Sporting Biographies - Recommendations
Discussion
This may be better in the Sports section, but it is about books.
I have taken up sports rather late in life. I sucked at them at school. I have started reading biographies of sports people for inspiration. Was wondering if anyone had suggestions of ones that were really good?
I have recently finished No Limits by Michael Phelps (book was good - man is a legend) and I am a few chapters into Touching Distance by James Cracknell & Beverly Turner (which is extremely good).
I have Wiggo's, Ian Thorpe's, and the other Phelps book (Beneath the Surface) on the book shelf waiting.
Sports I do that I am interested in are Swimming, Triathlon, Cycling, Running, Athletics, Formula 1 (clearly don't do that one).
Anyone read a really good inspiring one?
I have taken up sports rather late in life. I sucked at them at school. I have started reading biographies of sports people for inspiration. Was wondering if anyone had suggestions of ones that were really good?
I have recently finished No Limits by Michael Phelps (book was good - man is a legend) and I am a few chapters into Touching Distance by James Cracknell & Beverly Turner (which is extremely good).
I have Wiggo's, Ian Thorpe's, and the other Phelps book (Beneath the Surface) on the book shelf waiting.
Sports I do that I am interested in are Swimming, Triathlon, Cycling, Running, Athletics, Formula 1 (clearly don't do that one).
Anyone read a really good inspiring one?
I may get flamed for this but the Lance Armstrong books, 'It's Not About the Bike' and 'Every Second Counts' are great reads, both at the time and subsequently since the truth came out.
Rugby is my main sport which I saw wasn't on your list but Clive Woodward "Winning" is a good read about how business and high performing teams can share ideas
edit: just read the OP, maybe Lance is inspirational in terms of cheating ooops....
Rugby is my main sport which I saw wasn't on your list but Clive Woodward "Winning" is a good read about how business and high performing teams can share ideas
edit: just read the OP, maybe Lance is inspirational in terms of cheating ooops....
Paul McGrath's autobiography (ex Man Utd/Villa/Republic Of Ireland footballer) is a tale of a childhood in Dublin orphanages, marriage break-ups and battles with alcoholism as well as being insightful as to the life of a professional player in the eighties and nineties. It is a difficult but brilliant book to read, highly recommended, its called "Back From The Brink".
David Millar : Racing Through the Dark
William Fotherington: Merckx - Half Man, Half Bike. If you like this also look into Fallen Angel and Put Me Back on My Bike also by same author
Graham Obree: Flying Scotsman
Michael Hutchinson: The Hour
Richard Moore: In search of Robert Millar and Slaying the Badger
Rob Lilwall : Cycling Home from Syberia
Mark Beaumont: The Man Who Cycled the World
Nicolas Roche: Inside the Peloton
William Fotherington: Merckx - Half Man, Half Bike. If you like this also look into Fallen Angel and Put Me Back on My Bike also by same author
Graham Obree: Flying Scotsman
Michael Hutchinson: The Hour
Richard Moore: In search of Robert Millar and Slaying the Badger
Rob Lilwall : Cycling Home from Syberia
Mark Beaumont: The Man Who Cycled the World
Nicolas Roche: Inside the Peloton
NINE LIVES
I may be selling this book but I must stress this is a genuine reply for a recommendation and you may well be able to find it cheaper elsewhere (ALSO I SELL LOADS OF BOOKS WORTH HUNDREDS OF POUNDS THIS IS NOT ONE!). but this book is amazing as is the lady. When you have read you will want to tell the world about this amazing women and wonder why she is not known by everyone in the land.She is on a par with Malcolm Campbell and Amy Johnson!
NINE LIVES
JUST ONE OF HER MANY CAR RECORDS
On 6 June 1929, she drove a Bentley 4½ Litre at Montlhéry for 24 hours, to capture the world record for single-handed driving, averaging over 89 mph
JUST ONE OF HER AVIATION RECORDS
In June 1930, on a whim, she purchased a Blackburn Bluebird IV via a London showroom. After delivery of the aircraft (G-ABDS) in late July 1930, she took her first flying lessons with Norman Blackburn at Brough aerodrome, went solo within a week, and soon built up 40 flying hours. On 25 September 1930, she named the aircraft "Bluebird" and took off on a round the world solo flight from Heston Aerodrome. She flew to Rangoon and then on to Shanghai and across the Yellow Sea to Seoul, Korea. On 24 November 1930, having covered 10,330 miles (16,625 km) in 25 flying days, she reached Tokyo. She travelled by ship to Vancouver, where the Bluebird was re-assembled. She flew via Medford (Oregon), Tucson, San Diego and Baltimore to New York, where she embarked on a ship bound for Le Havre. On 19 February 1931, she flew to Lympne Airport, having flown about 19,000 miles (30,577 km). She was the first person to fly from England to Japan, the first to fly across the Yellow Sea, and the first woman to fly around the world alone (crossing the oceans by ship). The five-month journey had been marked by forced landings beside the Persian Gulf, also at San Diego and Baltimore, a near-abduction by brigands, and a forced landing in a southeast Asian jungle during the monsoon. On 20 February 1931, she was given an aerial escort by Amy Johnson, Winifred Spooner and others to Croydon Airport, where a reception of press and celebrities awaited her
JUST ONE OF HER BOAT RECORDS
In 1929, she purchased an outboard speedboat, named it Mosquito, and raced it at events at the Welsh Harp reservoir. On 15 September 1929, she drove the boat from Dover across the English Channel to Calais, then decided to make it a non-stop double crossing back to Dover. The record-breaking round trip took 1 hr 47 min, and the manufacturer gave her a new boat to replace Mosquito that had almost destroyed itself. In October 1929, she borrowed a 23-foot boat named British Power Boats, and broke the 24-hours distance record by travelling 694 nautical miles in a course around a lightship and a yacht moored in the Solent.
