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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.

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)Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2010
The daddy of all cricket books, Wisden has been published every year since 1864. The 147th edition for 2010 contains details of every first-class match in every nation as well as powerful opinion and excellent features.

3)Invictus: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation
Originally titled Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation, the turning of John Carlin's book into an inspirational movie is reflected in healthy sales in the shops.


4) Born to Run: The Hidden Tribe, the Ultra-Runners, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Christopher McDougall's compelling study of the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's savage Copper Canyons, who for centuries have practised techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest.


5) 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.

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.

7)The Man Who Cycled the World
Fund-raising long-distance cyclist Mark Beaumont charts his 18,000-mile ride around the world, ending at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris after 194 days and 17 hours, telling his life story along the way.

8) 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.

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.

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.


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