In this truly remarkable life story, Saray Khumalo shares her epic journey to the top of the world: Mount Everest. From her childhood in Zambia and Zaire, to a corporate career in South Africa, through marriage and motherhood, Saray harboured one overriding ambition: to reach the summits of the world’s highest mountains. She first summited Mount Kilimanjaro, and then others, but her ultimate goal was to conquer the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. After three unsuccessful attempts, Saray became the first black African woman to summit the world’s highest peak. Her success was hard-won, though – along the way, she suffered severe personal setbacks, serious health issues and life-threatening injuries. But her perseverance finally paid off, and Saray’s success has helped change the narrative around high-altitude mountaineering – who belongs on the mountains, and whose stories are told. In this fascinating memoir, she shares not only her incredible mountaineering story, but also the lessons she learnt about life, perseverance and falling forward.
In Turning Two, Bud Harrelson delivers a team memoir as he takes fans through the early seasons, sudden success, lean years, and return to glory. Only one man, Harrelson, can say he was in uniform for both New York Mets world championships: as the shortstop who anchored the infield of the 1969 "Miracle Mets" and then as the third-base coach for the storied 1986 team. Born on D-day 1944, the Alameda County, California, native made his Major League debut with the Mets in 1965. At 147 pounds he was the team's Everyman--a Gold Glove, All-Star shortstop who won the hearts of fans with his sparkling defensive skills and trademark brand of gritty, scrappy baseball. Harrelson recalls how the gentle yet firm guidance of manager Gil Hodges shaped a stunning success story in ‘69. Bud remembers the game's legends he played with and against, including Hall of Famers Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Roberto Clemente, Bob Gibson (against whom he compiled a .333 career batting average), and his idol, Willie Mays--Harrelson's teammate on the 1973 "Ya Gotta Believe" team. Harrelson writes of his famous fight with Pete Rose in the playoffs that autumn as the Mets upset the Cincinnati Reds to win the National League pennant and squared off against the mighty Oakland A's in a dramatic seven-game World Series. After retiring as a player, Bud returned to Shea Stadium as Davey Johnson's third-base coach in 1985 and waved Ray Knight home for the winning run in the unforgettable Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Harrelson takes us in the dugout and on the field as he tells thrilling tales from his career and speaks candidly of the state of the game today. Turning Two is the ideal souvenir from the first half-century of the New York Mets--and from the pre-steroid era when players played the game the right way and did the little things to help their teams win. Bud Harrelson in Turning Two On Gil Hodges "Hodges accomplished his goal with compassion and a gentle hand and attained discipline simply by being such an imposing physical specimen. He rarely lost his temper, but on the few occasions that he did, you can bet he got our attention." On Battling at the Plate "I have always said I'll take God to three-and-two and take my chances. I might foul two off before He gave me ball four." On 1969 "Torre hit a smash to me at short and I'm thinking, Don't screw up the throw; don't rush it. I knew I could catch it. I just wanted to be sure to make a good, firm throw right at the chest of Al Weis at second base. I tossed it to Weis and he turned it over to Clendenon at first for the double play and we had won the Mets' first title. We were the first champions of the National League East." On Playing with Willie Mays "I reached up to catch the ball and as I did, I stepped on Willie's foot. Oh, no! ‘Hey, Pee Wee, what are you doing out here?' he squealed. ‘I didn't hear anything,' I said. ‘I don't call for the ball,' he said. ‘Well,' I said, ‘if you don't want to get stepped on again, you better start calling for it.' The next time he was in center field and there was a pop fly, he called for it." On Tom Seaver to M. Donald Grant "Mr. Grant, you know why we're doing so well? See that little guy in the corner over there"--and he was pointing right at me--"that guy whose salary you cut? He's the reason we're winning." On Game 6 "I leaned over to Mitchell and reminded him to be alert and be ready to take off if Stanley threw one in the dirt."
The incredible bestselling book from the author of No Barriers and The Adversity Advantage Erik Weihenmayer was born with retinoscheses, a degenerative eye disorder that would leave him blind by the age of thirteen. But Erik was determined to rise above this devastating disability and lead a fulfilling and exciting life. In this poignant and inspiring memoir, he shares his struggle to push past the limits imposed on him by his visual impairment-and by a seeing world. He speaks movingly of the role his family played in his battle to break through the barriers of blindness: the mother who prayed for the miracle that would restore her son's sight and the father who encouraged him to strive for that distant mountaintop. And he tells the story of his dream to climb the world's Seven Summits, and how he is turning that dream into astonishing reality (something fewer than a hundred mountaineers have done). From the snow-capped summit of McKinley to the towering peaks of Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro to the ultimate challenge, Mount Everest, this is a story about daring to dream in the face of impossible odds. It is about finding the courage to reach for that ultimate summit, and transforming your life into something truly miraculous. "An inspiration to other blind people and plenty of us folks who can see just fine."—Jon Krakauer, New York Times bestselling author of Into Thin Air
What will the post-Taliban government of Afghanistan look like? How will the war in Afghanistan affect the already unstable politics of Central Asia? In War at the Top of the World, veteran foreign correspondent Eric Margolis presents a revelatory history of the complicated and volatile conflicts that have entangled Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States, the Soviet Union, and many others. By 1999, Pakistan had proven they have medium-range nuclear weapons, and now the threat that their government could be taken over by a radical Islamic fundamentalist faction is stronger than ever. In fact, Osama bin Laden has already claimed to have a nuclear weapon. How could this have happened? Margolis plays witness to the escalating conflicts of the past decade, tracing disputes over Afghanistan, as well as those ever neighboring Kashmir and Tibet, back to their Cold War roots, exploring clashes that continue to threaten to destabilize the region today. Combining vivid first-hand accounts of a war correspondent with a historical and strategic overview of the region, Margolis guides the reader through the geopolitical complexities of the area and its key players. He offers a clear, concise analysis of a complicated and little-understood part of the world that is home to a quarter of the world's population. Fascinating and now more timely than ever, War at the Top of the World is an extraordinary read for anyone interested in the current global balance of power.
