Sportbiographien

Colin McRae, the 1995 World Rally Champion, was the most spectacular rally driver. His natural speed and win-or-bust approach made him the favourite of rally fans worldwide. The word McRae became superfl uous in the end, Colin was... just Colin. On rally stages, the words: "Colin's coming...¿ meant one thing - the spectators looked longer, harder and took a cautious step backwards, just in case. Colin drove for a variety of top teams including Ford, Citroën, Ferrari, Nissan and ¿koda. However this fl ying-Scotsman is best remembered for his exploits in blue and yellow Subarus. Away from driving, Colin brought rallying to a younger generation as the fi gurehead of a successful computer game bearing his name. Colin McRae had two well-known sayings, one being: "If in doubt, fl at out¿ and the other: "We're here for a good time, not a long time.¿ Sadly the latter became all too true, when on September 15, 2007 the 39-year-old Scot was killed instantly in a helicopter accident. This book details the real Colin McRae, from his humble beginnings to global fame through world championship success. It explains his natural talent, fl amboyant driving style and epic wins as well as his rivalries, friendships and spectacular crashes. This book uncovers every aspect of Colin's character, with a collection of personal stories, told by family and friends who knew him best. And there are the previously untold stories,like the time Prince William asked to meet the Scot. McRae - Just Colin provides a rare insight into McRae's infectious personality. McKlein Photography, and in particular another Colin [McMaster], worked closely with McRae throughout his rally career. The best of McKlein's photo archive has been used to lavishly illustrate all these fascinating stories. Much of the private and behind-the-scenes photography shown in this book has never previously been published.

Aus der Tristesse des polnischen Sozialismus,aus den grauen Industriegebieten und der von Krieg und Unterdrückung schwergezeichneten Gesellschaft, steigen die polnischen Alpinisten der 1970er- und 1980er-Jahre in den Himmel des Himalaya: Ihnen gelingen härteste Wände an den Achttausendern; als erste ersteigen sie die höchsten Gipfel der Erde imWinter. Ihre Unverwüstlichkeit und Härte wird legendär. So erobert Jerzy Kukuczka kurz nach ReinholdMessner alle 14 Achttausender der Erde - aber meist auf äusserst schwierigen Routen oder im Winter. Wanda Rutkiewicz wird zur erfolgreichsten weiblichen Höhenbergsteigerin. Und Voytek Kurtyka setzt neue Massstäbe im Alpinstil. Um ihre Expeditionen organisieren und finanzieren zu können, entwickeln die Bergsteiger nicht nur eine phänomenale organisatorische und politische Findigkeit, sondern werden heimlich marktwirtschaftlich tätig. Während die meisten Polen hinter dem eisernen Vorhang festsitzen, fahren die Bergsteiger nach Westeuropa, Alaska, Neuseeland,Pakistan, Nepal und Indien, wo sie einen Gipfel nach dem anderen besteigen. Staat und Alpinismus bilden eine denkwürdige Symbiose, von der beide auf ihre eigene Art und Weise profitieren. Bernadette McDonalds Buch erzählt, wie es diesen Bergsteigern gelang, Mangel in Erfolg, Nachteile in Vorteile, Repression in Freiheit zu verwandeln. Es berichtet von Routen, die an der Grenze des Menschenmöglichen stehen; an der Scheide zwischen Leben und Tod. Ein persönliches und starkes Buch, das den Mensch hinter der Legende, die Zusammenhänge hinter den Fakten aufzeigt: fesselnd geschrieben, faszinierend von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite. Ein Buch, das von Abenteuer, Politik, Leidenschaft, Zähigkeit, von Leben, Tod und der Freiheit in den Bergen erzählt.

Am 12. Oktober 1972 stürzt eine Chartermaschine mit einem uruguayischen Rugbyteam sowie deren Freunden und Angehörigen an Board mitten in den schneebedeckten Gipfeln der Anden ab. 3657 Meter über dem Meeresspiegel müssen die Überlebenden den Kampf gegen den Tod aufnehmen - ohne Nahrungsmittel und ohne Hoffnung auf Hilfe. Sie müssen eiskalte Temperaturen und tödliche Lawinen überstehen, um dann zu erfahren, dass die Suche nach ihnen aufgegeben wurde. Daraufhin wagen drei von ihnen den lebensgefährlichen und heimtückischen Abstieg, um doch noch Hilfe zu finden. Währenddessen müssen die Zurückgebliebenen eine unfassbare Entscheidung treffen, um das eigene Überleben zu sichern...Dieser Bestseller wurde weltweit bereits über 5 Millionen Mal verkauft und mit Ethan Hawke in der Hauptrolle packend verfilmt.

