Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late: My Story
Oliver Holt - 2018
unsparing, honest' GQ magazineKieron Dyer's memoir, Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late, is the first intimate and unsparing portrait of the failures and excesses of the generation of English footballers made rich beyond their wildest dreams by the post-1990 World Cup boom in the game and the explosion of the Premier League. It shares the same brutal honesty and self-awareness of the bestselling No Nonsense by Joey Barton and GoodFella by Craig Bellamy.In the public mind, Kieron Dyer came to symbolise so much of what was self-destructive about a group of football players known collectively as the 'Baby Bentley generation'. Nicknamed 'The King of Bling' by the tabloid press, Dyer was caught up in many of the scandals that characterised the history of a talented crop of players who promised so much and delivered so little, a generation whose wages and lavish lifestyles began to alienate them from the fans who once worshipped them.The brash young man is gone now, and in his place is the quiet, caring, wise man who was such a favourite on I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here! in 2015. Dyer narrates, in uncompromising detail, how a generation of talented English footballers, taken out of working class childhoods and presented with a world of glitz, glamour, wealth and temptation, failed to cope with the riches that were presented to them and often fell apart.Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late is about a moment in time, a social and historical record of English football at the start of its gold rush. For Dyer, the end of the book brings a measure of personal redemption and peace but for the English game, there is only a lingering sense of waste and regret for an opportunity lost.
Pep's City: The Making of a Superteam
Lu Martin - 2019
Throughout that journey, the Spanish journalists Lu Martín and Pol Ballús have been embedded with the club, reporting this inside account of how a phenomenal team was constructed: from the recruitment of Guardiola himself, to the backroom staff that provide the platform for his team and the superstar players that have set a new standard in British football. No other sportswriter has had this kind of access to Guardiola and his team during their three seasons in Manchester. The result is exclusive, in-depth interviews and profiles of every key figure at City, and the inside stories on the decisions that have shaped the team, including the defensive transformation that saw Guardiola change his goalkeeper and full-backs ahead of his record-breaking 100-point season of 2017-18; the dinner date with Sergio Agüero that changed the course of the City striker's career; and close-ups on every big game in the thrilling finale to the 2018-19 title race.
Mensch: Beyond the Cones
Jonathan Harding - 2019
From the practical aspects on the training ground to the collective strength of the coaching community, some of the smartest minds in the game take you closer to understanding the human aspects required to nurture young professionals. Germany’s model is not perfect and constantly evolving so there’s also a look at what should be the next step for Germany’s coaching after a disastrous 2018 World Cup. As English players look to Germany to further their own careers, Mensch looks at what the wider football world can learn from a country and a coaching culture so clearly in love with the beautiful game.
Me, Family and the Making of a Footballer: The warmest, most charming memoir of the year
Jamie Redknapp - 2020
A Porcelain Viscountess
Hazel Linwood - 2021
Her husband is a terrible man, who never misses a chance to embarrass, and terrify her. Desperate for a way out, she accepts her friend’s offer for help, no matter the cost...Francis Gibbs, the Duke of Hayward, has sworn to never marry. Uninterested in any of the Ton’s happenings, he visits London after years of absence to see his beloved sister. When she asks a favor of him, though, he fears he might be going too far. For she’s asking him to shelter a married woman from her own husband...Just as life starts to seem hopeful again for Phoebe, her old nightmares surface again. The demons of her past will not accept her happiness, and will do anything to grab her back in their claws. Francis must make an impossible decision soon: how far is he willing to go to protect the woman his heart is beating for, even if she isn’t his to begin with?
Klopp: My Liverpool Romance
Anthony Quinn - 2020
In early March 2020 Liverpool were two wins away from an extraordinary achievement, on course for their first league title win in 30 years - since the heads days of Kenny Dalglish - and likely to seal it in the Merseyside derby against their great rivals Everton. And all this an incredible two months before the season was due to end. Then, as we all know, the season was postponed.The architect of the club's great resurgence - including their 2019 UEFA Champions League win - has been J�rgen Klopp. In his personal love-letter to the man, Anthony Quinn, journalist, novelist and life-long Liverpool fan, has written an inspiring and affectionate portrait of the incredible German manager, who came to Liverpool in late 2015, with a growing reputation from his successes at Borussia Dortmund.Closely following the three month break, as well as the club's title-clinching return, Quinn offers a uniquely revealing and personal take on this long-awaited triumph.
