Biography - Sport

Dickie Bird remains the most famous cricket umpire of them. A lovable eccentric with a joyful sense of fun, he has decided, as he approaches his eightieth birthday, to recall the highlights of his life in cricket, while also providing an illuminating insight into what he has been up to since his retirement.

Football's most prolific and controversial goalscorer has nothing left to prove on the pitch. There is only one Zlatan.

In the decade since his megaselling memoir I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he has played at Paris Saint-Germain (2012-2016), Manchester United (2016-2018), LA Galaxy (2018-2019) and Milan (2020-). This outrageous and hilarious follow-up is bursting with personal confessions and revealing anecdotes about the world's best players and managers.

Packed with revelations, in Adrenaline we hear for the first time what Zlatan really thinks about his time in the Premier League and what it was like to score that glorious bicycle kick against England. We hear about the club he very nearly signed for, and see his hilarious run-ins with the French media - and the French in general, really. Plus so much more.

Zlatan transports you into the world of top-flight football like no one else. Filled with revelations - including Zlatan's life lessons on happiness, friendship and love - you'll be talking about this book a long time after finishing it.

BBC Football correspondent, Mike Ingham, MBE, shares a candid, comprehensive, and sometimes, controversial account of how the world of broadcasting and football changed beyond recognition throughout his career. He recalls England's campaigns in tournaments over the last half century with a detailed and eyewitness account of what the atmosphere was really like over the years behind the scenes in the England camp.

Infamous as the person who 'cut the rope' to fellow mountaineer Joe Simpson on an epic climb, the author has continued climbing the hardest routes. In this book Simon Yates helps us to understand what drives people into these extreme situations.

In Seoul in 1988, Tanni Grey-Thompson represented Great Britain and won her first Paralympic medal - the 400m bronze. It was the beginning of an outstanding career leading to an astonishing sixteen medals - eleven of which are gold - countless European titles, six London Marathons and over thirty world records

The celebratory, revealing, inspiring and entertaining autobiography of one of the greatest managers in the history of British football.

An inspiring and intimate self-portrait of the champion of equality that encompasses her brilliant tennis career, unwavering activism and an ongoing commitment to fairness and social justice. In this spirited account, Billie Jean King details her life's journey to find her true self. She recounts her groundbreaking tennis career - six years as the top-ranked woman in the world, 20 Wimbledon championships, 39 grand-slam titles and her watershed defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous 'Battle of the Sexes'.

She poignantly recalls the cultural backdrop of those years and the profound impact on her worldview from the women's movement, the assassinations and anti-war protests of the 1960s, the civil rights movement and, eventually, the LGBTQ+ rights movement. She describes the myriad challenges she's hurdled - entrenched sexism, an eating disorder, near financial ruin after being outed - on her path to publicly and unequivocally acknowledging her sexual identity at the age of 51. And she talks about how her life today remains one of indefatigable service. She offers insights and advice on leadership, business, activism, sports, politics, marriage equality, parenting, sexuality and love. She shows how living honestly and openly has had a transformative effect on her relationships and happiness.

Hers is the story of a pathbreaking feminist, a world-class athlete and an indomitable spirit whose impact has transcended even her spectacular achievements in sports.

Sir Chris Hoy knows better than most how life can change in the blink of an eye.

In elite sport, the margin between victory and defeat is miniscule, and the pressure is immense. Chris has built a glittering sporting career on understanding these moments.

Last year, he faced another life-changing moment. He found out that the ache in his shoulder was in fact a tumour, and that he had Stage 4 cancer.

In this memoir, Chris shares the next phase of his extraordinary life with exceptional bravery. He looks over the challenges he has faced thus far, and the ways he has taken them on. With his wife Sarra and their young children by his side, he shares how he has used these experiences to find ways to focus on the moments that matter, showing us how to do the same.

Cricketer Fred Truman tells the full story of his life in his own forthright way - from his Yorkshire village childhood, his debut for Yorkshire at eighteen and his international test cricket triumphs, to his subsequent career as a commentator.

Moving and intimate story of the author's record-breaking achievement of sailing around the world single-handed.

Read this explosive insight into the previously unseen world of football club ownership by one of the game's most-recognisable figures.

Multimillionaire at 32

Youngest Premier League football club owner at 36

His club and a fortune lost at 42

Owning your childhood club - that's the dream, isn't it?