Robert Enke war eine außergewöhnliche Persönlichkeit im deutschen Tor. Mit 20 berufen, für den  legendären FC Barcelona zu spielen, war er mit 25 ein vergessenes Talent. Als es schon fast zu spät schien, etablierte er sich doch noch als Weltklassetorwart. Ronald Reng - Journalist, Torwart und ein Freund Enkes - schildert Erfolge und Misserfolge, aber vor allem erzählt er die Geschichte hinter dem öffentlichen Menschen, von seinen Hoffnungen und Schicksalsschlägen. Enkes Selbstmord berührte und erschütterte Deutschland weit über die Welt des Fußballs hinaus.

Als Junge hat er bloß gern Fußball gespielt. Jetzt ist Philipp Lahm Kapitän der deutschen Fußball-Nationalmannschaft und des FC Bayern München. Wie gelingt so eine Karriere als Spitzenfußballer? Und was muss ein moderner Fußballer dafür alles mitbringen? Philipp Lahm berichtet in vielen überraschenden Details über seinen Aufstieg vom Nachwuchsspieler des FC Bayern zu einem der besten Außenverteidiger der Welt. Er erzählt von unvergesslichen Momenten deutscher Fußballgeschichte und schildert, was hinter den Kulissen von Bundesliga, Champions-League und großen Turnieren geschieht. Und er beantwortet entscheidende Fragen: Welchen Anforderungen muss ein Spitzenfußballer heute genügen? Was bedeutet es, permanent in der Öffentlichkeit zu stehen? Was heißt es, im richtigen Moment Zivilcourage zu zeigen - und wie kann man als Einzelner eine ganze Mannschaft mitreißen? Philipp Lahm zeigt nicht nur auf dem Platz, was es heißt, Verantwortung zu übernehmen, sondern auch in diesem Buch. »Der feine Unterschied« hilft mit, die Welt des Fußballs besser zu verstehen. Kinder und Jugendliche, die Fußball spielen, können das Buch als Gebrauchsanweisung für ihre eigene Karriere lesen. Fans erkennen plötzlich Zusammenhänge, die sie so noch nie gesehen haben. Für alle anderen ist »Der feine Unterschied« eine authentische Einführung in den populärsten Sport der Welt.

Der bekannteste und beliebteste DDR-Athlet berichtet über seine Zeit als aktiver Sportler, über Friedensfahrten und Weltmeisterschaften. Täves Leben für den Sport hat ihn auch in die Politik geführt. Zu seinem 80. Geburtstag zieht Täve erneut Bilanz, prüft seine Haltung und seine Überzeugungen anhand der Erfahrungen der letzten Jahre, und der Leser kann nicht umhin, vor diesem großartigen Sportler, dem aufrechten Menschen, dem bescheidenen Freund - vor diesem reichen Leben den Hut zu ziehen.

