Book review: Go To War

Jon Spurling has always been an author I have admired. So when the opportunity arose to review his latest publication, I jumped at the chance. The fact that the book in question tackles football in the 1980s was an added bonus for someone who has been known to wallow in nostalgia.

Go To War is Spurling's sequel to his excellent Get It On book on football in the 1970s. Covering a wide range of topics during a turbulent decade for the sport, Spurling's book brings to life what it was really like to follow football at a time where it was far from fashionable.

Book review: Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Some of you that may have read this blog in the past will possibly have come to the conclusion that I have a slight obsession about sport in the 1980s. So when an opportunity came to review a book on the subject then I jumped at the chance, in true Carl Lewis style.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Roger Domeneghetti looks back at Britain, Sport and the 1980s, providing a fascinating review of a turbulent decade from numerous angles. Split into four distinct sections - Culture, Identity, Conflict, Politics - the book dives deep into a number of key topics.

Book review: Tony Knowles - Heart Breaks

“He broke a million hearts on and off the table.” The words of Phoenix Club owner Brian Potter, as he opened his new Tony Knowles suite, were funny because they were true. So accurate in fact, that the title of Gareth McGinley’s new book on the snooker star of the 1980s is spot on.

Book review: Football in the 1980s

It might not surprise you, but I am a massive fan of football in the 1980s. So, when the chance came to review a book on the subject then I jumped at the chance.

Jahangir Khan 555: The Untold Story Behind Squash's Invincible Champion and Sport's Greatest Unbeaten Run

There have been a few times in the past four years or so when I have considered writing a piece on Jahangir Khan and his domination of squash in the 1980s. But something always seemed to stop me for some reason. In truth, my lack of knowledge on the sport probably held me back; a feeling that I might not be able to do justice to squash, and one of the the greatest athletes, not only of the 1980s, but perhaps of all time.

Luckily for me, a book has been produced that in my mind has fully justified my hesitation. A publication that proves to me that I would have only been scratching the surface if I had tried to write something insightful and knowledgeable about Jahangir and squash in the 1980s. Jahangir Khan 555: The Untold Story Behind Squash's Invincible Champion and Sport's Greatest Unbeaten Run by Rod Gilmour and Alan Thatcher, is a dream for a 1980s sports geek like myself.