Sports and Fitness Recent Picks
OCTOBER 2009
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The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer
“At 13,025 feet, the Swiss Eiger doesn't approach the height of Everest or Denali, but the sheer rise and difficulty of its 5900-foot north face keeps it in the company of the world's most celebrated peaks. At the time Harrer (Seven Years in Tibet, originally the sequel to this volume) became part of the first successful summit climb in 1938, the north face of the Eiger was considered the "last and greatest of Alpine problems" left in the world. Originally published in 1959 (with chapters added in 1964 and an index covering subsequent Eiger climbs), this riveting account of his ascent and the history of confronting the Eiger. Beginning with the first fatal attempts to conquer the north face in 1935 The White Spider is a crisply written paean to the mountain where Harrer first earned recognition as a world-class climber.” (Amazon)
A Beautiful Game by Tom Watt
“Wherever you are on earth, it's only a matter of time before you will come across children playing football. Another five minutes and you will probably find yourself having a ball rolled to your feet as an invitation to join in the game. Across every continent, football is a common language and a culture shared: a joy, a passion, an escape and an affirmation of identity understood and celebrated by children - and their parents - in every country on earth. For this unique collaborative project, football writer Tom Watt talked to the world's top footballers about growing up and falling in love with the game: Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil's Gilberto Silva; England's David James and Scotland's Craig Gordon; Italy's Fabio Cannavaro, Spain's Iker Casillas and France's Franck Ribery; South Africa's Benni McCarthy and Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu; the USA's Landon Donovan and Shunsuke Nakamura from Japan; and, the world's most famous player, David Beckham. The player's own words are brought to life with over 130 full colour images which offer rare, emotive and striking insights into childhood all over the world and celebrate football's ability to touch the lives of children - and adults - wherever the beautiful game is played.” (Amazon)
Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne
“Since the early 1980s, David Byrne has been riding a bike as his principal means of transportation in New York City. Two decades ago, he discovered folding bikes and started taking them on tour. Byrne's choice was made out of convenience rather than political motivation, but the more cities he saw from his bicycle, the more he became hooked on this mode of transport and the sense of liberation it provided. Convinced that urban biking opens one's eyes to the inner workings and rhythms of a city's geography and population, Byrne began keeping a journal of his observations and insights.
An account of what he sees and whom he meets as he pedals through metropoles from Berlin to Buenos Aires, Istanbul to San Francisco, Manila to New York, Bicycle Diaries also records Byrne's thoughts on world music, urban planning, fashion, architecture, cultural dislocation, and much more, all conveyed with a highly personal mixture of humour, curiosity, and humility. Part travelogue, part journal, part photo album.” (Amazon)
Rugby to Remember: A Collection of Programmes and Match Reports from 100 Years of New Zealand Rugby by Lindsay Knight
“In this celebration of New Zealand rugby a number of NZ rugby matches are remembered, and presented with the match programmes that were printed for them. The selection mixes famous test and provincial games with less well-remembered but equally fascinating matches. It includes classic games such as the 'Did-Deans-score-or-didn't-he?' 1905 test against Wales during the tour by The Originals, Ranfurly Shield games, the shock 1978 loss to Munster, one of the riot-torn 1981 matches against the Springboks, and RWC encounters. Accompanying each programme is a brief but pithy match report describing the general flow of play as well as stand-out phases and players. And lovers of statistics will enjoy such details as ground condition, attendance figures, players' lists and scoring details.” (Global Books)
High Misadventure: New Zealand Mountaineering Tragedies And Survival Stories by Paul Hersey
“HIGH MISADVENTURE explores the dark face of climbing in New Zealand - the times when a slip or a poor decision can lead to tragedy. Climber/journalist Paul Hersey takes eight incidents from among the many of recent decades, and explores the critical factors behind them. Among the incidents he covers are the deaths of five climbers when the Three Johns Hut blew away in 1977, the 1990 loss of six army cadets during a training exercise on Ruapehu, and the 2004 deaths of four climbers on Mount Tasman. As well as offering a white-knuckle read, this book will improve our understanding of what can go wrong on the mountains, and will be of great interest to both climbers and non-climbers.” (Global Books)
Small Fry: Play; Inspiration For Creative Play With Kids / Susie Cameron & Katrina Crook; written by Sue Cant
“The Small Fry team is back, this time on the subject of play! While today's overly-stimulated children seem to have less time or opportunities to engage in this most simple of childhood activities, Small Fry: Play encourages parents and carers to get back to basics and recognise free play as an essential part of their children's development. Packed with useful and inspiring tips, activities and recipes, Play features photographs by Katrina Crook and recipes by Susie Cameron and friends of the Small Fry team as well as a Foreword by the multi-talented actor, singer and mother Justine Clarke who is a key presenter on ABC TV's Play School.” (Global Books)
Lance Armstrong: The World's Greatest Champion by John Wilcockson
“Few champions have astonished the world as much as Lance Armstrong. A cancer survivor who went on to win the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times, he is an inspiration to millions. His is a story of brutal, painful effort, of natural brilliance, of relentless ambition, of extraordinary glory. His achievement is all the more stunning for its unconventionality: a boy from small-town America who beat the world. Brash and fiercely competitive, Armstrong has never been without close friends or bitter enemies. His achievements have been dogged by accusations of doping, accusations of secrecy, and by questions about how triumph on such a grand scale could be possible. Now the full story can be told. With complete access to Armstrong, and to his inner circle, and drawing on interviews with family members and training partners, coaches and celebrities, team-mates and rivals, friends and foes, sportswriter John Wilcockson tells of those who helped Armstrong along the way, including his mother Linda, his ex-wife Kristin and one-time fiancé Sheryl Crow, and explores the traits of character that made Armstrong unique. Tracing the highs and lows, and bringing alive the drama of the races in which Armstrong smashed expectations time after time, LANCE ARMSTRONG gives the complete story of a matchless champion.”(Global Books)
Hunting Adventures : True Tales Of A Kiwi Hunter by Greig Caigou
“Hunting Adventures is Greig Caigou's very readable and vicariously enjoyable collection of one man's back-country adventures in the New Zealand bush and high country. From the age of fifteen, Greig began hunting, following family tradition into a sport he's continued enjoy for over thirty years. He began writing about it in 1981, contributing to several well known hunting anthologies. As well as being a thoroughly good read, his book also seeks to encourage another generation to challenge themselves against their environment, and enjoy the personal challenges hunting has to offer.” (Global Books)
Black Obsession : The All Blacks' Quest For World Cup Success by Gregor Paul
Whitebaiters Never Lie : Exploring An Iconic New Zealand Culture by Anita Peters & Murray Hedwig
My Sports Hero : Famous New Zealanders Talk About People Who Inspired Them by Wynne Gray
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