Simon Jordan made his fortune building a mobile phone company from scratch. When he sold it for GBP75 million, he bought Crystal Palace FC, the club he'd supported as a boy, and led them into the Premier League.

Ten years later Palace was in administration and Jordan had lost nigh on everything. Be Careful What You Wish For lifts the lid on being the owner of a football club and how the game really works. Hopes and dreams sit alongside greed, self-interest, dodgy transfers, boardroom fights and dressing room dressing downs. Throughout no one is spared, least of all Jordan himself.

A Manchester lad from Irish Traveller stock, Tyson Fury grew up to become one of the most unlikely heavyweight champions in history. This 'dream come true' soon turned to nightmare, however, as alcohol and cocaine abuse took hold and Tyson was stripped of his titles. What followed was the darkest moment of his life. Speaking candidly about his struggles with mental health, this is Tyson Fury as you have never seen him before.

Andrew Flintoff is one of England's most exciting cricketers, and this is the story of his rise from a schoolboy player. It recounts the most significant moments in his career to date.

Cyclist Beryl Burton - also known as BB - dominated her sport much as her male contemporary Eddy Merckx, but with a longevity that surpasses even sporting legends like Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams and Sir Steve Redgrave. She was practically invincible in time trials, finishing as Best All-Rounder for 25 consecutive years and setting a world record in 1967 for the distance covered in 12 hours that beat the men. She won multiple world titles, even when the distances didn't play to her strengths. But her achievements were limited by discrimination from the cycling authorities, and by her strictly amateur status against state-sponsored rivals from Eastern Bloc nations. Yet she carried on winning, beating men and - infamously - competing against her own daughter, while working on a farm and running a household. Her motivation, sparked by appalling childhood illness, is as fascinating as her achievements are stunning.

Victoria Pendleton lays bare the twists and turns of her extraordinary career in professional cycling, mingling thrilling race scenes with a personal story that moves far beyond sport. It is a moving story of pain and glory, failure and success by a woman who has triumphed in a male-dominated sport.

Bob Wilson was one of the best goalkeeper's of his day, and when his playing career ended he went on to become an inspirational coach and popular broadcaster. In his family life he has to cope with tragedy, especially the death of his adored daughter. This is a thoughtful and fascinating insight into his life.

Bobby Moore, captain of England's 1966 World Cup winning team, remains an iconic figure in football. Tina Moore was married to Bobby for twent-four years, and she tells his story with sympathy and understanding.

Aged fifty, on a whim, Marion Dunn joined a boxing gym. Training to improve fitness quickly became something of an addiction, and then a source of transformation. This is her myth-busting tale of four years of slogging in an amateur boxing gym in northern England.

This evocative memoir recounts an agonising, hallucination-filled swim across the English Channel in 1988, when Tom Gregory was just 11 years old, encouraged at each stroke by his coach, John Bullet, who has become a second father. The gruelling, awe-inspiring feat is recounted with poignancy and affection, and becomes a thrilling and moving tribute to the joys and perils of open-water swimming.

England cricket captain Michael Vaughan delivers an account of his two years at the helm. He focuses on leadership, his approach to captaincy and his decision-making and man management strategies. He also includes a full analysis of the 2005 Ashes series.

Rewind to 1971, and Sue Barker's coach is sending his 15-year-old tennis protege to a junior championship in France, alone, with a one-way ticket, telling her she'd have to win the money to pay for her return fare. Sue hides in the grounds of the hosting tennis club overnight, to avoid paying for a hotel. The next day, she walks onto court and smashes it. Five years later, and she's Britain's No 1.

The same combination of grit, grace and talent took her to the top of live Sports TV.

And now, after four decades on camera encouraging other legends to share their stories, she is telling her own.

Going all in for her once-only autobiography, Sue takes us inside the showbizzy world of 70s and early 80s tennis, dating the stars, hitting the headlines. She reveals the battles she fought for hard-won success in two careers, gives us a ringside seat on the nation's biggest sporting dramas, and a fascinating insider's understanding of competitors under pressure.

This is the remarkable life story of a tennis champion, an award-winning broadcaster who has brought sporting history into our living rooms for decades, and a trail-blazing woman who has always called the shots.

For the Anfield faithful, Jamie Carragher represents everything that is great about Liverpool Football Club, prompting the Kop to sing 'we all dream of a team of Carraghers'. The club's vice-captain, longest-serving player and one of a select band of players to have made more than 500 appearances for the Reds, Carra never gives less than 100 per cent for the cause. He is the embodiment of old-fashioned football values - a rarity in the modern game - honest and uncompromising.

