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The year is 2144, and the world is powered by sport - politically and practically. Each community owes its prosperity or otherwise to the success of its teams and athletes. A person's class is determined by their aptitude for sport. Once their useful life as an athlete has expired, they are placed in stasis at an age predetermined by that class. But not in Wales. Separated from the rest of the world by a huge wall, the Welsh still play games for joy. They play, they carouse, they love, they die. They have fun. Of all the Welsh, the greatest sportsman is an unreconstructed genius called Ivon. When the chance arises to become the first Welshman to cross the great divide into England, he cannot resist. His parents, who were exiled from England before he was born, know what London will do to him. They are desperate to have him back. But London will not give up an asset like Ivon so easily. Ivon is a celebration of where sport has come from and a satire on where it is going.
What is the state of rugby? Is the game on the brink of expansion? Or is it on the brink of implosion? No game has undergone so traumatic a transformation since the turn of the century. The last of the major sports to embrace professionalism, rugby was propelled on a trajectory that has twisted its cumbersome frame to the limit in a drama compelling and appalling to behold. After a hundred years defying the future, rugby now shudders with the turmoil of its sudden leap into the modern world, attaining heights hitherto undreamed of, even as the strains - financial, political, social and medical - threaten to tear it apart. With a global focus (and a particular lens on Australasian and South African rugby), Unholy Union is a fascinating and in-depth analysis of the sport, examining the journey so far and speculating on where it will go next. It is irreverent and provocative, asking uncomfortable questions of rugby, but imbued throughout with affection for a game that integrates all human life, as beautiful as it is ugly, as in love with itself as it is terrified. Sports enter periods that make or break them. Rugby is in one now . . .
No sport has undergone so traumatic a transformation as rugby since the turn of the century. The last of the major sports to be granted a licence to make or dispense money, rugby was propelled on a trajectory that has twisted its cumbersome frame to the very limits of integrity and continues to do so. The pressures exerted throughout, on infrastructure, economics, administrators and, most poignantly of all, the players themselves, have conjured the perpetual impression of a sport on the brink of explosion or implosion, a drama compelling and appalling to behold. Unholy Union is a snapshot of the sport in the early 21st century, pulling apart how we have come to be where we are, while brazenl...
Richard Parks has what must be one of contemporary sport's most extraordinary and inspirational stories. Soon after he turned thirty, the professional career in rugby that had been his life for over a decade was cut short by injury, leaving him faced with an uncertain future. But unlike many other young athletes, Richard decided to tackle his fears, anxiety and depression head on, taking inspiration from Ranulph Fiennes and a line from his grandmother's eulogy - "The horizon is only the limit of our sight" and setting out on challenges that have become part of his everyday life. Richard created history with his first endeavour - the 737 Challenge - by becoming the first person to conquer the...
Winner of the Telegraph Sports Book Awards Rugby Book of the Year Among the best stories in modern British team sport has been the rise of Exeter Chiefs. How, exactly, did an unfashionable rugby team from Devon emerge from obscurity to become the double champions of England and Europe? What makes them tick? What are their secrets? Exe Men is a compelling story of regional pride, fierce rural identity, larger-than-life local heroes, remarkable characters, epic resilience, big city snobbery, geographical separation, steepling ambition and personal sacrifice which will strike a chord with anyone who enjoys a classic underdog story. This is not any old rugby book, it is the inside story of Exeter's incredible journey from the edge of nowhere to the summit of the English and European club game.
*WINNER of the Pinsent Masons Best Sports Writing Award at The British Sports Book Awards 2024* *SHORTLISTED for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2023* *SHORTLISTED for Rugby Book of the Year at The British Sports Book Awards 2024* *A TIMES AND DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR* *A WATERSTONES BEST SPORTS BOOK OF 2023* *FOREWORD BY SIR CLIVE WOODWARD* 'There is a real sense of mission in his voice - and vitriol for those who held back the sport for so long' The Observer The definitive account of sport's concussion crisis, how its 'dirty secret' was finally made public and what rugby union must now do to save itself. 'Peters' work is in the greatest tradition of British journalis...
The English rugby team has been scrummaging its way around the rugby fields of the world since 1871. James Stafford's An Illustrated History of English Rugby takes you on a thrilling journey through a century and a half of glory, failure, mediocrity and brilliance. Mixing stats and facts with player profiles, match reports and social history, this book is perfect for hardcore and casual fans aged eight to 80. Packed with delightful illustrations from Raluca Moldovan, this follow up to Stafford's best-selling An Illustrated History of Welsh Rugby will give readers a new appreciation of the stars of today and the pioneers of yesteryear.
It has become increasingly difficult to keep up with the growing body of literature on the genetics, metabolic phenotype and treatment of obesity. This volume brings together an array of chapters from many of the foremost authorities and researchers in this area. Key advances in the genetics of obesity are summarized and the effects of obesity in pregnancy, childhood and old age explored. By scrutinizing the hormones and enzymes most recently implicated in the development, maintenance and consequences of obesity, the biochemical and physiological background of the abnormal metabolism of obesity is mapped out. Furthermore, a practical update on clinical approach and treatment of obesity is offered. Finally, the social aspects of obesity and the view of the obese body in art throughout the centuries are reflected. A valuable overview of causes, metabolic disturbances and treatment options, this volume will appeal to those with an interest in clinical as well as pathophysiological and genetic aspects of obesity. Furthermore, it will provide useful reading for scientists and students who would like to broaden and update their knowledge in this area.
An omnibus collection featuring some of the finest works of a master of weird fiction One of the preeminent writers of weird fiction, Robert Aickman is celebrated for his unsettling and often ambiguous "strange stories," but he once wrote that “those, if any, who wish to know more about me, should plunge beneath the frivolous surface of The Late Breakfasters,” his only novel, originally published in 1964. In The Late Breakfasters, young Griselda de Reptonville is invited by Mrs. Hatch to a house party at her country estate, Beams (which, incidentally, is haunted). There, amidst an array of eccentric characters and bizarre happenings, she will meet the love of her life, Louise. But when t...
Chrissie Wellington is the world's No 1 female Ironman triathlete, a four times World Champion, having recently won the her fourth title in October 2011 and the World Record holder. In 2009 she was voted 'Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year' and in 2010 was awarded the MBE. She is the undefeated champion of Triathlon, having won thirteen Ironman titles from thirteen races. She set a new World Record of 8 hours19:13 at Quelle Roth Germany in 2010, which slashed over 14 minutes from the previous record and where she was only beaten by six men. She went on to improve this time by another minute in the 2011 race. She also set a new world record for the fastest ever Ironman sanctioned event at I...