Nantwich Sports Book Festival

The First Nantwich Sports Book Festival is coming up from May 4th – 7th, organised by the Nantwich Bookshop and Max Books.

Our thanks to Dave Siddorns for bringing it to our attention.

Here are some of the books to be featured:

Boulder Rolling

Tom Smith's 2015 Diary
The contrast between Tom Smith's 2014 and 2015 seasons could not have been starker. In 2014 the all-rounder enjoyed the best personal season of his career to gain England Lions recognition and then dominate Lancashire's end of sea- son awards after being named both the Championship Player of the Year and the overall Player of the Year.

He took 54 wickets and hit 773 runs in the County Championship matches and his quick scoring at the top of the order was an integral part of Lancashire's success in reaching the NatWest T20 Blast final, earning selection for the Lions' one-day series against the A sides of New Zealand and Sri Lanka in August.

To cap a memorable year, Tom married fiancée Holly in December 2014.

Tom's 2015 started well when he was named Lancashire Captain for 2015 and it was a proud moment when he led the team out at Derby to start the new season. And then it all went horribly wrong...

Friday 6th May from 7pm. Meet Tom Smith & some of the Lancashire Team at The Studio, Nantwich. Ticket allows £5 discount against book purchase.

For the Glory

The Story of Eric Liddell by Duncan Hamilton
Eric Liddell was as close to a saint as any man in modern history has been. Renowned for his athletic prowess, it was also his deeply entrenched values that set him apart from the crowd.

These qualities were never better illustrated than in the 1924 Paris Olympics when, having declined his place in the 100 metres owing to the fact that the race was run on a Sunday, he produced an astonishing performance to win gold in the 400 metres, and captured the hearts of the world.

Liddell was immortalised in the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire, but that film barely scratched the surface of his life (as well as being economical with the facts).

It was China, where he had grown up, that was Liddell's passion, and his zeal was to improve the lot of its most unfortunate people, in a time of terrible violence and danger, when the country lay under the brutal hand of the invading Japanese army. He was literally on a mission, a force for good in the world.

For the Glory takes the reader from Liddell the fastest man on the planet, through Liddell the man with a higher purpose, to Liddell when he had to be stronger than all around him, detained in an internment camp under terrible conditions, when he became the moral centre of an otherwise unbearable world.

Liddell would make the ultimate sacrifice, but the story of his life continues to inspire generation after generation, from all walks of life. This is the story of a true hero of our times.

Saturday 7th May 7pm. Nantwich Methodist Church – Hospital Street. Meet the Author. Tickets £5. Ticket allows £5 discount against book purchase. Refreshments available.

Sherlock Holmes and The Birth of The Ashes

by Arunabha Sengupta
The Oval, 1882. WG Grace, the great champion of England cricket, and Fred 'The Demon' Spofforth, that diabolical Australian bowler, are locked in a titanic tussle as England and Australia play out a thriller of a match. That was the day when giants clashed, sparks flew and it resulted in the lore of The Ashes. We
know all about that.

But, it has seldom been revealed that in the pavilion on that famous August day sat Sherlock Holmes, his services recruited by Charles W Alcock, Secretary of the Surrey County Cricket Club. After a century and a third thereof, the facts of the matter have finally been made public.

Dr John Watson's account of the sensational events have at long last seen the light of the day. We are taken on a journey of knuckle-cracking, nail-biting cricket action along with suspense, tension, villainy and death, and the Birth of the Ashes.

Wednesday 4th May 7pm. At the Nantwich Bookshop £10.

The Racer by David Millar

What is it really like to be a racer? What is it like to be swept along at 60kmh in the middle of the pack? What happens to the body during a high-speed chute? What tactics must teams employ to win the day, the jersey, the grand tour? What sacrifices must a cyclist make to reach the highest levels? What is it like on the bus? In the hotels?

What camaraderie is built in the confines of a team? What rivalries? How does it feel to be constantly on the road, away from loved ones, tasting one more calorie-counted hotel breakfast?

David Millar offers us a unique insight into the mind of a professional cyclist during his last year before retirement. Over the course of a season on the World Tour, Millar puts us in touch with the sights, smells and sounds of the sport. This is a book about youth and age, fresh-faced excitement and hard-earned experience. It is a love letter to cycling.

Thursday 5th May 7pm. At Crewe Vagrants Sports Club. Meet David Millar – £10 a ticket incl. musette with copy of book and goodies.

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