The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: A Biography of a Sporting Icon (HB) by Rob Mundle

$44.99 AUD

Category: Sport

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is the story of one of the world's greatest sporting challenges. In its 75th year, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has become an icon of Australia's summer sport, ranking in public interest with such national events as the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Open tennis an d the Boxing Day cricket test. No regular annual yachting event in the world attracts such huge media coverage as does the start on Sydney Harbour. The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: A biography of a sporting icon is the story of one of the world's greatest sporting challenges, an event where men and women from all walks of life are inspired and challenged by the beauty and power of nature. The 628-nautical mile course is often described as the most gruelling long ocean race in the world, a challenge to everyone who takes part. A team effort as much as a personal challenge where one mistake can lead to defeat, while success can deliver national and international acclaim. Bestselling author Rob Mundle has competed in the race on three occasions and reported on it for both newspapers and television for more than fifty years. The pinnacle of his many writing achievements is the international bestselling book Fatal Storm, the powerful story of the tragic 1998 Sydney Hobart race. ...Show more

'the Bool - The History of Racing in Warrnambool, From 1848 by Mark McNamara

$45.00 AUD

Category: Sport

Mark McNamara's near-30-year toil has produced a book of more than 400 pages that is an amazing and well-researched story of more than a century and a half of horse-racing history in Warrnambool that also is a history of the region's people and their sporting passion. The magnificent Grand Annual Steepl echase takes centre stage at Warrnambool's annual three-day May carnival, and it is covered extensively in Melbourne barrister McNamara's much wider labour of love. As the proud Warrnambool man and highly respected former chief steward, Des Gleeson, says in his foreword: "The carnival's Grand Annual Steeplechase is the ultimate test of horse and rider, run over an exhausting 5500 metres with 33 obstacles, more than any other steeplechase in the world. It is a spectacle unmatched, conducted through open paddocks and up and down hills, horses running clockwise and anti-clockwise at different stages." The book covers the Annual and the other iconic carnival races, the Warrnambool Cup, the Wangoom Handicap, the Brierly Steeplechase and the Galleywood Hurdle. Warrnambool-born McNamara tells of the exploits of the great horses, including Galleywood, for whom the hurdle was named, and delves into the fight to save jumps racing, an "endangered species" in racing in recent years. It details the exploits of trainers such big winners Kevin Lafferty and Darren Weir, the great jockeys such as Tom Corrigan and Ted Byrne, and the jockey- trainer combinations such as Pat Hyland and Jim Moloney. Horse owners Tozer, Manifold and more provide key moments, right from the mid-1800s when many rode their own horses in races as amateurs and also were involved-as or with administrators-in the establishment of clubs and Warrnambool's racecourses. ...Show more

Stoked!: Winners and Grinners from Our Sporting Life by H. G. Nelson

$19.99 AUD

Category: Sport

There’s nothing Australians love better than a sporting hero, except perhaps giving that hero a gentle ribbing for having the temerity to outstrip the rest of us. From the Jumping Doc and his ‘Peltzer flinch’ to late nineteenth century fashion on the field (knitted jumper, anyone?), th e great H.G. ‘battered sav’ Nelson heads trackside once more to scrutinise the efforts of some of Australia’s finest athletes. In this broad-reaching commentary, readers will join him to speculate about the complex rules of roller derby, reminisce fondly about the good old days on the Hill at the SCG and delight in a rare snap of that most famous of underground sports, shotgun tennis. Alongside H.G.’s incisive commentary are images of some of Australia’s finest sporting achievements from the National Library’s vast Pictures Collection and obscure truths about Australia’s national pastimes. Did you know that completing a 2,000 metre rowing race is the physiological equivalent of playing two basketball games back-to-back? That many ballet positions are derived from those of fencing? That, in 1952, one cheeky wrestler slid down the gilt banister of the main staircase in Buckingham Palace while visiting the Queen? A mix of facts and humourous observations, this book will educate readers a little and amuse them a lot. ...Show more

