Download or read book The Test written by Brian O'Driscoll and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2014-10-23 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The number one bestselling autobiography of the greatest rugby player of our time: Brian O'Driscoll. Since 1999, when he made his international debut, there has been no greater player in world rugby than Brian O'Driscoll. In 2010 Rugby World magazine named him its world player of the decade - and since then the legend has only grown. Now, at the end of his amazing career - which culminated in fairy-tale fashion with Ireland's victory in the 2014 Six Nations championship - he tells his own story. Honest, gritty and thoughtful, Brian O'Driscoll's Autobiography is not just an essential sports book. It is an essential book about family, friends, hard work, courage and imagination. 'Honest, charming and revealing - a thoroughly good read' Rugby World 'After reading The Test I warmed even more to O'Driscoll as a player and a man. He stood for a new ethos in Irish sport that refused to accept mediocrity or glorious failure' Fergal Keane, Irish Times 'O'Driscoll's honesty ... takes the reader to a place they simply have not been before' Vincent Hogan, Irish Independent 'A must-read insight into the life and mind of Ireland's greatest rugby player' Irish Mail on Sunday 'There are fascinating insights into the lengths he was willing to go to perform at the highest level' Sunday Business Post

Download or read book Rala written by Patrick O'Reilly and published by Hachette Books Ireland. This book was released on 2013-10-25 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Irish rugby as you've never seen it before -- from the man who got the job every rugby lover would love to have. 'Rala has a gift for making people feel at ease and special at the same time' Paul O'Connell Patrick 'Rala' O'Reilly has been bagman for the Irish rugby team for over twenty years. In that time he's witnessed many highs and lows. But for him rugby has always been about the people, the places and the experiences. Here, with his own inimitable wit and humour, he shares with us his unique memories of his time spent at the very centre of Irish and Lions rugby. From his early days with Terenure RFC to touring with the Lions in 2009 and 2013, to pre-match traditions, pranks, iPod playlists and his love affair with Inishbofin, he tells a behind-the-scenes story of team spirit and friendship. With anecdotes from Keith Wood, Brian O'Driscoll, Donncha O'Callaghan, Jamie Heaslip, Peter Clohessy, Paul O'Connell and others, Rala: A Life in Rugby gives us an insight into the world of rugby - as never seen before. 'He's a gent, a role model ... but, most importantly, he's a great friend' Jamie Heaslip 'Even when I stopped being captain, I'd find my bags in my room when I arrived at the hotel, and my laundry hanging on the back of my door. He didn't have to do that, but then there's so much that he didn't have to do, but he still did' Brian O'Driscoll

Download or read book Hello Heartbreak written by Amy Huberman and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2009-07-02 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 'Will have you laughing out loud ... lovely' Cosmopolitan You'd think twenty-seven years would be enough time to wise up to the rules of love and loss, especially Rule Number 1: Do not, at any time, let him see how much he has hurt you. But no, Izzy Keegan was probably off doing sambuca shots when that lesson was being taught. So, starting with public humiliation (that infamous blow-up with her Ex and his new woman . . . huge mistake), and taking in temporary insanity, rebound sex, and a night in a police cell along the way, Izzy has to make up her own rules for coping with heartbreak. Luckily she has friends who are there for her through thick and thin (even if 'doing an Izzy' is their new shorthand for completely losing it). And she's got her foot in the door of the film business (though dogsbody wasn't exactly the job she dreamt of doing). Now, all she has to do is put the dirty cheating love-rat behind her. You'd think twenty-seven years would be enough time to wise up to the rules of love and loss. Make that twenty-seven and a bit . . . _________ 'Witty, observant and very Bridget Jones-like, this brilliant read is thoroughly enjoyable' Closer magazine 'Like Jane Austen on ecstasy' Sunday Independent 'A funny romantic comedy ... like Bridget Jones on Viagra' Irish Daily Mail 'Fun, bubbly, gutsy and lively' U Magazine 'Tender, romantic and laugh aloud funny' Irish Examiner 'Sharp and sassy' Irish Tatler 'She can really write . . . a deserved No 1' Irish Independent

Download or read book Legend The Biography of Brian O Driscoll written by Marcus Stead and published by Kings Road Publishing. This book was released on 2013-11-04 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BRIAN O'DRISCOLL is one of the greatest outside centres in history, not just in Ireland, but throughout the world. He is Ireland's most capped player of all time and has led the team as captain in a staggering 83 tests, including leading Ireland to their first Grand Slam in 60 years when they won it in 2009. Voted 'Player of the Decade' by Rugby World in 2010 Brian O'Driscoll is, quite simply, the most celebrated player in the sport today. Ever since his first match for Leinster in 1999 - he would go on to make his debut for Ireland that very same year - O'Driscoll has shown the explosive strength, poise and guile that has led him to the top of the game. Despite this, he has had his low moments, most notably when in 2005 he had to be carried off of the field in the opening minutes of the first test of the Lions tour of New Zealand after a spear tackle from Umaga and Mealamu. Fully updated to include Leinster's thrilling victory over Ulster in the 2012 Heineken Cup, his marriage to Threesome actress Amy Huberman, the birth of their first child, Sadie and the 2013 Lions tour, this is the definitive book on O'Driscoll's career.