In Carra: My Autobiography, the Liverpool defender takes us deep into the heart of Anfield, into the club's past glories and its uncertain future. In his typically down-to-earth style, Carra reveals what made him discard his blue Evertonian roots to become a fully fledged Red, how he mended his wild ways to become a true professional and a multiple trophy-winner, and the truth about a succession of managers - Evans, Houllier, Benìtez - in the hottest seat in football. A Scouser through and through, Carra also has some forthright views on the England team, and tells why he rejected calls to return to the international fold.

Full of sensational stories and controversial opinions, of glory and heartbreak on and off the pitch, Carra: My Autobiography is a football book unlike any other. The authentic voice of Anfield, Carra is one of the Bootroom Boys in true Liverpool tradition, and is as committed on the page as in every game he has played.

Jamie Carragher is the footballing hero who stood firm to make Liverpool FC's breath-taking victory at the UEFA Champions League Final in 2005 possible, coming back against AC Milan, despite the Italian team's enormous lead.

This is a story about true loyalty and dedication to one of the world's greatest teams.

Growing up in a small village in Ayrshire, Scotland, Drew dreamed of becoming WWE Champion and following in the footsteps of heroes Stone Cold Steve Austin and Undertaker. With his parents' support, he trained and paid his dues, proving himself to tiny crowds in the Butlin's circuit. At age twenty-two, McIntyre made his WWE debut and was touted by none other than WWE Chairman Vince McMahon as "The Chosen One," who would lead WWE into the future. With his destiny in the palm of his hands, Drew watched it all slip through his fingers. Through a series of ill-advised choices and family tragedy, Drew's life and career spiralled. As a surefire champ, he struggled under the pressure of expectations and was fired from the company. But the WWE Universe has not seen the last of this promising athlete.

Facing a crossroads, this powerful Scotsman set a course to show the world the real Drew McIntyre. Buoyed by the support of his wife, Kaitlyn, and the memory of his beloved mother, Drew embarked on a mission to recharge, reinvent and revitalise himself to fulfil his destiny. It is a story of grit, courage and determination as a fallen Superstar discovers who he truly is and storms back to reclaim his dream.

As a young boy of eight, Jonny Bairstow was dealt a cruel blow. His father David 'Bluey' Bairstow, the combative and very popular wicketkeeper and captain of Yorkshire, took his own life at the age of 47. Jonny and his family strived to come to terms with the loss of their father and husband. Jonny found his way through his dedication to sport. He followed in his father's footsteps and chose cricket, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the sport and breaking the record for most Test runs in a year by a wicketkeeper.

In 2018, amateur cyclist Jenny Graham left family and friends behind in Scotland to become the fastest woman to cycle around the world. Alone and unsupported, she crossed the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin four months later, smashing the female record by nearly three weeks. With infectious wit and honesty, Jenny brings readers into her remarkable Round the World adventure, as she takes on four continents, 16 countries - and countless cups of coffee.

Tommy Lawton is hailed as possibly the greatest centre-forward ever produced by England. Whilst we will never know if this is so, he is still remembered by the fans who idolised him. This is the story of his football career, and his darker moments away from football.

Guy Martin can't sit still. He has to keep pushing - both himself and whatever machine he is piloting - to the extreme. He's a doer, not a talker. That applies whether Guy's competing in a self-supported 750-mile mountain bike race across Arizona, or trying to reach 300mph in a standing mile on the 800-horsepower motorbike he built in his shed. And during his TV adventures, travelling through Japan, winning records for the world's fastest tractor, re-creating the famous Steve McQueen Great Escape jump, discovering the toil and sacrifice of the D-Day landings and trying to cut the mustard as a Battle of Britain pilot.Guy's become a dad now and he's hoping that one day his daughter will grow up to be a better welder than he is. Oh, and he's still getting up at 5am to work on trucks in for service or to be out on his tractor, working the Lincolnshire land he's always called home.We're here for a good time, not a long time. To Guy, if it's worth doing, it's worth dying for.

This is not just the remarkable story of the successful jockey turned author, but is also that of his wife Mary with whom he has had a strong partnership in work and marriage for over fifty years.

Don Revie was one of the most complex and controversial men ever to grace the game of football. As a player, he was crowned Footballer of the Year and credited with creating the modern centre-forward. As a manager, he took a Leeds United side languishing in the lower half of the second division and turned them into one of the most dominant sides in the country. As England manager, Revie lost the magic touch and became the first man to walk out on England.

