Book picks similar to
The Race: A Novel of Grit, Tactics, and the Tour de France by Dave Shields
cycling
sports
fiction
bikes
Racing Through the Dark
David Millar - 2011
Now clean and reflective, David holds nothing back in this account of his dark years.Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2011.
Travels with Willie: Adventure Cyclist
Willie Weir - 2009
Hop on a bike and that view will brighten drastically. Travels with Willie is about finding adventure and facing fear, embarrassing blunders and language barriers, ice cream and kindness, Cuba and Colombia, Turkey and Thailand, the world's steepest street and the world's cheapest engagement ring, catching a thief and losing a zebra, a father's touch and a farmer's embrace, buying time and spending another night. Fellow bicycle travelers will smile with recognition, and arm-chair travelers might find themselves wandering into a bike shop, looking for a passport to adventure.
Get Up and Ride: A Humorous True Story of Two Friends Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal
Jim Shea - 2020
Scooter
Mick Foley - 2005
His father, Patrick Riley, is a New York City cop. His grandfather, a fireman for thirty years, is a man who firmly believes that all of life’s great lessons are explained in baseball lore. In the wake of the assassinations of Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy, as the neighborhood changes around him, Scooter is forced to see that life, like baseball, is a game in which a few extraordinary moments–moments of either courage or cowardice–will define the man he becomes.
The Grade Cricketer: Tea and No Sympathy
Ian Higgins - 2017
It's belly-laughing funny but it's also a hymn to the grand and complex game delivered with a narrative pace and ability I'm afraid most Test players don't have. For anyone who ever dreamed of excelling at a sport but never quite made it but still gave it your life, this is the story. A great read!' Tom Keneally'The Grade Cricketer has taken us so far inside a district club dressing room that you feel like a locker. Ligaments could not be closer to the bone than some of his observations.' Kerry O'Keeffe 'The Grade Cricketer is strange and, I suspect, brilliant'. Wisden
Without A Mother's Love
Catherine King - 2008
Sent to love with her uncle, the ruthless mine owner Hesley Mexton, she soon discovers that a house ruled by men can not only be desperate; it can be cruel.A new governess, Harriet Trent, offers Olivia a glimpse of hope. But Harriet's past is full of secrets and, alone and without protection., Olivia realises that Hesley Mexton will take full advantage of her vulnerability - despite her governess's protests.Starved of love, Harriet and Olivia form a close bond. But when forced to fight for their freedom, will they find the courage to defy the man who seeks to hold them captive?
The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs
Tyler Hamilton - 2012
The result is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything—and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral—to gain the edge they need to win.Tyler Hamilton was once one of the world’s best-liked and top-ranked cyclists—a fierce competitor renowned among his peers for his uncanny endurance and epic tolerance for pain. In the 2003 Tour de France, he finished fourth despite breaking his collarbone in the early stages—and grinding eleven of his teeth down to the nerves along the way. He started his career with the U.S. Postal Service team in the 1990s and quickly rose to become Lance Armstrong’s most trusted lieutenant, and a member of his inner circle. For the first three of Armstrong’s record seven Tour de France victories, Hamilton was by Armstrong’s side, clearing his way. But just weeks after Hamilton reached his own personal pinnacle—winning the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics—his career came to a sudden, ignominious end: He was found guilty of doping and exiled from the sport.From the exhilaration of his early, naïve days in the peloton, Hamilton chronicles his ascent to the uppermost reaches of this unforgiving sport. In the mid-1990s, the advent of a powerful new blood-boosting drug called EPO reshaped the world of cycling, and a relentless, win-at-any-cost ethos took root. Its psychological toll would drive many of the sport’s top performers to substance abuse, depression, even suicide. For the first time ever, Hamilton recounts his own battle with clinical depression, speaks frankly about the agonizing choices that go along with the decision to compete at a world-class level, and tells the story of his complicated relationship with Lance Armstrong.A journey into the heart of a never-before-seen world, The Secret Race is a riveting, courageous act of witness from a man who is as determined to reveal the hard truth about his sport as he once was to win the Tour de France.
West Is San Francisco
Lauren Sapala - 2019
But what she can’t run from is her present reality as an alcoholic on the downward spiral, and the strong future possibility that she might die in the gutter. So, she quits drinking and resolves to live a new life, determined to be a better person and resist the siren song of addiction, staying a few steps ahead of her demons all the while. But then Leah takes a job at a P.I. Firm and her resolve is thoroughly tested. Instead of alcohol, she becomes addicted to work and the nonstop demands of the agency. In a desperate attempt to break the cycle, she answers a mysterious online ad calling for writers and ends up working as an assistant to serial entrepreneur Scarlet Monroe, a woman who seems almost too good to be true, and like everything Leah has always wanted to be. But when Leah is hired as Scarlet’s personal assistant and gets in deeper with Scarlet and her cult-like company, the demons from her past come alive again, and this time they refuse to go away. The sequel to Between the Shadow and Lo and the second installment in the West Coast Trilogy, West Is San Francisco is a surreal ride through the strange secrets—and intangible magic—of San Francisco.
