Sport Books of the Year

1. Fight or Flight - My Life, My Choices

by Keith Earls

€18.99 €28.00

Keith Earls has maintained a low profile throughout his career. For the first time he talks in depth and at length about the inner turmoil that went unseen by team-mates, friends and fans. A confessional, intimate and courageous story of the pain that was a constant companion to the glory.

2. Joey Dunlop Tpb

by Barker Stuart

€15.99 €21.00

With a foreword by Carl Fogarty Joey Dunlop's story is one of towering triumphs and desperate tragedies in almost equal measure. Born poor - dirt poor - with no running water, no electricity, he was the definition of the everyman hero, earning the title 'King of the Roads' in what must be considered one of the world's most extreme sports - motorcycle road racing. And as well as being voted Northern Ireland's greatest ever sportsman, he remains the most loved and most successful road racer of all time. Joey Dunlop won the hearts and minds of millions during his thirty-one-year career, culminating in his greatest triumph in the year 2000 at the Isle of Man TT when, grey-haired, bespectacled, and approaching fifty years of age, he reclaimed his reputation as the greatest TT rider in history by defeating a whole new generation of talent and regaining the F1 crown for the first time in twelve years. But in road racing, tragedy is never very far away. Joey lost his life in a racing accident in July of 2000. It was just weeks after his final TT victory. More than 60,000 people attended Joey's funeral. Over twenty years after his untimely death, the sport has never truly recovered from his loss. Everyone with an interest in motorcycling knows the legend of Joey Dunlop but now, for the first time, they can get to know the man himself. This definitive new biography is the most comprehensive ever written on the man. In turns hilarious, triumphant and tragic, this is Dunlop's story as it has never been told before - by those who were part of it.

3. Devotion

by Mickey Harte

€20.99 €30.80

A moving and lyrical memoir about life, love and loss, from a true giant of Gaelic games. In a frenetic seven-year spell at the outset of his senior managerial career, Mickey Harte led Tyrone to four Ulster Championships and three All-Irelands. It was a run that shifted football’s balance of power, changed the way the game would be played for over a generation, and cemented his reputation as one of the most transformative figures in GAA history. Then, in January 2011, the visitation of a shocking tragedy changed everything: Mickey’s daughter Michaela was murdered while on honeymoon in Mauritius, and the Harte family, grief-stricken, awoke to find themselves at the centre of an international news story. Devotion, the product of a collaboration between Mickey and author Brendan Coffey, is many things. The story of a family’s decade-long struggle to come to terms with an almost unimaginable loss. A meditation on the ways in which faith, community, and sport can sustain us in our most difficult moments. And, finally, a portrait of one of Irish sport’s true icons, as he brings one legendary era to a close and steels himself for a final assault on the history books.

4. Flat out

by Healy Racing

€21.99 €24.99

A thrilling collection of 200 photographs from the high-octane, glamourous world of flat racing, from the Irish Derby and the Irish Guineas at The Curragh, to the many local race meets, and reaching internationally to the highlights in the racing calendar and as far afield as Melbourne and Saudi Arabia. The book contains an exciting mix of the horses, the big wins, the big events, alongside significant wins for smaller trainers/owners/riders from 2011-2021. Some pages cover key photographs that capture significant people, special moments or are simply just great shots.

5. 100 Great GAA Teams

by John Scally

€13.99 €21.00

With every county of the GAA represented, this is a special tribute to the great teams in football, hurling, camogie and ladies' football that have thrilled fans down the years. These brilliant tales of the exploits of the 100 GREAT GAA TEAMS make this is a must-read for all sports fans.

6. One

by Peter Schmeichel

€14.99 €21.00

Peter Schmeichel is an undisputed giant of the global game -- and One: My Autobiography is his story. As a serial winner and larger-than-life character with Manchester United and Denmark, he rivalled Gordon Banks and Lev Yashin as the world's greatest goalkeeper. Sir Alex Ferguson, having paid just £505,000 to sign him in 1991, hailed him as 'the bargain of the century'. Schmeichel would become a key figure in United's successes during the ensuing decade, starting with a first domestic league title in more than a quarter of a century. His silverware spree culminated when he captained Ferguson's side in the incredible, last-gasp Treble-clinching win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. In One: My Autobiography he delivers the inside track on that crazy, breathless night in Barcelona and on Old Trafford's galaxy of stars, including Eric Cantona and David Beckham, not to mention United's volatile, visionary manager. However, Schmeichel's story is no mere litany of triumphs and household names. He tells how he nearly died aged 15, and recalls a turbulent relationship with his father, an alcoholic Polish musician. His life after football, seldom straightforward, is explored with astonishing candour. Peter's own son Kasper emulated him by winning the Premier League with Leicester and taking over in Denmark's goal. It is a proud legacy, ensuring that One: My Autobiography is actually the story of two great goalkeeping Schmeichels.