Download or read book Brian O driscoll written by Marcus Stead and published by Kings Road Publishing. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brian O'Driscoll is the explosive captain of the 'golden generation' of Irish rugby and a renowned genius on the field. One of the top outside centres in the game, O'Driscoll first became captain of his country in 2003 and his phenomenal record includes consecutive triple crowns in 2006 and 2007 and, perhaps most memorably, in 2009 when he led Ireland to their first Grand Slam for the first time in 60 years. Voted 'Player of the Decade' in 2010 by Rugby World magazine, O'Driscoll has risen to become the most celebrated player in the sport today. Fully updated to include the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour, his wedding to actress Amy Huberman in 2010,the 2011 Six Nations and Lenister's thrilling victory in the Heineken Cup,Brian O'Driscoll - The Biography is the ultimate book about the Prince of Irish sport.

Download or read book In Bod We Trust written by Marcus Stead and published by . This book was released on 2009-05-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dublin boy Brian O'Driscoll is an internationally admired rugby player and an Irish hero. Educated at Blackrock College, the alma mater of many Irish greats, his ambition was always to represent his country. After helping his country win the IRB under-19 World Championship and progressing through the under-21 ranks, O'Driscoll finally realised his dream of representing his beloved Ireland at the senior level. Making his debut against Australia at the tender age of 20--before he'd even made his senior club debut for Leinster--O'Driscoll went on to establish himself as one of the top outside centers in the game. Made captain of his country in 2003, O'Driscoll's phenomenal record includes consecutive triple crowns in 2006 and 2007 and the RBS Six Nations player of the tournament for 2006 and 2007. His exemplary leadership skills and bravery saw him achieve the ultimate accolade for a home nations' player: captaining the Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand. But his tour was to be cut short in a storm in acrimony and agony when his shoulder dislocated after a dangerous tackle. Nicknamed BOD by the Croke Park faithful--and in BOD they certainly do trust--Brian O'Driscoll is a true colossus of the game. This is the definitive portrait of the Irish legend.

Download or read book Joking Apart written by Donncha O'Callaghan and published by Random House. This book was released on 2011-11-24 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Donncha O'Callaghan is one of Ireland's leading international rugby players, and a stalwart of the Munster side. He was a key figure in the Irish team which won the IRB 6 Nations Grand Slam in 2009, and has won two Heineken Cup medals and two Magners League titles with Munster. But that success did not come easy. For such a well known player with a larger-than-life reputation, his long battle to make a breakthrough at the highest level is largely unknown. In this honest and revealing autobiography, Donncha talks in detail about the personal setbacks and disappointments at Munster and the unconventional ways he dealt with the frustration of not making the team for four of five years in his early 20s. He had a parallel experience with Ireland where it took him nearly six years to get from fringe squad member to established first choice player. Here he talks candidly about how he brought discipline to his game, and about his relationships with the coaches who had overlooked him and the second row rivals who had kept him on the bench. Donncha talks also with great warmth about a hectic childhood that was shaped by the death of his father when he was only six years old. One of the heroes of his story is his mother Marie who showed incredible strength and resourcefulness to rear a family of five on her own. Often deservedly regarded as 'the joker in the pack', what is often less well known is the serious attitude and intensely professional approach Donncha brings to his rugby. Joking Apart gives the full picture, showing sides of the man that will be unfamiliar to followers of Irish rugby and will surprise the reader.

Download or read book No Borders written by Tom English and published by Birlinn. This book was released on 2018-10-04 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fully updated to include Ireland's historic victory over the All Blacks and their 2018 Six Nations Grand Slam. From Jack Kyle's immortals to Brian O'Driscoll's golden generation, this is the story of Irish rugby told in the players' words. Celebrated rugby writer Tom English embarks on a pilgrimage through the four provinces to reveal the fascinating and illuminating story of playing test rugby in the emerald green of Ireland - all the glory of victory, all the pain of defeat, and all the craic behind the scenes.But this is more than just a nostalgic look back through the years, it is a searing portrait of the effects of politics and religion on Irish sport, a story of great schisms and volatile divisions, but also as story of the profound unity, passionate friendships and the bonds of a brotherhood. With exclusive new interview material with a host of Ireland rugby greats, No Borders unveils the compelling truth of what it means to play for Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Croke Park and around the world. This is the ultimate history of Irish rugby - told, definitively, by the men who have been there and done it.

