Brilliant, magical, unmissable

Who needs politicians agonising about national and regional identities? Clare Balding has effortlessly encapsulated all we love best about Britain

Clare Balding would be the ideal surrogate sister or auntie. The joy of this book is Balding's sheer rapture for life, movement and never shutting up about it

Balding has won over the literary world with her two volumes of autobiography

Even the most reluctant of walkers will be tempted to don wellies after reading Clare's wonderful descriptions... effortless charm

Not only does [Lowe] own a particularly neat turn of phrase but knows the strategic points at which to use it. There is not one chapter that does not pass by without causing you to smile out loud. A cleverly constructed and well-written tale...

Holy shit! That’s longer than a Grand Tour. And is that Hannibal as in Hannibal Lecter? It’s gonna be a bloody massacre . . .

Lowe not only regularly pokes fun at the entire undertaking but ... he knows how to construct a coherent, amusing and, most importantly, inclusive narrative. There’s also a neat element of travelogue here too, as Lowe eats his way through a succession of delightful meals in picturesque settings across Spain, France and Italy. Lowe’s amiable approach makes it seem like it would be the most natural and exciting thing to do in the world. Finish Climbs And Punishment and you’ll immediately want to get on the bike, which is, in the end, the highest praise indeed.

Roger Deakin is the perfect companion for invigorating armchair swim. Engaging, thoughtful and candid, he also has a wonderful eye

A brilliant and compelling view of Britain from a few inches above its neglected waterways

One of the more entertaining football tomes to be published in recent times.

A funny and poignant tale for anyone who's ever dreamt of quitting their day job to embark on an adventure

A salient overview of the past quarter-century

The deserving winner of this year's William Hill Sports Book of the Year award

This is a breakthrough book by one of the leading young lights of Australian writing

Despite it being an almost impossible subject to write about, Krien has produced a brilliant, disarming, thought-provoking book

A thought-provoking book that every aspiring male footballer should be made to read…as part of their apprenticeship

A worthy, if unexpected, winner

A depressing but essential read

an intelligent and unsettling exploration of how sport’s macho culture and exclusion of women enable abuse