If it's an intelligent, witty and surreal read you're after, this one beats most football books out there

Witty, engaging and impassioned

Most football books are rubbish, but this one, written by Britain's funniest broadcaster and a legendary magazine editor is full of the sort of vim and brio that will make you want to throw off your velvet pantaloons, your crushed silk undershirt and your embroidered codpiece, done a box-fresh donkey jacket and hurtle down to your local for a couple of metres of mead and a family packet of Kettles

If you think cycling on British roads is perilous, spare a thought for Mark Beaumont, the man who pedalled around the world in a record 194 days and 17 hours. His epic trek saw him battle hostile terrain in Turkey and Pakistan, endure fierce weather in Australia and get back in the saddle after a crash in America

There is much that is remarkable about Mark Beaumont and he has produced a well-written and highly readable account of his endeavour. What he does is something close to a blow-by-blow account of the enormous resolve and determination that were necessary to undertake the journey... Unusually for round-the-world accounts it picks up towards the end, rather than tailing off. Chasing a record at times seems like an odd reason for travellling so far - but by the end, I was willing him through the final few days

Read this... from the history of stadia or the trivia behind sporting rules or why golf balls have dimples, this well-written book will help you take on any pub bore