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Ghosts at the Table: Riverboat Gamblers, Texas Rounders, Internet Gamers, and the Living Legends Who Made Poker What It Is Today
by Des WilsonDestined to become "the new poker classic, a must-read" (Mike Sexton, top poker player and promoter), Ghosts at the Table is the game's first definitive history. With verve and wit, internationally renowned poker personality Des Wilson traces poker's Wild West origins in Deadwood, South Dakota-where "Wild" Bill Hickok was said to have been shot holding aces and eights-to the annual World Series of Poker and amazing high-stakes games of modern-day Las Vegas. It's a story full of unforgettable characters-riverboat gamblers, Texas rounders, roadside hucksters, and living legends-who have helped make poker the world's most popular game.
The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych
by Doug WilsonThe first biography of the eccentric pitcher, rookie All-Star starter, 70s pop icon, and first athlete on the cover of Rolling StoneMark Fidrych exploded onto the scene in the summer of 1976 with the Detroit Tigers, capturing the hearts of Americans from coast to coast. Lanky with a curly mop, a nickname born of his resemblance to Sesame Street's Big Bird would only hint at the large personality that was about to take baseball in a new direction. Known for wildly endearing antics such as throwing back balls that "had hits in them," manicuring the mound of any cleat marks, talking to himself (and the ball for that matter), and shaking hands with just about everyone from groundskeepers to cops after games, The Bird infused each game with the fun, All-American spirit of 1970s baseball. A two-time All-Star player, Fidrych won nineteen games, along with the Rookie of the Year Award, becoming one of the biggest individual drawing cards baseball has ever seen.Recreating the magic of an unforgettable era of baseball, The Bird shows how Fidrych was the player that brought a smile to your face, becoming a crossover pop culture icon and household name. Through meticulous research and interviews, Doug Wilson vividly recounts Fidrych's struggles and final shining moments in the Minors, the tragic injury that signaled the beginning of the end of his career, through to his sudden death in 2009.The Bird gives readers a long overdue look into the life of the refreshing rookie the likes of which baseball had never seen before, and has never seen since.
The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych
by Doug WilsonFOR THOSE WHO REMEMBER HIM, MARK FIDRYCH is still that player who brings a smile to your face, the irresistibly likable pitcher whose sudden rise brightened the star-spangled season of 1976 and reminded us of the pure joy of the game. Lanky, mop-topped, and nicknamed for his resemblance to Big Bird on Sesame Street, Fidrych exploded onto the national stage during the Bicentennial summer as a rookie with the Detroit Tigers. He won over fans nationwide with his wildly endearing antics, such as talking to the ball (and throwing back the ones that "had hits in them"), getting down on his knees to "manicure" the mound, and shaking hands with just about everyone from teammates to groundskeepers to cops during and after games. Female fans tried to obtain locks of his hair from his barber and even named babies after him. But The Bird was no mere sideshow. The non-roster invitee to spring training that year quickly emerged as one of the best pitchers in the game. Meanwhile, his boyish enthusiasm, his famously modest lifestyle, and his refusal to sign with an agent during the days of labor disputes and free agency made him such a breath of fresh air for fans that not only did attendance in Detroit increase--by tens of thousands--for games he pitched, but opposing teams would specifically ask the Tigers to shuffle their rotation so Fidrych would pitch in their cities, too. A rare player who transcended pop culture, Fidrych was named starting pitcher in the All-Star Game as a rookie (the first of his two All-Star nods) and became the first athlete to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Baseball researcher Doug Wilson delivers the first biography of this once-in-a-lifetime player. Through extensive interviews and meticulous research, the author recounts Fidrych's meteoric rise from Northborough, Massachusetts, to the big leagues, his heartbreaking fall after suffering torn knee cartilage and a torn rotator cuff, his comeback attempts with the Tigers and in the Red Sox system, and one unforgettable night when The Bird pitched a swan song for the Pawtucket Red Sox against future star Dave Righetti in a game that remains part of local folklore. Finally, Wilson captures Fidrych's post-baseball life and his roles in the community, tragically culminating with his death in a freak accident in 2009. The Bird gives readers a long-overdue look into the life of a player whom baseball had never seen before-- and has never seen since.
Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk
by Doug WilsonPudge marks the first biography of the Hall of Fame catcher, whose famous home run in the 1975 World Series has been called one of the greatest moment in the history of televised sport.Carlton Fisk retired having played in more games and hit more home runs than any other catcher before him. A baseball superstar in the 1970s and 80s, Fisk was known not just for his dedication to the sport and tremendous plays but for the respect with which he treated the game.A homegrown icon, Fisk rapidly became the face of one of the most storied teams in baseball, the Boston Red Sox of the 1970s. As a rookie making only $12,000 a year, he became the first player to unanimously win the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1972, upping both his pay grade and national recognition. Fisk's game-winning home run in Game Six of the hotly-contested 1975 World Series forever immortalized him in one of the sport's most exciting televised moments. Fisk played through an epic period of player-owner relations, including the dawn of free agency, strikes, and collusions. After leaving Boston under controversy in 1981, he joined the Chicago White Sox, where he played for 12 more major league seasons, solidifying his position as one of the best catchers of all time.Doug Wilson, finalist for both the Casey Award and Seymour Medal for his previous baseball biographies, uses his own extensive research and interviews with childhood friends and major league teammates to examine the life and career of a leader who followed a strict code and played with fierce determination.
Love Game: A History of Tennis, from Victorian Pastime to Global Phenomenon
by Elizabeth WilsonTennis has never been played better than it is today. To watch Rafael Nadal spin a forehand at 4000 rpm, Maria Sharapova arabesque out of a serve, Serena Williams utterly destroy a short ball, or Roger Federer touch a volley into an impossibly angled winner is to watch not only the best players with the best coaching hitting with the best racquets, it is to watch the culmination of an entire history. Love Game is different from most tennis books--it isn't a ghostwritten biography, and it won't teach you how to slice your serve. It's a book about tennis's grand culture, one that unveils the sport's long history as it lives and breathes (or grunts) in the modern game. No one is better equipped to tell this story than novelist and historian Elizabeth Wilson. With a penchant for tennis's inherent drama, she finds its core: a psychological face off between flamboyant personalities navigating the ebbs and flows of fortune in the confines of a 78 x 36-foot box--whether of clay, grass, or DecoTurf. Walking the finely kempt lawns of Victorian England, she shows how tennis's early role as a social pastime that included both men and women--and thus, lots of sexual tension--set it apart from most other sports and their dominant masculine appeal. Even today, when power and endurance are more important than ever, tennis still demands that the body behave gracefully and with finesse. In this way, Wilson shows, tennis has retained the vibrant spectacle of human drama and beauty that have always made it special, not just to sports fans but to popular culture. Telling the stories of all the greats, from the Renshaw brothers to Novak Djokovic, and of all the advances, from wooden racquets to network television schedules, Wilson offers a tennis book like no other, keeping the court square in our sights as history is illuminated around it.
Annie Oakley: Young Markswoman
by Ellen WilsonFocuses on the childhood of the famous American sharpshooter.
