Ivan Lendl The Man Who Made Murray

When Andy Murray broke the news in March 2014 that he was parting company with Ivan Lendl it caused shock waves across the world. In just over two years Lendl had turned Murray from a perennial runner-up into the most successful British tennis player since Fred Perry - a winner of the US Open, Olympic Gold and Wimbledon Champion. However, when Murray - a 4 times Grand Slam finalist - announced, in 2011, that he was teaming up with the man they called the 'chokoslovakian' for the number of times he had lost a Slam final, there was widespread consensus that whoever had made the decision was either a genius or taking a huge gamble. Lendl, who had fled from behind the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War to move to America in order to pursue his tennis dreams, was everything that his contemporaries – McEnroe, Becker, Connors – were not. And yet, after falling at the final hurdle 4 times, he went on to win 8 Grand Slams. But there was one title missing – Wimbledon. And he was obsessed by it. So what did Lendl and Murray see in each other that no one else did? What did Lendl do to turn Murray from a perennial runner-up to US Open Champion and the first Briton to lift the Wimbledon trophy in 77 years? Going back to Lendl’s roots and through extensive interviews and analysis of the Murray-Lendl axis seen at close quarters, Mark Hodgkinson reveals the magic formula that Lendl used to turn Murray into a champion. In so doing he lifts the lid on their relationship, and how it came to an end, which made this left-field combination the most successful in British tennis history.

The Power of the Impossible surveys cultural figures from Spinoza to popular culture icon Ivan Lendl, to illuminate the challenge and problem of establishing a future-oriented world community and its conceptual intersection with heterogeneous forms of the creative life. 'This original, unorthodox study illuminates our current crises of community formation and creativity in ways unexpected but necessary.' Robert Appelbaum, Uppsala University

In The Winning Mindset, Professor Damian Hughes, the acclaimed author of Liquid Thinking and How to Think Like Sir Alex Ferguson, draws on both his lifetime experience and academic background within sport, organization and change psychology to reveal the best ways to create a winning mindset in both personal and professional life. Having worked with some of the top teams in the UK, and watched some of the best coaches in the country at work, Hughes distils the five keys principles that separate the best coaches and teams from the rest: Simplicity; Tripwires; Emotions; Practical; Stories: STEPS. The role of a sports-team leader is fascinating, complex and tough. Fantasy football leagues may convince us that success is all about buying players and selecting a team. In reality, it is about creating winning environments – recruiting, developing and nurturing talent, effectively communicating a shared vision with a diverse collection of individuals, delivering on enormous expectations from a range of stakeholders, overcoming significant challenges, handling pressure and staying focused throughout: a set of challenges familiar to leaders in all sectors.

Serena Williams is the most successful tennis player – male or female – of the modern, professional era, with more Grand Slams than either Steffi Graf or Roger Federer. Always a fierce competitor, her story – which began on the cracked public courts of Compton, L.A. – is also one of overcoming challenges through sheer determination, drive and talent. In this innovative illustrated biography, Serena's tennis is explored like never before: stunning graphics explore her serving patterns, signature power groundstrokes, and her movement – as well as showcasing her astonishing records, spanning over two decades in the tennis elite. Drawing on conversations with Serena over the course of her career, and on interviews with those closest to her, this is the ultimate celebration of arguably the greatest tennis player of all time and, without question, a true global icon.

FEDERER is almost universally recognised as the greatest tennis player of all time; he might also be the greatest athlete. Adored around the world, Federer has become one of sport's most iconic and popular figures. In this innovative graphic biography, Federer's genius is explored and celebrated like never before, with beautiful infographics looking at his serving patterns, the speed of his shots, the spin he generates, his movement, as well as his performance in high-pressure situations such as tiebreaks and Grand Slam finals. Federer's astonishing records - no man has won more majors, or spent more weeks as the world number one - are also showcased against his rivals and the legends of the game. Drawing on his conversations with Federer, as well as exclusive interviews with those close to the Swiss, Mark Hodgkinson tells the story of how a young hothead from Basel transformed himself into a calm and poised athlete who came to dominate tennis. And who, while deep in his thirties, has continued to seek improvements, to challenge men many years younger than him and to contend for the sport's biggest prizes. The infographics, stunning photography and insight and analysis - from Federer's rivals, idols, coaches and members of his inner circle - will give you a new appreciation of his greatness and how his tennis has moved so many people.

Just about everyone is familiar with the Nike Air Jordan shoe, but just when did the practice of attaching an athlete’s name to a shoe become common practice? This text takes you from the beginning of the signature shoe industry, and through the 1980s when the popularity of signature shoes accelerated. At the start of the ‘90s, just about every footwear company was producing a signature shoe, and looking for the next charismatic spokesperson, when they saw the dollars Nike was making with the Jordans. Eventually, signature shoes entered all facets of popular culture and were taken for granted by the public. Before long, it wasn’t just the most well-known and marketable athletes getting their own shoe. Athletes in Major League Baseball, the Women’s National Basketball Association, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Formula One, the Professional Golfers’ Association, the National Football League, musicians, and even the National Hockey League had their own footwear to go along with the mainstays of the NBA and professional tennis circuits.

Told through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy becoming a 39-year-old man, this book is a love letter both to Wimbledon and to the wonder of British summertime. Watching the Championships is a national pastime, and this book is full of the ups and downs out on court, as well as the memorable pop-cultural moments off it. It is set against the desperate wait for a British Gentlemen's champion, viewed against the global reality show Wimbledon has become-transcending sport and class, yet still embracing tradition. Illustrated with drawings from renowned artist and author Zebedee Helm, the book observes both the changing world around us and the behavior of the half-million fans who cram themselves into this leafy corner of London for two weeks every year. Standing in Line is a joyful, gently nostalgic read for anyone who has found themselves gazing for hours on end at coverage of Wimbledon.

When Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2013 season, he was the most successful football manager Britain had ever seen, having won twice as many trophies as his nearest rival. But that success had not come easily. Thirty-five years previously he had arrived at the rain-swept training ground at Aberdeen F.C. as the recently sacked manager of St Mirren; a hothead with a troublesome reputation and a lot to prove. Not for nothing, many thought he was a risky choice. Fergie Rises returns to a time when Ferguson was lucky to get Aberdeen, not the other way around. It’s the story of an eight-year revolution that saw the Dons and their ambitious young manager knock the Old Firm off their perch, taste victory in Europe for the first time, and electrify Scottish football. When Ferguson finally left the club for Manchester United, in 1986, fans and rivals were unanimous in believing he had engineered one of the most astonishing upheavals in the game’s history. Taking a view from inside the dug-out, and with the guidance of the giants of that Aberdeen team – including Willie Miller, Jim Leighton and Gordon Strachan – Michael Grant lays bare the full story of this remarkable but little known period of Ferguson’s career, revealing it as the crucible in which Britain’s greatest football manager was forged. Along the way he examines the personal tragedies Ferguson overcame – the deaths of his father and his mentor Jock Stein – and the rivalries, setbacks and triumphs that shaped a sporting genius.