Question What are you reading?

[Uncle Leo]

Have you read John Major's cricket book yet? Fascinating stuff.

ps other sports books which are must-reads, both about boxing:

The Fight, Mailer
The Sweet Science by AJ Liebling

If we're talking sports books (and I am now, so ner), cycling seems to be a rich seam for good writing.

Roule Britannia - William Fotheringham
Bad Blood - Jeremy Whittle
The life and death of Marco Pantani - Matt Rendell

I've read all of the above in the last year or so and all are very good indeed.

 

[Napster]

If we're talking sports books (and I am now, so ner), cycling seems to be a rich seam for good writing.

Roule Britannia - William Fotheringham
Bad Blood - Jeremy Whittle
The life and death of Marco Pantani - Matt Rendell

I've read all of the above in the last year or so and all are very good indeed.

Ive heard good stuff about Whittle's one.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Ive heard good stuff about Whittle's one.

Probably my favourite out of that lot. Whittle is a huge cycling fan (and writes about it for The Times) but this book is about how he starting to struggle with it due to all the drug taking that goes on.

It also shows Lance Armstrong in an interesting light and I would say it's essential reading for anyone who read "It's Not About The Bike".

"INATB" is excellent, but "Bad Blood" gives you the other side of Saint Lance.

 

[number11]

Just started 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich' by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Real laugh a minute stuff. Ahem.

I read that whilst I was travelling. As you say, it's not too cheery, but I still found it engaging and despite the Californian sun at the time, still made me feel cold!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Have you read John Major's cricket book yet? Fascinating stuff.

ps other sports books which are must-reads, both about boxing:

The Fight, Mailer
The Sweet Science by AJ Liebling

What's Major's book called?

Have just ordered The Fight from my library. They don't have a copy of Liebling's book in any library in London.

 

[Napster]

What's Major's book called?

Have just ordered The Fight from my library. They don't have a copy of Liebling's book in any library in London.

Liebling's book is quite old. I read it when I was at uni.

Major's book is More Than a Game.

 

[Desert Shrimper]

What's Major's book called?

Have just ordered The Fight from my library. They don't have a copy of Liebling's book in any library in London.

I found "The Fight" laborious and dull personally but I think I knew the story too well already. It reads like a man desperate to dramatise just about everything and is typically American in that sense.

If you want a good British boxing book try Mickey Duff's "20 and Out" which is a lot more real, slippery b*****d that he was/is.

Probably the best I've read in terms of content/writing is Thomas Hauser's biography of Muhammad Ali which is composed purely of first hand accounts, rather than just Hauser's take on events he wasn't involved in. Rather like court evidence you get 5 or 6 different viewpoints of a situation from people who were actually there.

Chris Eubank's autobiography is also a worthy way to while away any given train journey.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I found "The Fight" laborious and dull personally but I think I knew the story too well already. It reads like a man desperate to dramatise just about everything and is typically American in that sense.

If you want a good British boxing book try Mickey Duff's "20 and Out" which is a lot more real, slippery b*****d that he was/is.

Probably the best I've read in terms of content/writing is Thomas Hauser's biography of Muhammad Ali which is composed purely of first hand accounts, rather than just Hauser's take on events he wasn't involved in. Rather like court evidence you get 5 or 6 different viewpoints of a situation from people who were actually there.

Chris Eubank's autobiography is also a worthy way to while away any given trainoversized truck journey.

Hmm, cheers for the suggestions. Have never read any Mailer (have Naked and the Dead on my list to read) so will probably still give it a go, but I'll check out check out those other titles you mention.

 

[steveo]

Jellyman's Thrown a Wobbly

Great bit of light reading - Jellyman's Thrown a Wobbly - Jeff Stelling.

All about Soccer Saturday which is a must for anyone stuck at home on a Saturday afternoon. Obviosuly talks about making the show and includes some of the funny lines:

Stelling: Apparently Southampton are losing £39,000 a week.
Merson: I know how they feel Jeff.

 

[Rob Noxious]

Just finished 'Touching From A Distance,' Deborah Curtis' story of her life with Ian. The man comes across as a huge control freak and totally self-centred. Tony Wilson doesn't win many plaudits either. Interesting, dark stuff however and a good insight into class and disability issues (underneath the surface) at the time.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Just finished Booker Prize winner 'The White Tiger' by Aravind Adiga. I wouldn't be quite as enthusiastic about it as some of the reviews were, but it was a pretty good read all the same.

It's either 'Run Rabbit' by John Updike or a book about Genghis Khan next.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Just finished Booker Prize winner 'The White Tiger' by Aravind Adiga. I wouldn't be quite as enthusiastic about it as some of the reviews were, but it was a pretty good read all the same.

Oooh spooky, I've just finished that myself. Don't understand why it won such plaudits, very ordinary.

Currently reading Amsterdam by wordy Ian McEwan, which seemingly has nothing to do with dope, ladies of the night or Anne Frank....

 

[MrB]

Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Early days but fascinating stuff.

 

[BaileytheQuitter]

Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell.

Just got into it but seems quite entertaining.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Currently reading Amsterdam by wordy Ian McEwan, which seemingly has nothing to do with dope, ladies of the night or Anne Frank....

Nothing about the Banana Bar either. Ridiculous.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Just finished 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven' by Mitch Albom. Great read, although the story is about dying, it is of course mostly about life, really uplifting.

Just started 'The Bell Jar' by Plath, after that The Gum Thief by Coupland.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Just finished 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven' by Mitch Albom. Great read, although the story is about dying, it is of course mostly about life, really uplifting.

Just started 'The Bell Jar' by Plath, after that The Gum Thief by Coupland.

Not one of his best unfortunately.

 

[Yer Blues]

Just finished 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven' by Mitch Albom. Great read, although the story is about dying, it is of course mostly about life, really uplifting.

Just started 'The Bell Jar' by Plath, after that The Gum Thief by Coupland.

amazing book.

 

[MK Shrimper]

amazing book.

Hope so, just bought on Ebay for £1.99!

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Hope so, just bought on Ebay for £1.99!

What "The 5 People..."? Cool, didn't know my opinions carried so much weight!*

*Disclaimer: No responsibilty accepted in the event of personal dislike of book.