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Thinking Out Loud: Love, Grief and Being Mum and Dad
by Rio FerdinandTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER'A lacerating account ... painful but necessary' EVENING STANDARD'Beautiful & significant ... Tackles grief with honesty' DAWN FRENCH'Very important and moving book' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL'A searingly honest book. So much of Rio's emotional turmoil and deep loss resonated with me. At the same time I loved his message of hope' GLORIA HUNNIFORD'Rio's courageous story of life, loss, grief and hope' PRIMA CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE, 'Best of the Celebrity Crop''Tender, heartbreaking ... An extraordinary and unforgettable book. *****' HEAT* * * * * *'When Rebecca died, the idea that one day I might begin to feel better would have struck me as laughable ... I know how persuasive this kind of permanence thinking can be. I know too that anyone locked in its grip will laugh if I promise them that their pain will one day ease. It will. Of course it will. But I know better than to expect anyone to believe me.'In 2015, former England football star Rio Ferdinand suddenly and tragically lost his wife and soulmate Rebecca, aged 34, to cancer. It was a profound shock and Rio found himself struggling to cope not just with the pain of his grief, but also with his new role as both mum and dad to their three young children. Rio's BBC1 documentary, Being Mum and Dad, touched everyone who watched it and won huge praise for the honesty and bravery he showed in talking about his emotions and experiences. His book now shares the story of meeting, marrying and losing Rebecca, his own and the family's grief - as well as the advice and support that get him through each day as they strive to piece themselves back together. Thinking Out Loud is written in the hope that he can inspire others struggling with loss and grief to find the help they need through this most difficult of times.
Thinking Outside the Box: My Journey in Search of the Beautiful Game
by Brad Friedel'To be able to work well in the box, I believe you have to be able to think "outside the box"' - a fascinating insider account of the Premier League and life at the top level of football from one of the country's best-rated goalkeepers.Goalkeepers have an unusual view of the world, but Brad Friedel's is more unusual than most. An American, a university graduate, a visionary and a deep thinker, he spurns football culture to concentrate on his game and develop his ideas.One of the most highly-rated - and experienced - goalkeepers in the country, Friedel endured a five-year battle to play in the Premier League. His incredible journey took him from three World Cup tournaments, spells with foreign clubs, and finally to the top flight at Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa.Friedel's inspirational story provides true perspective and takes us outside the box and inside the world of professional football in a way only he can.
Third Base (The Boys of Summer #1)
by Heidi McLaughlinFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl EVERY GAME HAS RULES. HE'S ABOUT TO BREAK THEM...Since becoming a major league baseball player, I've learned a few hard lessons. Like never give out your home address on social media (sorry, Mom). Never shoot your mouth off without thinking . . . and never, ever let your personal life interfere with your game. But then I saw her - sitting alone behind the enemy dugout, watching me - and I just had to meet this girl.Now I know that Daisy Robinson has her secrets, but there's something about her that drives me crazy. Maybe it's her innocence, her absolutely amazing knowledge of baseball, or just the fact that she is so unbelievably beautiful. I have to take it slow. Prove to her that the rumors about me are just that - rumors. Daisy might be my ultimate lifetime win. . . if I don't get hit by the curveball that's coming my way.
Third Man in Havana: Finding the heart of cricket in the world's most unlikely places
by Tom RodwellWhen Tom Rodwell embarked on a cricketing tour of India, he had only ever thought of the game as great fun. But the simple joy of the local street kids when his team donated their kit to them made him realise that it could be more than that. By turns touching and amusing, and imbued with a deep love of the game, Third Man in Havana is the story of the charity cricket programmes ‘Major’ Tom Rodwell has helped run around the world, and of the people he has encountered along the way. From Be’er Sheva Cricket Club pavilion in Israel – a converted nuclear bomb shelter, useful in the face of Hamas’ regular rocket attacks – to a game of tapeball cricket with ex-Tamil Tiger child soldiers behind barbed wire in Sri Lanka, Rodwell discovered that the heart of the game is beating fast in countries more used to conflict than cricket. Third Man in Havana is a wonderfully positive story, revealing that the spirit of cricket is alive and well.
