*Available for Pre-Order Now* They don't make footballers - and football autobiographies - like this anymore. The brutally honest, riotously entertaining story of the much-loved Everton legend and iconic Premier League bad boy.'A hell of a read. I couldn't recommend it more' Gary Lineker 'A legend' Carlo Ancelotti‘One of life's good guys. Kind and generous. I loved my time playing up front with the Big Man...As you can imagine, I'd much rather him be a teammate than be an opponent. ' Alan Shearer‘Duncan Ferguson is an iconic figure for Evertonians as a great number 9...Big Dunc loves the scousers & the scousers love him!’ Jamie Carragher____________________________________________________________________Praised by Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson as one of the greatest and most passionate players to ever play the game, Duncan Ferguson, or Big Dunc as he is known, is larger than life in every sense. Measuring a towering 6 feet 4 inches in height, from the moment the striker emerged in British football in the 1990s, he was front and back page news. On the pitch, fans loved Duncan for his roguish charm, his thrilling goals and his total commitment in every game. Fighting tooth and nail, he was a born leader and took no prisoners. Like his rival Roy Keane, he played close to the limit, and often crossed it. Such as the time he was sentenced to 3 months in Glasgow’s toughest prison for headbutting an opponent – the first and only time a footballer has ever gone to jail for a crime committed on a football pitch.In BIG DUNC: The Upfront Autobiography, Duncan reveals, for the first time, the full story: the truth about his experiences in prison, his partying with African princes and Liverpool gangsters, his fighting with burglars, his making and losing a fortune, and how he turned his life around through his beloved Everton F.C.. In the process, the book sheds light on one of football’s most charismatic but notorious and enigmatic hardmen. He is a pillar of the community in Merseyside, giving back to stricken children who share a similar tough upbringing to his own. Duncan's book takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of humour, drama and redemption. Buckle up.‘Duncan is possibly the most misunderstood man in football. His football IQ and knowledge of the game is second to none, couple that with the person he is and you’ve got nothing but quality.’ Tony Bellew Read more

NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING STEVE COOGAN AND JONATHAN PRYCEThis is the true story of the unlikely friendship between a flightless bird and a teacher out of his depth…'So touching that I didn't want it to end. I really loved this book' Michael Bond, creator of Paddington'Heartwarmingly eccentric' Guardian'Charming' Daily Mail-Tom Michell is in his roaring twenties: single, free-spirited and seeking adventure. He has a plane ticket to South America, a teaching position in a prestigious Argentine boarding school, and endless summer holidays.What he doesn't need is a pet. What he really doesn't need is a pet penguin.But while on holiday in Uruguay he spots a penguin struggling in an oil slick and knows he has to help. And then the penguin refuses to leave his side . . .Clearly Tom has no choice but to smuggle it across the border, through customs, and back to school. He names him Juan Salvador.Whether it's as the rugby team's mascot, the housekeeper's confidant, the host at Tom's parties or the most flamboyant swimming coach in world history, Juan Salvador transforms the lives of all he meets - including Tom, who discovers a compadre like no other . . .–Readers adore The Penguin Lessons:'I can't remember the last time I read a book that made me smile so continuously' 5***** Reader Review'How could a penguin transform so many lives? Read it and see. You'll not regret it' 5***** Reader Review'Delightful, uplifting, enjoyable, fun and beautifully written' 5***** Reader ReviewPraise for The Penguin Lessons'Lively and endearing' Publishers Weekly'Warm and unique ... it's hard not to wish you were there' Bookseller'One of the most touching tales we've read all year' Heat Read more

NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING STEVE COOGAN AND JONATHAN PRYCETHIS IS THE TRUE STORY OF THE UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN A FLIGHTLTESS BIRD AND A TEACHER OUT OF HIS DEPTH . . . 'I can't remember the last time I read a book that made me smile so continuously' 5***** Reader Review 'How could a penguin transform so many lives? Read it and see. You'll not regret it' 5***** Reader Review 'Delightful, uplifting, enjoyable, fun and beautifully written' 5***** Reader Review_______Tom Michell is in his roaring twenties: single, free-spirited and seeking adventure. He has a plane ticket to South America, a teaching position in a prestigious Argentine boarding school, and endless summer holidays. What he doesn't need is a pet. What he really doesn't need is a pet penguin. But while on holiday in Uruguay he spots a penguin struggling in an oil slick and knows he has to help. And then the penguin refuses to leave his side . . . Clearly Tom has no choice but to smuggle it across the border, through customs, and back to school. He names him Juan Salvador. Whether it's as the rugby team's mascot, the housekeeper's confidant, the host at Tom's parties or the most flamboyant swimming coach in world history, Juan Salvador transforms the lives of all he meets - including Tom, who discovers a compadre like no other . . . _______ AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 2 'A much-beloved tale about a much-beloved bird . . . Heart-warmingly eccentric' Guardian 'So touching that I didn't want it to end. I really loved this book' Michael Bond, creator of Paddington 'Charming' Daily Mail 'One of the most touching tales we've read all year' Heat Read more

