William Hill Sports Book Of The Year: 2020 Shortlist

The 2020 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Longlist was released back in September, and that fifteen book list has now been reduced to the Shortlist of five titles. Both football books in that Longlist didn’t progress, with the topic distribution for the finalists as follows: Cricket (2) Drugs in Sport, Mountaineering and Thai Boxing (all 1). A brief summary of the final five:

Born Fighter – Ruqsana Begum (Pub: Simon & Schuster UK) [Thai Boxing]

Born Fighter is an inspirational account of how Ruqsana Begum battled against the odds to achieve her dream and become a Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) world champion. Having to fight in secret as her family would not allow her to participate, Ruqsana’s story is an inspirational tale of empowerment and how to overcome opposition to achieve your goal.

The World Beneath Their Feet: The British, the Americans, the Nazis and the Mountaineering Race – Scott Ellsworth (Pub: John Murray) [Mountaineering]

In the 1930s, contingents from Great Britain, Germany and the United States set up rival camps at the base of the Himalayas, seeking to become recognised as the fastest, strongest, and bravest climbers in the world. Scott Ellsworth’s The World Beneath Their Feet brings to life this unforgettable saga of survival and breath taking human physical achievement set against the backdrop of a world headed towards war.

The Unforgiven: Missionaries or Mercenaries? The Untold Story of the Rebel West Indian Cricketers Who Toured Apartheid South Africa – Ashley Gray (Pub: Pitch Publishing Ltd) [Cricket]

In the 1980s, 20 West Indian cricketers were paid more than $100,000 each to take part in tours of South Africa. When they returned home to the Caribbean they were banned for life and shunned by their countrymen. This is their fascinating untold story from Ashley Gray.

The Breath of Sadness: On Love, Grief & Cricket – Ian Ridley (Pub: Floodlit Dreams Ltd) [Cricket]

When Ian Ridley’s wife died, in an attempt to make sense of it all and seek some solace, he embarks on a summer of watching county cricket. The Breath of Sadness is an unflinching account of how we carry on when we are left behind, and a poignant exploration of love and loss.

The Rodchenkov Affair: How I Brought Down Russia’s Secret Doping Empire – Grigory Rodchenkov (Pub: W H Allen) [Drugs in Sport]

In 2015, Russia’s Anti-Doping Centre was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency following revelations of an elaborate programme at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The programme was masterminded by Grigory Rodchenkov who, in the The Rodchenkov Affair, tells us the whole story.

The winner will be announced on 03 December 2020.