Author:Freddie Spencer
Feel is the story of how a small-time boy from humble beginnings in Louisiana rose to the pantheon of greats, to win the 500cc and 250cc GP Championship in the same year – an historic achievement over three decades ago which has never been repeated.
Growing up at the time of the assassination of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Freddie judged by feel, not by colour. Blind to prejudice and discrimination, he formed dynamic connections with people and events, but only years later during his racing afterlife could Freddie come to understand the true power of the things he learned.
Spencer is an articulate and compassionate guide as he describes the thrill and horror of racing in an era when death was a perennial threat. He recalls in pin-sharp detail the frenetic high-octane racing duels with the ‘King’ Kenny Roberts, but also describes a parallel internal journey as he struggled to make sense of it all.
Driven by a search for the personal fulfilment that comes through finding your purpose, Freddie’s story is a universal one. In its message of hope, Feel transcends its genre to offer a story for everyone. Part thriller, part philosophical self-exploration, it is a remarkably insightful account of what it is like to have it all, but wonder why.
“For the first time I will talk about the traumas of my childhood, the contrast between the leaf fire burns, the mistrust and discomfort and the peace and purpose I felt when riding my bike. I didn’t tell my parents about something that happened to me. Why? I felt ashamed, but when I rode I felt connected to everything and the pain in my hand and heart would go away. It gave me the feeling of hope”.
It's bloody brilliant ... one of the most interesting autobiographies we've read
—— Motorcycle NewsInsightful and intoxicating. Vybarr Cregan-Reid's book makes you take your shoes off and run through a world of ideas about nature.
—— Lynne TrussDelightful
—— The Times Literary SupplementFootnotes is a blazing achievement.
—— Kate Norbury , Caught by the RiverFew have done it so artfully and completely.
—— Oliver Balch , Literary ReviewHere is a book in which the striding energy of the prose matches its subject.
—— Iain SinclairWonderfully authoritative vindication of what ought to be a self-evident truth: that running should be about being alive, not being a consumer.
—— Richard Askwith - author of Running Free: A Runner’s Journey Back to NatureIt’s hard to imagine a more compelling or poetic running companion than Vybarr Cregan-Reid. He inspires us not just to run, but to be truly alive while we are doing it.
—— Scarlett ThomasA brilliant, broad-ranging and beautiful book. Like a great run into a wild landscape, it opens the heart and the mind, taking you off into the unknown, delighting at every turn and returning you changed for the better.
—— Rob Cowen - author of Common GroundNo Hunger in Paradise is humbling, educational, worrying and a great read. Can't recommend it highly enough. One of the best sports books I've ever read.
—— Barry Glendenning , GuardianStarted reading this and it's brilliant. Seriously recommended. Yet another important football book from Michael Calvin. In-depth well-researched accounts of the journey from kids football to the professional game..or rejection
—— Adrian Durham , TalkSPORTIf you've any interest in the future of football in this country and the young players who will provide it, No Hunger in Paradiseis a must-read.
—— Liverpool EchoBleak but brilliant. Contains stories that need to be heard.
—— i-PaperA brilliant & very important book. Vital, highly recommended. Tempted to say it's Michael Calvin’s best yet, which is some praise.
—— Oliver Kay , The TimesThe best sports book I'm likely to read this year. Highly recommend you buy it.
—— Simon Hughes , IndependentA brilliant insight into the journey young kids now make from kicking a ball around in their back garden, through the glossy facilities of academy football.
—— David Preece , Sunderland EchoHis research is, as ever, impeccable… No Hunger in Paradise is a fascinating and fitting finale to a trio of books any football lover should own.
—— Sunday SportHeartbreaking . . . an excellent piece of reportage
—— i-PaperThe award-winning writer’s new forensic, and sometimes alarming, case study into why some young prospects make the cut – and others fall away – is fascinating…
The FA would do well to read this if they want success
Brilliantly sourced and written… As a portrait of the state of the modern game, No Hunger In Paradise is vital reading. With Calvin’s previous studies, it serves as a record of what football is like today and should place him alongside Arthur Hopcraft, John Moynihan and Hunter Davies in providing the sport with its defining literature
—— When Saturday ComesOne of the great, and most important, sports books of 2017. Passionate, incisive, gripping.
—— Don McCraeCalvin is a natural storyteller who is unflinching as he goes behind the scenes and meets the people at the heart of the youth development network.
—— Irish IndependentThe book is an eye-opener into the pressures put on young players by clubs, coaches and parents; the corruption and conceit, bullying and harassment. Plus the lengths those clubs and their scouts go to, to recruit kids who have yet to reach secondary school.
—— Independent, 10 Best Football Books of the Year 2017Completes his formidable trilogy on the game with a blistering indictment of how it treats its youngest players
—— Guardian’s sport books of the yearOutstanding
—— TimesAs the book unfurls, the march along the marches turns into a eulogy to his father, part memoir, part biography, always a love story. It also contains one of the most unflinching, moving descriptions of death I have read.
—— Melanie Reid , The TimesThis beautifully written book is a haunting reflection of identity and our relationships with the people and places we love.
—— Jane Shilling , Daily MailStewart provides much food for thought about how we value our past history
—— Susannah Law , Scottish Field