7. Manchester United: Unscripted

by Manchester United

€20.99 €28.00

It's hard to imagine a football club with a better catalogue of stories than Manchester United. The club's rich history has been punctuated by success, tragedy and drama, with an all-star cast wrapped up in a twisting, turning tale. In Manchester United and Me, protagonists tell their own accounts of their unique places in Reds folklore.

8. Haunted by Waters

by Daire Whelan

€16.99 €23.80

Award-winning producer and journalist Daire Whelan had reached the end of another busy week and couldn't shake the feeling that life was passing him by too quickly. Vowing to make a change, he decided to commit to a year of fly fishing and set about planning his route through the wild and rugged landscape of Ireland. Here, in Haunted by Waters: A Journey into the Irish Countryside we travel with Daire throughout a season of fly fishing. But as he searches for a sense of meaning, meeting kindred spirits as he explores the rivers and lakes, Daire finds himself rediscovering the majestic beauty of his native country. From fishing on our most secluded bays and wildest loughs in Connemara and Kerry, to casting a line on the rippling waters of the Suir in Tipperary, catching salmon on the Blackwater in Waterford, and the serenity of the Dodder in Dublin on a workday afternoon, Haunted by Waters is an evocative and stunning love letter to Ireland through a sport rich in tradition and storytelling.

9. It's Marty!

by Marty Morrissey

€14.00 €28.00

Marty Morrissey - GAA broadcaster extraordinaire and one of the hardest-working people in show business - has been to every corner of Ireland (and a few interesting ones further afield) in his illustrious career. Everywhere he goes, he makes friends and hears terrific stories - and sometimes he becomes a character in them. Now he's sharing them with us, in a book full of his trademark warmth, wit and energy. Starting with his childhood in the Bronx and west Clare, Marty introduces us to the people and places that have mattered most to him. He takes us through his adventures as a Gaelic footballer and hurler, schoolteacher, and coach of schools teams and underage sides for his beloved club, Kilmurry Ibrickane. And he tells the story of his remarkable rise as a broadcaster, from the back of tractors and trailers flatbed trucks to Croke Park on All Ireland finals days - despite having being told by RTÉ Sport that his voice on an early audition tape was 'too thin, too high-pitched'. Now, having established himself as a beloved figure across the full spectrum of the Irish airwaves, Marty is ready to show us who he really is. It's Marty! is an invitation to join the Marty Party, a rollicking ride through contemporary Irish life and sport, from a true national treasure.

10. Unbroken

by Aidan O'Mahony

€14.99 €21.00

From when he first began playing with his club Rathmore in Kerry, Aidan O'Mahonyapplied himself physically and mentally with a single-minded determination to earn hisplace among the great GAA players of the county - and to overcome the serious asthmathat had been so much a part of his childhood. When he was called for the Kerry minorand senior teams, he measured himself against teammates, pitted himself against hisopponents and pushed himself to physical extremes. He came to learn that hard work andpreparation were key to success.But then he discovered that there were some things he wasn't able to prepare for. Fromthe failed drugs test at the height of his career, to an on-pitch incident that would havehim question who he was, to the life-changing decision that was to ultimately enable himto discover a sense of peace, Unbroken is an account of how the control we think we havecan be shattered in a split second and that the real strength lies in being able to ask forhelp.