Facing the Giants
by Eric Wilson Stephen Kendrick Alex KendrickFrom the makers of Overcomer and Fireproof comes the inspirational novelization of the runaway hit movie Facing the Giants. It&’s been six years without a winning season, and Coach Grant Taylor&’s job is on the line. Unless the Shiloh Christian Eagles turn things around—and fast—he&’s history. Unfortunately, their leading scorer has just left for a rival school and the team has lost its drive. The pressure is on, and the stakes are high.On the home front, things aren&’t much better for Grant. His house is falling apart. His old clunker of a car keeps dying, and the coach and his wife have been unsuccessful in their attempts to start a family.But God is on the move—in many ways.When Grant receives a message from an unexpected visitor, he searches for a stronger purpose for his football team. When faced with unbelievable odds, Grant and his Shiloh Eagles must rise above their fear and step up to their greatest test of strength and courage. Full-length inspirational contemporary readNovelization of the Kendrick brothers&’ film Facing the GiantsIncludes bonus materials and letters from the Kendrick brothers
Sports Card Collecting & Investing For Dummies
by Geoff Wilson Ben Burrows Tyler NethercottBecome a part of the growing sports card trading community Sports Card Collecting & Investing For Dummies will teach you how to start or resume collecting, how to trade, sell, grade, and protect your cards. This is a comprehensive yet easy-to-read breakdown of the sports card hobby and its many nuances. You’ll learn the basics and get up to speed on the recent influx of new brands, companies, investors, influencers, and technologies that have completely reshaped the community. The popularity of sports cards as an alternative investment is at an all-time high, and this Dummies guide helps you budget and make smart trades. The anatomy of a sports card, spotting card damage, grading scales, buying safely, using trusted marketplaces, building your collection, pricing and selling your cards, avoiding scams—it’s all in here. Become a savvy card collector, the easy way. Learn the ins and outs of trading sports cards as a collector and an investor Determine the value of your cards and discover where to find rare deals Stay safe while buying and selling from local dealers, with online marketplaces, and at in-person events Become a part of the collector communityBeginners of all ages who want to start (or resume) collecting sports cards can find all the must-know info in the pages of Sports Card Collecting & Investing For Dummies.
The Cabin: A Search for Personal Sanctuary
by Hap WilsonOne hundred years ago, a young doctor from Cleveland by the name of Robert Newcomb, travelled north to a place called Temagami. It was as far north as one could travel by any modern means. Beautiful beyond any simple expletive, the Temagami wilderness was a land rich in timber, clear-water lakes, fast flowing rivers, mystery and adventure. Newcomb befriended the local Aboriginals — the Deep Water People — and quickly discovered the best way to explore was by canoe. Bewitched by the spirit of an interior river named after the elusive brook trout, Majamagosibi, Newcomb had a remote cabin built overlooking one of her precipitous cataracts. The cabin remained unused for decades, save for a few passing canoeists; it changed ownership twice and slowly began to show its age. The author discovered the cabin while on a canoe trip in 1970. Like Newcomb, Hap Wilson was lured to Temagami in pursuit of adventure and personal sanctuary. That search for sanctuary took the author incredible distances by canoe and snowshoe, through near death experiences and Herculean challenges. Secretly building cabins, homesteading and working as a park ranger, Wilson finally became owner of The Cabin in 2000. Artist, author and adventurer, Hap Wilson is perhaps best known for his ecotourism/travel guidebooks. He has led over 300 wilderness expeditions in Canada, and served as actor Pierce Brosnan’s personal outdoor trainer for the feature film Grey Owl. "This is a complex and fascinating story, beautifully told. At first, it draws us in because the author appears to be living the life we all dream of-a simpler life, close to nature, free from the stress and strain of our consumer culture. But the reality, with its myriad challenges, is what holds our attention and gives the book its substance." — Judith Ruan, Muskoka Magazine
Hap Wilson's Wilderness 3-Book Bundle: The Cabin / Grey Owl and Me / Trails and Tribulations
by Hap WilsonNoted traveller and environmentalist Hap Wilson shares accounts of his lifelong involvement with wilderness living within the Canadian Shield. Wilson knows better than most how to live in the woods. As park ranger, canoe guide, outfitter, trail builder, and environmental activist, he learned from firsthand experience that nature can neither be beaten or tamed.This three-book bundle includes: The Cabin: A Search for Personal Sanctuary Noted environmentalist Hap Wilson takes us along a wilderness trail replete with snags and pitfalls, through mishaps, tears, and laughter. Grey Owl and Me: Stories From the Trail and Beyond Hap Wilson is back for another journey. Nurtured by the writings of Grey Owl, Wilson adopted a similar lifestyle to the 1930s conservationist but with his own twists and turns. Wilson recounts the early days of winter camping, takes readers to some of his favourite places, and shares intimate secrets of wilderness living. Trails and Tribulations:Confessions of a Wilderness Pathfinder Noted northern traveller Hap Wilson shares accounts of his lifelong involvement with wilderness living within the Canadian Shield. A park ranger, canoe guide, and environmental activist, Wilson takes the reader on a journey through natural settings ranging from austere to mysterious and breathtaking.
