Book picks similar to
The Rip Curl Story by Tim Baker
sports
dnf
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australian-non-fiction
Feed The Beast: Jon Parkin
Jon Parkin - 2018
Overpaid. Ungrateful. Removed from reality. These words are often used to describe modern day footballers. None of them apply to Jon Parkin. The South Yorkshire boy has seen and done it all in a footballing life that peaked with promotion to the Premier League and plummeted to the National League North, taking in spells with no fewer than 14 different clubs. His story is one of a natural goalscorer whose talent is always in demand. His unconventional frame and liking for a lager or ten meant pre-season was always a struggle. His straight-talking style and knack of finding himself in trouble resulted in countless bust-ups with managers. But when patience, cash or contracts ran out, there was always another club ready to take a chance on him. Along the way there have been battles with booze, betting and depression. Marital breakdown and brushes with the law didn’t help, while thousands of motorway miles were covered in a bid to stay in touch with his Barnsley roots and his beloved son. There’s also been plenty of mischief. One holidaymaker in Magaluf won’t easily forget what she found in Parkin’s bath while there’s a golf towel in a hospital car park that nobody would want to find. FEED THE BEAST will feed your curiosity about the real life of a footballer.
Lusting for the Broken Earl
Olivia Bennet - 2019
Having witnessed people’s capacity for deceit, she hides behind the walls she has built around herself to protect her virtue from dishonourable intentions. Allan Blaksley’s past as a soldier has left its marks on both his body and soul. With a long scar across his back that he considers hideous, the broken Earl of Wiltshire is constantly reminded of his failures. But despite their personal obstacles, both Esther and Allan manage to enter each other’s hearts… Until a mysterious woman suddenly appears claiming that Allan is the father of her child. Unbeknownst to them, even though the woman’s motives seem purely greedy and materialistic, she will be proved to be only a puppet. A puppet carrying out someone else’s well-planned scheme... *If you like a realistic yet steamy depiction of the Regency and Victorian era, then Lusting for the Broken Earl is the novel for you. This is Olivia's 6th novel, a historical Regency romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a strong happily ever after. Pick up "Lusting for the Broken Earl" today to discover Olivia's amazing new story!
Muhammad Ali: A Life From Beginning to End
Hourly History - 2019
Cassius Clay Jr. The Greatest. The Louisville Lip. The People’s Champion. Muhammad Ali. All are names for one of the greatest boxers of all time. Muhammad Ali lived a life that produced some of the most notable boxing matches ever. He also had battles outside of the boxing ring—battles that included fighting with the federal government for his freedom as well as fighting against his debilitating Parkinson’s disease. Inside you will read about... ✓ Growing up in the Jim Crow South ✓ Becoming the Greatest ✓ The King of Trash Talk ✓ Refusing to Join the Vietnam War ✓ Politics and Parkinson’s ✓ Personal Life and Marriages And much more! You’re about to embark on a journey of greatness. Dive into the life of one of the greatest athletes ever to grace the boxing ring, Muhammad Ali. Ali’s life wasn’t perfect—it was full of twists and turns and conflicts, inside and outside the ring. But his life was truly meaningful, and it made Muhammad Ali worthy of the title he often used to describe himself, “The Greatest.”
I Love Being the Enemy
Reggie Miller - 1995
From Simon & Schuster, I Love Being the Enemy from Reggie Miller shares what a season on the court with the NBA's best shooter and sharpest tongue is like.In I Love Being the Enemy, Miller reveals his thoughts on the New York Knicks, the mental side of the game, determination, and Cheryl Miller.
Bottom of the Ninth: Branch Rickey, Casey Stengel, and the Daring Scheme to Save Baseball from Itself
Michael Shapiro - 2009
Up-and-coming cities that wanted teams of their own were being rebuffed by the owners, and in response Congress was threatening to revoke the sport's antitrust exemption. These problems were magnified by what was happening on the field, as the New York Yankees were winning so often that true competition was vanishing in the American League.In "Bottom of the Ninth," Michael Shapiro brings to life this watershed moment in baseball history. He shows how the legendary executive Branch Rickey saw the game's salvation in two radical ideas: the creation of a third major league--the Continental League--and the pooling of television revenues for the benefit of all. And Shapiro captures the audacity of Casey Stengel, the manager of the Yankees, who believed that he could bend the game to his wishes and remake how baseball was played. Their stories are interwoven with the on-field drama of pennant races and clutch performances, culminating in three classic World Series confrontations.As the tension built on and off the field, Rickey and Stengel would find themselves outsmarted and defeated by the team owners who held true backroom power--defeats that would diminish the game for decades to come. Shapiro's compelling narrative reaches its stunning climax in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series, when one swing of the bat heralds baseball's eclipse as America's number-one sport.
