• Football

    Football (5)

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    Basketball (1)

  • Coaching

    Coaching (5)

  • Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes (Hardcover)

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    America’s most popular sports media figure tells it like it is in this surprisingly personal book, not only dishing out his signature, uninhibited opinions but also revealing the challenges he overcame in childhood as well as at ESPN, and who he really is when the cameras are off.

    Stephen A. Smith has never been handed anything, nor was he an overnight success. Growing up poor in Queens, the son of Caribbean immigrants and the youngest of six children, he was a sports-obsessed kid who faced a number of struggles, from undiagnosed dyslexia to getting enough cereal to fill his bowl. As a basketball player at Winston-Salem State University, he got a glimmer of his true calling when he wrote a newspaper column arguing for the retirement of his own Hall of Fame coach, Clarence Gaines.

    Smith hustled and rose up from a high school reporter at Daily News (New York) to a general sports columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer in the 1990s, before getting his own show at ESPN in 2005. After he was unceremoniously fired from the network in 2009, he became even more determined to fight for success. He got himself rehired two years later and, with his razor-sharp intelligence and fearless debate style, found his role on the show he was destined to star in: First Take, the network’s flagship morning program.

    In Straight Shooter, Smith writes about the greatest highs and deepest lows of his life and career. He gives his thoughts on Skip Bayless, Ray Rice, Colin Kaepernick, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Cowboys, and former President Donald Trump. But he also pulls back the curtain and talks about life beyond the set, sharing authentic stories about his negligent father, his loving mother, being a father himself, his battle with life-threatening COVID-19, and what he really thinks about politics and social issues. He does it all with the same intelligence, humor, and charm that has made him a household name.

    Provocative, moving, and eye-opening, this book is the perfect gift for lovers of sports, television, and anyone who likes their stories delivered straight to the heart.

  • Uphill: A Memoir (Hardcover)

    One of Oprah Daily‘s Best Fall Nonfiction Books of 2022

    An empowering, unabashedly bold memoir by the
     Atlantic journalist and former ESPN SportsCenter coanchor about overcoming a legacy of pain and forging a new path, no matter how uphill life’s battles might be.

    Jemele Hill’s world came crashing down when she called President Trump a “white supremacist”; the White House wanted her fired from ESPN, and she was deluged with death threats. But Hill had faced tougher adversaries growing up in Detroit than a tweeting president. Beneath the exterior of one of the most recognizable journalists in America was a need―a calling―to break her family’s cycle of intergenerational trauma.

    Born in the middle of a lively routine Friday night Monopoly game to a teen mother and a heroin-addicted father, Hill constantly adjusted to the harsh realities of not only her own childhood but the inherited generational pain of her mother and grandmother. Her escape was writing.

    Hill’s mother was less than impressed with the brassy and bold free expression of her diary, but Hill never stopped discovering and amplifying her voice. Through hard work and a constant willingness to learn, Hill rose from newspaper reporter to columnist to new heights as the coanchor for ESPN’s revered SportsCenter. Soon, she earned respect and support for her fearless opinions and unshakable confidence, as well as a reputation as a trusted journalist who speaks her mind with truth and conviction.

    In Jemele Hill’s journey Uphill, she shares the whole story of her work, the women of her family, and her complicated relationship with God in an unapologetic, character-rich, and eloquent memoir.

  • LeGyanDary (Hardcover)

    In July 2010, Asamoah Gyan had the chance to join football immortality – and missed it. The scars of that World Cup penalty will remain for years. Remarkably, it does not define him.

    Instead, drawing strength from his difficult career beginnings, Gyan will go on to become a history-making Ghana captain – breaking record after record for club and country along the way.

    Yet, the quest for greatness sees Gyan make some costly mistakes, which he recounts in sobering detail. He owns up to them, sharing how they affected his family and career, as well as lessons learned.

    What was said in dressing rooms across his storied career? How did he handle the mysterious disappearance of his friend Castro and other scandals? What are his plans after football?

    In this book, Gyan bares his soul. He seeks no sympathy; he simply wants his side of an often-one-sided story to be heard, introducing us to names, people and influences we did not know before.

    LeGyanDary is not only for football fanatics. It is written to challenge those who fear their dreams, to empathize with the misunderstood, and to start a conversation about how we treat our icons – for good, and for bad.

  • The Black Star: The Autobiography of C.K. Gyamfi (Hardcover)

    Over 60 years ago, Ghana’s national football team was rechristened Black Stars: a homage to the star in the middle of the Ghana national flag, a symbolic projection of black excellence.

