword by the celebrated astronaut Neil Armstrong.
‘Sobel has done the impossible and made horology sexy – no mean feat’ New Scientist
Anyone alive in the 18th century would have known that ‘the longitude problem’ was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day – and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives, and the increasing fortunes of nations, hung on a resolution.
The quest for a solution had occupied scientists and their patrons for the better part of two centuries when, in 1714, Parliament upped the ante by offering a king’s ransom (£20,000) to anyone whose method or device proved successful. Countless quacks weighed in with preposterous suggestions. The scientific establishment throughout Europe – from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton – had mapped the heavens in both hemispheres in its certain pursuit of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution.
Full of heroism and chicanery, brilliance and the absurd, LONGITUDE is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation and clockmaking.
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Bob Willis: A Cricketer and a Gentleman: The Sunday Times Bestseller
SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021
‘Verdict on Willis book: a treat’ – Express
‘The book is a gem’ – Mike Atherton
‘It’s a lovely book, containing previously unseen musings from the great man’ – David Lloyd
‘enjoyable and eye-opening… a delight to read’ – The Telegraph
‘A warm, polished recollection.’ – The Guardian
‘It’s such a great read’ – Piers Morgan
‘Willis book will bowl you over’ – Sunday Mirror & The People
A biography celebrating the life of the legendary cricketer Bob Willis, with tributes from key figures in sports and media and a foreword by Sir Ian Botham.
Following his passing in 2019, tributes to Bob came flooding in in every major news outlet and from every major figure in the industry – and outside of it. His career spanned decades, from his days as a cricketer for England to his time as a pundit on Sky TV. This autobiography includes never-before-seen writing from Bob alongside contributions from key figures as well as a detailed account of the great England victory over Australia at Headingly in 1981.
The book, edited by Bob’s brother David, combines a new biography, written by Daily Mail sportswriter Mike Dickson, with a celebration of a truly legendary man. Tributes from some of his many friends in the world of cricket and beyond are accompanied by reflections on highlights from an eventful life, drawing on autobiographical and personal material by Bob himself, contemporary press reports and the accounts of team-mates and opponents.
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Accidental Ironman: How Triathlon Ruined My Life
Having spent 10 years scaling the lower echelons of the sport, the time has come for one of Britain’s least successful athletes to reveal all about how he got involved in all this nonsense in the first place. Marvel as he reveals: His sporting history – how being last pick at school football in the 1970s set him on course for a lifetime of being rubbish at team games.How he took up triathlons in the first place (for a bet, and the cow who made it with him never paid up).How he overcame a crippling lack of talent and a chorus of complete indifference from his family to complete 10 Ironmans, all outside the top 500 finishers.The many triathlon adventures he has experienced over the past 10 years (cow pats, Ironmans, incontinence, driving bans, broken bones, public nudity, spending entire redundancy payments on a new bike, Belgian portaloos, German knocking shops, sunburnt bum cheeks, channel swimming, fights with chavs, obsessions with weather and the nutritional value of jaffa cakes, 3 hour marathons, chronic dehydration and so on).The many and varied idiots he’s got to know as a result of taking up the sport (aka his mates).The typical training (hell) he goes through to take part in a race given he has absolutely no ability whatsoever.How triathlons ultimately caused him to sell his Mercedes, give away his expensive suit, chuck in his job in the City and become, as his father put it, a “god-damned hippy” (A cycle path designer who owns a camper van).Read more
£6.80£10.40Accidental Ironman: How Triathlon Ruined My Life
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Iconic Women in Sport: A Celebration of 38 Inspirational Sporting Icons
An illustrated compendium of kickass women in sport, from around the world and throughout history, including legends like Billie Jean King and modern-day superstars like Simone Biles and Dina Asher-Smith. The perfect book to inspire any sports fan.
Meet your new superheroes
Discover the fascinating stories behind 38 iconic and internationally renowned women in sport, all of them record-breakers, trailblazers and game-changers. Whether from the world of soccer, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, boxing or skiing, every one of these women has been a ground-breaker in her field. It’s time these individuals took centre stage and had their achievements celebrated the world over.