Discover the inspirational life of Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, who continues to carve her path with unparalleled brilliance and individuality. Growing up in foster care, Simone’s gymnastics training was an anchor in her life. She first tried the sport after visiting her local gym on a field trip. Coaches spotted her natural talent and, after years of hard work, she began winning world championships and Olympic gold medals. Widely cited as the greatest gymnast of all time, Simone is also an advocate for mental health awareness, having famously put her health before her sport by withdrawing from the 2020 Olympic finals. At the 2024 Olympics, Simone staged one of the most dramatic comebacks in sport history, propelling the U.S. team to win gold with her dazzling routines. This picture book tells her heroic story in a way that inspires young children to follow their dreams while taking care of themselves.This powerful book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the gymnast’s life.Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardback and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS! Read more

'This is the story of our ocean and we must write its next chapter together. For if we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I'm sure that nothing is more important.'From the icy seas of our poles to remote coral islands, David Attenborough has filmed in every ocean habitat on planet earth. Now, with long-term collaborator Colin Butfield, he shares the story of our last great wilderness - the one which shapes the land we live on, regulates our climate and creates the air we breathe.Dive into eight unique saltwater habitats, swim through kelp forest, mangroves and coral reefs and down almost 11,000 feet to the deepest corners of the most unexplored ecosystem on our planet.Experience a journey of wonder and discovery, populated by green turtles and blue whales; clownfish and bioluminescent jellyfish; the vampire squid and the 'head-less chicken monster' - a strange form of sea cucumber that lives at the very bottom of the ocean.With the warmth, intelligence and awe that characterises all of David Attenborough's landmark series, Ocean shows us a world which is both desperately fragile yet astonishingly resilient, with an extraordinary capacity to repair itself. It's not too late to restore our most vital habitat. If we treat it with respect, our marine world will be even richer and more spectacular than we can imagine.A book almost a century in the making, but one that has never been more urgently needed. Read more

A book like no other from one of the beautiful game’s most charismatic managers“From eccentric kit men to ghosts. From tea ladies to cats and dogs. From UFOs to moments in football that I will never forget – or in some cases live down…”Nobody does offbeat like Ian Holloway – known to one and all in football as ‘Ollie’.He has been dubbed as ‘inspirational’ by those who played for him, a ‘genius’ by those who owned the clubs he managed and made huge profits for, and a loveable rogue by football fans in general.Now, he turns that wisdom, passion for the game – and occasional feistiness – into a reflection of football that only he could provide.With over 100 topics covering everything from VAR to the Saudi Pro League – from FFP to man-buns, mullets, playing from the back, pundits, the penchant for employing Germanyouth coaches nobody has heard of, plus American ownership, The (mostly) Football World According to Ollie is a one-stop shop to the bonkers world of football and so much more.Add in the odd curveball of fishing, dad dancing, karaoke and his genuine love of women’s football and you have the perfect read or gift for any football fan. Read more

THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING, LIFE-CHANGING PHENOMENON – SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'A beautiful, gentle exploration of the dark season of life and the light of spring that eventually follows' RAYNOR WINN'My favourite book of the last five years' CAITLIN MORANWintering is a poignant and comforting meditation on the fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves. Katherine May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life.A moving personal narrative interwoven with lessons from literature, mythology and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas.Ultimately, Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.'Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself' ELIZABETH GILBERT'Absolutely beautiful' CHERYL STRAYEDNumber 1 Sunday Times bestseller, November 2024 Read more