THERE ARE LITERALLY DOZENS OF RECORDS AND ADVENTURES EVEN IN LATER LIFE:
In April 1974, at age 78, she test-drove a Ford Capri Ghia at 110 mph (176 km/h) at Thruxton circuit. At age 81, after a brief refresher course in flying, she "looped the loop" in a De Havilland Chipmunk.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NINE-LIVES-VICTOR-BRUCE-...
I may be selling this book but I must stress this is a genuine reply for a recommendation and you may well be able to find it cheaper elsewhere (ALSO I SELL LOADS OF BOOKS WORTH HUNDREDS OF POUNDS THIS IS NOT ONE!). but this book is amazing as is the lady. When you have read you will want to tell the world about this amazing women and wonder why she is not known by everyone in the land.She is on a par with Malcolm Campbell and Amy Johnson!
NINE LIVES
JUST ONE OF HER MANY CAR RECORDS
On 6 June 1929, she drove a Bentley 4½ Litre at Montlhéry for 24 hours, to capture the world record for single-handed driving, averaging over 89 mph
JUST ONE OF HER AVIATION RECORDS
In June 1930, on a whim, she purchased a Blackburn Bluebird IV via a London showroom. After delivery of the aircraft (G-ABDS) in late July 1930, she took her first flying lessons with Norman Blackburn at Brough aerodrome, went solo within a week, and soon built up 40 flying hours. On 25 September 1930, she named the aircraft "Bluebird" and took off on a round the world solo flight from Heston Aerodrome. She flew to Rangoon and then on to Shanghai and across the Yellow Sea to Seoul, Korea. On 24 November 1930, having covered 10,330 miles (16,625 km) in 25 flying days, she reached Tokyo. She travelled by ship to Vancouver, where the Bluebird was re-assembled. She flew via Medford (Oregon), Tucson, San Diego and Baltimore to New York, where she embarked on a ship bound for Le Havre. On 19 February 1931, she flew to Lympne Airport, having flown about 19,000 miles (30,577 km). She was the first person to fly from England to Japan, the first to fly across the Yellow Sea, and the first woman to fly around the world alone (crossing the oceans by ship). The five-month journey had been marked by forced landings beside the Persian Gulf, also at San Diego and Baltimore, a near-abduction by brigands, and a forced landing in a southeast Asian jungle during the monsoon. On 20 February 1931, she was given an aerial escort by Amy Johnson, Winifred Spooner and others to Croydon Airport, where a reception of press and celebrities awaited her
JUST ONE OF HER BOAT RECORDS
In 1929, she purchased an outboard speedboat, named it Mosquito, and raced it at events at the Welsh Harp reservoir. On 15 September 1929, she drove the boat from Dover across the English Channel to Calais, then decided to make it a non-stop double crossing back to Dover. The record-breaking round trip took 1 hr 47 min, and the manufacturer gave her a new boat to replace Mosquito that had almost destroyed itself. In October 1929, she borrowed a 23-foot boat named British Power Boats, and broke the 24-hours distance record by travelling 694 nautical miles in a course around a lightship and a yacht moored in the Solent.
THERE ARE LITERALLY DOZENS OF RECORDS AND ADVENTURES EVEN IN LATER LIFE:
In April 1974, at age 78, she test-drove a Ford Capri Ghia at 110 mph (176 km/h) at Thruxton circuit. At age 81, after a brief refresher course in flying, she "looped the loop" in a De Havilland Chipmunk.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NINE-LIVES-VICTOR-BRUCE-...
slightly flip-side, but...
Paul Mersons' How Not To Be A Professional Footballer is very, very good.
Talks about his start in the game, how he fell into drink, drugs, gambling. How his actions affected those around him.
Its a rather humbling read, and even I always think about when out training (that thought of course being: If he could play professional football coked up and drunk, there's no reason why I cant go for a run!)
Paul Mersons' How Not To Be A Professional Footballer is very, very good.
Talks about his start in the game, how he fell into drink, drugs, gambling. How his actions affected those around him.
Its a rather humbling read, and even I always think about when out training (that thought of course being: If he could play professional football coked up and drunk, there's no reason why I cant go for a run!)
Greg66 said:
This is a very good read indeed.
Agree, for anyone interested in cycling this is a good read. An interesting insight into the type of person that dedicates themselves to get to the top and then how badly wrong things can go once that type of mind gets set on a particular course of action. Try "Breaking the chain" by Willy Voet - the Festina soigneur who got caught with a car load of concoctions ready for the team
Next on my list is Domestique: The Real-life Ups and Downs of a Tour Pro by Charly Wegelius.
Other books I have really enjoyed with an outdoors / sporting theme are
Mud, Sweat & Tears by Bear Grylls, and also
Born to Run: The Hidden Tribe, the Ultra-Runners, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff