Author:Mickey Vann,Richard Coomber
Micky Vann is one of the world's top boxing referees. He has been involved in more than 350 championship fights, over 100 of which were world title fights. Outspoken and brutally honest, his hard-hitting views have often found him at the centre of controversy. The biggest night of his career - the 'Battle of Britain' world heavyweight clash between Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis - saw him on the mat for a four-letter outburst broadcast across the world.
Vann is the son of showman Hal Denver and the grandson of The Silver King, who included the Elephant Man in his sideshows. In Give Me A Ring, he pulls no punches as he reveals the truth about his unusual childhood, spent between a Dickensian foster home and the circus; the bribe he was accused of taking from Don King; and the sleazy side of the fight game.
Give Me A Ring covers Vann's professional career in all it's glory, from his time as a journeyman pro fighter to the fame he has found as a star-grade referee. in this frank and often hilarious autobiography, Vann candidly comments on personalities such as Lennox Lewis, Prince Naseem Hamed, Nigel Benn, Don King, Barry McGuigan and Frank Bruno. He gives his views on the game's rackets and its future. Give Me A Ring is a compelling read, sure to be a revelation to the boxing world and its followers
The principle is sound, as are the author’s credentials… [A] genuine attempt to reflect the day-to-day realities of a relentless life on the road. And it is relayed by someone who doesn’t feel duty-bound to toe the corporate line
—— MotorsportHere we are privileged to have Marc’s take on the Formula 1 world from the inside… Marc was lucky enough to work alongside David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, among others, but it is his close relationship with Kimi Raikkonen that we gain most insight into as we read… In short, it is a must read for any F1 fan, and I can highly recommend
—— Sarah Merritt , Badger GPI’m a huge fan . . . North is tremendous.
—— Vassos Alexander, BBC Radio 2Probably America’s greatest ever ultrarunner.
—— GuardianOne of the greatest runners of all time.
—— Runner's WorldThe greatest ultrarunner of them all.
—— New York TimesAn ultramarathon legend.
—— Men’s HealthOne of the world’s most dominant ultramarathon runners.
—— Daily TelegraphAn ultramarathon running god . . . Is he crazy? Or is he superhuman?
—— Slate[Jurek has] accomplished feats that boggle the mind, showing the amazing things that can be accomplished by a determined athlete.
—— Business InsiderWidely regarded as one of the best ultrarunners of all-time.
—— Men’s JournalScott Jurek is a veritable demigod in the sport of ultrarunning.
—— IndependentAn ultramarathon legend . . . An extraordinary athlete.
—— GizmodoScott Jurek is Exhibit A in the argument that man was meant to run.
—— ComplexUndoubtedly the greatest ultrarunner of his generation.
—— IndependentJurek’s victories in punishing 100-mile races since the late 1990s – plus a starring role in the writer Christopher McDougall’s best seller, Born to Run – have made him a distance-running celebrity. But tackling the Appalachian Trail forced him to dig deeper than he ever had before . . . To hear Jurek tell it, forcing himself to the limit is purifying and transformational.
—— The AtlanticUltrarunning legend Scott Jurek has a great tale of conquering the Appalachian Trail . . . If testing yourself to the max is your thing, you’ll love this story.
—— Trail Running MagazineHeartbreaking . . . 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
—— TimesAnn Wroe’s Six Facets of Light is a fascinating and original meditation [on light]. Six Facets of Light is an exquisite collage of relations, a prose poem to “what escaped” absolutely everyone – and to how madly, brilliantly, they tried to “be in step”.
—— Joanna Kavenna , Times Literary Supplement