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The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award short list reviewed
By Matt | October 26, 2009
The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award shortlist was announced earlier this month, with the winner due to be unveiled closer to Christmas. But for those of you who fancy reading more than one, or want an early insight (know the story before your local pub bore does!) – or fancies buying one or two as a Christmas present – here’s our look at the 2009 William Hill Sports Book of the Year short list.
Sadly, and more than a little ironically, William Hill don’t take bets on their Sports Book of the Year Award. But if they did, our money would probably be on either Eclipse or Feet of the Chameleon. Either way, there’s a few beauties here; well worth putting on the Christmas list. Here they are, with links through to Amazon (they’ve suspended their usual delivery charges by the way – free delivery for Christmas!).
Ring of Fire: the Inside Story of Valentino Rossi and MotoGP
At a time when F1 is increasingly petrified by organisational squabbles, cheating scandals and on-track inaction, Ring of Fire depicts an insider’s view of the most thrilling and dangerous sports of all time: MotoGP.
Eclipse: the story of the Rogue, the Madam and the Horse that Changed Racing
Apart from having a race named after him, Eplicse was a horse that went on to dominate the bloodstock market (95 per cent of horses racing today are descended from him). He was the eighteenth-century darling of the Sport of Kings. And yet his story begins with a meat salesman and an adventurer who frequented brothels.
Few books about horse racing actually win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award (Seabiscuit is the only one that springs to mind); this could be a rare exception.
Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary
The title promises hilarious seventies smut; the book delivers hard-knock tales of life as a professional rugby union player. “Mercenary” is perhaps a bit strong; “journeyman” would perhaps have been more accurate. And for “Confessions” read “unsurprising, dull tales”. But if unsurprising, dull tales of a rugby journeyman are your thing then you’re in for a treat. (And you probably play rugby. In fact, your name is probably John Daniell. Hi, John!)
Harold Larwood: the Authorized Biography of the World’s Fastest Bowler
The world doesn’t really need another story of Larwood, the Nottinghamshire pit lad who proved the perfect foil/stooge (delete according to social class and political persuasion) for posh England captain Douglas Jardine in the controversial Bodyline Ashes tour of 1932-33.
But in the hands of Hamilton, the Nottinghamshire press lad who spent much of his career reporting on Larwood’s antics as he swept to league success and two European Cups before plunging into alcoholic mediocrity, this tale is bound to win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award for 2007.
Hang on; I’m getting confused with Hamilton’s previous book about Brian Clough; a man whom Hamilton was supremely qualified to talk about given his unparalleled access to Old Big ‘Ead himself. Whether Hamilton can win the William Hill book award for a second time, given this is ground that has been raked over time and again and that Hamilton has no greater insight to Larwood than any other twenty-first century sports writer, remains to be seen.
Feet of the Chameleon: the Story of African Football
Given that the FIFA World Cup will be held in Africa for the first time in 2010 this is a well-timed book and, like FIFA’s benefaction, long overdue. We know a lot about South American football (Uruguayans are dirty; Argies cheat; the Brazilians can do no wrong; gangsterism has ruined Colombia; the rest try hard, bless ‘em) and probably too much about European football; Hawkey’s book aims to redress the deficit in our knowledge of the game in the Dark Continent.
Possibly the most scholarly book on the shortlist and edged out Simon “Football Against The Enemy” Kuper’s Why England Lose: and Other Curious Phenomena Explained
Simple Goalkeeping Made Spectacular: A Riotous Footballing Memoir About the Loneliest Position on the Field
Part memoir, part guide to playing goalie, this is an offbeat look at the position occupied by the footballer’s best friend: the keeper. One of those books that initially seem surplus to requirements (like a history of salt, or Colleen Rooney’s autobiography) but is crafted with such love between writer and subject that you can’t fail to be won over. It probably won’t win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, but it will bring a little bit of joy to your life.
Enjoy!
Topics: Betting and culture 1 Comment »
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November 6th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
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