Grey Owl and Me: Stories From the Trail and Beyond
by Hap Wilson Ingrid ZschognerHap Wilson is back for another journey, this time on the lighter side of the adventure trail, where the bizarre melds with the sublime. Nurtured by the writings of Canadian environmentalist and wannabe-Native, Grey Owl, Wilson adopted a lifestyle similar to the 1930s conservationist but with his own twists and turns along a meandering path full of humorous misadventures. Wilson, too, learned many of his nature skills as a youth, paddling in Temagami, working as a wilderness canoe ranger and guide, and following in the footsteps of one of Canada’s most revered outdoor icons. The author recounts early days winter camping, motorcycling the Labrador coast, and teaching actor Pierce Brosnan how to throw knives and paddle a canoe for the Richard Attenborough film about Grey Owl. He also takes us to a few of his favourite places and shares intimate secrets of wilderness living. Here, Grey Owl has returned as an ever-present critic – a buckskin-clad spectre in a modern world of Gore-Tex, Kevlar canoes, and gear freaks.
Trails and Tribulations: Confessions of a Wilderness Pathfinder
by Hap Wilson Ingrid ZschognerIn an age when "survival" shows permeate the media, noted northern traveller Hap Wilson shares accounts of his lifelong involvement with wilderness living within the Canadian Shield. Wilson knows better than most how to live in the woods. As park ranger, canoe guide, outfitter, trail builder, and environmental activist, he learned from firsthand experience that nature can neither be beaten or tamed. Trails and Tribulations takes the reader on a journey with the author through natural settings ranging from austere to mysterious and breathtaking. Contents include animal attacks, bush fires, the threat of hypothermia, and vision-quest sites, to name but a few.
Fourth Down and 50
by James Leon Wilson Andrea WilliamsFrom a murder charge to the San Diego Chargers--defensive back Jimmy Wilson spent more than two years in jail before he was acquitted of murder. In this motivational coming-of-age memoir, he shares the inspiring story of how faith in God and the love of his family helped him turn his life around and achieve his NFL dreams.Jimmy Wilson knew he shouldn't have gone to his Aunt Opal's house on the eve of his return to the University of Montana, where he was a star football player and preseason candidate for All-American. But when he learned her partner had badly beaten her, his primary concern was for the safety of her and her two young children. Growing up a biracial kid in the San Diego projects, Wilson was always fighting. Kids tested him, and he relied on his physical prowess. Tussling with his aunt's abuser on the lawn of her home, trying to defend himself from the man's gun, Wilson was in his element--until a shot accidentally rang out, changing the game. Wilson was labeled a murderer, and his football dreams all but faded. The next two years in jail opened his eyes to another world. When he was finally acquitted, he felt adrift back in his old neighborhood. But through his faith and the support of those who believed in him, Wilson made it back to Montana and eventually to the NFL. This is his uplifting story of growing from a boy to a man and how one bad decision that threatened to end his life became a catalyst for complete transformation.
