Sportsbiografier

Cassius X is the remarkable story of the transformation of Cassius Clay into global icon Muhammad Ali, pivoting on the year that he converted to Islam under the guidance of Malcolm X and prepared for his title fight against ex-convict Sonny Liston.

Different Strokes closely examines how Black Americans are collectively faring in tennis, on the court and off.

Marvin Miller changed major league baseball and the business of sports. Drawing on research and interviews with Miller and others, this book offers the first biography covering the pivotal labor leader's entire life and career.

Evaluates Ali's import outside the ring as cultural icon, antiwar protestor, and narcissist.

Major Dhyanchand's name is synonymous with Indian hockey. The great hockey player was born on 29th August, 1905 in Allahabad. His father was serving in the British Indian Army and played hockey. The life of Dhyanchand was full of achievements. He not only played hockey but excelled in it and won many medals for himself and India. His fame grew in the World of Hockey to the extent that once Adolf Hitler offered him citizenship of Germany and post of Colonel in his army. Even today, Dhyanchand remains a legendary figure in the Indian and world hockey. The country celebrates his birthday as National Sports Day to honour his services to the nation. The life and times of the legendary Hockey player of India, who endorsed Hockey as India's National Game.

Disrupted Ambitions: The Power of Prayer, is the true story of a promising young athlete whose high school dream of competing in the State Championship Wrestling Tournament is all but shattered when, at the age of sixteen, he develops life-threatening bleeding ulcers. With his strong will to live-and the incredible faith and hope of his parents, a very special football coach, a talented and caring doctor and the many prayers from family, friends and complete strangers-the young man survives the grueling operation that would save his life. Still, determined to accomplish his high school dream, and not realizing the risks involved, he quietly and secretly begins the torturous and sometimes disappointing journey of trying to return to the same physical condition that he possessed before his medical problems began. This inspirational and emotion-filled book is meant not only to bring awareness to the symptoms and potential seriousness of ulcers, but to remind young athletes to listen to their body when it tries to warn them of impending danger to their health. It also provides one clear and distinct message to all: "Never give up your dream!"

Sifu William C. Phillips, a devoted student and master teacher of tai chi with over fifty years experience, takes us on a journey into his lifetime in the martial arts and in particular, his lessons and experiences with the Master Of Five Excellences, the incomparable Cheng Man-Ch'ing, the expert who brought tai chi to the West in the 1960s.SIFU WILLIAM C. PHILLIPS, commenced training in tai chi in 1967 and was a student of Professor Cheng Man Ch'ing, one of the great masters of the 20th century, from 1970-1975. He was the most junior student to become a teacher in his school of tai chi, culture and the arts. He also studied Yang family tai chi and push hands with Zhang Lu-Ping.He has studied Japanese martial arts since 1965 achieving 7th dan from the Japan Shotokan Karate Association, 2nd brown belt from the United States Judo Federation and a 1st dan in Goshen Jitsu Jujitsu, Shodan. Nin Tai Jujitsu, Godan (5th AJJC).In addtion to writing many magazine articles and producing instructional videos, Phillips has given countless demonstrations, including at Madison Square Garden and appeared in magazines and newspapers such as Self, Men's Health, The Harvard Women's Health Watch and USA Today. He has also appeared on several cable TV shows.Phillips founded the Patience T'ai Chi Association in New York City

*****Short-listed for the English Chess Federation Book of the Year Award 2020*****In Coaching Kasparov, Year by Year and Move by Move Garry Kasparov''s long-term coach, second and mentor Alexander Nikitin tells the story of how he trained Kasparov from a brilliant but raw junior into becoming and then remaining the world champion. Volume II, the present work, covers the period 1982-1990, including the first four world championship matches against Karpov and the candidates matches against Smyslov, Korchnoi and Beliavsky.The present volume contains 39 fully annotated games. These include 20 secret training games that Kasparov played against his grandmaster coaches Evgeny Vladimirov and Gennady Timoshchenko in 1982-83 that have never before been published and which are annotated by Grandmaster Dorian Rogozenco, national coach of the German Chess Federation and captain of the German national team. These games are provided by the Kasparov family specially for the 2020 edition of this book. The reader has a unique opportunity to gain an insight into Kasparov''s secret preparation in those years, which were a new starting point in his career: he had to adjust his openings. Rogozenco is a big expert on Kasparov''s games, having helped FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov prepare for his planned match against Kasparov in 2003.Kasparov''s legendary opening repertoire, which was to define trends in chess theory for decades, was created not just through deep analysis, but also via training games. The never previously published material in this book consists of 16 games with classical time control and 4 rapid thematic games. Testing the Catalan for the first time with white, searching for ideas in the King''s Indian with black, preparing the Queen''s Gambit with both colors, playing typical Sicilian positions and trying new openings (for instance the Tarrasch as the big surprise for his candidates match versus Beliavsky) - all this can be found in these games.Further, the time records on most of Kasparov''s original scoresheets (all of them pictured in this book) show that Kasparov and his coaches paid serious attention to such an important training aspect as the distribution of time during the game.From intuitive positional sacrifices to precisely calculated combinations and instructive play in typical pawn structures - the training games provide a lot of interesting material for both players and coaches.The other games, annotated by Nikitin, are well known, but Nikitin explains many of Kasparov''s decisions in those games from the point of view of the world champion''s coach, providing the context of his pupil''s thought process and mistakes and tracing his progress as they together gradually out-thought Korchnoi and then Karpov. He also uses these games to illustrate and expand upon his coaching advice. His many insights include the preparation of the "cross-fire" strategy (playing the same opening against the same opponent with both colors) and a systematic approach to maintaining time discipline during games based on chronometric analysis. This makes his commentary quite unique and instructive, of formidable practical use to budding players, coaches and parents.