    Charles Kumi Gyamfi, the team’s founding captain, would later coach it to three Africa Cup titles. In his autobiography, written in collaboration with Fiifi Anaman, Gyamfi chronicles his seminal career. If this book reads like a history of Ghana football, then it probably is: C.K. Gyamfi and Ghana football are consubstantial, as rarely has a country’s football story been dominated by one man.

    This is the story of the archetypal Black Star, whose pioneering achievements and expansive influence – on the pitch and from the dugout – changed a nation and impacted a continent.

  • Leaders Don’t Have to Yell: National Team Coach on Leading High-Performing Teams

    Ghana’s Coach James Kwasi Appiah highlights experiences from his international playing and coaching career, and showcases his thoughts on Ghana football’s past, present and future. Appiah also discusses major events during his time as a player, his journey to becoming an international coach, qualifying the national team to the World Cup, his teams preparations and participation in the 2019 African Cup of Nations, Ghana’s Best XI, and leaving a legacy.

    The book is divided into four parts:

    Part 1 – From Boy to Man, about his childhood through to his days with Kumasi Asante Kotoko;

    Part 2 – A Leader of Men and Teams, about becoming a coach and eventually the coach of the Black Stars;

    Part 3 – Champions Always Play to Win, about key events in his playing and coaching career; and

    Part 4 – Leaving a Legacy, about money, Ghana’s Best XI, and the future of Ghana football.

    Appiah gives his account of Senegal ’92, which includes an eye-witness account of the Black Stars’ painful loss of an AFCON final after the marathon penalty shootout, as well as about the captaincy controversy at that tournament that involved Kwasi Appiah, Abedi Pele, Tony Baffoe and Tony Yeboah. He also shares about the Brazil 2014 World Cup events, AFCON 2019 (which has three chapters dedicated to it), about making money and investing wisely, and his list of Ghana’s all-time best players.

  • Polo the Magnificent: The Story of the Dribbling Magician

    Nii Odai Anidaso Laryea is a product of a number of academic institutions including Prempeh College (completed in 1974/5), Tarkwa Secondary School (1977), the University of Ghana, Legon (1980) and the then University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (1985).

    Nii Odai fell in love with Ahmed Polo when the youngster burst onto the turf in the early and mid-1980s in Ghana. According to the author, he has not come across a finer footballer on the African continent of Polo’s ilk. Even beyond the shores of Africa, the only soccer gem, he opines, whose skills surpass that of Mohammed Polo is Diego ‘Armando’ Maradona.

    The book attempts to recollect some of the memorable matches he played and gleans perspectives from some sportswriters who watched him play in his hey-days. The book also takes the reader back into days of yore and helps in recollecting the ‘good old days’ of the 1970s and 1980s when Ghana could boast of quality soccer stars. It is also to get the current generation to appreciate the fact that once upon a time, Ghana produced a soccer prodigy whose magic and wizardry were almost equal to that of Maradona.

    It is the expectation of the author that perhaps God, in His infinite mercy might one day embellish the soccer landscape of Ghana with a similar, if not greater soccer genius.

  • Blessed: The Autobiography (George Best)

    George Best needs little introduction. A legend in his own lifetime, he is undoubtedly the greatest footballer the UK has ever produced. Blessed with an extraordinary gift he brought a beauty and grace to the game never before seen. But Best was unable to cope with the success and fame his football genius brought. His fabled story is littered with tales of women and sex and, of course, alcohol.

    Much has been written about Best, but very little substantiated by the man himself. That is until George Best opened his heart and engaged us in one of the most exhilarating life stories for years, Blessed. In his own words George recounts the halcyon days at Manchester United, the big games and European Cup win of ’68. And then there’s the heartbreaking truth about the death of his mother and his struggles with alcohol that forced him to face up to a life without drink.

    Blessed reveals the man behind the up-for-a-laugh, boozy, womanizing stereotype that had dogged George Best for so long. Open and honest about his mistakes, George is also incredibly candid about his triumphs, his regrets, and, only three years before his death, what he had hoped for the future.

    ‘Don’t coach him, he’s a genius’ Sir Matt Busby

    ‘Unquestionably the greatest’ Sir Alex Ferguson

  • The Man in the Middle

    The long-awaited autobiography of Howard Webb, the man who refereed the World Cup final. Webb’s first game as a match official came when he was just 18 and his father’s verdict was blunt: ‘Useless – he doesn’t know his arse from his elbow.’ It wasn’t the last time his performance would come under fire. But Webb progressed through the ranks, and his natural calm authority made a good impression on players and administrators alike, and soon he was being offered the top matches and the toughest fixtures. The policeman went on to take charge of some of the most important games, including the 2009 FA Cup final, the 2010 Champions League final and – the biggest of the lot – the 2010 World Cup final. Now, in this superb and frank memoir, Howard Webb reveals what it is like to be at the heart of the action in modern-day football where every decision can be unpicked by television cameras. He explains how he learned to handle some of the game’s superstars. Refereeing is a hard business, but Webb shows just why he enjoyed it so much and provides fascinating insights into how he dealt with the most challenging situations. With his unique perspective, and the characteristic honesty and humour he has displayed as a pundit on BT Sport, Webb has written a book that reveals the game – and the man himself – in a new light. ‘Genuinely fascinating insight into the difficulties of officiating in the modern game, and Webb’s frankness and self-deprecation are to be commended’ When Saturday Comes