Get ready to peek behind the scenes in this hilarious and not-so-secret diary from legendary Lioness Ella Toone.The Lionesses are heading into a big football tournament – and when I say big, I mean BIG. I’m so excited, but I’m nervous too. So my manager suggested I write all my feelings down in a diary.Now, I know a diary is meant to be top-secret, but I want to share this with YOU!So I’m going to write down EXACTLY what happens behind the scenes - the highs, the lows and the funny bits in-between - from the training sessions, to the funny pranks us Lionesses play on each other, to the pre-match meals and the post-match celebrations. And I’ll squeeze in a load of flashbacks too ... I have far too many amazing memories to keep to myself! Read more

FROM THE NO.1 FOOTBALL SERIES - OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD!Introducing the TOP BALLERS collection. Perfect for reluctant readers and all fans of the beautiful game.Name: Lamine YamalNationality: SpanishHero Rating: 88Proving a gifted footballer from the age of four, Lamine Yamal overcame adversity to sign with La Masia at the age of seven. A talented right winger, Yamal's pace and powerful long-range shots have propelled him in his career to become one of the best young footballers in the world.Follow the story of Lamine Yamal, ultimate football hero, from humble beginnings in Catalonia all the way to being named as UEFA Euro 2024's Young Player of the Tournament.world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.Collect them all! Also available in the TOP BALLERS range:Messi, Péle, Neymar, Maradonna, De Bruyne, Griezemann, Foden, Firmino, Coutinho and Pogba. Read more

Football School Star Players is part of the bestselling Football School series, which teaches you about the world through football, packed with superstar stories, fun facts and laugh-out-loud illustrations. Perfect for readers 7+ and recommended by the National Literacy Trust, BookTrust, the Premier League and parents and teachers.Get young fans dreaming big with this incredible collection of inspirational lives from the world of football.What made Pele the greatest player of all time? How did Harry Kane overcome the odds to win the Golden Boot? What is the secret behind Lionel Messi's outstanding success? And why is Megan Rapinoe so fearless in her beliefs? This collection of fifty biographies brings together the incredible true stories of the game's greatest legends who changed the world of football. Empowering and inspirational, this is the perfect book to get young fans dreaming big both on and off the pitch. “We love this book series!” Match of the Day Weekly “Intelligent, inspiring, funny” Head of Education, Premier League Collect the series! Football School Season 1­–4 Star Players Epic Heroes Football School Terrific Teams 20 Fantastic Football Stories The Amazing Quiz Book The Incredible Joke Book The Ultimate Puzzle Book The Greatest Ever Quiz Book – out in 2022! Read more

Messi v. Ronaldo: these football legends go head-to-head to decide who is the Greatest Of All Time!An ideal gift for football fans and perfect for reluctant readers.The new epic clash in The Football GOAT series written by Matt Oldfield, the bestselling author of Ultimate Football Heroes, and Seth Burkett, a former professional footballer. Get ready for the superstar showdown of Messi v. Ronaldo in the ultimate football debate. Compare all the latest data, including sizzling stats, fascinating facts and awesome stories, then decide which football legend is the greatest of all time.Are you ready to VOTE FOR THE GOAT? Read more

Unlock the Mental Edge: Transform Your Rugby PerformanceAre you ready to take your rugby game to the next level? Mental Fitness for Rugby Players is your go-to guide for mastering the mental side of the sport. In a game where confidence, focus, and quick decision-making are key, developing mental resilience is just as crucial as physical training. This book breaks down essential sports psychology techniques—like visualization, goal setting, positive self-talk, mindfulness, and emotional regulation—into practical, user-friendly language designed for athletes striving to reach their full potential.Featuring exclusive stories and tips from rugby legends like Dan Carter, Jonny Wilkinson, Antoine Dupont, and Portia Woodman, this guide shows you how the best in the game have mastered their mindset. Learn how to build resilience and grit to overcome setbacks, handle pressure, and stay motivated no matter the challenge. With effective pre-game routines and reflective practices, you’ll manage nerves and continuously learn from each performance. Backed by real-life examples and cutting-edge sports science, this book bridges the gap between knowledge and action.Packed with over thirty applicable activities, Mental Fitness for Rugby Players equips you with the tools you need to thrive both on and off the field. Whether you want to dominate on game day, build unshakeable confidence, or simply enjoy the sport more, this book will help you develop the mindset of a champion. Read more

