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Fall of the Phantom Lord
by Andrew TodhunterIn 1989, while attempting a new route on a difficult overhanging rock face, climber Dan Osman fell. Again and again, protected by the rope, he fell. He decided then that it would not be in climbing but in falling that he would embrace his fear--bathe in it, as he says, and move beyond it. A captivating exploration of the daredevil world of rock climbing, as well as a thoughtful meditation on the role of risk and fear in the author's own life. In the tradition of the wildly popular man-versus-nature genre that has launched several bestsellers, Andrew Todhunter follows the lives of world-class climber Dan Osman and his coterie of friends as he explores the extremes of risk on the unyielding surface of the rock. Climbing sheer rock faces of hundreds or thousands of feet is more a religion than a sport, demanding dedication, patience, mental and physical strength, grace, and a kind of obsession with detail that is crucial just to survive. Its artists are modern-day ascetics who often sacrifice nine-to-five jobs, material goods, and the safety of everyday life to pit themselves and their moral resoluteness against an utterly unforgiving opponent. In the course of the two years chronicled inFall of the Phantom Lord,the author also undertakes a journey of his own as he begins to weigh the relative value of extreme sports and the risk of sudden death. By the end of the book, as he ponders joining Osman on a dangerous fall from a high bridge to feel what Osman experiences, Todhunter comes to a new understanding of risk taking and the role it has in his life, and in the lives of these climbers. Beautifully written,Fall of the Phantom Lordoffers a fascinating look at a world few people know. It will surely take its place alongsideInto Thin AirandThe Perfect Stormas a classic of adventure literature. From the Hardcover edition.
A Fall of Woodcock: A Season's Worth of Tales on Hunting a Most Elusive Little Game Bird
by Charley Waterman Jim Foote Tom Huggler"A fall of woodcock into a covert you have either chosen or to which you have been directed is a magic all its own," Tom Huggler writes in this book devoted to the woodcock and to those who await the return to their favorite coverts each autumn. This book, with a new introduction by Charley Waterman, casts a similar spell as it chronicles Tom's travels to New England, the Maritimes, Maine, Louisiana, then back to his beloved Michigan in search of a better understanding of the woodcock, and finally, a better understanding of himself.Like the annual migratory flights of the woodcock, A Fall of Woodcock follows no particular line, but rather meanders along the main currents and causeways of Huggler's life, dropping down here and there in places that both sustain it and give it meaning. It covers his early hunting years, old friends and new ones, four-legged partners, woodcock researchers, and a visit with H. G. "Tap" Tapply.Huggler also traces his evolution from a run-and-gun birder to a slower but surer hunter who sets his own pace and his own bag limits. Those familiar with the magic and mystery of the American woodcock are sure to find a kindred spirit here.
Fall Off, Get Back On, Keep Going: 10 ways to be at the top of your game!
by Clare Balding'Falling off' is all part of life. The trick is to know how to dust yourself off, get back on, learn from your mistakes - and keep going!Clare Balding, TV presenter, sportswoman and bestselling author has had some spectacular falls in her life - from not fitting in at school and falling in with the wrong crowd, to last-minute hiccups and mistakes on live TV - so she knows what it takes to embrace your mistakes and move on from them!With personal stories from Clare herself and from the lives of the people she most admires, children will discover how to develop courage in the face of tough situations. Find out how Charlotte Raubenheimer of South Africa completed a triathlon while in lockdown at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Marvel at the amazing story of US surfer Bethany Hamilton, who got back in the water just one month after she lost her arm in a shark attack, going on to win her first US national surfing competition two years later. Plus many more stories including that of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, US soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe, Dutch inventor Boyan Slat and Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg.With fun, quirky illustrations from Jess Holm, the 10 chapters of Fall Off, Get Back On, Keep Going explore 10 character-traits - RESILIENCE, PATIENCE, CONFIDENCE, COURAGE, FLEXIBILITY, CREATIVITY, SPEAKING OUT, MOTIVATION, KINDNESS and KEEPING GOING - that can help children to learn to embrace their mistakes, own them, and move on from them.
