Welcome back to the new edition of "Talking Sports Books" and joining me on the show today is journalist and author Jonathan Wilson to talk about his new book "The Power and The Glory A New History of The World Cup"

Talking Sports Books" here is the video edition of the new show with Manchester journalist Dom Farrell talking about his new book release "Glory Days For The Waifs And Strays" On 12 May 2019, Manchester City became the first team to retain the Premier League title for a decade. Twenty years earlier, the same club was slogging its way out of Division Two, having sunk ignominiously to the third tier, its glory days well behind it. Ordinarily, the tale of a sleeping giant awaking to stomp over the competition would be celebrated far beyond the core fan base. But City’s success is tied inextricably to its takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, an event that altered the club’s horizons beyond any plausible recognition. The injection of billions of pounds into the club amid accusations that Abu Dhabi is ‘sportswashing’ its reputation tarnished City’s treble-winning season in 2022/23, as have serious charges of financial impropriety from the Premier League. Glory Days for the Waifs and Strays charts this route from noble rags to uncomfortable riches and unpacks what it means when a team’s lowest lows and highest highs occur improbably within a generation. It amounts to a story like no other in modern football: the distance travelled from there to here, the greats on either side of the white line and the uniquely divisive means by which this has been achieved. Manchester City have defined an era in English football. This is the tale of how that happened and why it matters. ORDER HERE https://amzn.to/3LGbclL

A quick look at some of the more interesting book releases of the month in no particular order.

On this edition of the show I am joined by award winning writer and journalist Don Stradley to talk about his new book "Immortals of American Boxing" so who are they who were the fighters who transcended the sport in this edition we will focus on a selection of ring legends. C977QEETQVNHXVM0

A look at who and what made the front pages of the months sports magazines.

The full feature with Donald McRae The Last Bell: Donald McRae’s Powerful Journey Through Six Tumultuous Years in Boxing In The Last Bell, award-winning sportswriter Donald McRae delivers one of the most compelling boxing books of the decade—a deeply personal and brutally honest exploration of the sport’s highs, heartbreaks, and haunting contradictions from 2018 to 2024. Named Book of the Month by The Herald, and praised by BBC Radio 4’s Mike Williams as “one of the most engaging sports books I’ve read for a long time,” this riveting account goes far beyond the ropes. As McRae grapples with profound personal loss—the death of his sister and the decline of his parents—he returns to the ring, searching for meaning in the sport that shaped his life. Through unforgettable encounters with modern greats like Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Katie Taylor, and Canelo Álvarez, McRae captures both the thrill of world championship glory and the devastating costs of a career built on violence. From Fury’s miraculous comeback to the crowning of the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century, The Last Bell is an unflinching ringside seat to boxing’s most electrifying moments—and its darkest corners. McRae confronts corruption, doping, and sportswashing, peeling back the glamour to expose the often harsh reality behind the spectacle. At its core, The Last Bell is not just about boxing. It’s about life, grief, resilience, and redemption. McRae’s most personal book yet, it asks the hard questions: Why do we love a sport so brutal? And what happens when the final bell tolls? D715MQUNUCE8ROMP #boxing

Don Stradley joins me on this edition of the show to talk about his just released book "Immortals of American Boxing"

A look at our selection of the best new sports books coming up over the next month