Shunned by the football establishment, he died just 12 years after walking out on England. Revie's death, at the age of 61, robbed him of the opportunity ever to rebuild his reputation as one of the most important figures ever seen in English football. This long-overdue biography reveals how today's football owes so much to Don Revie.

Mike Brace was blinded by a firework at the age of ten. Despite this, he has enjoyed incredible sporting success, and has received a CBE for services to disabled sport. Mike is living proof that if you set your mind to it you can achieve what you strive for.

Jonathan Rea is a legendary World Superbike Champion. Within the staggeringly dangerous and high-pressure sport of professional motorcycling, his achievements are unprecedented and he has more race wins than any rider in history.Now, for the first time, this remarkable sportsman tracks his life and career. ‘Dream, Believe, Achieve,’ is Rea’s mantra and in this gripping autobiography we go behind the visor and into the mind of a man who has risen to the top of one of the most skilled and dangerous sports in the world.

In 2021, Emma Raducanu shocked and charmed the tennis world as she raced to the US Open title with a smile on her face. But how did a little-known 18-year-old from Kent become the first ever qualifier to win a Major? Now Mike Dickson, who as Tennis Correspondent of the Daily Mail was one of the few journalists present in New York to see her lift the trophy, reveals what it took to become Britain's first woman Grand Slam champion since Virginia Wade in 1977. Drawing on interviews with key figures in Raducanu's development, he has written a fascinating account of a remarkable journey. From her early days falling in love with the game as a young girl in Bromley and the years of hard work and dedication that followed, he traces the ups and downs of a junior career that took her to the furthest reaches of the international circuit.

The extraordinary memoir of the sporting icon, devoted friend and fundraising hero who has inspired the nation in his fight against MND. 'An inspirational and life-affirming read. What Kevin Sinfield has achieved on and off the field is truly remarkable. His inspiring leadership and relentless focus on fundraising for MND shows how we should all strive to care more for each other' Gareth Southgate The Extra Mile is no ordinary sports memoir. But Kevin Sinfield is no ordinary sportsman. A one-club legend of Leeds Rhinos, who has now crossed codes as a defence coach for Leicester Tigers, Kevin Sinfield is a rugby icon. But in recent years has shown heroism of a very different kind through his selfless and extraordinary fundraising for Motor neurone disease (MND), the terminal illness that has affected his best mate and former teammate Rob Burrow.

Sinfield's epic challenges have included running 7 marathons in 7 days, and running over 101 miles in 24 hours. In the process, Sinfield has captured the hearts of the nation and raised nearly �5 million for MND. He was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday honours for his efforts. Told with Sinfield's characteristic warmth, dry wit and inspirational leadership, The Extra mile is the story of an astonishing life, of an enduring friendship, of perseverance against the most difficult of challenges, and of a remarkable, humble human being who has defied the odds. The book equips readers with the tools and the mindset to embrace togetherness and to overcome their own challenges. It leaves the reader with the urgent question: Who would you go the extra mile for to help in life?

Sir Bobby Robson has been involved with professional football at all levels. He played for Fulham and West Brom, and earned twenty England caps before moving into management,eventually becoming England manager. He tells of his early life, his footballing career, returning to the North-East and his controversial sacking from Newcastle United.

Following Khan's retirement from the sport in May 2022, in Fight For Your Life: The Autobiography Khan looks back on his exhilarating boxing career that spanned 27 years from his first fight to his last. A role model for his Pakistani heritage, his Bolton upbringing and the best of British sport, Khan also reveals for the first time the full story of his life outside of the ring. Told with his trademark warmth, humour and honesty, Khan relives his highs and lows. He shares never-before-told stories about his greatest fights and rivalries. He reflects on his Muslim faith and how his family forged him.

He reveals dramatic details of a shocking armed robbery attempt when he was held up at gunpoint with his wife Faryal, along with the ups and downs of their marriage. He describes his charity efforts to help Pakistan's devastating floods, and he gleefully recounts the hilarious and heart-warming antics of his everyday life as a husband and father of three children, made popular in the acclaimed BBC Three TV series 'Meet the Khans: Big in Bolton'. The book, which is written in 12 chapters and 12 rounds, shares Khan's relatable and hard-won life advice so that listeners can learn from his triumphs and mistakes.