Fall Off, Get Back On, Keep Going: 10 ways to be at the top of your game!
by Clare Balding'Falling off' is all part of life. The trick is to know how to dust yourself off, get back on, learn from your mistakes - and keep going!Clare Balding, TV presenter, sportswoman and bestselling author has had some spectacular falls in her life - from not fitting in at school and falling in with the wrong crowd, to last-minute hiccups and mistakes on live TV - so she knows what it takes to embrace your mistakes and move on from them!With personal stories from Clare herself and from the lives of the people she most admires, children will discover how to develop courage in the face of tough situations. Find out how Charlotte Raubenheimer of South Africa completed a triathlon while in lockdown at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Marvel at the amazing story of US surfer Bethany Hamilton, who got back in the water just one month after she lost her arm in a shark attack, going on to win her first US national surfing competition two years later. Plus many more stories including that of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, US soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe, Dutch inventor Boyan Slat and Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg.With fun, quirky illustrations from Jess Holm, the 10 chapters of Fall Off, Get Back On, Keep Going explore 10 character-traits - RESILIENCE, PATIENCE, CONFIDENCE, COURAGE, FLEXIBILITY, CREATIVITY, SPEAKING OUT, MOTIVATION, KINDNESS and KEEPING GOING - that can help children to learn to embrace their mistakes, own them, and move on from them.(P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Fall River Dreams: A Team's Quest for Glory - A Town's Search for Its Soul
by Bill ReynoldsIn this deeply felt, unforgettable book, Bill Reynolds journeys with a high school basketball team through the past and present of an American town. Fall River, Massachusetts, is a once-prosperous industrial center haunted by its history, the Durfee High School basketball team begins its annual drive for a state championship: a quest that inspires and sometimes consumes kids, coaches, families, teachers, and all of Fall River. Fall River Dreams is the story of one season's quest-a classic book about sports, youth, time, hope, and memory in American today.
Fall Through Spring (Winter Ball)
by Amy LaneA Winter Ball NovelAs far as Clay Carpenter is concerned, his abusive relationship with food is the best thing he’s got going. When a good friend starts kicking his ass into gear, Clay is forced to reexamine everything he learned about food and love—and that’s right when he meets troubled graduate student, Dane Hayes.Dane Hayes doesn’t do the whole monogamy thing, but the minute he meets Clay Carpenter, he’s doing the friend thing in spades. The snarky, scruffy bastard not only gets Dane's wacky sense of humor, he also accepts the things Dane can’t control—like the bipolar disorder Dane has been trying to manage for the past six years.Dane is hoping for more than friendship, and Clay is looking at him with longing that isn't platonic. They’re both positive they’re bad at relationships, but with the help of forbidden desserts and new medication regimens, they prove outstanding at being with each other. But can they turn their friendship into the love neither of them has dared to hope for?
Fall with Me (Playing for Keeps #4)
by Becka MackFrom the bestselling author and TikTok sensation Becka Mack comes the next book in her sizzling hockey romance series about a playboy defenseman and the team photographer who captures his heart. The fourth book in the globally popular Playing for Keeps series that New York Times bestselling author Hannah Grace calls &“endlessly sexy and funny.&”Jaxon Riley is exceptional at three things: starting fights on the ice, picking up women post-game, and going home to fulfill his role as the world&’s best cat dad. Relationships, unfortunately, missed the list. Lennon Hayes is supposed to be on her honeymoon. Instead, she&’s alone and single, vacationing next door to a surly tattooed man who ran his date off the resort. When a run-in at the bar results in a night of bickering and cocktails, she finds herself tumbling into bed with the enemy next door, then sneaking out before the sun comes up. Lennon&’s plan to start over in a new city is going great, until she starts her new job. The job? The Vancouver Vipers&’ new photographer. And the defenseman scowling at her from across the room? The one-night stand she wasn&’t supposed to see again. Good thing neither of them are looking for anything serious… Right? Jaxon may not be used to falling, but if he&’s going to go, he refuses to go alone. If he falls, he wants Lennon to fall with him.
Fall with Me (Playing for Keeps #4)
by Becka MackFrom bestselling author and TikTok sensation Becka Mack comes the next book in her sizzling hockey romance series about a playboy defenseman and the team photographer who reforms him. Jaxon Riley is exceptional at three things: starting fights on the ice, picking up women post-game, and going home to fulfill his role as the world&’s best cat dad. Relationships, unfortunately, missed the list. Lennon Hayes is supposed to be on her honeymoon. Instead, she&’s alone and single, vacationing next door to a surly tattooed man who ran his date off the resort. When a run-in at the bar results in a night of bickering and cocktails, she finds herself tumbling into bed with the enemy next door, then sneaking out before the sun comes up. Lennon&’s plan to start over in a new city is going great, until she starts her new job. The job? The Vancouver Vipers&’ new photographer. And the defenseman scowling at her from across the room? The one-night stand she wasn&’t supposed to see again. Good thing neither of them are looking for anything serious… Right? Jaxon may not be used to falling, but if he&’s going to go, he refuses to go alone. If he falls, he wants Lennon to fall with him.
