Showing titles in Olympics & Paralympics

Oscar Pistorius was eleven months old when he had both legs amputated below the knee, due to congenital fibular disease. Despite this severe disability, Pistorious grew up to be an extraordinary athlete, inspirational role model, and global symbol of resilience. In 2012 he became the first...

Hodder & Stoughton admire Sir Mo's bravery in revealing his experience of being trafficked as a child. His memoir TWIN AMBITIONS, published in 2013, is based on the story he felt able to tell at the time, which we understood to be the true version of events. It is now clear that Sir Mo did not...

It is late summer 2013. Ben Ryan, a red-haired, 40-something, spectacle-wearing Englishman, is given 20 minutes to decide whether he wants to coach Fiji's rugby sevens team, with the aim of taking them to the nation's first-ever Olympic medal. He has never been to Fiji. There has been no discussion of contracts or salary. But he knows that no one plays rugby like the men from these isolated Pacific islands, just as no one plays football like the kids from the Brazilian favelas, or no one runs as fast as the boys and girls from Jamaica's boondocks.

Running for My Life is not a story about Africa or track-and-field athletics. It is about outrunning the devil and achieving the impossible; it is about faith, diligence, and the desire to give back. It is the American dream come true and a stark reminder that saving one can help save thousands...

The first ever memoir from the most decorated female skier of all time, revealing never-before-told stories of her life in the fast lane, her struggle with depression, and the bold decisions that helped her break down barriers on and off the slopes. 82 World Cup wins. 20 World Cup titles. 3...

The 1988 Seoul Olympics played host to what has been described by some as the dirtiest race of all time, by others as the greatest. Ben Johnson's world-record time of 9.79 seconds – as thrilling as it was – was the beginning rather than the end of the story. Following the race, Johnson tested positive, news that generated as many – if not more – shockwaves as his fastest ever run. He was stripped of the title, Lewis was awarded the gold medal, Linford Christie the silver and Calvin Smith the bronze. More than two decades on, the story still hadn't ended.

"If you're not strong enough to swim fast, you're probably not strong enough to swim 'pretty," said a young Esther Williams to theater impresario Billy Rose. Since the nineteenth century, tensions between beauty and strength, aesthetics and athleticism have both impeded and propelled the careers of female swimmers—none more so than synchronized swimmers, for whom Williams is often considered godmother. In this riveting history—the first of its kind—Vicki Valosik traces a century of aquatic performance, from vaudeville and dime museums to the Olympic arena.

"Athletes first" is a slogan the International Olympic Committee often touts, but the reality is very different, as preeminent Olympics expert Jules Boykoff shows in this book. While the world’s attention is riveted by the triumphs and tribulations on their screens, there is much that goes on behind the scenes that is deeply troubling: athletes are increasingly voicing concerns over physical, mental and sexual abuse, and they are collectively expressing grievances around equity and human rights.

Lorsqu'il édita ces Mémoires olympiques, Pierre de Coubertin avait 69 ans en 1931. Ce livre est particulièrement utile pour comprendre l'Esprit des Jeux Olympiques de l'ère moderne tels qu'ils ont été recréés sous l'impulsion de Pierre de Coubertin. Car Pierre de Coubertin dut batailler ferme avant de pouvoir imposer son œuvre qui s'inscrit dans un contexte politique précis dont on retrouve la trace dans son récit.

Even today, it’s considered one of the most thrilling races in Olympic history. The hundred-meter sprint final at the 1924 Paris Games, featuring three of the world’s fastest swimmers—American legends Duke Kahanamoku and Johnny Weissmuller, and Japanese upstart Katsuo Takaishi—had the cultural impact of other milestone moments in Olympic history: Jesse Owens’s podiums in Berlin and John Carlos’s raised, black-gloved fist in Mexico City. Never before had an Olympic swimming final prominently featured athletes of different races, and never had it been broadcast live.

Das Gesicht des IOC ist ein Deutscher. Seine Geschichte und die des immer wieder kriminellen IOC laufen seit Jahrzehnten parallel. Hier wird sie erstmals erzählt. Thomas Bach ist der Mann arabischer Scheichs und chinesischer Staatskommunisten, und vor allem: der Olygarch Putins. Dieser investigative Report verwebt die Stränge von Sport, Politik, Geld und Propaganda. Es ist eine Reise durch mehr als 40 Jahre IOC, die in der Wahl Bachs und dessen Russland-freundlicher Politik mündet.

The Balance is coach Aimee Boorman’s inside account of the growth of a transcendent athlete and the tumultuous events—from the dictatorial coaching of Martha Karolyi to the sexual abuse by Larry Nassar—that upended the lives of many girls, including Biles. Simone Biles is one of the greatest athletes of all time. She’s won six all-around world championships and eleven Olympic medals (seven gold).

An inspiring true story of an athlete overcoming obstacles and unimaginable setbacks with resilience, faith, and the power of refusing to accept limits. Meet Mallory Weggemann: a Paralympic gold-medalist, world champion swimmer, ESPY winner, and NBC Sports commentator whose extraordinary story...

Amy Purdy, who inspired a nation on Dancing with the Stars and has been called a hero by Oprah Winfrey, reveals the intimate details of her triumphant comeback from the brink of death to making history as a Paralympic snowboarder In this poignant and uplifting memoir, Dancing With the Stars...

Journey with Olympian and American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall as he reflects on the joys and trials of running and, along the way, shows you how he found God in every step. Ryan Hall is an Olympic athlete and American record holder in the half marathon, but as a kid, Ryan hated...

One of America’s most heralded young divers, David Boudia twice went for Olympic gold, training obsessively and whole-heartedly for success. In his first Olympics, he failed miserably, not winning a single medal. Four years later saw a different story: he mounted the podium twice, winning both...

In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance has made her one of the top athletes and gymnasts in the world—and how you too can overcome...

The inspiring, unlikely story of the American, Canadian, South Korean and even North Korean women who joined together to form Korea’s first Olympic ice hockey team. Two weeks before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, South Korea’s women’s hockey team was forced into a...

This is the story of the most unlikely Olympic decathlete in history. Despite size and stature, Bryan Clay is the defending champion of the 2008 Olympic gold medal and winner of the 2004 Olympic silver medal in the decathlon. His journey is as inspiring as it is gritty, as troubled as it is...

Read by the author. Get a high-octane dose of encouragement from Lolo Jones, three-time Olympian and world champion hurdler and bobsledder. Growing up in a broken home, Lolo learned to shoplift at a young age just to eat at night and sometimes slept on the basement floor of the Salvation Army...