The most unlikely Hall of Famer Dave Bancroft should not be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He emerged from his Iowa hometown as an undersized shortstop without batting skills. Signed by one of the 300-plus minor league teams at age 17 in 1909, he lasted only three weeks before being cut, then joined another team and was released again. His rise to become enshrined in Cooperstown as one of baseball's all-time greats was unfathomable. More importantly, baseball placed Bancroft at the game's best vantage point across nearly one century. This view allowed him to observe the modern evolution of the game through international travel, the fallout of two world wars, racism, women's rights and the Great Depression. He met practically every renowned person connected to pro baseball . . . and countless others with astounding backgrounds and fates. He greeted royalty and presidents, film stars and music sensations, boxing champs and snake oil chumps, needy kids and spoiled moguls. Along the way, Bancroft:--Changed how shortstop was played--Became a groundbreaking switch hitter--Earned the flattering but bizarre nickname "Beauty"--Delivered the most precise support of the designated hitter 50 years before it happened--Played in a 51-minute, 9-inning game--Managed three women's professional baseball league teams--Suffered one the sport's most vicious attacks from another player during a game--Appeared on what may have been baseball's first TV broadcast--Played every inning in four World Series, including three extraordinary matchups between the New York Giants and New York Yankees in the early 1920s--Attended several of the earliest night-game experiments--Holds the longest-standing season record for fielding chances by a shortstop--Remains the only player to hit six singles in a nine-inning game and score in four straight innings. Bancroft thrived as a major New York sports hero and languished on dangerous bus rides as manager of the minor league St. Cloud Rox. With his health failing on January 31, 1971, he ate a chicken dinner with his devoted wife, Edna, of 60 years when the phone rang at their modest northern Wisconsin home. Dave listened and spoke softly. "Oh, my God," he told the caller, "that's the nicest thing I've ever heard." He made the Hall of Fame.

It's said that amazing things happen when you're in the right place at the right time. Right place, right time was a reality one early morning as I walked down the shed row of the barn at the racetrack toward my boss, Jim. I will never forget him looking up from the newspaper and saying to me, "e;Well, jock, do you want to ride races?"e; I was so angry when he said that because in those days, women were not allowed to be jockeys. I remember thinking, I am as good as any guy on a horse but I can't ride races because it is a male dominated sport. Jim looked at me and said, "e;Look at this article in the paper."e; Sure enough, a woman, Kathy Kusner, had applied for a jockey license. This would change history, my life, and the lives of many other women who wanted to pursue non-traditional careers. I am the 4th woman jockey in US history to ride and win a race at a recognized track. I am also the first woman jockey to win races in Arizona and Colorado, and the first woman jockey to become a member of the male Jockey Guild. It has been over 50 years since I rode my first race. Since I'm not getting any younger, I decided it was about time that I wrote my story, because it is so unique. Hope you have as much fun reading it as I did living it.

La vita è un patrimonio Mondiale, la verità è un patrimonio mondiale. Il Maestro di Arti Marziali è un uomo che conserva la vita. Il Maestro delle Arti Marziali è un uomo che vive alla ricerca della verità. Ogni Maestro di Arti Marziali è un patrimonio mondiale. Egli è l'umile custode "del Gesto" che racchiude la storia e la tradizione del Mondo. Egli non ricerca una verità materiale, egli non ricerca una verità esoterica. Egli, silenziosamente, cerca di migliorare la vita in ogni singolo uomo perché ogni singola vita ha bisogno di una guida e la vita, racchiude milioni di grandi verità...

A Martial Arts Legend Meets the King of Rock 'n RollDave Hebler, a surviving member of the Memphis Mafia, was Elvis' Kenpo Karate instructor and personal bodyguard on tour, on the road and at home from 1972-1976. This book illustrates how Elvis used many moves he learned from Hebler on stage to drive fans wild. It also contains new information about how martial arts informed Elvis Presley's life."Dave Hebler's The King's Bodyguard will serve as an inspiration to many martial arts fans and aspiring fighters for his tenacity and loyalty, and as a standup Kenpo Karate pioneer. He earned the right to defend the King of Rock 'n Roll."- Donnie Williams, Bishop and Co-Founder of the BFK (Black Karate Federation) Grand Master 10th degree Kenpo, martial arts Hall of Fame member, actor - "Enter The Dragon", "A Force Of One." "Elvis could not have made a better choice of people to guard him against harm. Dave Hebler lives by the code of the Bushido, the ancient Japanese set of ethics for samurai warriors, although our Art doesn't require it. He's as loyal as a Pitbull and twice as fierce under fire. The King was always in good hands when Dave Hebler was on the job." - Chuck Sullivan, Filmmaker, Author, and a Grandmaster 10th Degree Black Belt and longest documented practitioner of Kenpo Karate in the United States"Dave Hebler's The King's Bodyguard brings me all the way back to the golden days of martial arts and Kenpo karate. Dave's account is authentic and stirring."- Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, Actor and Pioneer Martial Artist, World Middleweight Kickboxing Champion and Professional Karate Association World full-contact Karate ChampionDAVE HEBLER is the author of The Elvis Experience (2018) and three other books: Solutions, Making it out Alive, and How to Survive Encounters of the Worst Kind. He is also co-author of Elvis What Happened? He lives in Wichita Falls, Texas.