The Third Pole: My Everest climb to find the truth about Mallory and Irvine
by Mark SynnottVeteran climber Mark Synnott never planned on climbing Mount Everest, but a hundred-year mystery lured him into an expedition--and an awesome history of passionate adventure, chilling tragedy, and human aspiration unfolded.On June 8, 1924, George Mallory and "Sandy" Irvine set out to stand on the roof of the world, where no one had stood before. They were last seen eight hundred feet shy of Everest's summit. A century later, we still don't know whether they achieved their goal, decades before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay did, in 1953. Irvine carried a Kodak camera with him to record their attempt, but it, along with his body, had never been found. Did Mallory and Irvine reach the summit and take a photograph before they fell to their deaths?Mark Synnott made his own ascent up the infamous North Face along with a filmmaker using drone technology higher than any had previously flown. His goal: to find Irvine's body and the camera he carried that might have held a summit photo on its still-viable film. Synnott's quest led him from oxygen-deprivation training to archives and museums in England, to Kathmandu, the Tibetan High Plateau, and up the North Face into a storm during a season described as the one that broke Everest. An awful traffic jam of climbers at the very summit resulted in tragic deaths. Sherpas revolted. Chinese government agents turned adversarial. An Indian woman crawled her way to safety and survival. Synnott himself went off the safety rope--if he had slipped, no one would have been able to save him--desperate to solve the mystery.A magnificent story a la The Lost City of Z, The Third Pole conveys the miracle of a mountain the world wants to own, and the first explorers who may have done so.
The Thirteen-Gun Salute: Aubrey/maturin Series, Book 13 (Aubrey/Maturin Series #13)
by Patrick O’BrianPatrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin tales are widely acknowledged to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written. Now, for the first time, they are available in electronic book format, so a whole new generation of readers can be swept away on the adventure of a lifetime. This is the thirteenth book in the series.
Thirty-One Nil: On the Road With Football's Outsiders: A World Cup Odyssey
by James MontagueIn a tiny, decaying aluminium smelting town in southern Tajikistan, a short drive from a raging war zone, Afghanistan take on Palestine in the first Asian qualifier for 2014's World Cup in Brazil. Every player on both teams is risking something by playing: their careers, their families, even their lives. Yet, along with thousands of other footballers backed by millions of supporters, they all dream of snatching one of the precious 32 places at the finals; and so begins a three-year epic struggle – long before the usual suspects start their higher-profile qualifying campaigns under the spotlight. Named after the greatest victory (and defeat) that the World Cup qualifiers have ever seen (Australia's 31-0 victory over American Samoa), Thirty-One Nil is the story of how footballers from all corners of the globe begin their journey chasing a place at the World Cup Finals. It celebrates the part-time priests, princes and hopeless chancers who dream of making it to Brazil, in defiance of the staggering odds stacked against them. It tells the story of teams who have struggled for their very existence through political and social turmoil, from which they will very occasionally emerge into international stardom. From the endlessly humiliated San Marino to lowly Haiti; from war-torn Lebanon to the oppressed and fleet-footed players of Eritrea, in Thirty-One Nil James Montague gets intimately and often dangerously close to some of the world's most extraordinary teams, and tells their exceptional stories.
This Girl Ran: Tales of a Party Girl Turned Triathlete
by Helen CroydonWhen Helen’s friends all started settling down and having kids, she was determined to fill her weekends with something other than cocktails. So she threw herself into the world of endurance sport. From glamorous party girl to marathon runner, ocean swimmer and even, perhaps, a Team GB triathlete, this is Helen’s inspiring and hilarious story.
