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  Hanging On - A life inside...

  Martin Boysen

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  The start of a love affair. 'I kicked off my shoes and prepared to climb in stocking feet, aware of an enormous sense of occasion as I laid hands on the rock and stepped up on the first rounded hold. It was not a hard climb but that was unimportant. I felt instinctively at home and at the finish experienced such a surge of happy elation that I knew then I was committed to climbing.' Martin Boysen's passion for crags and mountains springs from his deep love of nature and a strong sense of adventure. From his early days on rock as a Kent schoolboy after the war, he was soon among the most gifted climbers of his or any generation, famed for his silky technique. Boysen made a huge contribution to British rock climbing, especially in North Wales; he discovered Gogarth in the 1960s and climbed some of the best new routes of his era: Nexus on Dinas Mot, The Skull on Cyrn Las and the magisterial Capital Punishment on Ogwen's Suicide Wall. For more than two decades, Boysen was also one of Britain's leading mountaineers. A crucial member of Sir Chris Bonington's team that climbed the South Face of Annapurna in 1970, Boysen was also part of Bonington's second summit team on the South West face of Everest. In 1976 he made the first ascent of Trango Tower with Joe Brown. Along the way, Boysen climbed with some of the most important figures in the history of the sport, not just stars like Bonington and Brown, but those who make climbing so rich and intriguing, like Nea Morin and the brilliant but doomed Gary Hemming. He joined Hamish MacInnes hunting gold in Ecuador, doubled for Clint Eastwood on the North Face of the Eiger and worked on director Fred Zinnemann's last movie. Wry, laconic and self-deprecating, Martin Boysen's Hanging On is an insider's account of British climbing's golden age.

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  Opening Day - The Story of...

  Jonathan Eig

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  April 15, 1947, marked the most important opening day in baseball history. When Jackie Robinson stepped onto the diamond that afternoon at Ebbets Field, he became the first black man to break into major-league baseball in the twentieth century. World War II had just ended. Democracy had triumphed. Now Americans were beginning to press for justice on the home front-and Robinson had a chance to lead the way.He was an unlikely hero. He had little experience in organized baseball. His swing was far from graceful. And he was assigned to play first base, a position he had never tried before that season. But the biggest concern was his temper. Robinson was an angry man who played an aggressive style of ball. In order to succeed he would have to control himself in the face of what promised to be a brutal assault by opponents of integration.In Opening Day, Jonathan Eig tells the true story behind the national pastime's most sacred myth. Along the way he offers new insights into events of sixty years ago and punctures some familiar legends. Was it true that the St. Louis Cardinals plotted to boycott their first home game against the Brooklyn Dodgers? Was Pee Wee Reese really Robinson's closest ally on the team? Was Dixie Walker his greatest foe? How did Robinson handle the extraordinary stress of being the only black man in baseball and still manage to perform so well on the field? Opening Day is also the story of a team of underdogs that came together against tremendous odds to capture the pennant. Facing the powerful New York Yankees, Robinson and the Dodgers battled to the seventh game in one of the most thrilling World Series competitions of all time.Drawing on interviews with surviving players, sportswriters, and eyewitnesses, as well as newly discovered material from archives around the country, Jonathan Eig presents a fresh portrait of a ferocious competitor who embodied integration's promise and helped launch the modern civil rights era. Full of new details and thrilling action, Opening Day brings to life baseball's ultimate story.

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  Play Better Squash

  John Beddington

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  Play Better Squash is the ideal book for everyone who plays, or wants to play, squash. How to play the strokes ... where to place the ball ... tactics and practice ... court behaviour ... fitness and training ... marking and refereeing. With helpful diagrams throughout, this instructional guide also contains the complete rules of squash and profiles on some of the greatest players and what makes them winners. Now completely revised and updated,
  Play Better Squash is an invaluable coach, guide and reference for every squash enthusiast, whether inexperienced beginner or accomplished player. Author John Beddington is an international sports and sponsorship management expert specialising in racket sports. 'It is a most excellent and comprehensive summation of the essentials of squash' Jonah Barrington, winner of the British Open title six times between 1967 and 1973

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  Isle of Man Car Races 1904 1953

  Neil Hanson

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  In 1904 the Isle of Man became the cradle of car racing in the British Isles when its self-governing status enabled the Island's public roads to be closed for motor racing. Starting in 1905, the Island's early Tourist Trophy car races led directly to the motorcycle TT Races which have continued virtually without interruption to this day. The Island's first phase of car racing extended from 1904 to 1922, on various TT courses varying in length from 52 to 37 miles. Racing resumed from 1933 to 1937 on street circuits through Douglas and Onchan and a third series of races took place between 1947 and 1953 on the Willaston Circuit on the outskirts of Douglas. This book tells in detail the story of the Island races, the drivers, the cars, the fights against political opposition and the contribution made by the Island's races to the development of production cars over fifty years.

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  More Than a Game - Living with...

  Archie Macpherson

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  'This is like a scene from Apocalypse Now'
  
  Archie Macpherson examines the story of football's most explosive rivalry - Celtic v Rangers.
  
  In this book he centres on the infamous riot at the Old Firm Scottish Cup Final at Hampden on 10 May 1980, at which he was the match commentator, and which resulted in the banning of alcohol in football grounds.
  
  He explores his memories of the many clashes between the two clubs over his half-century broadcasting career.
  
  This leads him inevitably to the sources of the sectarianism which has characterised this fixture and the West of Scotland.
  
  He weaves his experiences, and those of others, into the complex tapestry of social issues and club loyalties and takes us through the wider political context: World War II, the invisible hand of Margaret Thatcher and Scotland's independence referendum.
  
  This vitriolic conflict is more than a game. It is a kaleidoscope of bitter dispute, and occasional violence, and Archie Macpherson provides a colourful insight into how it was to live with the Old Firm for over five decades.

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  HORSE RIDING FOR BEGINNERS -...

  Ethan Johnson

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  Developing a strong connection with your equine companion is essential to the development of a positive and productive rider- horse relationship. We can't stress enough how important it is to earn your horse's respect, build trust, and communicate effectively with him. In addition, we will instruct you on the fundamentals of horse handling and grooming so that you may develop a stronger connection with these amazing creatures. 
  As you make progress, we will gradually teach you to the many methods of equestrian riding. You will be instructed on how to mount and dismount a horse in a delicate way, as well as how to ride with correct posture and balance. In this book, we will explore rein aids and teach you how to successfully communicate with your horse through the use of subtle clues. We will teach you how to securely control your horse's speed and movement by guiding you through the various gaits and transitions, with a particular emphasis on the walk, trot, canter, and gallop. 
  In addition to the fundamentals, we will instruct you on more advanced riding skills such as riding in circles and straight lines, as well as introducing you to lateral movements such as leg yield and shoulder-in. We briefly discuss the world of jumping and provide those who are interested a glance into the thrill and technique involved in this amazing activity and discipline. 

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