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERONE OF THE FINANCIAL TIMES' BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 2024'HANDS DOWN THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT F1.' -Sam Walker, author of The Captain Class'MODERN F1 IS THE SPORTS STORY OF THIS ERA AND NO ONE COULD TELL IT BETTER' -Kevin Clark, ESPN'THE FASTEST READ YOU WILL EVER PICK UP' -A.J. Baime, author of Go Like HellF1 is now the fastest growing sport in the world; the full story of its unbelievable rise is a riveting saga only hinted at by the likes of Drive to Survive. In this book - the first, definitive account of how F1 came to achieve total global fandom - Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg take us inside a world full of racing obsessives, glamorous settings, petrolheads, engineering geniuses, dashing racers and bitter rivalries.The story of F1's world dominance is one of near-constant transformation and experimentation. This is a sport where the only way to win championships is to land a series of technical moon shots - and then do it all over again. With fast cars, big money, beautiful people, and glamorous locations from Monaco to Melbourne, The Formula tells the full, epic story of the sport. Starting in 1950s Britain, where six years of wartime engineering laid the foundations for a new type of motorcar racing; to the first global star partnership of Senna and Ecclestone; Spygate; Crashgate and its transition into an entertainment juggernaut. Bringing unique insight and access to F1's most storied teams and personalities - from Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton to Christian Horner and Daniel Ricciardo -The Formula offers a riveting portrait of the drivers, corporations, cars, rivalries, and audacious gambles that have shaped the sport for half a century.The end result is a high-octane history of how modern F1 racing came to be - the first book to tell the story of the outrageous successes and spectacular crashes that led F1 to this extraordinary yet precarious moment. More than just a sports story, it is the tale of a commercial empire, one built in the 20th century, rendered almost obsolete in the early 21st, and re-emerged world-dominant today; a disrupter that claimed its place in the crowded sports marketplace through cash, personality, and a new understanding of what a sport needs to be in the age of wall-to-wall entertainment. Read more

The unmissable new Sunday Times bestseller about life in elite motorsport, from the Formula 1 sensation and author Surviving To Drive, Guenther Steiner.With a foreword by Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 CEO Toto Wolff.Fasten your seatbelts as Formula 1's favourite underdog, Guenther Steiner, takes you on a wild, behind-the-scenes ride through his ten years at Team Haas.From the first seeds of his idea to establish a new F1 team, to the challenges of funding and building that team from the ground up, Guenther shares the real story of the origins of Team Haas, immersing readers in the highs and lows of its first decade on the grid, and opening up about his departure from the team at the end of 2023.As Guenther recalls his proudest achievements, as well as the many, many disasters he has faced, he takes readers behind the scenes, into the pit lanes and garages, and out on to the circuits of the world's greatest race tracks.Told in his inimitable style and packed with hugely entertaining stories, outspoken opinions and unvarnished truths, this is Guenther at his very best – insightful, opinionated and completely unfiltered.Praise for Surviving to Drive:‘A brilliant, brilliant book.’ Matt Baker, Sky Sport F1 Podcast‘A gleeful guide to a bonkers sport from a loveable rogue insider.’ The Times‘It's gripping to read. It's funny, it's real, it's exciting. It's a brilliant book.’ Chris Evans‘Lifts the lid on life as a Formula One team principal. The book gives us honest, unfiltered Steiner.’ The AthleticSurviving to Drive, Number 1 Sunday Times Bestseller, April 2023Unfiltered, Top 10 Sunday Times Bestseller, October 2024 Read more

Pablo Escobar had one obsession. Not drugs, not money, not power... football.Narcoball uncovers the incredible story of Colombian football during the early 1990s - shaped by drug lords, rivalries, and ambition. It uncovers a football empire backed by cartels - where victory was a currency of its own, and defeat, a matter of life and death.This is a different story of Pablo Escobar and his rivals. A tale of clandestine deals that reshaped Medellin's football clubs, where fortunes were won and lost. It unveils the extraordinary bonds that Escobar forged with football's luminaries and why his influence reached unprecedented heights, leading to the astonishing 5-0 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires, the murder of referees, and the ruthless coercion of officials culminating in the killing of Andrés Escobar - the Colombian defender who paid the ultimate price for an own goal in the 1994 World Cup. It is also an examination of a people's relationship with both the sport and the nefarious leaders that brought both pride and terror to their communities.Set against the U.S War on Drugs, international threats, and government clampdowns, this is a gripping exploration of Colombian club football under Escobar's rise and fall. Read more