Fallen Angel: The Passion of Fausto Coppi
by William FotheringhamVoted the most popular Italian sportsman of the twentieth century, Fausto Angelo Coppi was the campionissimo - champion of champions. The greatest cyclist of the immediate post-war years, he was the first man to win cycling's great double, the Tour de France and Tour of Italy in the same year - and he did it twice. He achieved mythical status for his crushing solo victories, world titles and world records. But his significance extends far beyond his sport. Coppi's scandalous divorce and controversial early death convulsed a conservative, staunchly Roman Catholic Italy in the 1950s. At a time when adultery was still illegal, Coppi and his lover were dragged from their bed in the middle of the night, excommunicated and forced to face a clamorous legal battle. The ramifications of this case are still being felt today.In Fallen Angel, acclaimed cycling biographer, William Fotheringham, tells the tragic story of Coppi's life and death - of how a man who became the symbol of a nation's rebirth after the disasters of war died reviled and heartbroken. Told with insight and intelligence, this is a unique portrait of Italy and Italian sport at a time of tumultuous change.
Falling Fast
by Tina WainscottFans of Jasinda Wilder and Colleen Hoover will adore this emotional new small-town romance--a smoldering tale of first love and long-awaited redemption from USA Today bestselling author Tina Wainscott. Raleigh West works in an auto shop day and night, trying to put his broken past out of mind. It's been seven years since the fiery crash that landed his teenage sweetheart in the hospital . . . and him in jail. In an instant, he lost everything: his passion for racing, his hope of escaping his father's shameful legacy, and the only girl he ever loved. Raleigh hasn't seen her since that awful night. Never got a chance to apologize. And never forgave himself, either. When brave, beautiful Mia Wentworth returns to the Florida coast for the first time in what seems like forever, it's not to see Raleigh. Even so, the moment she arrives she can feel his presence like a gust of wind that gives her goose bumps. Opening her heart to him again seems impossible. But staying away? That might be harder still. Lucky for them both, Mia's never been the kind of woman to take the easy way out.Advance praise for Falling Fast "An emotionally charged story about two people with wounded pasts, and deeply buried secrets, who find their way back to one another."--New York Times bestselling author Patricia Rosemoor "Falling Fast has wonderful characters you'll hold in your heart forever. I couldn't stop reading until I found out if these two star-crossed lovers would be able to survive all the challenges keeping them apart."--New York Times bestselling author Kathy Clark Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
Falling for the Backup (Novella)
by Toni AleoToni Aleo's sexy new eBook original novella featuring the Nashville Assassins will have you believing in the power of love at first sight . . . and second sight . . . and third. After serving as a dutiful bridesmaid in the wedding from hell, Aynslee Shaw just wants to slink home to Nashville and forget the whole trip. That is until the hottest guy she's ever seen is seated next to her on the flight and charms her with his easy laugh and killer smile. But just when she thinks things are getting good, he vanishes, leaving Aynslee wondering, was that guy the one? And did she just let him slip through her fingers? Former superstar goalie Jordan Ryan is back on the ice--finally. After a crippling knee injury that had him wondering if he'd ever play pro hockey again, he's got his full attention on rebuilding his career. So a pretty--okay, beautiful--girl on a plane shouldn't be a distraction. But Jordan is very, very distracted. And when Aynslee crosses his path again, he's not sure any job in the world is worth missing his second chance with a woman like her.Praise for Toni Aleo's Nashville Assassins romances "Aleo melts the ice and hits it into the net with her Assassins series."--Award-winning author Jami Davenport "Taking Shots is really the whole package. You get romance, humor, steamy sex, drama, and then it all wraps up with a great conclusion. I am amazed that this is Toni's first book. She has come out in a huge way. I can't wait to read more from her. Don't hesitate for a moment to grab this book."--Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews "A little steamy, a little heartbreaking, and a whole lot of fanning yourself are in order this time around, readers. Are your cheeks feeling a little pink yet? Get used to the feeling."--Dreaming in the Pages, on Trying to Score "Empty Net is an honest, heartwarming, endearing story. . . . Toni Aleo doesn't just write a story. She gives you the ability to experience the journey of her characters right along with them. Her stories are enveloped with passion, emotion, humor, love; and let me tell you, that girl knows how to write a sex scene that just makes you sweat!"--Guilty Pleasures Book Review "Sexy and riveting . . . the perfect combination of love and lust."--USA Today bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin, on Blue Lines "Funny, charming, sweet, sexy . . . [Falling for the Backup] has everything you want in a story."--Blushing Reader Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from the Loveswept title Empty Net.
