Books: Christmas all Wrapped Up

Struggling to find a suitable gift?

The following books would be a welcome addition to any  sports fan's Christmas stocking. . . . All for under £25.00!

MotoGP Season Review 2008 (Official licensed) By Julian Ryder, Haynes Publishing, Hardback, £25.00, ISBN: 978 1 84425 567 2 Now firmly established in its fifth year of publication, the MotoGP Season Review 2008 - in the shops just two weeks after the last Grand Prix - is a must- have Christmas purchase for every motorcycle racing fan. Packed with fine writing and great photography, fronted by TV's top MotoGP commentator, Julian Ryder, the Review details the entire 2008 season with all the behind-the-scenes insight expected of an official book.

The Official Formula 1 Season Review 2008 Foreword by Bernie Ecclestone, Haynes Publishing, Hardback, £25.00, ISBN: 978 184425 566 5Now firmly established in its fifth year of publication, The Official Formula 1 Season Review 2008 - in the shops just three weeks after the last Grand Prix - is a must-have Christmas purchase for every fan of Formula 1. Here is the full, in-depth story of the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship, told by the drivers and team personnel involved. Superb feature content allows the sport's personalities to throw new light on many of the season's headlines and incidents, and the clearly presented statistics provide a comprehensive reference source for the future. This is an unrivalled insight into the on-track action and behind-the- scenes details of the 2008 Formula 1 season.

The Book of Formula 1 Top TensBy Roger Smith, Haynes Publishing, Hardback, £9.99, ISBN: 978 1 84425 571 9 This compact book of trivia and statistics provides a winning mixture of facts and fun in the form of a hundred "top tens" lists. From most dominant championship season, through top ten punch-ups, and victory celebrations, to most successful engine design, this book is a perfect gift for both casual and dedicated Formula 1 fans. Whether setting arguments with the pub bore or looking for a little light entertainment after the excitement of the Formula 1 season, this fact-packed book will put the reader in pole position.

Rugby Union Manual: The official guide to playing the game By Howard Johnson, Haynes Publishing, Hardback, £17.99, ISBN: 978 1 84425 503 0 An exciting addition to the range of Haynes manuals, this is the complete guide to training for and playing Rugby Union, fully supported and endorsed by the Rugby Football Union. From health and fitness through to training, game technique, team play and coaching, every aspect of the game is analysed and explained in detail. Training drills suitable for beginner, intermediate and senior players are included along with details of the rules, making this the essential reference for players and coaches at all levels.

When Football was FootballBy Richard Havers, Haynes Publishing, Hardback, £18.99, ISBN: 978 1 84425 668 5 Pre the 1960s and the first £100 a week footballer - football was the preserve of the working man who attended matches in vast numbers. It was a working class pursuit and one that attracted people through a fierce tribalism and loyalty to 'your team'. With the advent of footballers being paid well above the national wage it has gone from being a sport to a business. When Football Was Football is a fully illustrated book that takes us through the Century of English football.

'Gory Tales' - The Autobiography of John Gorman Green Umbrella Publishing, Hardback, £18.99, 978 1 906 22986 3 John Gorman's story is about a football man, but it is much more than that, after a life in the game he thought he had seen and done it all.  He'd played, coached and managed at the top and experienced the harsh realities of survival at the lower end of the scale. But in 2006, the roller-coaster world of football was put into perspective. Within a short period, Gorman faced the double tragedy of his wife dying of cancer and Wycombe player Mark Philo's sudden death, leading to John losing one job and walking away from another. Gory Tales is full of John's blunt and honest opinions on his career, the controversial incidents he has been involved in and the characters he has met along the way.

"Ollie" The Autobiography of Ian Holloway By Ian Holloway, Green Umbrella Publishing, Paperback, £7.99, ISBN: 978 190622969 6The critically acclaimed autobiography, is now available in paperback - fully revised with three additional - and explosive chapters. Ian Holloway, is one of football's most outspoken and interesting characters as well as being a respected football coach. He controversially moved from Plymouth Argyle, whilst seventh from top in the Championship, to Leicester City, a club in turmoil who had already had four managers in the previous 12 months. Why did he quit Argyle?What really happened at Leicester? His tenure at The Walkers Stadium ended after a difficult six month period amid much turmoil and rumour - now Ollie tells his own side of the most dramatic period of his career - and reveals the truth about his departure from Argyle as well as responding to several outlandish claims aimed at him by people he once trusted. 'Ollie' is a fantastic read for all football fans. It will also set the record straight - once and for all.