Icons of Footy by Kevin Sheedy

$39.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Footy legend Kevin Sheedy crosses team alliances to profile the 21 most iconic Aussie Rules players and coaches of his lifetime.  He also sits down for interviews with nine icons he has long admired and who don't normally (for various reasons) have their stories told. Packed full of wisdom and wit , insight and memories, ICONS OF FOOTY is a treasure-trove for football fans of all tribes and ages, from one of the most unique and colourful characters in Australian sport. This beautifully-packaged hardback includes: Gary Ablett Senior, Allen Aylett, Ron Barassi, Kevin Bartlett, Malcolm Blight, Barry Cable, Wayne Carey, Alastair Clarkson, Jason Dunstall, Graham Farmer, Lance Franklin, Adam Goodes, Royce Hart, Francis Hughes, James Hird, Alex Jesaulenko, Leigh Matthews, Kevin Murray, John Nicholls, Barrie Robran and Michael Tuck. ...Show more

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant; Pau Gasol (Foreword by); Phil Jackson (Introduction by); Andrew D. Bernstein (Photographer)

$52.99 AUD

Category: Sport

From basketball superstar Kobe Bryant--a lavish, deep dive inside the mind of one of the most revered athletes of all time. In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe "The Black Mamba" Bryant has decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take listeners o n an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary "Mamba mentality." Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it "the right way," The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever. For the first time, and in his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Listeners will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They'll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career. Bryant's detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the Lakers and NBA official photographer, captured Bryant's very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016--and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a unique, twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer. The combination of Bryant's narrative and Bernstein's photos make The Mamba Mentality a unprecedented look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world's most celebrated and fascinating athletes. ...Show more

Niki Lauda by Maurice Hamilton

$32.99 AUD

Category: Sport

The most comprehensive and detailed biography of Formula One legend Nick Lauda ever published, as told by Maurice Hamilton, who knew him for more than forty years. From the famous rivalry with James Hunt in the 1970s, as depicted in the film Rush, to working with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, Lauda's care er helped define modern F1. In 1975, Lauda became world champion for the first time. Driving for Ferrari, he looked to retain his title in 1976 and was dominating the campaign ahead of James Hunt in his McLaren. Then, on 1 August, he was involved in a horrendous crash at the Nurburgring and was badly burned and in hospital he was given the last rites, so severe were his injuries. Remarkably, six weeks later, he was back racing again, determined to show he could still compete. As they came to the final race of the season in Japan, Lauda held a narrow lead in the championship, but in appalling weather conditions, Lauda withdrew from the race, while Hunt went on to secure the points he needed to become world champion. It was high-speed drama at its best. Lauda came back to win the title again in 1977 and then, having temporarily retired, he won it for a third time in 1984, driving for McLaren. When he finally finished as an F1 driver, he started his own airline, before he returned to the sport in various management roles, latterly as chairman of Mercedes, where he helped in the negotiations to bring Lewis Hamilton to the team. Maurice Hamilton, who first met Lauda in 1971, draws together the remarkable story of one of the greatest stars in Formula One history. Based on interviews with friends and family, rival drivers and those he worked with later in his career, Niki Lauda is a superb and definitive tribute to a remarkable character, who died in May 2019 at the age of seventy. ...Show more

Tulloch : The Extraordinary Life and Times of a True Champion by Ken Linnett; Geoff Slattery (Editor-In-Chief)

$39.95 AUD

Category: Sport

Australian and New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame Inaugural Horse Inductee This is the remarkable story of Tulloch, the virtually unwanted yearling who rose to greatness with the support of Australia's most flamboyant trainer and a contrasting dogged owner, who often clashed about what was best for their horse. It's more than a story about a great racehorse-one of the best to grace Australia's turf and often mentioned in the same breath as Phar Lap and Carbine-who overcame a near-death illness to return triumphantly to racing after two years. It's a story about the characters behind the scenes-his trainer, the legendary Tommy Smith, his owner Evelyn Haley, the jockeys, such as George Moore and Neville Sellwood, who rode him and the his strapper and track rider, Lem Bann, a song 'n dance man who whistled his way into Tulloch's heart. ...Show more

Victress - Women Who Paved the Way in Australian Sport by Corinne Hall; Michael Randall

$39.95 AUD

Category: Sport

Harder than Football by Barbara Cullen

$19.99 AUD

Category: Sport

In 1915, while stationed at Gallipoli, St Kilda player Stan Brady wrote his mother a touching letter in which, after worrying for the safety of his brothers he told her, poignantly, "It is harder than football here".Australian servicemen have long been renowned for their unfaltering courage, sense of ma teship and strength of character--the same values that are so apparent in our national game of football. With a foreword by Kevin Sheedy, in Harder than Football stories of courage, resilience and survival shine through like beacons, along with acts of bravery and sacrifice that so succinctly display the 'Aussie spirit'. Of course, there isthe odd larrikin, too, whose often humorous acts of disobedience include smoking on parade, changing pay books, "accidentally falling out of a train" and "being improperly dressed on the line".Within these pages you'll find the stories of the 2494 men who played at least one senior game from 1897 to 1972 and fought for their country in every major conflict from the Boer War to the Vietnam War. ...Show more