"One of the most accomplished, physically challenged athletes in the world." -Sports Illustrated"Roger Crawford is an inspiration to me." -Dr. Wayne DyerHow do you become an award-winning, Division 1 college athlete despite a disability affecting all four limbs? The answer has inspired countless people throughout the world. Roger Crawf

Ivan Bukavshin, born in Rostov-on-Don in 1995, was a Russian chess prodigy. He was European U12, U14 and U16 champion and placed third in the world U16 championships among many other successes, gaining the grandmaster title at just 16 years of age. Ivan finished third in the Aeroflot Open in 2015, behind Daniil Dubov and Ian Nepomniachtchi, where he put in a performance rating of 2803. Ivan achieved a series of 2700+ performances over 2013-2015. He tragically died in early 2016 at the age of 20.This book, by his friend and coach Grandmaster Jakov Geller, takes a detailed look at Ivan’s life and career in 50 deeply annotated games and 14 fragments. Apart from Jakov, 20 other guest grandmasters annotate games in this book, including super GMs Dubov, Alexander Morozevich, Vladislav Artemiev, Vladimir Fedoseev, Maxim Matlakov, and Evgeny Alekseev. The list of Ivan’s opponents in these games includes Peter Svidler, Alexander Morozevich, Vladimir Fedoseev, Ernesto Inkariev, Richard Rapport, and Dmitry Andreikin.The author, Jakov Geller, born in Moscow in 1986, achieved the grandmaster title in 2011. His coaches included grandmasters Jakob Meister and Marat Makarov. Jakov worked as a coach in Togliatti from 2007 to 2015, and his pupils have included grandmasters Ivan Bukavshin and Alexandr Predke, international masters Darsen Sanzhaev, Alexey Mokshanov and Rudik Makarian, and WIM Dinara Dordzhieva. The Russian team that Jakov coached in 2009 took first place in the U16 Olympiad. He was named Children’s Trainer of the Year in 2010 by the Russian Chess Federation. Jakov has won prizes in over 20 Russian and international tournaments and he has written frequently for Russian and international chess publications, including American Chess Magazine, Chess Informant and 64. Jakov has lived in Moscow since 2016. This is his first chess book.This book will be of interest to active chess players seeking to improve their game, where they can learn from interesting opening novelties, spectacular attacking combinations and subtle endgame victories.

FRENCH EDITION. When the Olympic dreams of Paul Asmuth are shattered, God opens the door of new opportunities in the sport of marathon swimming. Relying on his passion, faith, and grit for both triumphs and tragedy, this is a story that transcends sport. By listening to the voice of truth and not of fear, new dreams are born, and God's plans are revealed.

Experienced climber Charles Sherwood is on a quest to find the best climb on each continent. The traditional Seven Summits were chosen by height alone, but Seven Climbs considers mountaineering challenge, natural beauty and historical context, capturing the diverse character of each continent and the sheer variety of climbing in all its forms.

This is the gritty story of badminton star, Pullela Gopi Chand, who brought laurels to the country when he won the coveted All England Championships in 2001. A player for whom losing was not an option, he broke many rules and conventions and was awarded the Arjuna Award, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Dronacharya Award. A grievous injury in 1994 seemed to indicate that his career was over before it had even really begun, but Gopi Chand conquered his demons to become one of the country's greatest sport champions, as well as an exemplary coach.

