SPORT IN LITERATURE

Arsenal and England star Tony Adams has written a candid and bold account of what it really means to be a first class football player in the contemporary world. Openly discussing the pressures footballers face, he talks honestly about his alcohol problems, marital difficulties and illnesses.

From mid-1997 to mid-1998, John Aizlewood attended football matches at all 92 of the football league grounds in England. Playing at Home analyses the people he met, the games he watched and the relationship between football club and home town. An intriguing overview of England and its connection with football as the new millennium approached.

In this collection of essays, Amis touches upon the subject of women's tennis with his familiar blend of acerbic wit and intelligent commentary. With sharp comments on the stars of women's tennis, the politics and the gossip, Tennis: The Women's Game offers Amis's personal perspective on the sport.

Simon Armitage is one of the UK's most popular and critically successful poets. In Kid, his poems explore experiences of domestic tension, law and order and the human psyche. Great Sporting Moments analyses the social inequality of tennis with a wry humour.

Fell-running is an amateur sport traditionally undertaken by local people who run the familiar landscape of the local valleys in which they live. In an attempt to understand the pull of this extreme sport, Richard Askwith participates in fell races from Ben Nevis to the Lakeland valleys, meeting the greats of fell-running as he goes. A wonderful story of fell-running and obsession.
'The book wants for nothing in terms of rhythm and drama and tug.' The Sunday Times

Andrew Baker was a sports feature writer for the Daily Telegraph who offers a warts and all account of the world of sports journalism. Describing the daily grind of sports writing with humour and warmth, he talks about the interviews, the games, the pub crawls, the constant need to file copy and the difficulty of figuring out which time zone you're in. A light-hearted romp through an often hectic and chaotic world.

In Muddied Oafs, Richard Beard attempts to get to the heart of rugby. The fast and compelling sport of Rugby Union, the violent and fierce rugger of Victorian public schools, its rivalry with soccer and its influence on the first world war. He also finds himself embarking on a personal journey of discovery as he explores the effects of the game on his own life. 'Acclaimed novelist Richard Beard turns his writer's eye to the love of his sporting life - revisiting his old haunts in an anecdotal investigation of rubgy's heart and soul (and his own).' The Independent

Marcus Berkmann has written an intriguing book that attempts to get to the heart of the tension and drama that lies behind cricket. The inter-team rivalry, the friction within small cricketing communities and the deep frustration and hatred directed towards umpires. An extremely funny and perceptive account of the English cricketing world.

Bill Broady's debut novel is a lyrical and poetic account of a young female swimmer who finds an escape from a disturbed home life through her passion for swimming. However, following early success, she becomes trapped in the sleazy world of sports promotion.

Bill Buford attempts to get to the heart of the attractions and experiences of crowd violence in his description of British football hooligans. Having spent a number of Saturday afternoons amongst a range of violent and disturbing characters, Buford recounts the stories of their violence and analyses their motivation.
'Compelling, intelligent and fully engaged.' The Independent on Sunday