Falling Hard
by Tina WainscottIn bestselling author Tina Wainscott's gritty, emotional small-town romance--perfect for fans of Jasinda Wilder and Colleen Hoover--passions run high as a reformed bad boy reconnects with an old enemy . . . and gets her engine revving. There's no one Pax Sullivan wants to run into less than Gemma Thornton. Back in high school, she revved his heart more than street racing. But she picked his clean-cut brother over him--only to accuse Blake of an unforgivable crime. Eventually the charges were dropped and Gemma left town, but the hard feelings lingered . . . along with Pax's gnawing "what-ifs." Seven years later, just as he quits the police force to open a racetrack, Gemma's back--and their chemistry is more combustible than ever. If it were up to her, Gemma would never lay eyes on another Sullivan. She hates them, and they hate her--even Pax, who just so happens to be fixing up her father's B&B. But the more time she spends with the lean, hard-bodied ex-cop at the inn and on the track, the more Gemma sees that Pax is nothing like his brother. Despite their anguished history, she's tempted to take their relationship into high gear . . . if she can face the past and risk her heart.
Falling Short
by Ernesto CisnerosErnesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Efrén Divided, is back with a hilarious and heartfelt novel about two best friends who must rely on each other in unexpected ways. A great next pick for readers who loved Ghost by Jason Reynolds or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez. Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help. This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team. But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?
Falling Star
by Robert RaynerThe Brunswick Valley kids are back, and this time they're taking it on the road. In order to secure the top spot in the league, the gang is playing a series of away-games at schools around the province. With their teenage coach, Ice, at the wheel of the van, victory, hilarity, and complications are sure to follow!
False Hope
by Marianne RiceMason Tucker prefers solitude and the company of his laptop, but when vivacious Emma Fulton begs for his computer expertise in tracking down family secrets, he agrees in order to keep an eye on the feisty brunette, as trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes. Welcome back to the world of the McKay-Tucker Men. Marianne Rice is pleased to present False Hope, Book 2 of her suspenseful, romance series.Emma Fulton never had to worry about much. Socially driven and happily single, she's been blessed with charm, good looks, and a close-knit community. But after a medical emergency, a dollop of family drama, and a series of near-tragic events, she finds she must question who she can trust.Preferring solitude to intimacy, Mason Tucker's relatives make it difficult to escape social gatherings and small talk. When Emma's mother marries into his family, he finds himself reluctantly drawn to the beautiful woman who is his complete opposite. But after helping her through a terrible discovery, Emma begins to break down some of Mason's communication barriers and insecurities.When Emma asks for his assistance in tracking down a secret, Mason tags along in order to keep her safe. Unfortunately, not everyone has Emma's safety in mind when danger waits for the perfect opportunity to strike.Content Notes: Spicy, Contemporary, Suspense, Medical, Athletes
A False Spring: A Memoir
by Pat Jordan"One of the best and truest books about baseball, and about coming to maturity in America." --Time In the late 1950s, acclaimed sportswriter Pat Jordan was a young pitching phenom, blowing away opposing batters for his Fairfield, Connecticut, high school baseball team. Fifteen major league clubs offered him a contract, but it was the Milwaukee Braves who won out, signing Jordan to a $45,000 bonus--one of the largest paid to any new player by the organization--and shipping him off to McCook, Nebraska, to play for their Class D ball club. It did not take long, however, for Jordan to realize he was out of his depth in professional baseball's backwoods. He battled with inconsistency and a lack of control for three dismal seasons in such far-flung locales as Keokuk, Iowa, and Palatka, Florida, before the Braves released him and he gave up his dreams of big league greatness. Declared "unforgettable" by the Los Angeles Times and "a major triumph" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, A False Spring is a powerful and deeply affecting memoir about the gift of athletic talent and the heartbreak of unfulfilled promise.