In a story of Everest unlike any told before, Jamling Tenzing Norgay gives us an insider's view of the Sherpa world. As Climbing Leader of the famed 1996 Everest IMAX expedition led by David Breashears, Jamling Norgay was able to follow in the footsteps of his legendary mountaineer father, Tenzing Norgay, who with Sir Edmund Hillary was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in 1953. Jamling Norgay interweaves the story of his own ascent during the infamous May 1996 Mount Everest disaster with little-known stories from his father's historic climb and the spiritual life of the Sherpas, revealing a fascinating and profound world that few -- even many who have made it to the top -- have ever seen.
The inspirational inside story from the 2018 Tour de France and Sports Personality of the Year winner "This year G was the strongest rider, and he finally had Lady Luck on his side. An unstoppable combination" Chris Froome "I understood what Geraint's win meant: for him, for me, for the team, and for Wales, too" Dave Brailsford "Wow!" Thierry Henry For years Geraint Thomas appeared blessed with extraordinary talent but jinxed at the greatest bike race in the world: twice an Olympic gold medallist on the track, Commonwealth champion, yet at the Tour de France a victim of crashes, bad luck and his willingness to sacrifice himself for his team-mates. In the summer of 2018, that curse was blown away in spectacular fashion - from the cobbles of the north and the iconic mountain climbs of the Alps to the brutal slopes of the Pyrenees and, finally, the Champs-Elysees in Paris. As a boy, G had run home from school on summer afternoons to watch the Tour on television. This July, across twenty-one stages and three weeks, and under constant attack from his rivals, he made the race his own. With insight from the key characters around Geraint, this is the inside story of one of the most thrilling and heart-warming tales in sport. Not only can nice guys come first - they can win the biggest prize of all.
From being born without a left carotid artery to being abused as a stuttering child by alcoholic parents, Dr. Brooker tells his story about the battles, including PTSD. He has fought to overcome these difficulties and to go on with his worldwide inspirational crusade to feed hungry children.
* An astonishing tale of perseverance * Wonderful insight into 19th century Tibet * A moving tale of adventure and discovery In the late 1800's, when women were bound by both cumbersome clothing and strict Victorian morals, a small band of astonishing women explorers burst forth to claim the adventurous life. What drew the five profiled in this book -- three British, one American, one French -- was Tibet, then the ultimate in exploration. Nina Mazuchelli organized a small expedition, urging the party on when they were lost on a glacier. Annie Taylor, a reckless, romantic missionary in China, knew her life was in danger the moment she crossed into Tibet. Esabella Bird Bishop, sickly while at home, was always robust on her adventures; she was nearly 60 when she went to Tibet. Fanny Bullock Workman plowed her way up Himalaya and Karakoram mountains, saying any woman could do so. Alexandra David-Neel, at 56, trekked for eight months through tropical lowlands and snow-covered passes with only a backpack and a begging bowl. Even by today's standards these women's accomplishments are remarkable.
Follow Sam Kerr’s incredible journey from playing Aussie Rules as a kid to becoming one of the world’s greatest athletes, after the Matildas achieved their best-ever result at a World Cup. Sam Kerr is widely considered to be one of the best female footballers of all time. She is famous worldwide for her skills on the soccer pitch – but before she was Matildas captain and leading goal scorer for Chelsea, she was just an average Aussie kid who wanted to play AFL. This is her incredible football journey to the 2023 FIFA World Cup and beyond, from making the switch to soccer to becoming one of the best female strikers in the world. Sam gives us insights into what keeps her motivated, how she handles the pressures of life as a professional athlete and what she believes is really important in life. Inside you will find: Sam’s most memorable World Cup moments facts about the 2023 FIFA World Cup everything you want to know about the Matildas amazing facts about Sam – her early days, family life, teams, playing for Chelsea and the Matildas.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. From the superstar who is going to Tokyo for her fourth Olympics—the oldest player the US women's national team has ever sent. “If you are a real soccer player—then this is the book for you to read . . . Inspiring and uplifting.”—GoalNation In 2015, the US Women’s National Soccer Team won its first FIFA championship in sixteen years, culminating in an epic final game that electrified soccer fans around the world. It featured a gutsy, brilliant performance by team captain and midfielder Carli Lloyd, who made history that day, scoring a hat trick during the first sixteen minutes.? But there was a time when Carli almost quit the sport. In 2003 she was struggling, her soccer career at a crossroads. Then she found a trusted trainer, James Galanis, who saw in Carli a player with raw talent, skill, and a great dedication to the game. Together they set to work, training day and night, fighting, grinding it out. Despite all the naysayers, the times she was benched, the moments when her self-confidence took a nosedive, she succeeded in becoming one of the best players in the world and bound for the Summer Games in 2021 at thirty-nine.
