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NEWS |
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NEW ACQUISITIONS
 Pennant Books are delighted to announce what is a real coup in acquiring a first-hand autobiography of darts legend Andy ‘The Viking’ Fordham.When you consider ‘The Viking’ is one of the most popular players of all-time and one of the true characters in the darts world, with a immense personal story and comeback tale that will appeal not only to the darts enthusiasts but also to the wider readership this could well be our William Hill Sports Book Award entry and nomination.
 Brian Belton is our most prolific sports book biographer and we are to publish late in the year to coincide with the forth-coming 2010 Winter Olympics his Olympic Gold Run. Celebration of Britain’s greatest bobsleigh triumph and success when Tony Nash and Robin Dixon- now Lord Glentoran won gold for Britain at Innsbruck 1964. The author has the full co-operation of both Nash and Dixon to tell for the first time the story of this remarkable and historic feat also remembered for one of the greatest moments of sportsmanship ever seen at the Winter Olympics.
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MARTYRDOM: RADICALISATION AND TERRORIST VIOLENCE AMONG BRITISH MUSLIMS SEES PUBLICATION IN 2009 – A COMPELLING ANALYSIS OF OUR TIMES
 In Martyrdom, psychologist Dr Jon Cole and international affairs analyst Dr Benjamin Cole examine the phenomenon of ‘jihadism’, and how the Islamic fundamentalist call to arms has recruited foot soldiers among the ostensibly westernised young Muslims of the UK.
Accessibly analysing events such as the recently commemorated 7/7 atrocities, the Drs Cole provide academia and the general public alike with an insight into the psychological mechanisms that drive religiously-motivated offenders such as Mohammed Siddique Khan, the leader of the London tube bombers:
“For Khan . . . the version of Islamism peddled by bin Laden was, according to the authors of Martyrdom, ‘a natural way of transcending this cultural dislocation because it offered a new social identity that transcended both nationality and ethnicity’. Central to this global jihadism was a) the internet and b) martyrdom – a package that includes, supposedly: immediate admission to Heaven, marriage to 72 heavenly maidens and permission to bring along to Paradise 70 family members. One can’t help being reminded of Graham Greene’s idea of Hell, likened by George Orwell to a high-class nightclub, entry to which was reserved for Catholics only.”
– Martyrdom reviewed in ‘Four books about Islamist terrorism’ by Nicholas Shakespeare, Daily Telegraph, 16th June 2009.
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PERRY BOYS ABROAD
 Irvine Welsh the contemporary Scottish novelist and screenwriter writes a laudatory Foreword for Ian Hough’s fine book Perry Boys Abroad and it is clear he is impressed too, when he writes:
“Ian Hough is a terrific writer and our sharpest cultural commentator, and he charts the phenomenon of clued-up lads-on-the-make abroad with his customary aplomb. If you’re interested in British working-class culture, this is an essential read.”
The Sunday Times once quoted Welsh as being ‘The best thing that has happened to British writing for decades’
PERRY BOYS ABROAD by Ian Hough published June 2009
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AN EXTRAORDINARY RESPONSE TO THE PENNANT BOOKS TITLE KILLER IN THE SHADOWS BY LAURENCE ALISON AND MARIE EYRE
 Killer in the Shadows – the case study of Robert Napper, murderer of Rachel Nickell, Samantha Bisset and her daughter Jazmine – has been highly acclaimed for its remarkable crossover between the true crime genre and the academic study of psychology. (The book has the joint classification of True Crime/Psychology.)
Authors Laurence Alison and Marie Eyre are colleagues at Liverpool University's School of Psychology; Prof. Alison is a prominent forensic psychologist whose insights on the Nickell/Bisset murder cases were recently given prominence on the primetime ITV Real Crime series, in mid-June.
The authors have been lauded for making the dynamics of offender behaviour and the methodologies of their academic discipline accessible to a wider readership. In fact it's no exaggeration to say the book is rapidly acquiring minor classic status for this reason.
It's also apparent from some of the Amazon reviews that the book has found great favour among the authors' peers:
"This is an excellent book which pushes and refines the true crime genre by combining popular but academic psychology and a real-life case. It is filled with insight and observation, but written in such a way as to allow the non-specialist to gain just as much as a student of criminology or psychology." (Five stars) – David Wilson, Professor of Psychology, co-author (with David Harrison) of Hunting Evil: Inside the Ipswich Serial Murders
"What is truly inspirational about Killer in the Shadows is the way it systematically demolishes our preconceptions and assumptions, urging us to test ourselves with statistical puzzles that are simply fascinating. It was a sobering experience for me, as a true-crime writer, to discover that I only got 10% of the answers right!