11. PUNTERS HOW PADDY POWERS BILLION EURO BET

by Aaron Rogan

€13.99 €21.00

From cheeky high-street bookmaker to billion-dollar business: the incredible story behind Paddy Power’s unstoppable rise. Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of Paddy Power, is the largest gambling business in the world. The evidence of that success is visible everywhere, from shop fronts and bus shelters to sporting arenas and smartphone screens. The company’s rise to this point has been rapid, but like any gambler worth their salt, Paddy Power has always succeeded in finding an edge. At the outset those innovations were modest, like offering odds on television shows and giving punters money back on losing bets, but as the company’s ambition grew, so too did its determination to stay one step ahead of the competition, whatever the cost… Impeccably researched and informed by dozens of insider interviews, Punters is the incredible story of how an unlikely band of misfits and visionaries bet on the future of the gambling industry and won big. But it’s also the story of how that victory may have come at an extraordinary cost – to their customers and society at large.

12. The nation holds its breath

by George Hamilton

€18.99 €22.95

'.David O'Leary is entrusted with the responsibility of taking the penalty that could send Ireland to the quarter finals of the World Cup. This kick can decide it all. The nation holds its breath . It's there!' While the nation held its breath, George Hamilton delivered a line that will forever be etched in Irish sporting lore! A fixture in the commentary box since the late 1970s, Hamilton has enthralled and captivated his RTÉ audience for decades. Particularly through the many highs of the Charlton years, from Stuttgart in '88 to Italia '90 and the USA in '94, he has engagingly articulated the joy and despair felt by the fans who listen with anticipation for his sporting gems. Written in his inimitable style, The Nation Holds Its Breath is a lyrical journey through the key moments of his life and career. The voice that is so familiar to millions is present on every page of this book, from his formative days in Belfast and early career in London to his eventual arrival in Dublin and RTÉ, where, alongside his sporting work, he has carved out an entirely separate career with his hugely popular Lyric FM show, The Hamilton Scores.

13. Leap of Faith

by Frankie Dettori

€13.99 €21.00

Legendary jockey, Frankie Dettori, shares his remarkable life story in this astonishingly intimate autobiography.When Lanfranco 'Frankie' Dettori arrived on British shores in 1985, aged just 14, he couldn't speak a word of English. Having left school just a year earlier and following in the footsteps of his father, he was eager to become a stable boy and apprentice jockey, willing to do everything it took to make it. This was his first, but certainly not his last, leap of faith.Despite his slight size, Frankie's impact upon the British racing scene was immediate and significant. Brimming with confidence, charisma and personality, and with what was clearly a precocious talent, in 1990 he became the first teenager since Lester Piggot to win over 100 races in a single season. By 1996, Frankie was already established as a celebrity in the sport and an adopted national treasure, but it was his extraordinary achievement of winning all seven races in a single day at Ascot that cemented his reputation as the greatest rider of his generation.Nearly 25 years later, and having won the Longines World's Best Jockey for three consecutive years running, Frankie has demonstrated an unparalled level of longevity at the pinnacle of his sport. But his story is not simply one of uninterrupted success, but also of personal anguish, recovery and restoration - both in and out of the saddle.Now, for the very first time, Frankie compellingly reveals the lows to his highs; the plane crash that nearly killed him, the drugs ban that nearly made him quit the sport, and the acrimonious split from Godolphin that threatened his future. But Leap of Faith is also a story of love - for the sport he continues to dominate to this day, the great horses of his era (Stradivarius, Golden Horn, and of course Enable), and most importantly for his family, who have supported him every step of the way.Heartfelt and poignant, this is not simply a memoir, but a celebration of perseverance and defying the odds.

14. All in

by Billie Jean King

€14.99 €21.00

An intimate self-portrait encompassing the life, times, and career of one of the most transformative individuals--let alone athletes--of recent times. Journeying from a blue-collar childhood to shatter tennis's exclusive country-club culture, Billie Jean King paved the way for a more open, inclusive, and equal sports environment. In her memoir, she takes us behind the scenes of the pro tennis tour, through her five years as the top-ranked woman in the world, her twenty Wimbledon championships, her thirty-nine grand-slam titles, and her watershed defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous "Battle of the Sexes." With her ever-present candour, King also describes the high personal price of public greatness. We see how she struggled to live authentically and the challenges she grappled with beneath the mask of fame, including entrenched sexism, an eating disorder and struggles with her sexual identity until her "outing" by a former lover led her to embrace her true self. We come to understand how, through it all, her unshakeable integrity, resilience, and sense of purpose allowed her time and again to overcome her obstacles, and, at a few dire moments, to rebound from near ruin. Hers is the story of a pathbreaking fighter for equality, world-class athlete, and an indomitable spirit.