Raiya: Early Game - A LitRPG Saga: Archon's Chosen, Book Two
Russell Wilbinski - 2019
Joining the fiery Captain Fenna Lis and her no-nonsense first mate Hawkins, Skree finds plenty of opportunities to grow in skill and strength. With few options available to him, Skree must provide a haven for his friends and the last survivors of the Kobold race. Luckily, Captain Fenna knows just the right guy to solve their problem, but it won't be easy. Or cheap. Will Skree and Priestess be able to find a home of their own, and if they do, will they be able to protect it from harm in the harsh world of Raiya? Who are the mysterious servants of Abrenacht and why do they want him dead? Can Skree overcome these challenges, level up and beat the game so he can return to his own world? But a bigger question lurks at the back of his mind: Does he even want to go home?
John Giles A Football Man
John Giles - 2010
He also describes his enduring friendship with the ‘kid from across Dublin’s Tolka Park’, Eamon Dunphy, and his career on RTÉ2’s football panel, where Giles’ intelligent and insightful analysis have made him an even more well-loved and respected national figure.
The Way of Sacrifice
Tony Corden - 2021
Taken from poverty at the extremity of Tarlonin's New Dominions, she is brought to the centre of the Empire to become a mage.[Spoiler (maybe): Weaves of Empire is set in the same universe as The Stork Tower. The connections will eventually become more apparent; the intervening years will be fleshed out in other series (not yet written).]
Another Season
Gene Stallings - 1997
When beloved Alabama football coach Gene Stallings's son was born with Down syndrome and a serious heart defect, doctors predicted he wouldn't live to see his first birthday and urged Coach Stallings and his wife to institutionalize him.But for Gene and Ruth Ann that was not an option. Johnny quickly won the hearts and adoration of the Stallings family and everyone who took the time to know him, and, proving the doctors wrong by living a full life, he has become a vital and important part of his father's life and career.With intimate glimpses of family life and thrilling football anecdotes, Another Season is brimming with poignant lessons about defying the odds and finding joy in every moment.
The Complete Novels of John Buchan: 25+ Spy Classics, Thrillers & Adventure Novels in One Premium Edition (Unabridged): Including Richard Hannay Series, ... of the Dark, The Free Fishers and more
John Buchan - 2016
BuchanJohn Buchan (1875-1940) was a Scottish novelist and historian and also served as Canada's Governor General. His 100 works include nearly thirty novels, seven collections of short stories and biographies. But, the most famous of his books were the adventure and spy thrillers, most notably The Thirty-Nine Steps, and it is for these that he is now best remembered.
Go North, Young Man: Modern Homesteading in Alaska
Gordon Stoddard - 2016
From building his first cabin (with the aid of a do-it-yourself pamphlet), to growing an abundance of over-sized vegetables, to hunting and foraging and surviving the long winters, Stoddard portrays a down-to-earth look at the simple life he desired and created for himself.
Totlandia: Book 6 (Contemporary Romance): The Twosies - Winter
Josie Brown - 2016
It also runs through the veins of all the women in the Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club:Besides dealing with the politics of the Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club, Lorna discovers a secret that will scandalize the members--and perhaps have one them leaving in disgrace;As for Jade, her new part-time job on the UC Berkeley campus allows Reggie to see her in a whole new light--one that will either make, or break, their relationship;Jillian is juggling too much--not just the twins, the growth of Life of Pie, and the details of her wedding, but the guardianship of the infant, Scotty. Will her fiancé, Caleb man up to fatherhood--or will he be scared off by threats of a lawsuit from Rona, the mother her deceased ex-husband, Scott?And Brady's frustration over Ally's refusal to commit to marrying him leads him down a slippery slope-into her past.And finally, Bettina's idea for a new mobile app may get her out of hock--but will it keep her in the good graces of Daniel Warwick, the Federal agent chasing down Art?