Download or read book 100 Irish Rugby Greats written by John Scally and published by Random House. This book was released on 2011-08-04 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bursting with humour and full of amusing anecdotes, 100 Irish Rugby Greats is a unique celebration of the most significant stars of the sport from the 1930s to the present day. A veritable who’s who of Irish rugby, it takes in all of the true greats, including Jack Kyle, Tony O’Reilly, Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride, Moss Keane, Keith Wood, Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell. Many of the in-depth and revealing profiles are based on interviews with the legends themselves, as well as with those who have lined up against them. The result offers remarkable insights into the myriad controversies, epic matches, thrilling contests and pivotal events on and off the field in which each player has been involved. Written with an insider’s knowledge, 100 Irish Rugby Greats will prove to be a thrilling read for all fans of the sport.

Download or read book Just War Thinkers written by Daniel R. Brunstetter and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-08-09 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume offers a set of concise and accessible introductions to the seminal figures in the historical development of the just war tradition. In what, if any, circumstances are political communities justified in going to war? And what limits should apply to the conduct of any such war? The just war tradition is a body of thought that helps us think through these very questions. Its core ideas have been subject to fierce debate for over 2,000 years. Yet they continue to play a prominent role in how political and military leaders address the challenges posed by the use of force in international society. Until now there has been no text that offers concise and accessible introductions to the key figures associated with the tradition. Stepping into this breach, Just War Thinkers provides a set of clear but detailed essays by leading experts on nineteen seminal thinkers, from Cicero to Jeff McMahan. This volume challenges the reader to think about how traditions are constituted—who is included and excluded, and how that is determined—and how they serve to enable, constrain, and indeed channel subsequent thought, debate, and exchange. This book will be of much interest to students of just war tradition and theory, ethics and war, philosophy, security studies and IR.

Download or read book Ordinary Joe written by Joe Schmidt and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'He's a great coach. He lives and breathes the game. There's nothing he doesn't know' Brian O'Driscoll 'The best coach Irish rugby - arguably Irish sport - has ever had' Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times In the autumn of 2010, a little-known New Zealander called Joe Schmidt took over as head coach at Leinster. He had never been in charge of a professional team. After Leinster lost three of their first four games, a prominent Irish rugby pundit speculated that Schmidt had 'lost the dressing room'. Nine years on, Joe Schmidt has stepped down as Ireland coach having achieved success on a scale never before seen in Irish rugby. Two Heineken Cups in three seasons with Leinster. Three Six Nations championships in six seasons with Ireland, including the Grand Slam in 2018. And a host of firsts: the first Irish victory in South Africa; the first Irish defeat of the All Blacks, and then a second; and Ireland's first number 1 world ranking. Along the way, Schmidt became a byword for precision and focus in coaching, remarkable attention to detail and the highest of standards. But who is Joe Schmidt? In Ordinary Joe, Schmidt tells the story of his life and influences: the experiences and management ideas that made him the coach, and the man, that he is today. And his diaries of the 2018 Grand Slam and the 2019 Rugby World Cup provide a brilliantly intimate insight into the stresses and joys of coaching a national team in victory and defeat. From the small towns in New Zealand's North Island where he played barefoot rugby and jostled around the dinner table with seven siblings, to the training grounds and video rooms where he consistently kept his teams a step ahead of the opposition, Ordinary Joe reveals an ordinary man who has helped his teams to achieve extraordinary things. 'Rugby obsessives and amateur coaches will revel in the insight that Schmidt offers into his training methods, tactics and preparation ... Full of insight, emotion and considered analysis' Irish Daily Mail 'An insight into the fascinating personality of the man who has been the single most influential figure in Irish rugby over the last decade' Irish Times 'He is clearly more than an ordinary coach, the winning of two Heinekens, beating New Zealand twice, the 2018 Grand Slam and reaching no.1 in the World Rankings are positive brushstrokes, marking Irish rugby for ever ... A rocky read about exceptional deeds, told in extraordinary fashion' Irish Daily Star 'Undoubtedly the greatest coach in Irish rugby history' Daily Telegraph

Download or read book Taking it up the Blindside written by Jon Prichard and published by Proglen Trading Co., Ltd.. This book was released on 2019-02-07 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What goes on tour, stays on tour…UNTIL NOW! All, and I do mean all, rugby players the world over are from the same mould. They are friendly, convivial, generally well mannered, muscular, motivated, heavy drinkers with a high testosterone level, but above all trustworthy...Until now. This treacherous author has let the pussy out of the bag and touring is no longer a simple visa permit from the wife. From the author, Jon Prichard: "I joined the British Club of Bangkok and immersed myself if their rugby team becoming captain for a few years and then as a playing and moaning Chairman. The BC and an Asian based Rhino’s RFC have taken me on innumerable rugby tours throughout Asia and beyond and in late 2017 I decided to make some written tales of those adventures. The tales are true and risqué in every way and some are seriously adult reading. There are also tales of simple experiences of living and working in Asia, but most have a rugby flavour."