Leave No Doubt: A Credo for Chasing Your Dreams
Mike Babcock - 2012
Currently head coach for the Detroit Red Wings, he is arguably the best coach in the game today. In this book, against the dramatic backdrop of the Canadian men's gold medal victory in Vancouver, Babcock provides an inspiring roadmap for achieving goals and fulfilling dreams. This is not just a book about hockey but a book about life, rooted in Babcock's "Leave No Doubt" credo. Written by Babcock and his longtime friend Rick Larsen, the credo hung on Team Canada's dressing-room wall during their historic run to Olympic gold. It provides a compelling framework for excelling in life. Illuminated by revealing stories about overcoming doubt, "owning pressure," and making a difference, "Leave No Doubt" is based on a firm belief in everyday commitment and a step by step approach to being "better than good enough." The words originally written for Canada's Olympic gold medal hockey team - leave no doubt, every day counts, our determination will define us - inspire an approach to succeeding in life that is relevant to people of all interests and ambitions. Athlete or not, each of us will find valuable guidance in this succinct primer from one of the most respected leaders in sports.
Making the Call
Amanda Shelley - 2020
Ha! I can only wish. With a deadline looming, I’ve escaped to my family’s cabin on Anderson Island to free myself from distractions. My plan's great, until a man, who could pass as a cover model on one of my books, comes to my rescue. Is there chemistry? Sure. Is he everything I’d look for in a guy? Absolutely. But will my career be at risk if I give into my desire?LukeFor a player, women line up outside the locker room. For coaches, we're lucky to get in the game. As the youngest NFL coach in the league, I live, eat, breathe, and even sleep football. To gear up for this season, I return to my home on Anderson Island for a much-needed break. When Dani literally crashes into my life, my mind’s suddenly on the sexy brunette with a sailors mouth, rather than my team's next play. She has me dusting off another playbook entirely, making me wonder, did I make the right call?
The Perfection Point: Sport Science Predicts the Fastest Man, the Highest Jump, and the Limits of Athletic Performance
John Brenkus - 2010
The Perfection Point is ideal for sports fans interested in the scientific basis of athletic excellence and a fascinating read for science fans interested in the physics of sports.
De Bruyne - Collect Them All! (Ultimate Football Heroes)
Matt Oldfield - 2018
This is the story of how the young Belgian rose through the ranks, worked hard despite the difficulties he faced along the way, and showed courage and determination to prove his skill in the world's toughest league. His versatility, technique and goal-scoring ability to have allowed him to become a midfielder like no other this season.
Jim Bridger "The Grand Old Man of the Rockies" (1922)
Earl Alonzo Brininstool - 2015
It was Hugh's thoughts of revenge for this abandonment that fueled his recovery and eventual tracking down of the young Bridger. James Bridger, known as Jim Bridger (1804 – 1881), was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820–1850, as well as mediating between native tribes and encroaching whites. From inside the book: The western plains and mountains brought forth thousands of men noted for their valor, bravery, daring, sagacity, woodcraft, frontiersmanship and skill in guiding wagon trains and military expeditions across the trackless prairie and barren desert and through snow capped mountain fastnesses on the way to the land of gold beyond the setting sun, or in trailing and bringing to bay the savage hordes that sternly fought the advances of civilization; but among those dauntless spirits there was one who stood head and shoulders above all others as the greatest scout, trapper and guide, the most skilled frontiersman, and the quietest, most modest and unassuming prairie man in all the west. That person was James Bridger, Major Bridger, or, as he was more commonly and familiarly known, "old Jim Bridger," the "grand old man of the Rockies." No history of the American western frontier would be complete without a sketch of the life of this remarkable man.
