Sports and Fitness Recent Picks

October 2008

The underlined title links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.

Chasing the title : memorable moments from fifty years of Formula 1, by Nigel Roebuck.
“In 1999 the Formula 1 World Championship is 50 years old. Here Nigel Roebuck, rated by many fans as the finest F1 writer in the world, gives a personal selection of highlights from the past half-century, full of his own memories, colourful anecdotes & human interest.” (Book Jacket)

Masters Swimming: A Manual, by Blyth Lucero & Cornelia Bleul-Gohlke.

Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book: More Lessons and Hand Analysis in No Limit Texas Hold'em, by Phil Gordon.
"Insightful, witty, and filled with real-life pro secrets, Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book is required reading for every player looking to make a profit and raise his game to the next level." (Amazon)

A Social History of English Cricket, by Derek Birley.
"A profoundly researched, easily and stylishly written book, put together with a view to a shelf-life of a good half-century, and as a work of reference a fair way beyond." (Book Jacket)

The Athlete’s Way , by Christopher Bergland.
"The Athlete’s Way is amazingly informative & complete with a program to get and keep you off the couch. Bravo, for another exercising zealot who has written a book that should be read on your elliptical or stationary bike. He pushed me to go farther on a sleepy Sunday." (Book Jacket)

A Centenary of Rugby League 1908-2008: The Definitive Story of the Game in Australia, by Ian Heads & David Middleton.
"A Centenary of Rugby League tells the complete, season-by-season story of rugby league's first 100 years in Australia. Rich in detail, anecdote, history, scandal and triumph, and illustrated by hundreds of extraordinary photographs, A Centenary of Rugby League is the one book every league fan should own. Never before has the game been covered in such comprehensive, year-by-year detail." (Amazon)

Bicycling Magazine's Century Training Program: 100 Days to 100 Miles, by Marla Streb.
“To ride a century means to cover 100 miles in a day—no small feat for riders at any level. But the century is becoming cycling’s equivalent of the marathon, with more and more century events scheduled for thousands of riders across the country. Now, champion pro cyclist Marla Streb provides a thorough manual for anyone who wants to train for this distance.” (Amazon)

Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season, by Nick Heil.
"On May 15, 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall’s death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter."

"If David Sharp’s death was shocking, it was hardly singular: despite unusually good weather, ten others died attempting to reach the summit that year. In this meticulous inquiry into what went wrong, Nick Heil tells the full story of the deadliest year on Everest since the infamous season of 1996. He introduces Russell Brice, the commercial operator who has done more than anyone to provide access to the summit via the mountain’s north side—and who some believe was partly accountable for Sharp’s death. As more climbers attempt the summit each year, Heil shows how increasingly risky expeditions and unscrupulous outfitters threaten to turn Everest into a deadly circus."

"Written by an experienced climber and outdoor writer, Dark Summit is both a riveting account of a notorious climbing season and a troubling investigation into whether the pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize has spiraled out of control.” (Amazon)

Introduction to Equestrian Sports, by Kate Luxmoore.
"This is not another "how to ride" book, its purpose is to help parents and riders who are new to the world of equestrian sports or those changing from one type of competition to another. The major disciplines are covered in four separate chapters: hacking/showing, dressage, showjumping and eventing. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to the discipline showing how it originated and its current status. A detailed description of the discipline follows including types and classes of horses, types and levels of competition, who runs the competitions, which rules apply and how the competition is judged." (Amazon)

Kings of the Nurburgring, by Chris Nixon.

Legs on Everest: The Full Story of His Most Remarkable Adventure Yet , by Mark Inglis.

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