"...by far the most valuable book ever written on Palmer." -John Markon, Richmond Times-DispatchArnie: Inside the Legend is the most definitive and personal answer ever written to the question, "What is Arnold Palmer really like?" Unlike other books on Palmer, it does not focus on his golf game. Instead, it views him as a man-his relationships with his friends, golfing colleagues, business partners, and family.The result is a portrait of a Palmer whose fans-"Arnie's Army"-adore him, including, for instance, a woman hit on the shoulder by an errant drive in 1988. When Arnie arrived at the scene, she pointed to her shoulder and gushed, "This is such an honor to be hit by you. This is the greatest day of my life!" Arnie gave her a gallant kiss on the cheek, then gave her the ball as a souvenir. Respect and affection flow back and forth between Palmer and his fans in a way unprecedented in modern sports.Also included in Arnie: Inside the Legend are stories of how Palmer handles success and failure off the golf course and of his longstanding rivalry with Jack Nicklaus. Arnie: Inside the Legend is the next best thing to a long conversation with Palmer about his life and career, hopes and dreams.

Born of engineers and technicians, motorcycles exist in a state of mechanical bliss, forever coaxing, you know you want to ride me, unleash my MAGIC. Set my GPS for a distant land or explore a local trail. Give society's laws and norms the outlaw finger as we go. If you want me, I'll be here.From the author of Scraping Pegs, The Truth About Motorcycles comes the rest of the story. Is it possible to overcome the trauma of a stag bent on destruction to rediscover the wonders of riding?The Joy of Motorcycles is about what happens and what is heard when one lives with bikes. A romping account of the dilemmas, triumphs, realities, and traditions of motorcycling. An Inquiry into Joy.Hop on. With an off-beat sensibility, the trip may get bumpy, so hold on tight. Scrape your pegs on the Road to Joy.

"Intelligent Influence In Baseball is a novel concept that goes beyond statistics and anecdotes and has something for everyone, from fans just learning about the game to the most diehard among us."-Mike Lynch, Founder and President of Seamheads.comBaseball is a game played by teams, but it is the individual players, managers, and coaches who eventually become the focal point of our attention. While we as fans each have a favorite team-leading some to callously say that we are rooting for laundry and logos-it is the players who provide the human quality with which we can truly identify. If we didn't know about the players, their strengths and weaknesses and their personality traits and quirks, we would likely lose interest rather quickly in watching the games. When all is said and done, it is the players, and our knowledge of them, that truly drive our interest in the sport, says the foreword. This insightful book delivers on that promise. We say, Play ball!

Six Decades of Shelby performance—from the first Shelby AC Cobra to today’s Mustang Shelby GT500! A bad heart forced Carroll Shelby, one of the top racing drivers of all time, to retire in 1960. But that didn’t stop the lanky Texan from continuing to make history. He launched Shelby American in 1962 with the creation of the brilliant Ford-powered AC Cobra, soon to dominate both U.S. and international sports car racing. Shelby’s winning ways soon led to Ford seeking Shelby’s team of “hot rodders” help to make the Ford GT program a success. It worked. Shelby and Ford soon stunned the motorsports world by winning Le Mans and dominating other venues from 1966 to 1969 with the GT40. Fifty-three years later the legendary first Le Mans win of 1966 would form the basis for the acclaimed filmFord Versus Ferrari. As if the Cobra, Daytona Coupe, and GT40 were not enough, this small team of hot rodders, fabricators, and race mechanics also created the Shelby Mustang GT350 in 1965, and the GT500 two years later. Shelby American was nothing short of lightning in a bottle from 1962-1970.Shelby American 60 Years of High Performance covers all of these early triumphs, following the proceedings from a small shop in Venice, California, to sprawling digs at LAX all the while developing new road cars, running a top race team, and giving privateer racers the cars they needed to win. Get to know Shelby, as well as the innovators who surrounded him, including designer Peter Brock, genius engineer Phil Remington, “Mr. GT350” Chuck Cantwell, and a roster of top drivers that included Ken Miles, Bob Bondurant, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, and more.   Authors Colin Comer and Rick Kopec, leading Shelby historians, follow the Shelby story through Carroll’s post-Ford relationship with Dodge, including his roles in the giant-killing, pocket-rocket Shelby Charger, GLH (“Goes Like Hell”), and GLH-S cars along with a slew of other Shelby-ized machines including his role in the birth and development of the menacing Dodge Viper.   The story of the late Carroll Shelby and the company he founded is a classic tale of ingenuity, grit, and perseverance. Illustrated throughout with rare period imagery and modern color photography, Shelby American 60 Years of High Performance is the ultimate tribute to Shelby American and the team that made it all happen.  

