In My Sporting Heroes, one of the country's great sportsmen, Sir Ian Botham, draws up his template of what he believes makes a true sporting hero. Botham singles out the ten qualities he believes are the basic elements in any true sportsperson - bravery, passion, composure, determination, skill, leadership, instinct, dedication, humour and compassion - then highlights the sportsmen and women who he believes best demonstrate each quality, backing up his selection with personal anecdotes of his time spent with them or watching them in action. Covering a wide variety of sports and discussing admired athletes of both the past and present, from Ian Woosnam, Paul Gascoigne and Jonathan Davies to Joe Calzaghe, Lewis Hamilton and Andy Murray, My Sporting Heroes is a lively celebration of exactly what makes a true sporting legend - from someone who knows a thing or two about it!

The Ryder Cup has defined Sam Torrance's life as a professional golfer. He has played with and against some of the greatest golfers the game has ever known, in the biggest and most high-pressure team event in golf. In An Enduring Passion, Torrance recalls every great moment in the two decades he spent pursuing Ryder Cup glory and looks at how the event has changed since he was trying to qualify for it as a player in the late 1970s. He examines the tactics and techniques of the captains he played under and those he played against, and tells how his huge experience as a player, and his vice captaincy to Mark James in the bear pit of Brookline, shaped the way he conducted his own captaincy at The Belfry in 2002. Everything he had learned about the Ryder Cup went into his leadership during that event, and when he raised the trophy aloft at the end of it all he knew he had learned the lessons well. Today, Sam Torrance is one of the most identifiable faces, and voices, of golf. It is the Ryder Cup, though, that made him, and this book is his enlightening account of the competition from an insider's perspective.

The Ryder Cup battle between Europe and the USA is one of the biggest events in the golfing calendar and in 2006, the former underdogs showed they are now the dominant force in the biennial matches. It was another marvellous example of teamwork, and the caddies have played no small part in Europe overcoming the odds. The players hit the shots; their trusty caddies share the hopes, the glory and, occasionally, the misery. What was it like being beside Sam Torrance when he holed the winning putt and shed his tears on that historic moment at The Belfry in 1985? Fast forward to 2006 and a highly emotional appearance by Darren Clarke. What was it like being by his side? What was the story behind Colin Montgomerie's right-hand-man returning to his bag to help lay to rest the ghost of 1999? How do you cope when Seve Ballesteros is in full cry against the 'old enemy', especially when you are an American yourself? In 1991, a spike mark cost Europe the tournament, but what really happened behind the ropes? Who knew his man had had a vision he would beat Tiger Woods in 1997 - and saw it come true? What was it like witnessing those awful scenes at Brookline up close and personal in 1999? Who knew exactly which line to take when Paul McGinley sank his memorable winning putt in 2002? How We Won the Ryder Cup covers all the drama that has unfolded in the competition over the years and includes the action from the 2006 tournament at The K Club, County Kildare in Ireland, which saw Europe storm to a third successive victory.

First published in 1936, this is the story of Elizabeth von Arnim's extraordinary life - and her equally extraordinary dogs. From her Pomeranian idyll (celebrated in her famous first book, ELIZABETH AND HER GERMAN GARDEN), to less happy days in London following the death of her first husband; from the beautiful solitude of her Swiss mountain hideaway, to the First World War and a disastrous second marriage, the author takes us on a disarmingly witty and poignant journey of canine companionship.

Sam Torrance is British golf's greatest personality and in Out of Bounds he has drawn together his favourite golfing stories. Well known and loved for his insights and anecdotes in his commentary, he divulges tall tales from the great, the good and the not-so-good in the world of golf, from Ryder Cup-clinching moments to what really goes on in the clubhouse bar. Torrance's book will have golf fans reminiscing and guffawing from one moment to the next. Packed with some of the best and funniest stories Torrance has heard over the past 40 years in the game, featuring contributions from stars such as Arnold Palmer, Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood, this book is the perfect gift for all golf fans.

The autobiography of Colin Montgomerie, the triumphant Ryder Cup captain and one of Britain's most successful golfers. Colin Montgomerie is a golfing legend. Ranked Europe's No. 1 for an unparalleled seven years in a row, he is equally renowned as a player of great passion. The son of a keen Scottish golfing family, Colin was already showing his prodigious talent as a young boy. After completing his education in America, where he benefited from a golf scholarship, Colin turned professional in 1987, beginning a truly remarkable career. Even with more than 40 international tournament victories and eight European Order of Merit titles to his name, Monty is perhaps best known for his amazing contributions to the European Ryder Cup team, eight times as a player, winning five times and undefeated in singles, and most recently as a victorious European Ryder Cup captain, amid unforgettable scenes at Celtic Manor in October 2010. Montgomerie's autobiography is the story of both a fantastic talent and a complex personality, and of a golfer who remains determined to add to his already impressive achievements. It is a book about one of the greatest golfing characters in the world trying to achieve a personal and professional balance. And it is about a true hero of the Ryder Cup.