Behind the Mask - My Autobiography by Tyson Fury

$32.99 AUD

Category: Sport

The extraordinary story of the rise and fall and rise again of Tyson Fury... ________________________________ THE GYPSY KING. A Manchester lad from Irish Traveller stock, born three months premature and weighing just a pound at birth, Tyson (named after his father's boxing hero) grew up to become one of the most unlikely heavyweight champions in history. This 'dream come true' soon turned to nightmare, however, as alcohol and cocaine abuse took hold and Tyson was stripped of his titles. What followed was the darkest moment of his life - detailed in this book for the first time - in which he came within seconds of ending everything. THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION. Like all the greatest stories, though, there is redemption and Tyson defies all the odds and literally drags himself to his feet. 10 million people around the globe watched Fury fight Wilder in the biggest fight of the boxing calendar. Speaking candidly about his struggles with mental health, this is Tyson Fury as you have never seen him before. A BRITISH ICON. ________________________________ Behind the Mask is an unflinching autobiography from the greatest boxer of our time and a man who has demonstrated strength of a very different kind by conquering his demons. ________________________________ 'I didn't believe boxers could be role models, but Tyson Fury has changed my mind... This 30-year-old Mancunian has made us all think twice about the possibilities of redemption.' SIMON KELNER, INDEPENDENT 'Tyson Fury has become Britain's most unlikely inspirational figure... the sight of a broken Fury caught a mood with the public. Never was the epitaph "People's Champion" more apt' RON LEWIS, THE TIMES ...Show more

Rough Habit: An Unlikely Champion by Ken Linnett

$24.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Rough Habit An Unlikely Champion is a tale that captures the essence of horse racing - from dreaming to inspiration, to luck good and bad, to fortunes and reputations made. It's the story not just of an unexpected champion horse, but of those who took him to greatness. Rough Habit is one in the long li ne of New Zealand-bred champions who have crossed the Tasman and become dominant figures in Australian racing - think Rising Fast, Redcraze, Kiwi, Bonecrusher and Sunline. Like so many before him, Rough Habit came from humble beginnings, bred as little more than a hobby, via a free service, to an unfashionable imported sire, Rough Cast, from the unraced mare Certain Habit. The resultant colt's stature suggested that the experiment was doomed to fail. His breeder, Isabell Roddick, said of Rough Habit, the foal: "He was...probably not the best looking, but I didn't think he was as hideous as he's been made out to be. He was a very small horse. But looks don't tell you if they're going to win a race." Win races he did, 11 of them at Group 1 level, behind only the mighty Sunline for wins at the highest level. He became a cult hero in Brisbane, winning two Stradbroke Handicaps and a record three Doomben Cups. Telling his story in full for the first time is Ken Linnett, winner of the 2018 Bill Whittaker Award for the best book on horse racing in Australia and New Zealand, for his story on Tulloch, the champion of the 1950s and '60s. Linnett has applied the same forensic attention that made Tulloch such a critical and commercial success, to the story of Rough Habit. ...Show more

The Golden Era: The Extraordinary Two Decades When the Australians Ruled the Tennis World by Rod Laver; Larry Writer (As told to)

$39.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Rod Laver's fascinating account of the extraordinary two decades when Australia ruled the tennis world. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Australia was the world's tennis superpower, producing players who dominated amateur grand slam tournaments, the Davis Cup and the professional circuit,and none was more successful, famous or influential than Rod Laver, whose two singles Grand Slams - winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon and United States championships in a calendar year - have never been equalled. The Golden Era is Rod's deeply personal account of those great years. As a participant and eye-witness, he captures the excitement and drama of the great wins, and gives us genuine insight into the band of supremely talented Australian champions who balanced playing hard with a legendary sportsmanship. Written with all of Rod's peerless tennis knowledge, and including key interviews with Frank Sedgman, Ken Rosewall, the late Lew Hoad, Neale Fraser, Mal Anderson, Ashley Cooper, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, John Newcombe and Margaret Court, The Golden Era is the definitive story of the two decades of Australian tennis domination that will almost certainly never be repeated. ...Show more