12 SPORTS BOOKS OF CHRISTMAS
From amateur golfers to hardy cyclists, football gamers to F1 armchair aficionados, Pitch are on hand to help find a book for sports fans of all inclinations.
1. A Tale of Two Halves – Fans of football-based games will delight in this superbly comprehensive and stylish homage to three decades of football gaming. Brilliantly designed, in football-themed sections with an in-depth look at all of the major developments, this really is a top-drawer production. Props to for the bootlace page marker. Substance and style, this book will make a beautiful gift.
2. The Golfer’s Survival Guide by Charles Rapshot – ‘I know I am getting better at golf because I am hitting fewer spectators’ – if this sounds like something that could apply to one of your family members, this is the book for them. Full of excuses for bad shots, stories of bad golfers and post-golf celebrations, it’s the book every amateur golfer needs for their stand bag.
3. Wimbledon: The Pinnacle of Sport – This coffee-table collection of stunning images from Wimbledon’s photographic team celebrates all that is iconic about the annual SW19 tournament, from the courts to the fans to the players to the place. It is a fitting celebration of this trail-blazing competition.
4. The Cycling Chef on the Go by Alan Murchison – This book may be designed for cyclists looking for those quick fixes for carbs, energy, protein and electrolytes, but there’s some very tempting recipes in here regardless of your skills on a bike. From soups to snacks, pizzas to energy drinks, it’s nice to have a healthy recipe book to hand.
5. Get In! Football According to Mark Goldbridge – The YouTuber’s first book may not be everyone’s cup of tea this Christmas, but fans of the outspoken presenter will know exactly what to expect when it comes to his forthright football rants.
6. On Cricket by Sir Trevor McDonald – National treasure Sir Trevor McDonald may be better known for broadcasting, but his first and abiding love has always been cricket. The book weaves together a fascinating life story with an obsession for the sport and is surely one of the few books where you’ll find Margaret Thatcher and Saddam Hussein name-checked alongside Viv Richards and Frank Worrell.
7. Remarkable Motor Races by Andrew Benson – From Albert Park to Zandvoort, Donington Park to Yas Marina, this book takes in some of the great racing venues of all time. The stunning images are worth the admission fee alone.
8. The Good, the Bad and the Rugby by Alex Payne, James Haskell and Mike Tindall – Former rugby stars Haskell and Tindall alongside broadcaster Alex Payne have created a leading podcast, building on their experiences, connections and personalities. This book gives an insight behind the show and their friendships in typically outspoken style.
9. The Art of Suffering by Kramon – If ever you wanted to fully appreciate the scale, agony and ecstasy of road cycling, the photographs of Kristofer Ramon, aka Kramon, capture it all incredibly. From the bloodied figure of Stefan Kung to the frozen visage of Greg Henderson, this is cycling at its rawest.
10. Panini Legends by Greg Lansdowne – For those who have experienced the joys of searching for and finding that elusive sticker, this book will trigger all kinds of memories. Taking readers through 85 football legends, the potted histories have nothing on some of the dodgy photos that have graced past Paninis.
11. Unfiltered by Guenther Steiner – Following on from his debut book, Surviving to Drive, published last year, the outspoken F1 favourite is back with yet more stories from behind the scenes as he takes readers on a journey from the earliest days at Haas to his departure in 2023, all of course in his unfiltered style.
12. Wild Swimming Walks Eryri/Snowdonia by Emma Marshall – One of the latest additions to the Wild Swimming Walks series, this book centres on one of Wales’ national parks, which includes a UNESCO site, special areas of conservation, as well as plenty of memorable walks and swimming sites to explore.