Famous for a Time: Forgotten Giants of Canadian Sport
by Jason Wilson Richard M. ReidCelebrating Canadian athletes and sporting history.The cultural impact of sport on a nation is not slight. Famous for a Time explores a number of important, if not well remembered, Canadian athletes and the sports they played to help explain the nation’s complicated history, sporting and otherwise. It is an exploration that reveals the socio-cultural trends that have shaped Canada since Confederation.Through the prism of some exceptional athletes, the prevailing attitudes of many Canadians about class, race, masculinity, femininity, and national identity are laid bare. Here, from the sidelines, we learn how these attitudes have changed — or not, as the case may be — over time.From team sports such as lacrosse, baseball, and cricket to Canada’s cycling craze, track and field, and boxing, each chapter offers insight into an important aspect of the nation’s narrative. The winners and losers of Canada’s games simply mirror the larger questions that have faced Canadian society across three centuries.
The Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club: Official Centennial Publication
by Jason Wilson Brendan Shanahan Kevin SheaPublished in partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs and officially licensed by the NHL, this is the one and only official Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial publication!The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most storied franchises in all of sport and without question -- the most recognized team in all of hockey. Through this journey of a hundred years of Maple Leaf hockey, fans will read of ups and downs, triumphs and tears, laughter and laments. This publication tells the Leafs' complete history and introduces fans to coaches, as well as such legends as: Apps and Armstrong, Kennedy and Keon, Broda and Bower, Salming and Sundin, but also players who wore the Blue and White and left far more modest legacies. It takes fans to Toronto's first game, the construction of Maple Leaf Gardens and subsequent move to the Air Canada Centre. It celebrates Toronto's Stanley Cups and Hall of Fame players and demonstrates that through each exciting season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have forever remained our team and enjoyed the incredibly loyal support of a nation of fans. Published in complete partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs and scheduled to release as the Leafs enter their 100th season, this official centennial publication includes contributions from many of the biggest names in Leaf history. Author Kevin Shea gained unprecedented access to players -- past and present -- as well as team executives to offer this book the most compelling, informed, and accurate portrayal of Toronto's historic hockey team and their important place in both the world of hockey and the culture of Canada. Combined with incredible archival photographs and a truly incredible design, this is the definitive and must have book for fans of the Blue and White.
J.P. Bickell: The Life, the Leafs, and the Legacy
by Jason Wilson Kevin Shea Graham MaclachlanHe stayed out of the spotlight, but Leafs fans know J.P. Bickell cast a long shadow. A self-made mining magnate and the man who kept the Maple Leafs in Toronto and financed Maple Leaf Gardens, J.P. Bickell lived an extraordinary and purposeful life. As one of the most important industrialists in Canadian history, Bickell left his mark on communities across the nation. He was a cornerstone of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which awards the J.P. Bickell Memorial Award to recognize outstanding service to the organization. Bickell’s story is also tied up with some of the most famous Canadians of his day, including Mitchell Hepburn, Roy Thomson, and Conn Smythe. Through his charitable foundation, he has been a key benefactor of the Hospital for Sick Children, and his legacy continues to transform Toronto. Yet, though Bickell was so important both to Toronto and the Maple Leafs, the story of his incredible life is today largely obscure. This book sets the record straight, presenting the definitive story of his rise to prominence and his lasting legacy — on the ice and off.
Jackie Robinson and the American Dilemma: The Library of American Biography
by John R. M. WilsonIn this book, John R.M. Wilson illustrates how Jackie Robinson’s life transcended his baseball career to illuminate the racial struggles of the nation. By breaking the color barrier in baseball, Jackie Robinson (1919―1973) brought the American public face-to-face with a dilemma that has plagued the nation throughout its history: the disjuncture between the American ideals of liberty and equality and the realities of racial prejudice, segregation, and discrimination.