This is esports (and How to Spell it): An Insider’s Guide to the World of Pro Gaming
by Paul Chaloner'Paul Chaloner is a living legend in the esports space.' - Jason Lake, founder and CEO of the esports team Complexity Gaming'Terrific stories and insights from the inside.' - T.L. Taylor, professor of Comparative Media StudiesFrom slapping coins down on arcade cabinets to the lights of Madison Square Garden, competitive video gaming has come a long way. Today, esports is a billion-dollar industry, the best players becoming stars in their own right, battling for eight-figure prizes in front of a global audience of tens of millions. From Call of Duty to Counter-Strike, FIFA to Fortnite, a generation of players have turned multiplayer video games from a pastime into a profession. But there are questions. How did we get here? What exactly is competitive gaming – is it a sport? How much money do the top stars make? Do you really have to retire at 23? And just what the hell is Dota? This is esports (and How to Spell it) addresses all of this and more, as award-winning broadcaster Paul 'Redeye' Chaloner takes you inside the unstoppable rise of pro gaming to reveal the bitter rivalries, scandals and untold history of esports, from origins to sold-out arenas. With his trademark wit – and unrivalled access – Paul delivers the definitive book on the fastest-growing entertainment phenomenon in the world today.
This is esports (and How to Spell it): An Insider’s Guide to the World of Pro Gaming
by Paul Chaloner'Paul Chaloner is a living legend in the esports space.' - Jason Lake, founder and CEO of the esports team Complexity Gaming'Terrific stories and insights from the inside.' - T.L. Taylor, professor of Comparative Media StudiesFrom slapping coins down on arcade cabinets to the lights of Madison Square Garden, competitive video gaming has come a long way. Today, esports is a billion-dollar industry, the best players becoming stars in their own right, battling for eight-figure prizes in front of a global audience of tens of millions. From Call of Duty to Counter-Strike, FIFA to Fortnite, a generation of players have turned multiplayer video games from a pastime into a profession. But there are questions. How did we get here? What exactly is competitive gaming – is it a sport? How much money do the top stars make? Do you really have to retire at 23? And just what the hell is Dota? This is esports (and How to Spell it) addresses all of this and more, as award-winning broadcaster Paul 'Redeye' Chaloner takes you inside the unstoppable rise of pro gaming to reveal the bitter rivalries, scandals and untold history of esports, from origins to sold-out arenas. With his trademark wit – and unrivalled access – Paul delivers the definitive book on the fastest-growing entertainment phenomenon in the world today.
This is our Story: How Fans Kept their Hearts Beating
by Ian MurrayImagine if your club, the love of your life, was about to play its last ever game. The club you’ve cheered on as a child, which your family has supported for generations, whose colours you have dressed in every Saturday. How would you feel? This is his story of Heart of Midlothian, Edinburgh’s oldest football club, and the 8,000 heroic fans (or Jambos, as they’re affectionately known), who donated their own money to help rescue ‘the boys in maroon’. Former Chair of the Foundation of Hearts Ian Murray here chronicles the unprecedented story of the turmoil and uncertainty that the club battled in the fight against liquidation. This book honours Hearts fans and their sheer determination to rescue their beloved club from the brink of extinction and raise it back up to the top of Scottish football. This is our story, this is our song...
This is the Life: Days and Nights in the GAA
by Ciarán MurphyA provocative look at how grassroots GAA interacts with life in Ireland, from the wittiest Gaelic games pundit at work today The GAA is Ireland's largest civil society organisation, woven into the fabric of families and communities - and yet most books about Gaelic games focus on the greatest players and inter-county teams. This is the Life is a book about the 99%: a witty and provocative look at grassroots GAA from the most intelligent and interesting Gaelic games pundit at work today.Ciarán Murphy - of Second Captains and the Irish Times - has an unmatched feel for the timeless elements of this world and a finger on the pulse of change. He looks at the plight of rural clubs that are losing their players to the cities - and he does so not only as a journalist but as a footballer who made the same move himself. He writes about working as an assistant in the clothing shop owned by the family of Jarlath Fallon - both Ciarán's sporting hero and the local postman. And he looks a things we usually prefer not to talk about, like the role of social class in the GAA.This is the Life is a book about the places the GAA comes from, the places it can take a person, and theings that make a local club worth fighting for.