The Hawaiian Discovery, SAMPLE
Wanda E. Brunstetter - 2018
But now Ellen has received the Amish church’s permission to go to Hawaii and help Mandy through challenging times. Rob Smith works on the Williams family’s organic farm, far from his past mistakes and burning regrets. When Ellen befriends Rob, the attraction is mutual, but her commitment to the Amish faith stands between them. Could a heartfelt discovery lead to forgiveness, reunion, and love? Or is Ellen’s destiny waiting for her in Indiana? Find out in this sequel to The Hawaiian Quilt from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, writing with her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter.
Hunter Killer
Harry McCallion - 1998
Their leader, Braxton, is keen to put him off their trail before he learns too much…Fraser is confused and in danger, Galbraith is unsure of who to trust and Braxton is desperate and dangerous: a lethal combination.When the three collide, there’s no knowing what will happen or who will come out alive…And can Fraser ever figure out who he really is? A born ‘Hunter Killer’?Born in Glasgow, Harry McCallion joined the army after leaving school. In a varied and exciting military career he served with the Parachute Regiment, South Africa’s elite Recce Commandos and 22 SAS. After leaving the army in 1985 he joined the RUC, but left in 1990 after a near-fatal car crash. Subsequent to this he studied law and was called to the Bar. Now a working barrister and writer he has recently received his Master’s Degree in International Relations. His autobiography Killing Zone was an immediate bestseller. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.
Old Man on a Bicycle: A Ride Across America and How to Realize a More Enjoyable Old Age
Don Petterson - 2014
He was in his seventies, hadn’t been on a bike for years, and had never ridden more than a few miles at a time. But, in May 2002, putting doubters—and self-doubt—behind him, Petterson headed west. Laboring against strong headwinds, struggling up steep hills, or coping with extreme weather, he sometimes wondered what in the world he was doing. But he kept going—the lure of riding his bike across the Golden Gate a compelling incentive. Ahead of him lay many challenges—among them, riding his loaded bike over the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada, crossing the Great Plains in brutal summer heat, dealing with the aftermath of a collision with a car, and traversing Nevada’s basin and range country and the Great Salt Lake’s desert. His rewards included passing through spectacular mountain forests, experiencing the aching beauty of the lonely plains, and viewing the grandeur of the West’s sculpted canyons and mesas. In Old Man on a Bicycle, the author relates how he prepared for the 3,600-mile journey and what he saw and did during the two months he was on the road. In addition he rebuts the misconception that aging invariably means debilitating decline and, drawing on certain events of his ride, offers research-based advice on how to ease the physical aspects of aging. It’s an inspirational account, emphasizing the importance of exercise to physical and mental well-being.
Life to the Fullest: A Story About Finding Your Purpose and Following Your Heart (Sports for the Soul Book 4)
Darrin Donnelly - 2017
But how, exactly, do you find your purpose? And, once you find it, how can you be sure that it’s “safe” to follow that path in life? This book answers those two life-changing questions. Written as an inspirational fable in the style of previous Sports for the Soul books, Life to the Fullest reveals a powerful five-step process for finding your purpose while also dealing with the questions we all have about whether it’s “safe” to follow the dreams in our hearts. In a story that pays homage to the holiday classics, It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, John Callahan is a man who has spent his life listening to his heart and following his passion as a high school football coach just like his legendary father. But his dream life is suddenly being crushed. Just days before the state championship game, John receives news that his beloved school is declaring bankruptcy and will be shutting down at the end of the year. Everything John has worked his whole life for—his team, his community, his pension—is being taken away from him. John now finds himself angry at his long-deceased father for advising him to follow his heart and he’s angry at himself for not taking “better” opportunities when they came along. When all hope seems lost, John receives a miraculous visit from his father on the eve of his team’s final game. John is given the opportunity to revisit past moments in his life and to see how things would’ve turned out differently if he had chosen more “practical” opportunities. This is a story about fathers and sons. It’s a story about faith, family, and community. Most of all, it’s a story about having the courage to follow your heart and live your true purpose. As this story plays out, you will find the answers to two of life’s most important questions: How do I find my life’s purpose and is it safe to follow that purpose once I find it?
Red Army General
Tony O'Neill - 2004
Thousands strong, this huge tribe of disaffected youths laid siege to town centrees and soccer grounds across the country and became a byword for violent disorder. Tony O'Neill was there from the beginning and became its most prominent face.Barely in his teens when he set out from the largest council estate in Europe to follow the Red Devils, his ferocity in street combat and his force of personality soon made him a leader. Running trips in his infamous War Wagon, he became so renowned that he was invited to a sit-down meeting with the Government to discuss the hooligan problem.After serving a jail term, O'Neill emerged to lead the 'casuals' of the 1980s against an even tougher generation of opponents: West Ham's ICF, the Chelsea Headhunters, the Leeds Service Crew and the scally armies of Merseyside. Police intelligence files labelled him a 'prime mover' and he became the target of a huge undercover investigation. Red Army General is the most authoritative account ever written of the wild years when terrace terror reached its peak."BRITAIN'S No.1 FOOTBALL THUG" Daily Mirror"BRITAIN'S WORST SOCCER YOB" The Sun