'Footynotes': The Ultimate Countdown of Football Trivia by Chris Kamara & Richard Digence Green Umbrella Publishing, Hardback, £9.99, ISBN: 978 1 906635 16 9 Combining the caustic humour of Sky Sports commentator, Chris Kamara, and the wit of stand-up comic and football fan, Richard Digance, Footynotes: The Ultimate Countdown of Football Trivia is packed full of the best footie trivia which is sure to enhance the readers standing at dinner parties, on football terraces and at pub quizzes. The book includes trivia specific to many different teams, poems about football and 'Footygrams' - anagrams of players' names - A fantastic stocking filler for any footie fan at just £9.99

Modern Football is Rubbish: An A-Z of all that is wrong with the beautiful game By Nick Davidson & Shaun Hunt, Sportbooks Ltd, Paperback, £7.99, Wallow in nostalgia with Modern Football is Rubbish an ideal book for disillusioned football fans.Featuring a giddy mixture of anger and nostalgia, a perfect read for anyone who has left the ground - after another dismal home defeat - cursing spiraling salaries, inflated egos and stupid o'clock kick-offs.

The Autobiography of John Wilson: Sixty Years A Fisherman Green Umbrella Publishing, Hardback, £18.99, 9781905828395 Sixty Years a Fisherman is the long awaited and updated new edition of much- loved angler John Wilson memoirs, an icon of the angling world! John reveals the real life story behind the camera lens of a man who was once a cruiseship hairstylist and who later became one of the most recognised TV personalities to have come into the world of angling. Packed full of fishing anecdotes and stories of his travels around the world, Sixty Years A Fisherman is beautifully illustrated with John's own photography.

The Haynes Desk DiaryHaynes Publishing, Hardback, RRP: £9.99, ISBN: 978 1 84425 558 0 Following overwhelmingly positive reaction for the last two years the 2009 diary is sure to be in great demand. The format is the same as the time-honoured Haynes Manual, with week-to-view presentation on high-quality paper, and featuring classic cutaway diagrams from the company archives along with appendices of useful automotive-related data. The perfect gift for enthusiasts of cars and car DIY

Smartwax Car Care KitThe Smartwax car kit, containing Smartwax Car Wash, Smartwax, and Smartwax Car Dressing RRP: £19.99 Smartwax cleaners and polishes are the latest generation of professional grade products available for DIY use on cars, motorbikes and boats. They were developed in California, USA, and won two global media awards at America's largest aftermarket products show in 2007. Unlike some other products on the market, the Smartwax range is environmentally friendly so they won't damage car paintwork, the user's health or the environment.

The Driving Games Manual: The ultimate guide to all car-based computer and video games By Joao Diniz Sanches, Haynes Publishing, Hardback, £19.99, ISBN: 978 1 84425526 9This is the first full book to provide a comprehensive overview of the fast- moving world of racing videogames. Recent advances in hardware have resulted in a massive leap in driving physics and graphic performance, with games capable of emulating real-life racing categories with near-realistic visuals to match.Starting with a history of racing games, and split into decades highlighting the major arcade, PC and console releases for that period, this book acts as a history, a buying guide and a practical manual, with sections on driving technique, car set up/tuning, and the benefits of force feedback steering wheels/simulators.

Haynes Classic CutawaysForeword by John Haynes OBE, Hardback, RRP: £25.00, ISBN: 978 1 84425 570 2 This fascinating book features 100 of the trademark cutaway drawings that have appeared on the front of Haynes car manuals over the years. Each cutaway is presented across a double-page spread with accompanying text and specification about the car in question. The book is lavishly produced and will make the perfect gift for any nostalgic car enthusiast.

101 Brockbank CartoonsBy Chris Ellis, Foreword by Quentin Blake Haynes Publishing, Paperback, £6.99, ISBN: 978 1 84425 647 1 Motoring enthusiasts need no introduction to Russell Brockbank's incomparable cartoons, which were enormously popular in the fifties, sixties and seventies but have been rarely published since his death in 1979. Now the best of his work has been collected together in an inexpensive, landscape-format paperback that will introduce his humour and draughtsmanship to new generations of enthusiasts as well as stir nostalgia among long-time devotees. This book will be an ideal Christmas gift for any motoring-minded father, husband or boyfriend.


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