This is Your Everest: The Lions, the Springboks and the Epic Tour of 1997
by Tom English Peter BurnsThe 1997 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa is one of the most iconic in rugby histo-ry. Written off at home and abroad, Martin Johnson’s men were given no hope of success against the world champion Springboks in their own back yard. But a combination of brilliant coaching, astute selections and outstanding players laid the foundations for the touring side’s outstanding attacking mindset and brutal stonewall defence.On the other side was a team expected to stamp their authority on the tourists and confirm their place as the best side on the planet. But with political, racial and economic scandals swirling around the Springbok camp, plus a rookie coach parachuted into office just before the tour began, the hosts were under huge pres-sure.In a Test series that will go down in legend as one of the most compelling of all time, the sides could barely be separated. This is the inside story from both camps as they battle for supremacy, lifting the lid like never before as a huge cast of characters look back on those ex-traordinary weeks and the impact it had on their lives and careers thereafter. Hilarious, insightful and spine-chilling, Tom English and Peter Burns provide the perfect read for all Lions fans.
This Love Is Not for Cowards: Salvation and Soccer in Ciudad Juárez
by Robert Andrew PowellMore than ten people are murdered every day in Ciudad Juárez, a city about the size of Philadelphia. As Mexico has descended into a feudal narco-state-one where cartels, death squads, the army, and local police all fight over billions of dollars in profits from drug and human trafficking-the border city of Juárez has been hit hardest of all. And yet, more than a million people still live there. They even love their impoverished city, proudly repeating its mantra: "Amor por Juárez."Nothing exemplifies the spirit and hope of Juarenses more than the Indios, the city's beloved but hard-luck soccer team. Sport may seem a meager distraction, but to many it's a lifeline. It drew charismatic American midfielder Marco Vidal back from Dallas to achieve the athletic dreams of his Mexican father. Team owner Francisco Ibarra and Mayor José Reyes Ferriz both thrive on soccer. So does the dubiously named crew of Indios fans, El Kartel. In this honest, unflinching, and powerful book, Robert Andrew Powell chronicles a season of soccer in this treacherous city just across the Rio Grande, and the moments of pain, longing, and redemption along the way. As he travels across Mexico with the team, Powell reflects on this struggling nation and its watchful neighbor to the north. This story is not just about sports, or even community, but the strength of humanity in a place where chaos reigns.
This Mum Runs
by Jo PaveyThe inspirational story of athlete Jo Pavey, the runner and mum who ran at a record-breaking fifth Olympic Games at Rio 2016. 'Come-back races? I've had more than a few, the night of 10 May 2014 was the ultimate long shot. I was a forty-year-old mother of two who had given birth eight months before. I trained on a treadmill in a cupboard by the back door and I was wearing a running vest older than most of the girls I was competing against. Was I crazy?' Jo Pavey was forty years old when she won the 10,000m at the European Championships. It was the first gold medal of her career and, astonishingly, it came within months of having her second child.The media dubbed her ‘Supermum’, but Jo’s story is in many ways the same as every mother juggling the demands of working life with a family – the sleepless nights, the endless nappy changing, the fun, the laughter and the school-run chaos. The only difference is that Jo is a full-time athlete pushing a buggy on her training runs, clocking up miles on the treadmill in a cupboard while her daughter has her lunchtime nap, and hitting the track while her children picnic on the grass.Heartwarming and uplifting, This Mum Runs follows Jo’s roundabout journey to the top and all the lessons she's learnt along the way. It is the inspiring yet everyday story of a mum that runs and a runner that mums.