Be empowered and inspired by their extraordinary stories, their awesome achievements and their wonder-words of wisdom with this pocketbook of remarkable women from across the globe and throughout history. Among others, you will learn about the incredible lives and achievements of:
– Simone Biles
– Serena Williams
– Dina Asher-Smith
– Rachael Heyhoe Flint
– Jessica Ennis-Hill
– Nicola Adams
– Danica Patrick
– Paula Radcliffe
– Michelle Kwan
– Megan Rapinoe
– Ellen MacArthur
– Ibtihaj Muhammad
– Ronda RouseyEach inspiring profile also features a bespoke illustration.
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Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport: Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year & Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year
Sport has an extraordinary, unique capacity to challenge and change society – to bring joy and hope; to improve physical and mental health, reduce loneliness and build self-esteem and happiness. It’s also a multi-billion-pound commercial industry that can transform lives, businesses, nations and regions. Why has half the population been deprived of access to something so culturally powerful?
In recent years, the landscape for women’s sport has finally begun to shift. We’ve seen significant increases in investment, spectators and media coverage. More women as professional athletes and taking influential roles as board directors, editors, officials and CEOs.
Yet still, female athletes don’t get equal funding or opportunities. In many sports, women receive less prize money, lower sponsorship revenues and a tiny fraction of the media coverage.
Drawing on her own experiences, and interviews with high profile Olympic and Paralympic champions, broadcasters, journalists, sports scientists, CEOs, officials and sponsors, Sue Anstiss investigates why women have been excluded from the world of sport for centuries – and why we are now witnessing positive change as never before.
Game On is a celebration of the trailblazing women opening doors for others and a manifesto for women’s sport – a rallying cry to ensure the progress we are currently seeing goes from strength to strength.
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Football And How To Survive It
‘The good news for those who loved THE ACCIDENTAL FOOTBALLER: this new book is even better. There were times as I read Pat Nevin’s account of his years running – or, trying to run – Motherwell, I had to remind myself to breathe. It’s a thrilling read – funny, nerve-wracking, precise and very, very human’ – Roddy DoyleSo, you fell into football by accident. You’ve played for Chelsea, Everton and your country at an international level. But what happens when you discover you’re in so deep that football has taken over your whole life?
In his brilliant new memoir, Pat Nevin takes us on a journey to the less glamorous side of football. From Tranmere to Kilmarnock, he plays some of the best football he’s ever played. Then, in an unprecedented twist of fate, finds himself both player and Chief Executive of Scottish First Division club Motherwell.
What follows is an entertaining and revealing tale of the side of football that you rarely see as Pat tries to keep the lid on simmering tensions between owner and the manager; travels in Lear jets one moment, but has to sell off half the team, the next. So much is madness, like being the manager’s boss, and his player at the same time; or discovering that the ground’s goalposts are higher on one side than on the other!
And with impossible challenges at every corner, such as learning that their son is autistic, and the club hurtling towards administration, Pat strives to walk the impossible line between player, parent and boss.
FOOTBALL AND HOW TO SURVIVE IT is a real one-off, uncovering the sport in all its complex, confusing and calamitous glory. Once you’ve read it, you may never look at the game in the same way again.
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£19.00£20.90Football And How To Survive It
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Mind Game: The Secrets of Golf’s Winners
Eye-opening contributions from the stars of game make this a powerful, groundbreaking investigation into the mind of the professional golfer. The perfect gift for Father’s Day.
* SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS *
Professional golf is the most remorseless of sports, unique in the complexity of its demands. Technical perfection must be produced in short, concentrated bursts of synchronised movement. Huge mental strength is required.
Why, then, do we know so little about what it takes to succeed – even survive – at the highest level?
What separates the good from the great? What are the rituals of preparation and execution?
How does an elite team come together?
In a truly groundbreaking exposé of professional golf, Michael Calvin and Thomas Bjorn – captain of the 2018 European Ryder Cup Team – capture the distinctive nature of the game, and the principles and philosophies of players who dominate the world rankings. With unprecedented access to the European Tour players, and in-depth interviews with the European Ryder Cup team, Calvin reveals a sport which operates entirely within the finest margins of excellence.
