William Hall Sports Book of the Year - The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton

Now in its 24th year, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is the world's longest established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize. As well as a £24,000 cash prize, the winning author will receive a £2,000 William Hill bet, a specially-commissioned hand-bound copy of their book and a day at the races.

Winner:

The Secret Race : inside the hidden world of the Tour de France : doping, cover-ups, and winning at all costs (M)
by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle

"The Secret Race is a definitive look at the world of professional cycling—and the doping issue surrounding this sport and its most iconic rider, Lance Armstrong—by former Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle. Over the course of two years, Coyle conducted more than two hundred hours of interviews with Hamilton and spoke candidly with numerous teammates, rivals, and friends. The result is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything—and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral—to gain the edge they need to win."

Runners up:

Running with the Kenyans : passion, adventure, and the secrets of the fastest people on earth (M)
by Adharanand Finn

"Whether running is a recreation, a passion, or just a spectator sport, Finn's incredible journey to the elite training camps of Kenya will captivate. Part travelogue, part memoir, this quest uncovers the secrets of the world's greatest runners--and puts them to the test." - Publisher

A Life Without Limits : a world champion's journey (M)
by Chrissie Wellington

"In 2007, Chrissie Wellington shocked the triathlon world by winning the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a newcomer to the sport and a complete unknown to the press, Chrissie's win shook up the sport. A life without limits is the story of her rise to the top, a journey that has taken her around the world, from a childhood in England, to the mountains of Nepal, to the oceans of New Zealand, and the trails of Argentina, and first across the finish line."- Publisher


That Near-Death Thing – Inside the TT : the world’s most dangerous race (M)
by Rick Broadbent
"If there's one motorcycle race that deserves a quality hardback, it's the Isle of Man TT. Commonly seen as the world's most dangerous race, Rick Broadbent gets behind the scenes and into the helmets of four leading racers over the course of two seasons -- 2010 and 2011 -- following the riders through the numerous vicissitudes of an average season." - Publisher

Be Careful What You Wish For (M)
by Simon Jordan

"Simon Jordan grew up a stone's throw from Crystal Palace Football Club. As a boy he used to break into the Palace ground for a kick-about on the hallowed turf. On leaving school he entered the mobile phone business. By the age of thirty-two, he'd built a company from nothing, sold it for £75 million and bought his childhood club. By the age of forty-two Palace was in administration and Jordan had lost nigh on everything..." - Publisher

Fibber in the Heat (M)
by Miles Jupp

" Fanatical about cricket since he was a boy, MILES JUPP would do anything to see his heroes play. But perhaps deciding to bluff his way into the press corps during England's Test series in India wasn't his best idea. By claiming to be the cricket correspondent for BBC Scotland and getting a job with the (Welsh) Western Mail, Miles lands the press pass that will surely be the ticket to his dreams." - Publisher

Shot and a Ghost: a year in the brutal world of professional squash
by James Willstrop (not yet available in Canada)

"Englishman James Willstrop is one of the world's leading squash players and one of the sport's most complex and cerebral characters. Brought up in Pontefract, he is anything but the archetypal Yorkshireman - a poetry-loving vegetarian with a love of musicals, Morrissey, Oscar Wilde and Philip Larkin. He became world No 1 in January 2012 despite being accused by many of being `too nice' to be a winner. James, 28, has just written his first book - a diary account from January 2010 to February 2011. He writes with candid honesty about the issues that affect him, using flashbacks to earlier periods in his life. As critical of himself as of others, he talks openly about his close relationship with his father and coach, Malcolm; the devastating death of his mother, Lesley, and his fierce and often acrimonious rivalry with fellow Yorkshireman and former world No 1 Nick Matthew." - Publisher