Archive Top 10

November 2004

'NUMBER THREE IN THE TOP TEN SPORTS BOOKS, THE GUARDIAN, 27, Sept 2004

'You might expect a book focusing on supporters' thoughts called WE ARE TOTTENHAM to carry a subtitle like "Grumbling on the Shell" rather than "Voices from White Hart Lane". But Martin Cloake and Adam Powley's review of Tottenham's 2003-04 season is an unexpectedly light-hearted and amusing read, as well as being an acute summary of Tottenham's most recent campaign of low points.'
The Sunday Times

'Funny, opinionated and boasting a foreword by Hunter Davies, the book is a tribute to fans' commitment, energy - and patience.'
Time Out

The story of the Hearts, Tottenham and Derby legend who inspired all three sides to the championship.'
Four Four Two

'If you need your faith in football restored read THE REAL MACKAY.'
The Sunday People

'A thoroughly good read about one of the sport's true legends.'
East Anglian Daily Telegraph

'The book's appeal lies in these lengthy post-meltdown interviews that Rostron... has secured... these illuminating testimonies make the book a worthy purchase for those who want to pick through the wreckage guided by eye-witnesses.'
When Saturday Comes

'As you would expect from a writer who is Sports Editor of the YEP, he has gained good access to the cast of players and some interesting smippets are included. Very few of the leading characters emerge with a great deal of credit ... die-hard Leeds fans could always usse it as a substitute for Stephen King the next time they want a good horror yarn to read.'
The Leeds Guide

SHADOWS is the life story of Alan Barker, a Belfast boy who dreamed from an early age of a career in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. It charts his childhood spent in the Middle East, his return to school in Belfast and his experiences as a teenager growing up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Following a flirtation with the loyalist fringe, Barker fulfilled his dream of becoming a police officer. His personal battle against terrorism led him to join the RUC's most elite department, the Special Branch. The 'Branch' subsequently became Barker's life as he and his colleagues were charged with the task of combating terrorism by infiltrating agents into the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).

'A fascinating new book.'
Sunday World

'What Jack Alexander gives us is an intriguing and often moving history...Alexander's book is full of absorbing stories. He claims that it was 16 years in the writing and I believe him. Judging by the footnotes, appendices, bibliographies and acknowledgements his research was extraordinary.'
Scottish Sunday Herald

'this book is of wider interest than just to Hearts fans or students of Edinburgh's history. Anyone who wants to see how a team of footballers can translate that familiar sporting cliche of "taking the fight to the opposition" into reality should read it. This is, quite simply, the best football-related book of the year.'
Times of London

One of the wittiest and warmest debuts I've ever read'
Olivia Goldsmith, author of The First Wives Club

'Given the outrageous shallowness of the topic, she does, in fact, pull off a passable, funny autobiography about her successful quest for a man.'
The Glasgow Herald

'Hilarious, honest and hopeful . . . This book made me laugh out loud'
ABC Radio Networks

AMONGST THE MARINES is Steven Preece's first-hand account of his time as an elite Royal Marine Commando. He delivers an unflinching depiction of the often shocking lifestyle of the Marines, from foul practical jokes and rough justice to the off-duty orgies of drink, sex and violence, and explains the impact this had on his own behaviour.

Preece earned the coveted Green Beret when he was 18 and soon discovered that violence in the Marines was not limited to the battlefield but a continual part of a culture of bullying and aggression. It did not take long for him to be accepted into this culture and to adopt it as his own. On duty he was fit, committed and loyal, while off duty he displayed a mammoth capacity for drinking, fighting and womanising. His risk-taking eventually led him to be court-martialled, though he was finally acquitted. Amongst the Marines is a no-holds-barred exposé of the many shocking incidents Preece witnessed and participated in, from his first day as a new recruit to his exit from the Marines with his reputation intact and his scores settled once and for all.

'This book could not be more timely as the war against terror rumbles on across the globe...Doyle is an investigative journalist who has tried to penetrate the internal workings of al Qaeda and illuminate the murky world of international terrorism...This is a gripping look at the greatest threat to international stability since the Cold War.'
The Glasgow Herald

'Neil Doyle has pioneered a new and vital form of internet-based investigative journalism which has enabled him to penetrate the dark heart of online fundamentalism.'
Sunday Times

'John Updike - among others - likened him to a saint. Whether it is possible to amass a fortune of $400 million, thread oneself through the eye of a needle and enter the kingdom of heaven with one's halo undimmed is a moot point. However in the opinion of James Mackay, the latest biographer of Andrew Carnegie, the diminutive Dunfermline-born entrepreneur, the answer is a resounding negative...Mackay's title, LITTLE BOSS, was the affectionate nickname given to Carnegie by the men in his Pittsburgh foundry. Mackay applies it pejoratively and patronisingly...But even Mackay must admit that Carnegie 'successfully divested himself of the bulk of his wealth'. It is a rare economium, Mackay, whose biographies - Burns, Pinkerton, Robert Service, William Wallace, Michael Collins, etc - roll off the production line like Model T's at Ford, can barely bring himself to say a good word about his subject.'
The Observer, Alan Taylor

'Blackie...is an exceptional human being. I am privileged to have met him and will always treasure his friendship.'
Jonny Wilkinson, The Sunday Times

'Black has been named as one of the key factors behind Rugby World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson's success. This engaging biography documents Black's journey from life as a bouncer on the streets of Newcastle to the global sporting achievements that followed, making his book an inspirational read for anyone who seeks success.'
Rugby

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