"The book is a gem, treat yourself and read it." (Five stars) – M. J. Trow, crime writer and historian
"This is a wonderful book that works on so many levels and which both the general and more ‘expert’ reader will enjoy . . . This book is brimming with facts, ideas and insights, yet is an easy read. It will draw you in and may even move you to tears." (Five stars) – Stephen Ackers, Dept. of Civic Design, University of Liverpool
"The book, understandably given the authors, approaches the topic from an academic standpoint, but this doesn’t put non-psychologists at a disadvantage, as the explanations are clear and well thought-out . . . Killer in the Shadows should appeal to anybody with an interest in offender behaviour and police investigations." (Five stars) – ‘Scaramouche’, Leeds
"This book will give you an insight into the mind of a killer; an insight into the police and their procedures and the justice system . . . Killer in the Shadows isn’t your average crime book, and is not a literary sideshow of horrors . . . This is a very good read indeed." (Five stars) – ‘Kunmo’
"This isn’t your average serial-killer book . . . This is the book that killed ‘Cracker’. Recommended for all police officers thinking of calling in a ‘profiler’." (Five stars) – John A. Short, true crime reader
"This is an excellent book which not only tells the story of the crime and long fight for justice, but also looks at the psychology of the killer in some depth . . . The book also includes some more ‘interactive’ parts where the reader can get involved and is challenged to assess their own attitudes to crime and investigative skills. This was an element of the book which I have never seen elsewhere before . . . it certainly made me think in depth about the issues raised as a result . . . This is one of the best true crime books I have read . . ." (five stars) – ‘Stracs’, Leeds, true crime reader
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WAG-WANNABES, MAKE WAY FOR A WAG DON’T-WANNA-BE
While thousands of women in Britain dream of being married to a footballer, we publish the woman who doesn’t!
Our author Francesca Amber Sawyer has written a WAG book with a difference. An Essex blonde from Canvey Island, she has had two long-term relationships with Premiership footballers, she’s "done" Richard and Judy and been profiled in The Sun.
"The fairytale ending isn’t marrying a footballer," says Sawyer, "That would be hell. The best thing is to use them to your advantage."
Her book WAG DON’T WANNA BE – The Smart Girl’s Guide to Footballers, is part memoir, part WAG manual, buzzy, bitchy and laugh-out-loud funny. It teaches girls that "a footballer is for Christmas, not for life." It shows how to meet and pull a mega rich footballer in trendy nightclubs whilst wearing a Primark top to have a fantastic time, while avoiding the dark and hurtful side of the footballer’s world.
A number of tabloids and magazines have already commissioned photo shoots and pieces on the book - you have been warned.
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UK’S FUNNIEST FOOTIE FAN, OUR AUTHOR – IN TEARS!
Congratulations to tattooed Pompey Superfan, John Westwood, known nationally as ‘That **** with the bell’, and the author of our popular True Pompey Fan’s Miscellany, on his beloved team’s victory in the FA Cup.
"I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime, Pompey winning the FA Cup. The big four have been dominating the competition for years, which is very boring, and you come to expect your team not to beat them. But now, we’ve won, and we finished eight in the Premiership. It’s been an unbelieveable season, fantastic.
"The whole weekend was surreal. I was in tears when I heard the Abide With Me, because I knew we were in the Cup Final. It meant more to Pompey Fans because it wasn’t consolation prize like, it would be for the big four. It was a major, massive achievement." But the anthem was not the only surreal touch – on a body crammed with tattoos, Westwood had new designs.
"Within 24 hours I had a new tattoo done. I already had one scroll that read "FA Cup Final Winner 1939" and I had another empty scroll that I now filled with Winners for 2008. And I’ve also had a couple more empty scrolls put in, because winning’s made me cocky!
"We’re in Europe now! We’re an ambitious club and we’ve got a fantastic manager in Harry Rednapp and a chairman Sasha Gaydamac who’s prepared to put in the financial muscle. And with the prospects of a new ground and new training facilities the progress we’re making is blowing me away.
Tattooing is not the only artistry that John has resumed: having published one successful book with us – "a lot of people came up and said it was a fun read, and they learnt a lot from it" – he is now working on another Portsmouth volume called The Twelfth Man – for updates, watch his empty scrolls.
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TOP SOCCER AGENT AND LAWYER TELLS THE GAME’S BEST KEPT SECRETS FOR PENNANT BOOKS
MEL STEIN is the most prominent lawyer and agent in the beautiful game, with 70 players on his books. He also wrote the official biographies of his clients Paul Gascoigne and Chris Waddle and a "How To" Guide to becoming a sports agent. Now, for Pennant Books, he has woven football’s best secrets into a new fiction.
