Sports books!

[karne]

Well, we've got most other genres that I read, so it's sports books time!

The list on my bookshelf is LONG!

- "The Life of Senna" by Tom Rubython - IMO, THE definitive book on Ayrton Senna's life and death and the consequences thereof.

- "True Colours" by Adam Gilchrist - my all-time favourite cricketer, his book is heavy (seriously it's a brick), honest, and detailed. And signed.

- "Marco Simoncelli" - a book put out by his family after his death. I haven't finished it yet. I keep crying.

- "This is Me" by Ian Thorpe - I haven't finished this one, either. I had a hard time getting through the early years and the bullying over his sexuality even then.

- "It's Not About The Bike" - Lance Armstrong - yes, I have this book. It was given me for Christmas several years ago, I devoured it and loved it and believed in his greatness. :no:

- "Twists and Turns" by Matthew Mitcham - this is REALLY hard to read. He had a totally messed up childhood and teenage years.

- "It Is What It Is" by David Coulthard - a very interesting biography and in parts refreshingly honest - he got a lot of flak in the F1 paddock for mentioning his struggles with bulimia. Though of course he also displays the egotism necessary for F1 drivers - his take on his final season with Webber as his teammate was laughably revisionist history!

- "At The Close of Play" by Ricky Ponting - apparently, to be a great Australian cricketer, talent on the pitch helps, but being able to write a behemoth of a book is another qualification.

(I have a few more, but most of them are older.)


I also highly recommend:

"Life at the Limit" and "Beyond The Limit" by Professor Sid Watkins. The first, particularly, is an account of how he, Sir Jackie Stewart, and Bernie Ecclestone took on the issue of improving safety in F1 in the face of some truly fierce opposition. Naturally, it mentions death and some pretty gory injuries, so read with caution.

 

[iluvtodd]

Most of my sports books are skating books. My personal favorite - Skate Talk by Steve Milton. It is a collection of interviews with skaters, coaches, choreographers ...

 

[silverfoxes]

I just have a few skating books...a couple memoirs, and Inside Edge by Christine Brennan- I know she's not too popular, but I learned quite a bit about the 6.0 era reading it.

Non-skating - I loved this book:

Born To Run - A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - by Christopher McDougall

About the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico who do long-distance barefoot running. I am not a runner by any means, but it was fascinating.

Does mountain climbing fall under sports? I loved Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air as well.

I read Dominique Moceanu's book not long ago...it was good, but not great.

 

[Alba]

All sports books I've read are about football (soccer).

Jonathan Wilson:
1. Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You.

2. Behind The Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football - It's a book on Eastern European football, dedicating a chapter each to various different countries: Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. It combines history with personal anecdotes.

3. Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics - It’s a historical account of how football has unfolded throughout the decades. Only if you like and are interested in tactics.

Philippe Auclair: Cantona.

George Best: Blessed - The Autobiography.

Duncan Hamilton: Immortal: The Approved Biography of George Best

Nick Hornby: Fever Pitch.
Wonderful book really. :yes:

Gianluca Vialli & Gabriele Marcotti: The Italian Job. Focusing upon the differences between English and Italian football.


John Foot - Calcio

I love this book and this is really quality literature about Italian football. It's a big book and mainly focuses upon the culture and history of Italian football, but it is a great introduction to calcio.


Massimo Lucchesi: Attacking Soccer.
It lays out how different formations line up against each other, and it focuses on how to break down the opposition.

Alessandro Zauli: Soccer Modern Tactics.

Adam Wells:Football and Chess.
It outlines the similarities and explains why the two are similar. It also brings in classic matches from both games, and you don't need prior knowledge of chess.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: I Am Zlatan.
Absolutely brilliant. "Why be a Fiat when you can be a Ferrari?" This book is a MUST!

Terry Ravenscroft: Football Crazy.
Satire of English football. Absolutely hilarious.


p.s. There some great and shocking books about the dirty side of football, and footballers, but they are in italian only.