"As my grandmother told me, remember that it''s not about you when you''re trying to open the door for people. In football, he''s opening the door and paving the road that other people had to walk on gravel. Greg did the gravel work and they''re able to walk on a paved road ."-Nolan Richardson, Hall of Fame and National Champion Coachat the University of Arkansas"Growing up in San Angelo, Texas, the son of Allie Thomas, a Hall of Famer and state champion coach, Greg was influenced greatly by his father. The atmosphere helped to shape Greg into an outstanding athlete, quarterback and leader. Along with his very capable writer, Leland Barclay, Greg has painted a picture of what he experienced through this exciting adventure. Greg points out vividly the good, the bad, the high and lows of his fascinating Arkansas journey."-Jimmie Keeling, former Head Coach Hardin SimmonsTexas High School Hall of Farner, Retired Coach"Greg met every challenge that I was aware that he faced. From my perspective; he addressed the question, the interviews, the doubts and the uncertainties, but to be the first Black starting quarterback at Arkansas was so magnified. What I remember is how Greg handled that process with class and with grace."-Bill Rogers, former University Arkansas Assistant Sports Dir."Ken Hatfield showed up at my office wanting to see some game film on Greg. The coaches were unavailable so I took him to the football office and put on the playoff game with Plainview on the projector. Early in the first quarter the safety hit Greg with a vicious hit under the chin. Greg popped up, pitched the ball to the official, patted the safety on the back and jogged to the huddle. Hatfield said, ''turn it off, he can play for me.'' As I think back, I can''t remember a time Greg failed to get up, on the field or in life."-Skip Casey, Former San Angelo Central High Head Principal

An author with a reckless past set his fiction aside to tackle a critical mission: Help those around him struggling with head trauma and chart a way forward.But a fateful visit to the doctor upended his entire world...Former fighter and Ivy League football player Mark Tullius wanted to support his friends with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). But when presented with a scan of his own grey matter, his life changed forever. After years of lying to himself and insisting he felt fine, Mark had to face the fact that his time on the field and in the cage had caused potentially irreparable damage inside his skull.Tired of throwing in the towel when things get difficult, Mark committed to make his recovery an adventure in health, happiness, and self-discovery. And now he's sharing his journey, research, and joy with you, hoping that you, too, can recover and walk out of the darkness. A powerful balance of scientific fact and personal triumph, this testament to the strength of the human spirit is impossible to put down.If you want a change of pace from heavy medical tomes about TBI and CTE, Mark's true and incredible saga is a life-changing "must read!""It provides a road map of experience that is unparalleled in health literature, offering both thought-provoking assessments and hope to all ages who either participate in sports or are recovering from head injury. It should be in any health collection, as well as in libraries strong in memoirs containing deep psychological self-assessments." - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review"A gut-wrenchingly honest look at the ultimate nightmare- the betrayal of one's own body. Mark's confrontations with the repercussions of a combat and contact-sport-driven youth lead to an optimistic and information-laden investigation into the emerging treatments for CTE and TBI and related injuries." Sam Sheridan, author of A Fighter's Heart, The Fighter's Mind and The Disaster Diaries"Mark has made an extremely thorough analysis of causes, manifestations, and treatment of TBI. His passionate approach has inspired me to reexamine my own knowledge base on this topic, both as a mixed martial arts physician and as a combat veteran. This book is a must read for anyone who seeks to understand TBI and CTE on a deeper level" - Mike Simpson, M.D., Major, US Army (Retired) author of Honed: Finding Your Edge as a Man Over 40Don't wait - Click the BUY button now!