15. Rise

by Siya Kolisi

€21.00

'Siya's rise from humble beginnings to lifting that World Cup trophy is the stuff of fairytales.' MARCUS RASHFORD'Siya's story is well documented, and I am so impressed by the way he conducts himself. As the captain of his team and as a statesman he is measured and thoughtful. He is a leader in every way. An inspiration to a dynamic South African nation.' EDDIE JONESHis truth. His story. In his words.There have been many comments made and books written about Siya Kolisi, captain of the Springboks, and the first black man to lead his country in over 128 years of South African rugby. But now, for the very first time, Siya Kolisi shares his story in an extraordinarily intimate memoir, charting his journey from being born into the impoverished Zwide township, to leading his proud nation to an astonishing victory at the Rugby World Cup in 2019. However, Rise is not simply a chronology of matches played and games won; it is an exploration of a man's race and his faith, a masterclass in attaining a positive mindset, and an inspirational reminder that it is possible to defy the odds, no matter how they are stacked against you. In 2020, partly in response to the pandemic, Siya and his wife, Rachel, launched The Kolisi Foundation, providing personal protective equipment to healthcare workers and delivering food parcels throughout South Africa. The title Rise is inspired by Siya's mother - Phakama - which translates to the book's name, as well as a celebration of his Xhosa heritage.

16. You can't stop the sun from shining

by Sonny Bill Williams

€14.99 €21.00

'The book is as compelling and open-hearted as Williams is... It is full of the beguiling Sonny Bill sunshine' Don McCrae, Guardian 'Excellent' David Walsh, Sunday Times __________ Out now: the extraordinary and revealing autobiography of one of rugby's most entertaining and complicated figures 'I lived for winter Saturdays and played footy at lunchtime and after school, while at home I passed, kicked, tackled and discussed the game endlessly with my big bro. I ignored bad weather; I just wanted to play. When there weren't enough numbers to make up teams, a few of us kids would still get together and practice. That's where my offloads were born.' __________ As a shy part-Samoan boy growing up in the suburbs of Auckland, Sonny Bill Williams thought about footy constantly. For him, the dream of playing professional NRL was so big that nothing else ever came close. Fast forward to 2004, and eighteen-year-old Sonny Bill's dream was coming true. Making his first-grade debut for the Canterbury Bulldogs, he would become an integral part of their premiership-winning team and be named Rookie of the Year. The league culture was train hard, play hard and then party hard. Alcohol, drugs, women - it was a slippery slope for a naïve teen looking to find his place. Too soon, the joy of winning a premiership gave way to an emptiness that not even footy could fix. Struggling, Sonny made a decision that for many was unforgivable. He walked out on the Bulldogs and flew to France. Scathing headlines, subpoenas and threatened lawsuits followed. But so too would come the realisation that he couldn't run from the man in the mirror. In this powerful, open and honest memoir, Sonny Bill shares the triumphs and missteps of his extraordinary sporting life and reveals how faith and family have made him the man he is today. __________ Sonny Bill Williams is a once in a generation athlete - a player with immense sporting talent in rugby league, rugby union and boxing. In his remarkable career, he has won World Cups with the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015 and helped the Kiwis reach the 2013 final of the rugby league equivalent. Compelling and searingly honest, You Can't Stop the Sun from Shining is essential reading for any sports fan.

17. Belonging

by Alun Wyn Jones

€13.99 €21.00

Alun Wyn Jones is the most capped rugby player of all time. Seen by many as one of the greatest ever Welsh players, he has won three Grand Slams for Wales and was named the best player of the 2019 Six Nations Championship.Born in Swansea, AWJ made his test debut for Wales in June 2006 against Argentina, and came to prominence in the 2007 campaign before Wales won the Grand Slam in 2008. And he has not looked back. In March 2009 against Italy he captained the Welsh side for the first time before being selected on the 2009 Lions Tour of South Africa. He was subsequently selected for the 2013 Lions Tour of Australia and the 2017 Lions Tour of New Zealand. On 31 October 2020, against Scotland, he became the most capped rugby player of all time, with 149 caps.Brilliant, honest and combative, his autobiography, written with Tom Fordyce, is the story of one of the most compelling and singular figures in rugby. Told with unflinching honesty, this is the ultimate book for all fans of the sport.