Football Babylon is an insider’s journey through a fictional premiership club’s first season. Every event described has, at some time, actually taken place within an English football club. Only the names have been changed … to protect the guilty! Chairmen, managers, players, agents, officials, journalists, television pundits, marketing and public relations – even the medical staff and the groundsmen – all their deepest secrets are seen through the jaundiced eye of the narrator, the Club Secretary.
Football Babylon will bear the hallmark of absolute authenticity, since Mel Stein has observed the hidden world of our national sport close-up. To learn how and why he has woven football’s best kept secrets into his fictional debut, look for upcoming interviews in the sport and literary press.
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POWERHOUSE CRIME WRITER CAROL ANNE DAVIS JOINS PENNANT BOOKS FOR HER LATEST TRUE CRIME TITLE
Pennant Books is honoured to sign Queen of Noir CAROL ANNE DAVIS. Davis excels at both true crime and crime fiction (and is also a prolific feature writer and reviewer for Tangled Web, Crimetime and In Cold Blog). Many of her insights draw on her own crowded life experience - "Davis understands primal fears from the inside," comments The Bookseller. She left school at 15 and was everything from an artist’s model to an editorial assistant before taking an MA in criminology – Davis has won herself many prominent admirers such as best selling author Ian Rankin.
"Carol Anne Davis writes with dangerous authority, about the deadly everyday. Her work is dark in ways that Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters can only dream of. This is our world, skewed and skewered, revealed in its true sanguinary colours. You’ve got to read her," urges Rankin.
Her crime fiction includes Kiss It Away, Safe as Houses and the recent highly acclaimed Noise Abatement. Her True Crime classics are Sadistic Killers, Couples Who Kill, Children Who Kill and Women Who Kill.
To the Pennant True Crime List she contributes Youthful Prey, turning her incisive eye on society’s most extreme transgressors: those who kill children for gratification. Carol Anne Davis’ previous work on women, children, couples and sadists who commit murder has contributed greatly to the world’s understanding of ‘motiveless’ acts. This latest work takes that journey even further.
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BE OUR 12TH MAN - RODNEY RETURNS
Posted on: Tue 13 Oct 2009
From QPR
R's legend Rodney Marsh will be returning to Loftus Road this weekend, as the Hoops lock horns with high-flying Preston North End in the Coca Cola Championship.
The former Rangers striker will be in the QPR Superstore between 1.30-2.00pm to sign copies of the popular Hooped Dreams book, available now for just £9.99.
And as the roll out of our 'Be Our 12th Man' campaign continues, we've taken this opportunity to look back at an extract from Issue One of our popular QPR: The Official Magazine, when the man himself paid tribute to the R's faithful...
Rodney Marsh has always got on well with the fans. There is one relationship in particular he describes as 'sensational, absolutely sensational,' but is at a loss as to the origins.
"I don't know why it happened or how it happened. I would make mistakes and they'd cheer me. They started the 'Rod-nee' chant. When I first came I came with a reputation. They sung that to take the mick. But after I scored 20 goals it became an original and iconic chant.
"Other teams copied it, using other people's names, but it was a Rangers fan's original. The relationship was special and genuine and even after Stan (Bowles) came, they used the chant but with his name. I always had that affinity with the supporters."
It's no surprise then that Marsh will always consider QPR as the closest to his heart. "My Club is QPR, I don't deny that to anyone. QPR was the happiest time of my football life." |
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DO YOU WANT TO WRITE A TRUE CRIME BOOK?
LIVERPOOL'S VERY OWN "CRACKERS" TELL YOU HOW, AT TALK AND BOOK-SIGNING 
Forensic psychologists are commonplace now in television series and thrillers. But what are real forensic psychologists like – and how do they then turn their expert knowledge into a very successful True Crime book?
Laurence Alison and Marie Eyre, of Liverpool University’s Centre for Critical Incident Research, have done just that. Theirs is the first ever book on Rachell Nickell’s, murder called KILLER IN THE SHADOWS: the Monstrous Crimes of Robert Napper (Pennant Books, £9.99).
Now they will share their knowledge with you in a free 30 minute talk, How To Write a True Crime Book – Tips and Pitfalls, before their book-signing at Borders Speke, on Saturday 11th April.
Laurence Alison is one of the country's most eminent and esteemed forensic psychologists. His university colleague and co-author Marie Eyre has contributed to a wide number of academic publications and research papers – and since she hails from Allerton, is a local author to boot, with Borders Speke as her local bookshop.
Dr. Alison played a crucial part for the defence in one of the most notorious murder trials of our time, that of Colin Stagg, wrongfully accused of the murder of Rachel Nickell. Alison argued instead that the true killer, Robert Napper, may well have done the crime. 15 years on, advances in DNA testing proved Alison's point, and Napper recently and sensationally admitted guilt and was sentenced.
