Autobiography & Biography & Memoir > Sports Biography

"The Boys of Everest" tells the story of a band of climbers who reinvented mountaineering during the three decades after Everest's first ascent. It is a story of tremendous courage, astonishing achievement and heart-breaking loss. Their leader was the boyish, fanatically driven Chris Bonington. His inner circle - they came to be known as Bonington's Boys - included a dozen who became climbing's greatest generation. Bonington's Boys gave birth to a new brand of climbing. They took increasingly terrible risks on now-legendary expedit... read more

Collection of published writings on the Everest by George Mallory, the man who may have been the first man to reach its top 29 years before Hillary. George Mallory belongs to a short but distinguished line of literary mountaineers such as Joe Simpson, Jon Krakauer and Edward Whymper, the conqueror of the Matterhorn. He answered the questioned 'Why climb Everest' with the dry put down 'Because it is there.' In this book his published writings on Everest are collected for the first time.

Anthony Wilding won the Wimbledon men's tennis title in 1910 and remains the only New Zealander to have done so. He dominated the international tennis world by defending his Wimbledon title at three successive championships. Anthony Wilding sits alongside Jack Lovelock as one of the most important sporting icons of New Zealand's twentieth-century history.

This is a collection of personal recollections about Bruce McLaren and the world of motor racing as it was in his heyday. Put together for the Bruce Mclaren Festival the book includes many photographs, some of them never before published.

John Kirwan was one of New Zealand's greatest All Black wingers, pulling on the black jersey for the first time as a 19-year-old and playing 96 matches for the men in black. But black was soon to become his whole outlook. Despite his phenomenal rugby career and happy family life, John Kirwan found himself spiralling in a black hole, scared of how he might act, suffering panic attacks and not knowing what was going on in his head. Now JK is the public face of an advertising campaign that encourages people to seek help for depression... read more

Barbara Kendall will go to her fifth Olympics this year. She's 40 and it's incredible that she's still competing, let alone winning, when most of her competitors are in their 20s. Her years of experience in racing, tactics, knowledge about wind and tide conditions, equipment and board handling skills play a big part in her success. But the most important factor of all, is her desire to win. Managing the psychology of winning has been the most challenging aspect of staying at the top. Barbara won Gold at the Barcelona Olympics, Silv... read more

A revised and updated version of Steve Price's hugely successful autobiography, published in 2008. This new edition will include updates to many chapters, plus additional chapters on: losing the Warriors captaincy in 2010; what it meant for him to become one of only a dozen or so players to reach 300 NRL games; the now infamous punch that knocked Price out of the 2009 State of Origin series; the tragic death of Warriors up-and-coming star, Sonny Fai, and the impact it had on him and the club in 2009, he also talks about the tattoo ... read more

Craig McMillan has been one of New Zealand's most controversial sports figures over the past decade. While his career has had its share of highlights, it has also been punctuated with controversy. He found himself on the outside after the 2003 World Cup but worked his way back into New Zealand's ODI side just in time to earn selection for the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean. McMillan, a player who had been gifted international selection from the age of 21, began his career productively and in March 2001 he took a world record 26 r... read more

Recently retired All Blacks captain Tana Umaga is one of the most respected players in world rugby. As the first player of Samoan heritage to captain the All Blacks in test rugby, his story is unique. One of the proudest players ever to wear the famous black jersey, Umaga became an inspirational captaina man adored by both his team-mates and public alike. In his biography, Umaga will talk of his great love of the All Blacks; of the many highs and lows he has experienced in his 10-year career at the top, and will not shirk the contr... read more

Dan Carter is without doubt the hottest property in world rugby. At just 23 years of age, Carter is now regarded as the pre-eminent flyhalf in the game. In "My Way" - a book aimed at the "kidult" market - Carter will offer tips on playing the game, skill drills and training to succeed. In addition, the book will also take a look at Carter's early life and focus on some of the key moments in his career to date, including his virtuoso performance for the All Blacks against the British and Irish Lions in the second test of the 2005 se... read more

Batting, bowling and betting...Wright pulls no punches. Former New Zealand test cricket opener John Wright was appointed coach of the Indian cricket team in 2000. Against all predictions Wright - the first foreigner ever appointed to the position - held that position almost unchallenged throughout four successful, but often-turbulent years. In that time Wright was privy to the inner workings of Indian cricket and in this book he offers unique perspectives on the game that captivates a nation of one billion people. Throughout his... read more

Scott Dixon burst on to the New Zealand motor racing back in 1999 when he finished second in the Rookie of the Year series in Indy Lights racing in the United States. Since that time he has gone on to win the prestigious IndyCart series and eastablish himself as one of the finest open wheel drivers in North America. The ‘Year in the Life’ book will centre primarily on Dixon’s assault on the 2006 IRL Championship. Presented mainly in first person, Scott will compil... read more

This book describes how Matt Te Pou's coaching of the Maori rugby team achieved a winning record envied in the rugby world. Matt takes us on his journey giving valuable insights into his coaching style, motivational prompts and we see how his military background was important to success.Containing life lessons and some exclusive player contributions, this is a must read for those who love rugby or appreciate Maori heritage.

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Every Kiwi football fan knows Ricki Herbert. A star of the 1982 World Cup-qualifying All Whites, who under the inspired coaching of John Adshead and Kevin Fallon did the impossible, and took on the world from Mt Wellington, as Eriksson Stadium was then known, he then played professionally in the UK for Wolverhampton Wanderers. At the end of a successful playing career, one of the most highly respected and best-loved figures in the local game took his considerable skills into coaching the game he has loved with a passion all his lif... read more

A raw honest and revealing biography. Monty Betham Jnr talks candidly about growing up South Auckland as the son of one of New Zealand and Samoa's most celebrated boxers, and his drive to become one of New Zealand's greatest sportsmen.

New Zealand rugby has had few players who have won such wide popularity and affection as Andrew Mehrtens who in a 12-year career at first class level became a national figure rather than simply an icon of his beloved Canterbury province. However, there was never total agreement on his ranking in the pecking order of All Blacks' first five eighths. Some headed by Colin Meads believed that Mehrtens was the best in his position ever produced by New Zealand. Others believed that despite his immense skills, vision, kicking and ability t... read more

In May 2006 Mark Inglis made the front page yet again. This time it was for achieving his long-held dream of making it to the summit of Mt Everest. But once again his achievement was not without controversy, as it soon became known that his climbing party had passed a dying man on its way, and continued to the summit. The media frenzy that followed contained extremes of both criticism and support for the double amputee.This is the story of Mark's climb to the top of the world. First published 2006.

The true story of how ABC broadcaster Craig Hamilton stared down his demons to survive a mental breakdown. Description of the Book BROKEN OPEN is the story of ABC sports broadcaster Craig Hamilton and how, on the eve of the biggest undertaking of his career, he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Instead of covering the Sydney Olympics Craig was confined to a padded cell in a mental institution and later diagnosed as suffering bipolar disorder. This catastrophe not only denied Craig his place at the Games, it almost ruined hi... read more

When Mick Doohan crashed at Jerez in 1999 the world held its breath. Could the greatest motorcycle racer of modern times