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This Week's Hot Sellers



The Sports Bookshelf's research reveals that sports book buyers bought these titles most during the last seven days.

1) Playfair Cricket Annual 2010
Easier to tuck into a pocket and lighter in the backpack than Wisden, the ever-popular guide for cricket fans is enjoying its seasonal surge in sales as domestic cricket returns to the sports agenda.

2) Ten Years of talkSPORT
Gershon Portnoi's no-detail-spared account of the highs and lows of the radio station's first decade of life still excites readers with its revealing tales of Stan Collymore, Alan Brazil et al.

3) Torres: El Nino: My Story
Since its release last September, the Liverpool and Spain striker's own story has proved the most popular among the annual crop of football autobiographies.

4) The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
Michael Lewis's brilliant story of the Memphis teenager, born to a crack addict mother, who went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League has enjoyed a surge of sales following the success of the 2009 movie based on the book, for which actress Sandra Bullock won a Golden Globe.

5) It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
Lance Armstrong's own story of his diagnosis with cancer, the gruelling nature of his treatment and his recovery to win the Tour de France, with no painful detail spared, continues to inspire readers.

6) Open: An Autobiography
Andre Agassi's drug-taking confession ensured his life story made headlines and sales but beyond the sensationalism lies a deeply human story that has won acclaim for its honesty.


7) 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Official BookAs the former editor of World Soccer magazine, Kier Radnedge has long been respected for his expert knowledge of international football and the official FIFA guide to this summer's World Cup finals is as authoritative as you would expect.

8) Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics
Jonathan Wilson's study of football in Eastern Europe, Behind the Curtain, was as engaging as it was informative, but he did give himself plenty of scope.  The evolution of football tactics could have been a subject that was simply too dry to be fun, but Wilson somehow makes it just as entertaining.

9) Lucky Break
Racehorse trainer Paul Nicholson's luck may have deserted him recently, with the defeat of Denman and Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and of joint-favourite Big Fella Thanks in the Grand National after jockey Ruby Walsh had to give up the ride due to injury, but his autobiography -- shortlisted at the British Sports Book Awards -- continues to sell well.

10) Trautmann's Journey: From Hitler Youth to FA Cup Legend
Brought to the attention of Sports Bookshelf readers last month, Catrine Clay's examination of the darker side of the Bert Trautmann story, in particular his association with the Hitler Youth and the Nazi movement, has attracted much interest in its first week in the shops.

Click on the links to buy direct from this site.

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