Download or read book Volcanoes and the Making of Scotland written by Brian Upton and published by Liverpool University Press. This book was released on 2015-10-01 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brian Upton explores Scotland’s volcanoes from the most recent examples to volcanoes of the obscure Precambrian times which left their signature in the ancient rocks of the far north-west.

Download or read book A Year in the Centre written by Brian O'Driscoll and published by . This book was released on 2006-05 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brian O'Driscoll's A YEAR IN THE CENTRE chronicles an extraordinary year in the life - on and off the field - of one of the world's top rugby players. Day by day, O'Driscoll offers an intimate look into the existence of a young man juggling the commitments of keeping his body fit, captaining two international rugby sides, meeting the demands of fame and trying to have a bit of fun when he can. He describes what it is like to lead an Ireland team of which so much was expected, and he recounts each day of his odyssey as Lions captain - with Clive Woodward, Alastair Campbell, and the rest - in extraordinary detail. What is it like to go from the top of the rugby world to the bottom in the space of 45 seconds? O'Driscoll's account of dislocating his shoulder in the first minute of the first Lions Test - and his unsparing assessment of the tackle that caused the injury and of the 'one-eyed' rugby culture that, he believes, makes such tackles possible - is searing, uncompromising and heartbreaking.

Download or read book I Wished For You written by Amy Huberman and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2012-10-25 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Poignant and laugh-out-loud funny ... proof not just that Huberman can write, but that she can do so with wit, insight and charm' Irish Times Grace and Robbie seem destined to be together for ever, but when he unexpectedly goes down on bended knee, Grace freaks out. Cue the mother of all meltdowns. On top of that, Grace is not exactly fulfilled by her job - dressing well-to-do ladies with way more money than style. Cue - in her addled state - losing it in work, with disastrous consequences. Into Grace's train-wreck of a life comes Verity - ex-Hollywood costume lady and vintage clothing queen. Verity has seen it all and done it all and her life makes Grace's look about as exciting as Songs of Praise. Verity tells Grace that the secret of happiness is to discover her 'heart wish'. If only Grace could work out what her heart's greatest wish really is ... Amy Huberman is both a star and a trendsetter, but as a writer she is blessed with an earthy, off-beat and irreverent sense of humour which makes her a gifted and original story teller. 'Huberman has a light touch, but she handles well the realities of big themes like marital breakdown, defeated ambition' Sunday Independent 'So full of feeling and SO funny ... a refreshing and honest take on the true priorities of a modern woman' Dawn O'Porter

Download or read book Stepping Stones written by Dennis O'Driscoll and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2008-12-09 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chronicles the life of twentieth-century Irish poet Seamus Heaney, from his infancy to his Nobel Prize in 1995, and also discusses his post-Nobel life, family, writings, and other related topics.

Download or read book My Autobiography written by Rory Best and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2020-03-05 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Extraordinary . . . great fun' Barry Egan, Irish Sunday Independent 'A wonderful story . . . vivid and comprehensive.' Stephen Jones, Sunday Times ''Throughout it all though there is a feeling of warmth for the sport and for others. Above all there is a sense of achievement . . . Best was never one of the glamour boys, but he deserves star billing.' Daily Telegraph Rory Best is widely-regarded as one of Ireland's greatest ever captains. Entrusted by Joe Schmidt to lead the side that looked on the wane following the 2015 World Cup, Best's inspirational leadership skills and abrasive qualities proved to be the foundation stones for the most successful period in Ireland's history. His first year in charge saw Ireland complete a hat-trick of victories against the southern hemisphere 'Big Three', including leading his side to a first ever victory over world champions New Zealand in Chicago, a feat that etched Best's place in Irish sporting folklore and ended the All Blacks' record-winning streak of 18 Test victories. Ireland's annus mirabilis under Best's captaincy would come in 2018 however, when he led the side to only their third Grand Slam title, culminating with a famous victory over England at Twickenham, and a record-breaking run of 12 successive Test victories. When he stepped down as Ireland captain at the age of 37 following the World Cup in Japan, his fourth tournament, history will no doubt also judge Best to be one of their greatest forwards. A hugely-popular figure across the game, Best finished his career as Ireland's most capped forward, behind only Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara in the all-time records, and also made over 200 appearances for his province Ulster.