A man’s love for his wife and his tribute to her life is the basis for “Answering The Call: Teaching Life Lessons Through Volleyball.” The Vicki Samarin story is one about living life to the fullest.Tim and Vicki Samarin met when they were very young, though a three-year difference in age prevented anything more than a casual friendship. But when Tim was in college, and he enlisted the help of Vicki’s family to find an apartment near the campus, he reconnected with this lovely young lady and a life-long love affair began.It wasn’t always a smooth road. In fact, there were more curves in that road than on fabled Lombard Street in the nearby city of San Francisco. But their love for each other, fueled by their love for the Lord, allowed them to travel that road together.Vicki was a notable success in the coaching ranks of California high school volleyball. Often taking lesser-talented teams beyond her more-talented opposition, she led by example. She didn’t preach as much as she demonstrated. She lived out her faith and brought her teams along with her.She succumbed to a very rare form of cancer in spring 2017, but cancer didn’t win. Her impact in the communities of volleyball, coaching and several small towns of northern California, will live on for years. This book looks at her life, her impact and the sport she loved. It looks at how life is like a volleyball match and teaches us that there are many aspects to every point in every match.When you read “Answering The Call,” you will be inspired to become a better person and to live out your beliefs in a more tangible way. You will be entertained by a love story that seems like a corny movie script, except it’s real. And you will be challenged to make sure your story is one of answering the call to which you were chosen.

Not all women who are trapped in suffocating marriages grab a lifeline and pull themselves up, but not all women are Lindsey Jacobs. Worn to a nub of her former self, stripped of her self-confidence and esteem, she finally broke free from all that held her captive, only to face a life of now what? She was overwhelmed with unknowns. Her lifeline—her way back to herself and to all her potential—was through the one thing that had been her constant: running. Running led her to the world of extreme sports and eventually the Ironman—swimming, biking, and running in a contest that challenged her physical and emotional reserves but pulled her into her authentic, strong self.If you feel trapped by circumstances you didn’t design and think there’s no way out; if you’re an athlete and love sports; if you’re a runner or if you’re not, STRONGER will delight and inspire you to be your best and do your best.  

Autobiography of TT and Superbike motorcycle racer Michael Rutter.

Against All Odds traces the hardships and ultimate redemption of "the other #22," Donnie Hixon, as he journeys from a childhood of hard knocks in the Harrisburg neighborhood of Augusta, Georgia, to Hollywood, USA. Hixon's unlikely role as stunt double for Burt Reynolds in 1974's The Longest Yard rights a series of life-altering setbacks as a youngster.Author of The Augusta National Golf Club; Alister MacKenzies's Masterpiece, Stan Byrdy deftly weaves this heartbreaking, heroic, and oftentimes humorous tale of Hixon's life, interspersed with an ample dose of Augusta history. Movie icon Burt Reynolds, Green Bay Packer legend Ray Nitschke, The Godfather of Soul James Brown, the Augusta Riots of 1970, and alleged cover-ups in a small-town police department all play starring roles in this true to life, made-for-Hollywood script.You will ache with each resounding setback and cheer Donnie's persistence to achieve in the face of adversity. His enduring friendship with Burt Reynolds coupled with an insider's stories and pictures of NFL and movie greats on location at Reidsville prison in south Georgia during the fall of 1973 make this a must-read book for film, football, and history enthusiasts alike.

Keane: Origins charts Keane's journey from an economically-ravaged Cork to a spectacular three-season spell under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest via a memorable stint on a government-funded training scheme and brief spell in the League of Ireland.

This biography of John Houlding, the principal figure in the creation of both Everton and Liverpool football clubs in the late nineteenth century, provides a comprehensive look into early professional football, breaking new ground by addressing the important role of football club ownership in the early history of the game.

A clever and insightful analysis of one of the most curious and complicated forces in national European football.

From the former President and CEO of the United States Tennis AssociationΓÇöthe first black woman and youngest person ever to hold the positionΓÇöcomes a behind-the-scenes look at the leadership skills involved in hosting the U.S. Open, the largest and most lucrative sports event in the worldΓÇölessons that can be applied across business and to any life challenge.One of professional tennisΓÇÖs Grand Slam events, the U.S. Open has been described as a fourteen-day Superbowl. This single tennis championship, held annually in New York City, attracts top professionals from around the globe, generates more money than any other sporting eventΓÇöor any other sport over an entire seasonΓÇöand attracts more than 700,000 attendees and millions of television viewers. In Own the Arena, Katrina Adams offers a privileged, singular inside look at this sensational global event, while elaborating on what makes tennis the only sport of a lifetime. She opens with the womenΓÇÖs 2018 championship match between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams that ended in boos. This was AdamsΓÇÖs last year as president and the whole world was watching. How would she respond? How should the press be handled? What needs to be said to Osaka? Serena? What does this break from decorum mean for the Open and the sport?As Adams shares a wealth of stories from her career and personal life, as well as insights from top tennis professionals, she provides invaluable information on meeting lifeΓÇÖs tests both on the tennis court and off. Own the Arena offers fresh perspectives on having presence, being remembered, directing a conversation, and moving boldly in spaces where ΓÇ£you are the only one.ΓÇ¥ It also covers good sportsmanshipΓÇötreating others with respect and by being inclusive and open to diverse perspectives. Tennis is said to be 90 percent mental; this book shows how to take the elements of mental fortitude and use them to achieve greatness. By embracing and expressing oneΓÇÖs inner grace and humanity, Adams shows, you can own the arena.