This Road I Ride: My incredible journey from novice to fastest woman to cycle the globe
by Juliana BuhringIn December 2012, Juliana Buhring became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by bicycle. With only a few months of training and little sponsorship, support or money she left from Naples on 23 July 2012 to cycle the world. Raised in a religious cult as a child, Juliana finally broke away as a young adult and found her soul mate - an explorer seeking the source of unmapped rivers in Africa. When he was killed by a crocodile, her world went dark. To escape her grief, she decided to set herself a challenge. Having never seriously ridden a bike, she set out to ride around the world. 18,000 miles, 152 days, 4 continents, 19 countries, 29 punctures, 6 big mountains, 1 desert and a cyclone later, she made it back just days before Christmas with a Guinness World Record. Empowering, inspiring, often humorous, This Road I Ride is testimony to the power of sheer will to overcome any obstacle. Discover a true story of adventure, blood, sweat and gears.
This Wonderful Thing
by Adam BaronFrom the author of bestselling and Carnegie-nominated debut BOY UNDERWATER comes a moving and hilarious novel for 10+ readers about friendships, family secrets, mystery – and life-changing hidden treasure…
Thomas Tuchel: Rulebreaker
by Daniel Meuren Tobias SchächterWhen Thomas Tuchel arrived at Chelsea in January 2021, having been unceremoniously sacked by PSG, few could imagine that a mere four months later he would be leading the Blues to victory in the UEFA Champions League final. Tuchel inherited a misfiring Chelsea side that he quickly galvanised with his exciting attacking style and brilliant tactical thinking. But who is Thomas Tuchel? Fans of his former clubs PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz would describe him as one of the best football managers in the world.An innovator, tactician, rulebreaker and sometimes controversialist, Tuchel went from a youth manager with Mainz to the top of the Bundesliga with Dortmund in just five years. He has identified and nurtured rising talents, such as André Schürrle and Christian Pulisic, and has also managed dressing rooms full of superstars, including Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.This is the definitive story of Thomas Tuchel: from his early days as an academy player at Augsburg and as a young manager at Mainz, to his successful but conflict-laden stint at Dortmund, his bittersweet tenure at PSG and finally his arrival mid-season at Chelsea. Compelling and revealing, Thomas Tuchel: Rulebreaker provides a fascinating insight into the life and mind of one of the most exciting coaching talents in football today.
Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN (Playaway Adult Nonfiction Ser.)
by James Andrew Miller Tom ShalesIt began, in 1979, as a mad idea of starting a cable channel to televise local sporting events throughout the state of Connecticut. Today, ESPN is arguably the most successful network in modern television history, spanning eight channels in the Unites States and around the world. But the inside story of its rise has never been fully told-until now. Drawing upon over 500 interviews with the greatest names in ESPN's history and an All-Star collection of some of the world's finest athletes, bestselling authors James Miller and Tom Shales take us behind the cameras. Now, in their own words, the men and women who made ESPN great reveal the secrets behind its success-as well as the many scandals, rivalries, off-screen battles and triumphs that have accompanied that ascent. From the unknown producers and business visionaries to the most famous faces on television, it's all here.
Thou Shall Not Pass: The Anatomy of Football’s Centre-Half
by Leo MoynihanThe job of the centre-half (or central defender) is to stop opposing players from scoring. In this first-ever cultural history of these traditionally bruising hard men, Leo Moynihan (Four Four Two) explores the unique mindset and last-ditch, bone-crunching tackles of those hellbent on destroying glory. Football is often romanticised as 'The Beautiful Game'. If true then the game's centre-half might be considered as the unsightly pimple on the end of its otherwise perfectly formed nose. The stopper, the last line of defence, the big man with small ideas. The lump who lumps it. Thou Shall Not Pass (the title comes from a command England captain Terry Butcher would shout before every match) celebrates the football position where brutal characters are loved for their hard-hitting tackles and bruising mentality and yet laughed at for their apparent lack of skill. As well as covering the long and illustrious history of the centre-half, the book will take the reader into the muddy penalty area frequented by our protagonists, into their domain. The places they head the ball, the places they tackle, the places in which they will stop at nothing to stop a forward. What makes them approach the game the way they do? What makes them different from those whose sole purpose is flair? Rich with amazing anecdotes, the book explore all aspects of the position and delve into the mentality of those who ply their trade there: what makes a player willing to put his face in the way of danger, how have tactics governed the role over the decades and what dark arts centre-halves must master in order to stop their foes.
