Railway Walks in the Lake District

Tim Baker, Mark Occhilupo

Occy: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Mark Occhilupo

Child star at 16, ranked third in the world at 17, Mark Occhilupo looked set to sweep all before him with a radical, spontaneous, irresistible brand of surfing. Yet a spiraling descent into drug abuse and depression snuffed his flame out prematurely when he quit the pro tour at just 22. Faltered comebacks, spectacular bursts of free-surfing, and manic breakdowns followed as the surfing world watched a freakish talent self-combust. After years spent immobile and overweight on the couch, Occy eventually emerged from his cocoon, reborn and ready to tackle a whole new generation of surf stars. His celebrated comeback to win the world title in 1999 is a sporting fairytale without equal. In this no-holds barred account, Occy tells the complete, remarkable story of his spectacular rise, terrifying fall, and miraculous rebirth.

Ryan Jones

King James

King James offers a fascinating, inside look at the early years of the king of the basketball court, Lebron James.LeBron is a six-foot-eight gift from the basketball heavens. In the early 2000's, at St. Vincent-St. Mary's, he was the undisputed finest high school player in America. The Chosen One NBA scouts drooled over, corporations dreamt of, event promoters begged for, and now NBA fans clamor after. With appearances on the cover of Sports Illustrated and features on ESPN and in newspapers across the country, never before had a high school basketball player been so highly touted or an eighteen-year-old athlete been the subject of such fascination. In fact, no basketball player in the world experienced this level of attention. But believe the hype: there is no denying that LeBron James is a force on the basketball court, and his rags-to riches story is the stuff that dreams are made of. Author Ryan Jones has written a book that incorporates everything during the early reign of King James: the controversy, the athletic potential, the jerseys and the Humvee, the hobnobbing with the world's most famous stars, the money, and, of course, the game. This is a book for every fan of LeBron ...

Tom Clavin, Thomas Clavin

One for the Ages: Jack Nicklaus and the 1986 Masters

The Masters tournament has provided some of golf's most memorable finishes--none more so than the improbable triumph by Jack Nicklaus in 1986. Twenty-five years later, many regard it as the most exciting Masters ever. Nicklaus, 46, was 160th on the PGA Tour money list. His last win in a major championship had been six years earlier. Many of his rivals on the tour thought he was well on his way to being washed up. But for Nicklaus, the Masters was an opportunity for redemption. The somewhat tarnished Golden Bear, with his eldest son, Jackie, as his caddy, hung on for the first three rounds. Then it was Sunday. Ballesteros, Norman, Kite, Watson, and others were ahead of him. During the afternoon, he charged. One for the Ages is the pulse-pounding story of the most glorious moment in Jack Nicklaus's career. It is also a celebration of the Masters, arguably the most prestigious tournament in golf, and its world-class players, who clashed during a golden weekend in Augusta until only one man, with his son at his side, was left standing.