'Starts with a bang and never lets up until the final page. Compulsively readable . . . a spy story, a war story and a love story. A rousing, rollicking, entirely thrilling book' PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE, author of London FallingIn 1941, Andrée 'Dédée' de Jongh set out on a mission that would put her in the greatest peril: to smuggle downed allied airmen out of Nazi-occupied Europe and get them safely home. Crossing rivers, mountains and heavily guarded border...

WINNER OF THE TELEGRAPH BEST SPORTS WRITING AWARD 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD 2021'One of the best books ever written about the early attempts to conquer Everest. A fine, fine slice of history by a truly special writer who proves time and time again that he is among the best of his generation' Dan Jones, author of The Plantagenets**'A small classic of the biographer...

WINNER OF THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR'Lyrical and passionate ... a celebration of the human spirit and what it can achieve' ObserverTwo hours to cover twenty-six miles and 385 yards. An exceptional feat of speed, mental strength and endurance. The sub-two-hour marathon is running's Everest, a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. But now we have reached the mountaintop....

'One of the best books ever written about the early attempts to conquer Everest. A fine, fine slice of history by a truly special writer who proves time and time again that he is among the best of his generation' Dan Jones, author of The PlantagenetsThe untold story of Britain's most mysterious mountaineering legend - Maurice Wilson - and his heroic attempt to climb Everest alone.In the 1930s, as official government expeditions set their sights on conquering Everest, a litt...

Welcome to Japan, the most running-obsessed nation on earth, where: a long-distance relay race is the country's biggest annual sporting event; companies sponsor their own running teams, paying the athletes like employees; and marathon monks run a thousand marathons in a thousand days to reach spiritual enlightenment.Adharanand Finn - award-winning author of Running with the Kenyans - moved to Japan to discover more about this unique running culture and what it might teach ...

Sunday Times Sports Book of the YearShortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year AwardWinner - Best New Writer at the British Sports Book AwardsAfter years of watching Kenyan athletes win the world's biggest races, from the Olympics to big city marathons, Runner's World contributor Adharanand Finn set out to discover just what it was that made them so fast - and to see if he could keep...

'Run until you can't run anymore. Then run some more. Find a new source of energy and will. Then run even faster.' The words of Scott Jurek, a dominant force - and darling - in the gruelling and growing sport of ultrarunning for more than a decade. In 1999, as a complete unknown, he took the lead in the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile jaunt over the Gold Rush trails of America's Sierra Nevada. He went on to win that race seven years in a row. Jurek was also one of the elite runner...

The undisputed classic of running novels and one of the most beloved sports books ever published, Once a Runner tells the story of an athlete’s dreams amid the turmoil of the 60s and the Vietnam war.Inspired by the author’s experience as a collegiate champion, the novel follows Quenton Cassidy, a competitive runner at fictional Southeastern University whose lifelong dream is to run a four-minute mile. He is less than a second away when the turmoil of the V...

An incredible but true account of achieving one of the most awe-inspiring midlife physical transformations everOn the night before he was to turn forty, Rich Roll experienced a chilling glimpse of his future. Nearly fifty pounds overweight and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he could see where his current sedentary life was taking him—and he woke up.Plunging into a new routine that prioritized a plant-based lifestyle and daily training, Rich mo...

Even among the most elite performers, certain athletes stand out as a cut above the rest, able to outperform in clutch, game-deciding moments. These athletes prove that raw athletic ability doesn't necessarily translate to a superior on-field experience—its the mental game that matters most.Sports participation—from the recreational to the collegiate Division I level—is at an all-time high. While the caliber of their games may differ, athletes at every level have one thing in commo...

Ultramarathons don't leave much room for mistakes. Don't learn the hard way: get a jump on training for an ultramarathon with Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning, a comprehensive handbook to running 30 to 100 miles and beyond, written by one of the most experienced and recognized athletes in the sport.Ultramarathons don't leave much room for mistakes. Don't learn the hard way: get a jump on training for an ultramarathon with Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning, a comprehensive ...

Fast After 50 is for every endurance athlete who wants to stay fast for years to come.For runners, cyclists, triathletes, swimmers, and cross-country skiers, getting older doesn't have to mean getting slower. Drawing from the most current research on aging and sports performance, Joe Friel—America's leading endurance sports coach—shows how athletes can race strong and stay healthy well past age 50.In his groundbreaking book Fast After 50, Friel offers a sm...