Author:Alastair Cook
Get to know England legend Alastair Cook in his fascinating and remarkably honest autobiography
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER & TELEGRAPH BOOKS OF THE YEAR
'He is England's greatest ever batsman . . . a hugely enjoyable book' Daily Mail, SPORTS BOOKS OF THE YEAR
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Watch. The. Ball.
It's just you. Standing at the crease. Waiting. The bowler is running. His arm swinging. The ball - 155 grams of cork, string and leather - is hurled at you. At 90 mph it travels 22 yards in under half a second. You can barely see it and you've got to be swinging your bat before it's halfway towards you. Because you are in its path . . .
Alastair Cook, one of England's most decorated players and highest test run scorer, knows what it is like to be your best under pressure. Yet at 33 he called time on his England career.
Come with him as he relives the fraught hours on the pitch, the desperate lows and astonishing highs, the paralysing anxiety that can send the best back home and the extraordinary battle of wills with yourself, the opposing players and even those supposedly on your own side.
This is cricket as you've never seen it. The view from the inside . . .
LONGLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AUTOBIOGRAPHY AWARD
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'Fascinating, timely. Delves into the psychological challenges of the game' Guardian
'Bracingly honest' Times
Bracingly honest about the brutal nature of professional cricket
—— The TimesHe is England's greatest ever batsman...but behind that choirboy exterior, Cook is as tough as tugboats, a man who has spent his life doing one of the hardest, scariest jobs in sports - opening the batting in Test cricket. This hugely enjoyable book gives you an idea of quite how challenging it is, and makes you see that finding a replacement for "The Chef" at the top of England's batting order won't be any picnic
—— Sports Books of the Year Daily MailHugely enjoyable
—— Sport Books of the Year, Daily MailA fascinating and layered book which delves into the psychological challenges of the game . . . a timely read at the end of an exhilarating yet flawed summer for English cricket
—— GuardianThe best books to buy sports fans this Christmas
—— Daily TelegraphIt makes for fascinating reading, as the former England captain recounts what it took to succeed at the top of his game - and reveals what made him decide to hang up his whites at the relatively early age of 33
—— Radio TimesReveals Cook as a teak-tough, mentally powerful competitor . . . Brutally honest insight into professional sport at the highest level
—— Press AssociationCricket legend Alastair Cook's remarkably candid autobiography reveals the pressures of playing the sport at the highest level for more than a decade
—— ChoiceHe details the complexity of the process, from technique to mental agonies, to draining team politics . . . there are also lots of endearing behind-the-scenes details
—— Strong WordsSir Alastair reveals his more ruthless and passionate sides in a book more probing than most sport biogs
—— Daily MirrorWidely 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 MagazineYou lost me a whole night's work. This is a great read.
—— Paddy DillonA beautiful ode to how nature can soothe and inspire hope with every step . . . this book is really special
—— StylistMesmerising. It is one of the most uplifting, inspiring books that I've ever read
—— i (The paper for today)Filled with wry humour, this is a wonderfully uplifting and touching book
—— GuardianThis is a wonderful, heart-gladdening, life-affirming read. It will make you want to walk. What a gem.
—— Kate Riordan, author of The Girl in the PhotographLuminescent. A literary phenomenon
—— Mail on SundayUtterly inspirational
—— The TimesThe Salt Path broke my heart and put it back together again over and over. Beautiful writing, and such a sharp eye - both for nature and for people. It's hopeful and sad and honest and I LOVED it.
—— Maggie Harcourt, author of Unconventional and The Last Summer of UsHarnesses the wildness of rock, sky and coastal walking in life-affirming prose
—— Emma Stonex , GuardianRadiant, soaring, heartstring-tugging
—— BBC CountryfileA remarkable account of the healing power of landscape and the resilience of the human spirit. I felt the rain on my face and heard the waves pounding on the sand.
—— Phillipa AshleyInspirational
—— Good HousekeepingThe Salt Path pummelled me like Atlantic winds. It carried me along on a rain-soaked, sun-burnt, despair-infused, hope-driven walk. The writing is at times raw, poetic, funny, shocking. It is consistently honest, vulnerable, clear. I finished the book reminded of the importance of really hearing people's stories, of the healing power of the natural world, and of our individual and collective now.
—— The EcologistA thoughtful, lyrical story of homelessness, strength and endurance
—— The WeekA moving true story
—— i PaperBy turns inspirational and horrifying . . . [Winn] writes with a detail and a joy that tugs at the reader, lifting this beyond a mere travel memoir and all the privations and hardship to be something truly meaningful
—— Times Higher EducationBeautiful, sad, erudite and uplifting
—— The New EuropeanAn uplifting tale
—— Cornish TimesVivid . . .This is a book essentially about hope, but also about sheer gritty determination not to give in, to survive extreme discomfort, danger and sometimes disillusionment
—— Kibworth & District ChronicleAn inspirational true story
—— Top SanteIt's a heart-warming, heart-wrenching story, told by Raynor in vivid yet plain prose. There are so many wonderful passages
—— Church TimesRaynor's writing is beautiful. It's a heart-wrenching read at times, but you won't be able to put it down
—— MirrorWe walk with Ray and Moth every step of the way, sharing the hunger, exhaustion, blazing heat and freezing rain in an account that is both lyrical and inspirational
—— Guardian, Top 10 books about walking in BritainAn extraordinary memoir - moving, funny and uplifting
—— Open UpAn inspirational and lyrically observed memoir on the regenerative power of walking in nature, as well as a reminder that material things are much less important than we sometimes think. If you love the landscape of the British coastline and are drawn to the philosophies of mindfulness and minimalism, this is a moving and reflective book to read during a break from your everyday life
—— Gill Walker, Newham Books , GuardianRaynor Winn's glorious memoir tells the real-life story of her hike along the South West Coast Path, which she embarked upon with her husband after they lost their home. It's raw yet uplifting - and guaranteed to inspire your next adventure
—— Huffington Post UKA thoughtful reflection on ageing and infirmity, home and homelessness, hope and survival
—— Dr Michael Fitzpatrick , Daily TelegraphA life-affirming story that examines grief and the power of nature
—— Liz Earle WellbeingPoignant . . . It's far from a book without hope, and you'll be with Raynor and Moth every step of their walk along the South West Coast Path
—— Country WalkingA heart-wrenching, inspiring tale of one couple's enduring love for each other in the face of calamity and of their accidental odyssey along England's South West Coast Path
—— AdvntureA love story of resilience and optimism, brimming with heart and humanity
—— Ruth Jones , PrimaA gripping domestic disaster story turned celebration of survival
—— Country WalkingA true story of hope in a dire situation
—— Daily Express