The Anatomy of England: A History in Ten Matches
by Jonathan WilsonHaving invented the game, everything that has followed for England and its national football team has been something of an anticlimax. There was, of course, the golden summer of 1966, and the great period of English dominance on the world stage, which fell roughly between 1886 and 1900, when England won 35 of their 40 internationals ... But before long foreign teams, with their insistence on progressive 'tactics', began to pose a few questions. And much of what followed for England constituted a series of false dawns.In THE ANATOMY OF ENGLAND Jonathan Wilson seeks to place the bright spots in context. Time and again, progressive coaches have been spurned by England - technique being all very well, but what really matters is pluck and 'organised muscularity', or, to quote Jimmy Hogan's chairman at Aston Villa in 1936: 'I've no time for these theories about football. Just get the ball in the bloody net.'Wilson takes ten key England fixtures and explores how what actually happened on the pitch shaped the future of the English game. Bursting with insight and critical detail, yet imbued with a wry affection, this is a history of England like none before.
The Anatomy of Manchester United: A History in Ten Matches
by Jonathan WilsonAward-winning football writer Jonathan Wilson selects ten landmark matches from Manchester United's history, from the first time they lifted the FA Cup, beating Bristol City in 1909, to the Cup victory of 2016 that proved to be Louis van Gaal's last game in charge. In doing so, he identifies the pivotal moments in the club's rise to being one of the foremost teams of the twentieth century.With his trademark tactical acumen, Wilson goes back to the matches themselves and subjects them to forensic examination, re-evaluating and reassessing, and going beyond the white noise of banal player quotes and instant judgements to discover why what happened happened. It is in this way, as far as possible, a football history of a great club.And because this is Manchester United, there is additional resonance. From the completion of Old Trafford in 1910, United have had a significant financial advantage. Yet their past has not been one of sustained success. As such, their history is also, to an extent, a history of English football, with all of its possibilities and frustrations.
Angels with Dirty Faces: How Argentinian Soccer Defined A Nation And Changed The Game Forever
by Jonathan WilsonThe Masterful, Definitive History of Argentinian SoccerLionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Alfredo Di Stéfano: in every generation Argentina has uncovered a uniquely brilliant soccer talent. <P><P> Perhaps it's because the country lives and breathes the game, its theories, and its myths. Argentina's rich, volatile history—by turns sublime and ruthlessly pragmatic—is mirrored in the style and swagger of its national and club sides. <P>In Angels with Dirty Faces, Jonathan Wilson chronicles the operatic drama of Argentinian soccer: the appropriation of the British game, the golden age of la nuestra, the exuberant style of playing that developed as Juan Perón led the country, a hardening into the brutal methods of anti-fútbol, the fusion of beauty and efficacy under César Luis Menotti, and the emergence of all-time greats.
Angels With Dirty Faces: The Footballing History of Argentina
by Jonathan Wilson'ABSORBING' Guardian'ENTHRALLING' New Statesman'EPIC' Evening Standard'INESCAPABLE' The Sunday Times'MAGISTERIAL' Irish ExaminerFully revised and updated, the definitive history of Argentinian football from the award-winning author of Inverting the PyramidAlfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistua, Juan Roman Riquelme, Lionel Messi... Argentina has produced some of the greatest footballers of all time. But the rich, volatile history of Argentinian football is made up of both the sublime and the ruthlessly pragmatic. Jonathan Wilson, having lived in Buenos Aires, is ideally placed to chart the sport's development in a country that, perhaps more than any other, lives and breathes football, its theories and its myths.Fully revised and updated, this new edition looks at the contrasting evolution of Argentinian football over the last ten years; from the chaos and violence of the abandoned 2018 Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors to the revitalised national side under manager Lionel Scaloni, which triumphed at the 2019 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup.ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES is the definitive history of a great footballing nation and its many paradoxes.Update Publishing: 07.12.23
The Barcelona Inheritance: The Evolution of Winning Soccer Tactics from Cruyff to Guardiola
by Jonathan WilsonFrom Cruyff's "Total Football" to the epic rivalry between Guardiola and Mourinho, a gripping chronicle of the rise and fall of Barcelona's dominance in world soccer.Barcelona's style of play--pressing and possessing--is the single biggest influence on modern soccer. In The Barcelona Inheritance, Jonathan Wilson reveals how and why this came to pass, offering a deep analysis of the evolution of soccer tactics and style.In the late 1990s, Johan Cruyff's Dream Team was disintegrating and the revolutionary manager had departed, but his style gave birth to a new generation of thinkers, including Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho. Today, their teams are first and second in the Premier League, marking the latest installment in a rivalry that can be traced back twenty-five years.The Barcelona Inheritance is a book about the tactics, the personalities, the friendships, and, in one case, an apocalyptic falling-out that continue to shape the game today.