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£8.70£9.50Mind Game: The Secrets of Golf’s Winners
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Rivals in the Ring: 15 Greatest Boxing Rivalries of All Time (Greatest Sporting Rivalries)
In no sport can individual rivalries be so intense as in boxing. There is something almost primeval about standing in the ring together, with the ultimate aim of either knocking out or stopping their opponent, often with a crowd baying for blood.Unraveling the True Drama: Some of the boxing rivalries have spilled over outside the ring. While there can be an element of circus attached to professional boxing, there was no element of pantomime when it came to Jack Britton’s dislike towards Ted Lewis, for example, or the real hurt that some of the taunts of Muhammad Ali caused Joe Frazier.
The Dark Side of Glory: It should never be forgotten that boxing can also be a profoundly dangerous sport. Benny Paret lost his life in the ring after one fight, whilst two bit-players in the Chris Eubanks – Nigel Benn story were left with life-changing injuries.
And that is without mentioning the later impact on individual health of a career spent being hit for a living. Ali, Frazier, Floyd Patterson, and Ingemar Johansson would all fall victim to forms of dementia in their old age.
The Changing Face of Boxing: With advancements in medical science, today’s fighters are better protected, ensuring they would not engage in the frequency of battles like Sam Langford and Harry Wills did. As boxing evolves, so too does the understanding of its effects on the human body.
The Noble and the Controversial: It may be the Sport of Kings – and increasingly of Queens – but that does not always make it noble and true. This boxing book on the history of boxing over the last 120 years delves into the noble moments of the sport alongside the darker aspects that challenge its integrity.
Ultimately, any compendium of boxing rivalries is left with the difficult choice of what to include and what to leave out; those that follow in this boxing book for men can be regarded as an exemplar of many more.
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Rise: The Brand New Autobiography
‘Siya’s rise from humble beginnings to lifting that World Cup trophy is the stuff of fairytales.’ MARCUS RASHFORD
‘Siya Kolisi is a warrior on the field and an inspiration off it. This book is an extraordinary reminder of what can be achieved with inner belief and an indefatigable spirit.’ JAY SHETTY
‘Siya’s story is well documented, and I am so impressed by the way he conducts himself. As the captain of his team and as a statesman he is measured and thoughtful. He is a leader in every way. An inspiration to a dynamic South African nation.’ EDDIE JONES
‘Few people embody the tenacity of what the New South Africa stands for, like Siya does. His story mirrors the nations’; in its trials and tribulations and also in it’s triumph against all odds. This is a real life heroes journey.’ TREVOR NOAH
‘There is no doubt Siya has made a significant impact on World rugby, especially within South African rugby. [He] is passionate about changing people’s lives for the better and uses his position and status to do that.’ MARO ITOJE
‘Brilliant’ THE TIMES
‘Moving’ THE GUARDIAN
His truth. His story. In his words.
There have been many comments made and books written about Siya Kolisi, captain of the Springboks, and the first black man to lead his country in over 128 years of South African rugby.
But now, for the very first time, Siya Kolisi shares his story in an extraordinarily intimate memoir, charting his journey from being born into the impoverished Zwide township, to leading his proud nation to an astonishing victory at the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
However, Rise is not simply a chronology of matches played and games won; it is an exploration of a man’s race and his faith, a masterclass in attaining a positive mindset, and an inspirational reminder that it is possible to defy the odds, no matter how they are stacked against you.
In 2020, partly in response to the pandemic, Siya and his wife, Rachel, launched The Kolisi Foundation, providing personal protective equipment to healthcare workers and delivering food parcels throughout South Africa.
The title Rise is inspired by Siya’s mother – Phakama – which translates to the book’s name, as well as a celebration of his Xhosa heritage.Read more
£7.90£10.40Rise: The Brand New Autobiography
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Unforgettable: Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year Award
**Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year Award 2023**
**Winner of the Rugby Book of the Year Award 2023**
**Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022**
**A perfect gift for Father’s Day**‘Powerful, moving’ – The Guardian
‘A deeply affecting read […] among the most important ever’ – Daily Mail
‘So powerful. This book might just change the way you think about sport forever’ – Sir Clive Woodward
‘As brave as they come’ – Gareth Thomas
‘Moving and profound’ – The Times
‘Heartbreaking’ – Owen Slot, The Times
‘I’m in my early forties. There are days when I don’t remember the names of my wife and four kids . . .’
RUGBY, DEMENTIA AND THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE
In 2003, England won the Rugby World Cup. Steve Thompson was in England’s front row, at the heart of the match, and at the heart of the scrum – one of sport’s most violent battlegrounds.