False Start
by Sandra DierschCaitlynn is no fan of the water, but after breaking her ankle playing soccer, swimming is the safest sport for her. She makes a deal with her grandfather to join a swim team if he'll stay and watch all of her practices. But after Grandpa has a stroke and can no longer tag along, Caitlynn doesn't want to keep up her end of the deal. In False Start, overcoming obstacles requires more than hard work -- it takes a positive attitude.
False Start (Gridiron)
by Paul HoblinThings were looking good for Jeff. He was ready to rule the school his senior year as the starting running back on the football team. That is, until Scooter came to town. From the moment the tiny kid stepped onto the field, Jeff's life has been turned upside down. First Jeff loses his starting spot, and then even the chance at a football scholarship. Tensions rise as Jeff tries to take back what is rightfully his—his friends, his school, his team—from the quiet kid who became a walk-on star. But is Scooter really out to ruin Jeff's life, or could it all be a huge misunderstanding?
False Start
by Marianne RiceVowing to never follow her heart again, Meg Fulton keeps men at a safe distance. But retired NFL player Connor McKay manages to crack Meg's defenses, and she discovers the sports-loving alpha male is much more than a sexy package wrapped in great biceps and a tight rear end. False Start, Book 1 of Marianne Rice's new romance series will be a welcome addition to your romance library.Ex-NFL player turned high school football coach, Connor McKay is well loved by all ... except by the sexy principal who wants to make changes to his athletic program. Intrigued by Meg Fulton's beauty and intelligence, Connor doesn't mind going head-to-head with her. When he and Meg are set up on a blind date, he's finally able to open a crack in Meg's high emotional wall and see the caring woman inside. What Connor doesn't expect is that his buddy and ex-teammate is the one responsible for Meg's wall in the first place. To choose between a one-time brother and the woman he's fallen hopelessly in love with, Connor will make the riskiest play of his life.Always the misfit growing up, newly hired high school principal Meg Fulton uses a fashionable wardrobe and a sharp tongue to keep men at a safe distance. After a drunken, abusive experience in the back of a Chevy as a naïve teen, she became a single mother with a tough hide...until Connor McKay walks into the picture. She can't stand him. He's a sports-loving alpha male--no thanks! Meg has a good reason to hate jocks. Been there, done that, much to her regret. But as her path continues to cross with Connor's, and attraction heats to a boiling point, Meg learns there's more to Connor than biceps and a tight rear end. Things are heating up with them, when someone from her past threatens to tear them apart. Meg runs for cover...and from Connor. It will take a leap of love for Meg to shed the scars of her past and let love into her life.Content Notes: Sweet, Contemporary, Sports, Athletes
False Summit: Gender in Mountaineering Nonfiction
by Julie RakThe race to climb Everest catapulted mountain climbing, with its accompanying images of conquest and sport, into the public sphere on a global scale. But as a metaphor for the pinnacle of human achievement, mountaineering remains the preserve of traditional white male heroism.False Summit unpacks gender politics in the expedition narratives and memoirs of mountaineers in the Himalayas and the Karakoram. Why are women still a minority in the world's highest places? Julie Rak proposes that the genre has itself reached a "false summit" – a peak that proves not to be the pinnacle – and that mountaineering is not ready to welcome other ways of climbing or other kinds of climbers. For more than two centuries mountaineering, as an activity and as an ideal, has helped shape how the self is understood within the context of conquest, adventure, and proximity to risk. As climbing shows signs of becoming more diverse, Rak asks why change is so hard to achieve and why gender bias and other inequities exist in climbing at all.Exploring classic and lesser-known expedition accounts from Everest, K2, and Annapurna, False Summit helps us understand why mountaineering remains one of the most important ways to articulate gender identities and politics.
Fame to Infamy: Race, Sport, and the Fall from Grace (Margaret Walker Alexander Series in African American Studies)
by Jack LuleFame to Infamy: Race, Sport, and the Fall from Grace follows the paths of sports figures who were embraced by the general populace but who, through a variety of circumstances, real or imagined, found themselves falling out of favor. The contributors focus on the roles played by athletes, the media, and fans in describing how once-esteemed popular figures find themselves scorned by the same public that at one time viewed them as heroic, laudable, or otherwise respectable. The book examines a wide range of sports and eras, and includes essays on Barry Bonds, Kirby Puckett, Mike Tyson, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, Branch Rickey, Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jim Brown, as well as an afterword by noted scholar Jack Lule and an introduction by the editors. Fame to Infamy is an interdisciplinary volume encompassing numerous approaches in tracing the evolution of each subject's reputation and shifting public image.