Beasts
Emilia Hartley - 2020
By the time you reach the end you'll be begging for more! With No cliffhangers, no cheating, and plenty of steam this is one boxed set you do NOT want to miss!Book 1 - The Tiger's Lover:When Sadie Holliday finds her six-year-old turned into a bear cub in the kitchen, she knows she has to get help. She has no idea how to raise a young shifter. But the boy’s father is long gone, and the town’s local alpha is a harsh beast of a man, Dante Oberon. Even after she meets him and feels the pull of attraction between them, she’s not at all sure he’s someone she wants in her son’s life.Dante’s getting along just fine, thank you very much. Townspeople may look at his shifters askance, but they’re no longer the out-of-control gang of thugs that they were under the previous alpha. They hold down jobs, and they keep their tempers reined in—mostly. When they don’t or can’t, Dante takes care of it. It works.Or at least, he thinks it’s working until he sees his life through the eyes of the sexy, fearless single mom who comes to him asking for help with her son. Suddenly, he’s less sure of himself and his methods. But can he afford to be the kind of alpha who loves?Book 2 - The Hyena's Hope:When Lily catches her boyfriend of six years cheating on her, she kicks him to the curb and holes up in her apartment. To her chagrin, her friends won’t let her wallow. They drag her down to the local shifter bar, where she meets Roderigo, a gorgeous and thoughtful shifter who could almost be torn from the pages of one of her favorite romance novels. The trouble is, just when she’s beginning to think there might be something between them, he disappears on her.When Roderigo meets Lily, he feels peace for the first time since he’s been changed. Before long, he’s sure that she’s his mate. But something evil is preying on his pack, and whatever it is threatens to hurt Lily if he doesn’t stop investigating. He knows he can’t fail his pack, but he can’t put her in danger, either.He wants her.He wants her to be safe even more.He’ll do whatever it takes to make her safe.Even break both their hearts.Book 3 - The Lion's Loyalty:As second in command, Van has always been the steady one in the pack, the voice of reason, the brains behind the brawn. But now Carol has returned to them shaken from her ordeal with the mad scientists, and Van can hardly control himself. He’s furious at the world for hurting her and at his pack for forgetting about her. Most of all, he’s furious at himself for failing her. He doesn’t deserve his fated mate if he can’t take care of her.Before she was changed, Carol was an EMT, a lifesaver. Now she starts at small noises, worries about shadows, and can’t handle the smell of antiseptic. Only around Van does she find any peace at all. But she’s sure Van only sticks around because the alpha told him to keep an eye on the unreliable, broken member of the pack. Sometimes she thinks the world, the pack, and even Van would be better off without her.She refuses to be a burden.For both their sakes, Van must convince her she isn’t one.Content Warning: This series contains lots of sexy shifter action, irresistible mates and steamy love scenes. Tons of mouth watering Paranormal Romance bonus content included!
A Girl Called Hope (Hope Series Book 1)
Kay Seeley - 2019
In Victorian London’s East End, life for Hope Daniels in the public house run by her parents is not as it seems. Pa drinks and gambles, brother John longs for a place of his own, sister Violet dreams of a life on stage and little Alfie is being bullied at school. Silas Quirk, the charismatic owner of a local gentlemen’s club and disreputable gambling den her father frequents, has his own plans for Hope. When disaster strikes the family lose everything and the future they planned is snatched away from them. Secrets are revealed that make Hope question all she’s ever believed in. Can Hope keep them together when fate is pulling them apart? What will she sacrifice to save her family? A captivating story of tragedy and triumph you won’t want to put down.
Boss's Captive For Christmas (Christmas With The Billionaire)
Holly Rayner - 2021
Daddy's Girl
Miley Maine - 2021
From the moment he walked into the casino, I thought he was the perfect Greek God.Tall, muscular and handsome.Then fitness mogul, Erik Jansen makes me an offer I can’t refuse.Be his date while he’s doing business in Vegas, and he takes care of my debt.Erik shows me a world I’ve never experienced before.Lavish parties, exclusive restaurants, and his massive penthouse suite on the strip.He makes me feel safe and protected.Like a daddy.And I can’t wait for him to be my first.My heart wants me to be ‘Daddy’s Girl.’But my mind tells me that doing so could only lead to one thing – a heartbreak.
Date Monsters for Alphas & Bad Boys: Complete 13 Book Box Set
Lisa Daniels - 2021