  • Farewell But Not Goodbye (Hardcover)

    The autobiography of Sir Bobby Robson, a former international footballer for England who has become one of the most widely respected managers in the World game. In addition to managing England in two World Cups, Sir Bobby has also taken charge of numerous clubs including Barcelona, Newcastle United, PSV Eindhoven, Ipswich Town, Sporting Lisbon and Porto.

  • Terry Venables: Born to Manage: The Autobiography

    After a playing career that spanned more than 15 years, and took in golden spells in the sixties with Chelsea and Spurs, it was almost inevitable that Terry Venables would move into management. Following early success with Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers, he was appointed to the plum job of managing Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in Europe. The Spanish giants had been struggling, but he soon turned them around and brought them trophy success, which inevitably earned him the nickname ‘El Tel’.

    He returned to England to take charge of Spurs, where he helped save the club from financial troubles, and formed an ill-fated partnership with Alan Sugar. Again there was trophy success, as Venables worked with top England stars such as Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker and Chris Waddle, and when the England job fell vacant, he was the obvious choice for the role, leading the nation to the semi-finals of Euro 96 where they lost out on a place in the final after a penalty shoot-out.

    After leaving the England job, he has subsequently worked in numerous different roles. A charismatic and gregarious personality, Venables is widely viewed as one of football’s great tacticians and is the most successful English manager of recent years. His story is sure to fascinate and entertain all followers of the game, providing a unique insight based on more than 50 years at the top.

  • The Second Half (Hardcover)

    Memoir by one of the greatest of modern footballers, and former captain of Manchester United and Ireland, Roy Keane – co-written in a unique collaboration with Man Booker Prize-winner Roddy Doyle.

    In an eighteen-year playing career for Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest (under Brian Clough), Manchester United (under Sir Alex Ferguson) and Celtic, Roy Keane dominated every midfield he led to glory. Aggressive and highly competitive, his attitude helped him to excel as captain of Manchester United from 1997 until his departure in 2005. Playing at an international level for nearly all his career, he represented the Republic of Ireland for over fourteen years, mainly as team captain, until an incident with national coach Mick McCarthy resulted in Keane’s walk-out from the 2002 World Cup. Since retiring as a player, Keane has managed Sunderland and Ipswich and has become a highly respected television pundit.

    As part of a tiny elite of football players, Roy Keane has had a life like no other. His status as one of football’s greatest stars is undisputed, but what of the challenges beyond the pitch? How did he succeed in coming to terms with life as a former Manchester United and Ireland leader and champion, reinventing himself as a manager and then a broadcaster, and cope with the psychological struggles this entailed?

    In a stunning collaboration with Booker Prize-winning author Roddy Doyle, THE SECOND HALF blends anecdote and reflection in Roy Keane’s inimitable voice. The result is an unforgettable personal odyssey which fearlessly challenges the meaning of success.

  • The Fear of Failure: An Autobiography

    From Agomanya in the Eastern Region of Ghana, a 65 year old J. P. Adjimani narrates his life and how his fear of failure spurred him on instead of derailing him. In his autobiography, the biochemist unravels why he was never promoted to be a professor despite having a 28-year admirable career in Ghana’s premier university, University of Ghana.

  • Mulgheta: A Day in the Life of a Blind Footballer (Hardcover)

    Age Range: 7 – 12 years

    Mulgheta is one of the best blind footballers, fitness trainers and masseurs in Germany.

    We will accompany this master in the art of life through a day which is just like any other day for him. We will read Braille with him, hear the signals for the blind at a pedestrian crossing, taste luscious tomatoes and smell the trash cans.

    Patricia Thoma opens up a new way of looking at our environment with her picture book — the “gaze” of a blind person.

  • Bouncing Back from Failure: By A Kid for Kids

    A teenager’s thoughts on how to recover from failure. Bouncing Back from Failure is an honest and concise account of Adom’s encounters with disappointment. His uplifting perspective, motivates the reader to adopt a positive mindset.

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