Families, Sport, Leisure and Social Justice: From Protest to Progress (Routledge Critical Perspectives on Equality and Social Justice in Sport and Leisure)
by Dawn E. Trussell Ruth JeanesThrough a social justice and equity lens, this book examines how families, sport, and leisure connect to broader social issues in society. It goes beyond describing oppression and disadvantaged identities and focuses on advocacy and ways forward to challenge the status quo. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the book draws upon different theories to present important new work on topics as diverse as the role of parents and siblings within youth sport; the family in sport for development and peace; and grandparent–grandchild relationships in sport, leisure, and family tourism. Several topics also bring attention to the multiplicity of family lives such as LGBTQ older adults as well as children and young people in the care of the state. Together, these studies provide important insight into how sport and leisure reflect and refract key contemporary social issues within the context of familial lives. This is fascinating reading for any student or researcher with an interest in sport, leisure, education, development, sociology, social work, or social policy.
Families, Young People, Physical Activity and Health: Critical Perspectives (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society)
by Lisette Burrows Symeon DagkasThe family is an important site for the transmission of knowledge and cultural values. Amidst claims that young people are failing to follow health advice, dropping out of sport and at risk of an ever-expanding list of lifestyle diseases, families have become the target of government interventions. This book is the first to offer critical sociological perspectives on how families do and do not function as a pedagogical site for health education, sport and physical activity practices. This book focuses on the importance of families as sites of pedagogical work across a range of cultural and geographical contexts. It explores the relationships between families, education, health, physical activity and sport, and also offers reflections on the methodological and ethical issues arising from this research. Its chapters discuss key questions such as: how active living messages are taken up in families; how parents perceive the role of education, physical activity and sport; how culture, gender, religion and social class shape engagement in sport; how family pedagogies may influence health education, sport and physical activity now and in the future. This book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in health, physical education, health education, family studies, sport pedagogy or the sociology of sport and exercise.
Family: Life, Death and Football: A Year on the Frontline with a Proper Club
by Michael CalvinFrom the award-winning author of NO HUNGER IN PARADISEOutside the global spotlight, footballers don't drive Aston Martins or pose for underwear ads. This is war. This is life. This is football.Michael Calvin turned up for the first day of pre-season training at Millwall FC. 333 days later, he sat among the subs at Wembley.Over the course of a season, he witnessed the intimate everyday life of a football club far from the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, and the unique characters that come together every day on the field. These are dedicated, hard-working family men, close to their roots, 'playing for the people who hate their jobs, who'd love our lives.' Forget about the over-hyped circus of the Premier League. This is the beautiful game in all its raucous glory: essential reading for anyone whom football is a way of life.
Family Dynasties: The Evolution of Global Business in Scandinavia (Routledge International Studies in Business History)
by Hans SjögrenA remarkable fifteen Nordic family businesses are among the 500 biggest companies in the world and the Nordic countries have more dynasties than most others per capita and in GDP terms. The willingness, often reluctant, of both the political system and labour movement to accept asset accumulation has helped these Nordic businesses survive. The top 1% of Swedes own close to 25% of the country's wealth, as opposed to 16.5% of Spaniards, where dynasties are also abundant. The pattern has held a firm grip on the Nordic countries since the Industrial Revolution and emergence of free enterprise. The trend is particularly pronounced in comparison with the Anglo-Saxon countries – somewhat less so relative to places like Italy, Japan, Germany and South-Asian countries. This book describes the factors and dynamics behind the ability of Nordic businesses to grow and thrive from one generation to the next in the process of becoming dynasties. Far from being commercial enterprises, they are a venue for power, philanthropy, passion, conflict, freedom and captivity. Like many other dynasties, the Nordic ones are a witch's brew of Machiavelli's Prince, Marx's belief in the potential of the meritocracy and Smith's baker who works to sustain his family. Topped by a spoonful of Weber's Protestant Ethic. This book will be key readings for students and scholars of entrepreneurship, corporate governance, business history, Scandinavian history, family business and enterprises and the related disciplines.