The only authorised story of Pep Guardiola's triumphant reign at Manchester City: as close to Guardiola as you can get.'Write about everything you see. Be as critical as you like.' This is what Pep Guardiola told the journalist Marti Perarnau in 2023, when Perarnau arrived to spend a season as an insider at Bayern Munich. In the ten years since, he has followed Pep Guardiola across Europe, and since 2016 has been a fly on the wall at Manchester City, where Guardiola has broken records and revolutionised the Premier League with his radical managerial style.This is the long-awaited, access-all-areas story of Pep Guardiola's time at Manchester City, telling every twist and turn of their journey to the top and providing the definitive lessons of Guardiola's leadership. The only true insider account, it's an essential read for any football fan, and any reader in search of the lessons of one of sport's great leaders. Read more

A rare look into an enigmatic accountant from the Tennessee backwoods who morphs into Lazarus Lake, the world's most notorious race maker.The Endurance Artist is an all-access pass to the world's most grueling races and the mastermind behind them. Gary Cantrell, better known by the nom de guerre Lazarus Lake, has been described as a "hillbilly genius" and the "Leonardo di Vinci of pain." His Barkley Marathons is considered the most difficult ultramarathon ever devised, a fight club in the wilderness run in secret. With books hidden in the woods, a cigarette-start, and elevation gain that amounts to summiting Mount Everest twice, the Barkley defies convention. Big's Backyard Ultra pushes human beings to their absolute limit on a four-mile loop that is run every hour starting on the hour until there is just one runner standing--most recently, a high school teacher who ran 450 miles without sleep. Author Jared Beasley uncovers the world of a recluse hell-bent on rewriting the rules to reveal a life reimagined and failure reinvented. Laz calls into question our obsession with winning and fairness, success and failure, and whether these ideas handicap potential. Read more

'Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional'The must-read gift for every runner: a compelling meditation on the power of running and a fascinating insight into the life of this internationally bestselling writer.In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing.Equal parts travelogue, training log and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and settings ranging from Tokyo's Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston.By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, this is a must-read for fans of this masterful yet private writer as well as for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running.*Murakami's new book Novelist as a Vocation is available now*'There can never have been a book quite like this memoir of running and writing before. In its self-contained way, it's nothing less than an inspiration' Evening Standard'Hugely enjoyable...You don't have to have run a marathon to be captivated' Sunday Telegraph'Comical, charming and philosophical...an excellent memoir' GQ Read more

The explosive new book from Britain’s leading investigative biographer, Tom BowerAs one of the most famous and influential couples in the world, David and Victoria Beckham have attained iconic status. The ultimate power couple have together built a multi-billion-dollar global brand. For decades, adoring fans have been captivated by the glamorous world they have created, while their unrivalled fusion of showbiz, fashion, football and celebrity has been cultivated alongside the image of a strong marriage.When the much-trailed Netflix documentary Beckham aired in 2023, viewers were offered an even more intimate insight into their private lives. Produced by the Beckhams themselves, the series raised many questions, not only about their success and personal relationship, but also about the ruthlessly successful management of their image in the media. Are their lives really as perfect as the Beckhams would like the world to believe?Through extensive research, expert sourcing and interviews with insiders, Britain’s most celebrated investigative biographer, Tom Bower, has unearthed a succession of revelations that give surprising insight into the reality of ‘Brand Beckham’. Exploring the couple’s relationship, and the truth about their football and fashion careers, their finances and their new life in Miami, The House of Beckham unravels the extraordinary reality of the business-savvy cultural icons to tell an engrossing, often astonishing story of money, sex and power.Tom Bower's book 'The House of Beckham' was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2024-06-24. Read more

My Family and Other Animals is the bewitching account of a rare and magical childhood on the island of Corfu by treasured British conservationist Gerald Durrell. Escaping the ills of the British climate, the Durrell family - acne-ridden Margo, gun-toting Leslie, bookworm Lawrence and budding naturalist Gerry, along with their long-suffering mother and Roger the dog - take off for the island of Corfu.But the Durrells find that, reluctantly, they must share their various villas with a menagerie of local fauna - among them scorpions, geckos, toads, bats and butterflies.Recounted with immense humour and charm My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood.'Durrell has an uncanny knack of discovering human as well as animal eccentricities' Sunday Telegraph'A bewitching book' Sunday Times Read more