But triumph came at a cost. Today, he remembers nothing about playing in that final. In his words, watching the tape back is like watching a ghost.
The years of hurt, and the culture of sucking up punishment and coming back for more, have taken a terrible toll. Steve has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, and serious progressive brain damage. Steve and his wife Steph had a happy family life planned, with decades ahead of them. Now he needs to capture these elusive memories for the sake of his children, before they disappear forever.
With stories contributed by his world-cup winning teammates and his former manager, Sir Clive Woodward, Unforgettable is raw, powerful storytelling. This tale of hope and courage stands as testament to the ultimate strength of the human mind – and to a man no longer pushing himself to the limit for competition, but for his own place in the world.
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Roger Federer: The Definitive Biography
Roger Federer is not only one of the greatest tennis players ever to pick up a racket – if not the greatest – but he is one of the global icons of our time. Characterised by a mixture of passion and calmness, a fierce competitor with a regal bearing, he is both an athlete and an ambassador, a street fighter and a statesman. But who is he really? And what are the experiences and influences that have shaped him into the world figure he is today?
This acclaimed biography, first published in 2006 and now fully updated in its ninth edition, traces Federer’s life and career, from his first tentative swings with a racket to legendary status. The vastly experienced writer, broadcaster and tennis historian Chris Bowers talked exclusively to many of the people who helped shape the young Roger Federer, and together with his own experiences following Federer’s career from his junior title at Wimbledon at age sixteen to his twentieth major title nineteen years later, he presents an affectionate and analytical portrait of one of the great names of modern-day sport. His book has enough information to satisfy the most voracious Federer fan, and enough talking points to keep an argument going until the small hours.
In its portrait of Roger Federer – the man, the player, the icon – this masterly biography brings the player’s story up to date, while also examining his place in tennis and sporting history.Read more
£6.60£9.50Roger Federer: The Definitive Biography
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My Life and Rugby: The Autobiography
The Sunday Times bestseller
‘A genuine super-coach’ – Stephen Jones, Sunday Times
Brilliant, honest, combative – Eddie Jones is a gigantic yet enigmatic figure in world rugby and a true legend of the game. In My Life and Rugby he tells his story for the first time, including the full inside story of England’s 2019 World Cup campaign.
Since taking over as head coach of England in 2015, Eddie Jones has orchestrated a complete revival of the national team. He has won the Six Nations Championship back-to-back, including England’s first Grand Slam in a generation and their first-ever whitewash of Australia in their own backyard, as well as taking them on their longest-ever winning streak, matching the world record held by the All Blacks.
Eddie Jones is one of the most experienced and decorated coaches in Rugby Union. His career has spanned four World Cups: from the 2003 final, working with South Africa when they won in 2007, and causing the greatest upset in the history of the game in 2015 when he masterminded the Japanese victory over South Africa. Most recently, he led England on their incredible run at the 2019 World Cup, culminating in a stunning victory against the All Blacks before falling to South Africa in the final.
Learning from the extreme highs and lows of his own playing career – including the numerous successes playing for Randwick and New South Wales but also the painful disappointment of never playing for Australia – he shows what it takes to be the best in the world and how everything he has learned about the game, both on and off the pitch, has gone into plotting England’s route to the top of world rugby.
Written with Donald McRae, twice winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award and three-time Sports Feature Writer of the Year, My Life and Rugby is the story of one of the most compelling and singular figures in rugby. Told with unflinching honesty, this is the ultimate rugby book for all fans of the sport.
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£5.70£19.00My Life and Rugby: The Autobiography
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Quiet Genius: Bob Paisley, British football’s greatest manager SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017
The full story of the man who brought unprecedented – and since unmatched – success to Liverpool FC
Bob Paisley was the quiet man in the flat cap who swept all domestic and European opposition aside and produced arguably the greatest club team that Britain has ever known. The man whose Liverpool team won trophies at a rate-per-season that dwarfs Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievements at Manchester United and who remains the only Briton to lead a team to three European Cups.
From Wembley to Rome, Manchester to Madrid, Paisley’s team was the one no one could touch. Working in a city which was on its knees, in deep post-industrial decline, still tainted by the 1981 Toxteth riots and in a state of open warfare with Margaret Thatcher, he delivered a golden era – never re-attained since – which made the city of Liverpool synonymous with success and won them supporters the world over. Yet, thirty years since Paisley died, the life and times of this shrewd, intelligent, visionary, modest football man have still never been fully explored and explained.