Behind the Curtain: Football in Eastern Europe
by Jonathan WilsonFrom the war-ravaged streets of Sarajevo, where turning up for training involved dodging snipers' bullets, to the crumbling splendour of Budapest's Bozsik Stadium, where the likes of Puskás and Kocsis masterminded the fall of England, the landscape of Eastern Europe has changed immeasurably since the fall of communism. Jonathan Wilson has travelled extensively behind the old Iron Curtain, viewing life beyond the fall of the Berlin Wall through the lens of football. Where once the state-controlled teams of the Eastern bloc passed their way with crisp efficiency - a sort of communist version of total football - to considerable success on the European and international stages, today the beautiful game in the East has been opened up to the free market, and throughout the region a sense of chaos pervades. The threat of totalitarian interference no longer remains; but in its place mafia control is generally accompanied with a crippling lack of funds. In BEHIND THE CURTAIN Jonathan Wilson goes in search of the spirit of Hungary's 'Golden Squad' of the early fifties, charts the disintegration of the footballing superpower that was the former Yugoslavia, follows a sorry tale of corruption, mismanagement and Armenian cognac through the Caucasuses, reopens the case of Russia's greatest footballer, Eduard Streltsov, and talks to Jan Tomaszewski about an autumn night at Wembley in 1973...
Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You: The Biography
by Jonathan WilsonThe final word on Brian CloughIn this first full, critical biography, Jonathan Wilson draws an intimate and powerful portrait of one of England's greatest football managers, Brian Clough, and his right-hand man, Peter Taylor. <P><P>It was in the unforgiving world of post-war football where their identities and reputations were made - a world where, as Clough and Taylor's mentor Harry Storer once said, 'Nobody ever says thank you.' <P>Nonetheless, Clough brought the gleam of silverware to the depressed East Midlands of the 1970s. Initial triumph at Derby was followed by a sudden departure and a traumatic 44 days at Leeds. <P>By the end of a frazzled 1974, Clough was set up for life financially, but also hardened to the realities of football. By the time he was at Forest, Clough's mask was almost permanently donned: a persona based on brashness and conflict. <P>Drink fuelled the controversies and the colourful character; it heightened the razor-sharp wit and was a salve for the highs of football that never lasted long enough, and for the lows that inevitably followed. Wilson's account is the definitive portrait of this complex and enduring man.
Inverting The Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics
by Jonathan Wilson<P>Inverting the Pyramid is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of the itinerant coaching geniuses who have spread their distinctive styles across the globe. <P>Through Jonathan Wilson's brilliant historical detective work we learn how the South Americans shrugged off the British colonial order to add their own finesse to the game; how the Europeans harnessed individual technique and built it into a team structure; how the game once featured five forwards up front, while now a lone striker is not uncommon.Inverting the Pyramid provides a definitive understanding of the tactical genius of modern-day Barcelona, for the first time showing how their style of play developed from Dutch "Total Football," which itself was an evolution of the Scottish passing game invented by Queens Park in the 1870s and taken on by Tottenham Hotspur in the 1930s. <P>Inverting the Pyramid has been called the "Big Daddy" (Zonal Marking) of soccer tactics books; it is essential for any coach, fan, player, or fantasy manager of the beautiful game