Sport Books
From of our favourite athletes to sporting brand, these sport books will get you inside the minds of the very best in the business
SPRINT
Cathy: Born to Run
Cathy Freeman is one of Australia’s most celebrated athletes, producing arguably the most memorable moment in Australian sporting history – claiming a gold-medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 400m sprint. Cathy is an autobiography that covers moments in Freeman’s life from her youth growing up in Mackay, Queensland to her successful athletics career. An inspirational read for all ages, learning the story behind one of Australia’s sporting icons.
TENNIS
Open – Andre Agassi
Regarded one of the finest men's tennis players to grace the court, Agassi’s story stems from a difficult upbringing with a tennis obsessed father, becoming a tennis prodigy, rebellion against structures and monumental success. Open delivers deep insights into Agassi’s mind throughout the trials and tribulations of his colourful career that claimed 8 Grand Slam titles.
NBA
Lebron James – The making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete.
LeBron James has proven himself one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan before him, LeBron has also become a global brand and businessman who has altered the way professional athletes think about their value, maximise their leverage, and use their voice.
As LeBron’s quest for a fourth NBA title has recommenced with the LA Lakers, learn about his journey on and off the court from a personal perspective.
NBA
Kobe Bryant – The Mamba Mentality
The first book from the basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, dives inside the mind of one of the most revered athletes of all time. Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant shares his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on a journey to the core of the “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever.
BOXING
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth is an unconfined autobiography of the boxing legend that was driven to the brink of self-destruction. Tyson goes into full depth of the astonishing life and career. Undisputed Truth tells Tyson’s story from being born and raised to brutality, reaching the heights stardom before spiralling to crime, substance abuse and scandals.
CRICKET
The Journey – Steve Smith
Steve Smith takes us through his cricketing journey from the early days of backyard cricket and net practice with his dad, to the highs and lows of Test cricket as Australian captain. Whether it’s recounting the key moments in his career that saw him progress from talented young player to the pinnacle of his sport, or taking us step-by-step through his most memorable Test century, or giving us the real inside account of what it’s like to play through the great series losses and wins of recent years, or giving us a unique examination of his technique, The Journey is a fascinating and revealing insight into one of the world’s greatest cricketers.
AFL
Ben Cousins: My life story
Ben Cousins is regarded as one of Australia’s most extraordinary and fascinating athletes in recent years. Cousins was one of the most gifted footballers of the modern AFL era, but off the field lived a different lifestyle you’d expect from a professional sportsman. Cousins has achieved basically all an AFL footballer can achieve, but his off field discretions have overshadowed what should be one of the most celebrated careers in AFL history.
CRICKET
No Spin – Shane Warne
In No Spin, Shane sets the record straight. From his extraordinary family history to his childhood as a budding Aussie Rules footballer in suburban Melbourne. From the legendary ‘Gatting ball’ to his history-making 700th Test wicket. From the controversy surrounding the diuretic pill in South Africa to his high-profile relationship with Hollywood star Elizabeth Hurley. Nothing is off limits, and Shane tackles it all with his trademark directness and humour.
BOXING
Behind The Mask: Tyson Fury
Behind The Mask takes you through the journey of one of the best Heavy-Weight Boxers we’ve ever witnessed. Detailing his incredible stories from inside the ring to outside the ring, Fury has endured lows that have took away his titles but ultimately could have ended his life. Fortunately Fury finds redemption and drags himself to find his feet and the rest is history. Get to know the full story behind ‘The Gypsy King’.
NBA
Michael Jordan - The Life
When most people think of Michael Jordan, they think of the beautiful shots, his body totally in sync with the ball, hitting nothing but net. He is responsible for incredible moments so ingrained in basketball history that they have their own names: The Shrug, The Shot, The Flu Game. But for all his greatness, there's also a dark side to Jordan: a ruthless competitor, a gambler.
SOCCER
Hand of God: the life of Diego Maradona
The biography of Argentine soccer sensation Diego Maradona’s life, from the slums of Buenos Aires to his World Cup win to his ultimate fall from grace. One of sports most talented, celebrated & criticised personalities, this is a must read!
CLIMBING
Into Thin Air
Krakauer describes the events leading up to his eventual decision to participate in an Everest expedition in May 1996, despite having mostly given up mountain climbing years before. The 1996 expedition season recorded eight deaths, including that of Krakauer’s guide Andy Harris. This was the third-highest recorded number of deaths on the mountain in a single day, the April 2015 Nepal earthquake caused the most at 21.
BASEBALL
The Boys of Summer
The Boys of Summer follows young men who learned to play baseball during the 1930-40s and going on to play for one of the most entertaining major-league baseball clubs, the team team that broke colour barriers. The Boys of Summer is a book by and about a sportswriter who grew up near Ebbets field and was fortunate enough to cover the Dodgers for the Herald Tribune in the 1950s. It covers moments after the glory days of Jackie Robinson, Carl Erskine, Pee Wee Reese and others, as well as America, fathers and sons, prejudice and courage, triumph and disaster while maintaining elements of humour and wit.
BRAND
Shoe Dog: A Memoir By The Creator of Nike
Get to know the full story behind the making of the biggest sporting brand in the world! Shoe Dog is a memoir of the creator of Nike, Phil Knight. The memoir goes into great detail of Phil Knight’s journey and experiences that evolved and shaped the famous brand with the swoosh. The journey certainly isn’t straight forward, as Knight is handed many hurdles in the process but continually finds way to pursue and generate what he is truly passionate about!
NFL
Friday Night Lights: a Town, a Team and a Dream
The book follows the story of the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team from Odessa, Texas, as they made a run towards the Texas state championship. While originally intended to be a Hoosiers-type chronicle of high school sports that holds together a small town, the final book ended up being critical about life in the town of Odessa.