Based on in-depth interviews with Paisley’s family and many of the players whom he led to an extraordinary haul of honours between 1974 and 1983, Quiet Genius is the first biography to examine in depth the secrets of Paisley’s success. It inspects his man-management strategies, his extraordinary eye for a good player, his uncanny ability to diagnose injuries in his own players and the opposition, and the wicked sense of humour which endeared him to so many. It explores the North-East mining community roots which he cherished, and considers his visionary outlook on the way the game would develop.
Quiet Genius is the story of how one modest man accomplished more than any other football manager, found his attributes largely unrecorded and undervalued and, in keeping with the gentler ways of his generation, did not seem to mind. It reveals an individual who seemed out of keeping with the brash, celebrity sport football was becoming, and who succeeded on his own terms. Three decades on from his death, it is a football story that demands to be told.
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How Not to be a Cricketer
‘Brilliant’ Paul Newman, Daily Mail
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOOK OF THE YEARIn How Not to be a Cricketer, former England international and TV personality Phil Tufnell highlights the many potential pitfalls of a professional cricket career, and provides a hilarious insight into how to avoid them and what happens when, like him, you don’t.
I was the model cricketer – if anyone wanted to know how not to be one. My career included more ups and downs than the big dipper at Margate and more bumps than the dodgems next door. And yet somehow I climbed off the ride unblemished. I survived to walk away on my own terms. For someone who never quite fitted the mould, I was actually pretty good at not being a cricketer.
In his superb new book, Phil Tufnell looks back over his life and career to provide brilliant advice and insights, often learned the hard way, from his own experiences as a cricketer. If you want to learn how to make a good first impression, maybe don’t have your hair cut in a Mohican. And when, after a drunken night on an England Under-19 tour to Barbados, the players were told ‘You cannot be caught coming in at a ridiculous hour and still be drunk in the morning’ most took his wise words on board; Tuffers vowed not to get caught.
Packed with brilliant stories and revealing anecdotes about some of the great players of his time, such as Mike Atherton, Mike Gatting, Graham Gooch and Nasser Hussain, How Not to be a Cricketer is the perfect read for anyone who wants to know more about the potential pitfalls of the game, and how to avoid them.
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£6.60£9.50How Not to be a Cricketer
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The Fastest Men on Earth: The Inside Stories of the Olympic Men’s 100m Champions
With an exclusive foreword by Usain Bolt, The Fastest Men on Earth tells the fascinating inside stories of the Olympic Men’s 100m Champions.
It takes just under ten seconds to run, but the results of the Olympic men’s 100 metres are etched forever into history. In The Fastest Men on Earth, journalist Neil Duncanson tells the stories of the 25 athletes who’ve been crowned champions in the event, and earned the coveted title of ‘Fastest Man on Earth’.
Each chapter explores the fascinating, inspiring, and occasionally tragic lives of these supremely talented sprinters, as well as the intense drama of the record-breaking runs that wrote them into history. Immaculately researched and featuring exclusive interviews with several Olympic champions, including a new conversation with Usain Bolt, The Fastest Men on Earth brings the stories of some of the greatest athletes of all time to life like never before.
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The Wit of Cricket: Second Innings
THIS BUMPER COLLECTION OF THE FUNNIEST ANECDOTES, JOKES AND STORIES FROM CRICKET’S BEST-LOVED PERSONALITIES PROVES THAT CRICKET IS STILL A FUNNY GAME – EVEN WHEN RAIN STOPS PLAY! With a new introduction by Jonathan Agnew.
In this updated and expanded edition of the popular THE WIT OF CRICKET you can read many more hilarious anecdotes about legendary cricketers such as Richie Benaud, Ian Botham, Donald Bradman, Geoff Boycott, Andrew Flintoff, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
There also dozens of humorous gaffes and giggles from the commentary box by Jonathan Agnew, Henry Blofeld, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Dan Norcross and others – not to mention sledging, short-sighted umpires, streakers, and the phantom sock snipper in the England dressing-room!
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£8.70£10.40The Wit of Cricket: Second Innings
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