Thou Shall Not Pass: The Anatomy of Football’s Centre-Half
by Leo MoynihanThe job of the centre-half (or central defender) is to stop opposing players from scoring. In this first-ever cultural history of these traditionally bruising hard men, Leo Moynihan (FourFour Two) explores the unique mindset and last-ditch, bone-crunching tackles of those hellbent on destroying glory. Football is often romanticised as 'The Beautiful Game'. If true then the game's centre-half might be considered as the unsightly pimple on the end of its otherwise perfectly formed nose. The stopper, the last line of defence, the big man with small ideas. The lump who lumps it. Thou Shall Not Pass (the title comes from a command England captain Terry Butcher would shout before every match) celebrates the football position where brutal characters are loved for their hard-hitting tackles and bruising mentality and yet laughed at for their apparent lack of skill. As well as covering the long and illustrious history of the centre-half, the book will take the reader into the muddy penalty area frequented by our protagonists, into their domain. The places they head the ball, the places they tackle, the places in which they will stop at nothing to stop a forward. What makes them approach the game the way they do? What makes them different from those whose sole purpose is flair? Packed with rich and highly entertaining anecdotes, the book will explore all aspects of the position and into the mentality of those who ply their trade there. For example, what makes a player willing to put his face in the way of danger, what makes some centre-halves more capable of reading the game than others, how tactics have governed the role over the decades, how that role differs around the world and what dark arts centre-halves must master in order to stop their foes. Using his extensive contacts (full list of interviewees below) the author will interview many different centre-halves, from all over the world and from the highest levels to those playing in the game's lower echelons and politely described as less polished. He will talk to coaches, goalkeepers and forwards about working with and playing against centre-halves, looking for witty and anecdotal insight into this too often maligned position.
A Thousand Miles from Anywhere: The Claytons cross the Atlantic and sail the Caribbean on the third leg of their voyage
by Sandra ClaytonFollowing Dolphins Under My Bed and Turtles in Our Wake comes the third leg of the Claytons' voyage, two early retirees who decided to live life sailing from place to place to fulfil their dream.Told uniquely from the wife's perspective, Sandra Clayton was initially a reluctant sailor, but became a keen yachtswoman by the end of the first book when the couple sailed from the UK to the Mediterranean. In this installment she describes their transatlantic crossing, from Gibraltar via the Atlantic Islands to the Caribbean, and ending up in Fort Lauderdale.Sandra's previous two books have attracted a loyal and growing readership both in the UK and the US, no doubt due to her engaging writing style. A Thousand Miles from Anywhere is a similarly entertaining travelogue about the Claytons' experiences, detailing the wonderful places they visited, the fascinating people they met and the humorous situations they got involved in.Acclaim for Sandra's writing: 'With her eye for detail and vivid descriptions, Sandra carries the reader with her' - Yachting Life
The Three Battles of Wanat: And Other True Stories
by Mark BowdenRanging from war journalism to crime stories to profiles on influential leaders to pieces on sports, gambling and the impending impact of supercomputers on the practice of medicine, this collection is Bowden at his best. Pieces that will appear in the collection include, "The Three Battles of Wanat", which tells the story of a bloody engagement in Afghanistan and the extraordinary years-long fallout within the US military, "The Drone Warrior," in which Bowden examines the strategic, legal and moral issues surrounding armed drones, and "The Case of the Vanishing Blonde," which first appeared in Vanity Fair and recounts the chilling story of a woman who went missing from a Florida hotel only to turn up near the Everglades, brutally beaten, raped and still alive.Also included are profiles on a diverse range of notable and influential people such as Joe Biden, Kim Jong-un, Judy Clarke who is well known for defending America's worst serial killers and David Simon, the creator of the successful HBO series The Wire.
Three Brides, No Groom (Mira Ser.)
by Debbie MacomberPerfect for fans of Maeve Binchy' - Candis Sometimes love doesn’t turn out the way you plan.