As authors from a fascinating field, Alison and Eyre have compelling stories and insights to impart, not just to aspiring crime authors, but to all of us, living as we do in our increasingly dangerous age.
Their book on Rachel Nickell's killer finally offers the public a powerful sense of closure on this long mysterious and controversial case, that unfairly made suspect Colin Stagg a pariah over several decades.
How to Write a True Crime Book – a talk by Laurence Alison and Marie Eyre, who will sign copies of KILLER IN THE SHADOWS: The Monstrous Crimes of Robert Napper at 1pm on Saturday 11th April at Borders Speke, New Mersey Retail Park, Speke Road SPEKE L24 8QB, Telephone 0151 494 9144 to reserve a copy
Authors available for interview - author photo jpegs available contact Philomena pr@pennantbooks.com 0207 460 2793. |
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DISCUSSION AND Q&A TALK WITH CASS PENNANT
Monday 17th November at Leeds University Criminal Justice Society, Leeds LS2 9JT. Students only.
Friday 28th November at the Criminology School of Social sciences and Law, University of Teeside, Middlesbrough, Tees Valley TS1 3BA. |
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WHO'S WHO OF BOXING WILL ATTEND THE LAUNCH OF TEDDY BALDOCK: The Pride of Poplar, by Brian Belton
Every year, Pennant Books publishes a very special boxing biography that captures the hearts and minds of the worldwide boxing fraternity. The autobiography of Big Joe Egan was promoted by his sparring partner Mike Tyson and prompted a turnout of simply thousands at our Canary Wharf book event. Former World Champion Charlie Magri’s autobiography last year was marked by a launch with all of Britain’s great champions present.
This year on 3rd December a major book launch will be held at the Anon Club, Piccadilly W1 for our biography of Teddy Baldock. The Lonsdale International Sporting Club, the Boxers’ Benevolent fund and the Ex-Boxers Association will support the launch.
As with their last event for Billy Walker the Blonde Bomber published by Robson Books, there will be celebrity attendance from the Who's Who of British Boxing, with such names as Henry Cooper, Frank Bruno, Charlie Magri, John Conteh, Alan Minter, Kevin Mitchell, John H. Stacey, Dave ’Boy’ Green and Terry Spinks all being approached to attend and the full names list will be confirmed here nearer the launch. Duke Mackenzie, champion at 3 different weights has written the book's foreword and is also expectedt to be there. |
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LAUNCH PARTY FOR “THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE”
A launch will be held for our new book THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE, by Humfrey Hunter and Giles Vickers Jones, at The Embassy Club, Old Burlington Street in Piccadilly on Wednesday 22nd October. The big bash kicks off at 6:30 and runs till late.
So many interesting, courageous and well-known personalities have contributed to the book their memories of their particular best days ever. The book has struck an extraordinary chord with the public, with stories by the likes of one James Corden (Gavin and Stacey) being excerpted in a wide variety of publications from the Daily Mail through to Cosmopolitan.
This will be a chance for all these contributors to have a drink and meet one another, and the Pennant Books team – thus making it another very special day. The launch event is all being covered by several television stations, newspapers and magazines.
Also attending the event are representatives of the Sporting Chance Foundation, the charity founded by England Rugby star Phil Greening to benefit third world children living in dire poverty. Proceeds from the book go to the Sporting Chance Foundation. |
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BIG JOE’S BOOK SIGNING AT WATERSTONE'S HUDDERSFIELD
On the afternoon of 10 October 2008, Pennant author and former heavyweight Big Joe Egan signed copies of his autobiography by the same name at Waterstones Huddersfield.
The Huddersfield Examiner’s Andrew Hirsch described him as "a hardman in a literary mood". Mike Tyson, his former sparring partner, described him after a particularly rough bout as "the toughest white man on the planet" – which is also the sub-title of Egan’s book.
Egan is used to being all things to all people: boxer, landlord, businessman, now a actor he has already taken film parts in CASS, Joss Stone's SNAPPER'S and currently plays a heavy in the forthcoming Guy Ritchie film, SHERLOCK HOLMES. He does a great deal of charity work within Birmingham’s Irish communities. |
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THE SOHEMIAN SOCIETY PRESENTS
Wednesday September 24, 7.30pm
BILLY HILL: GODFATHER OF LONDON
A talk by Wensley Clarkson (author of the new biography of Billy Hill)
The Wheatsheaf, 25 Rathbone Place, North Soho (off Oxford Street, nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road).
Entrance fee: £3
Billy Hill was Britain’s first celebrity gangster. Born in London’s King’s Cross, Hill was a charming character with a deadly edge who elevated himself to the very top of the pantheon of organised crime. By the early 1950’s he had control of the city’s gambling rackets and masterminded a heist that set the template for the Great Train Robbery. An ally turned enemy of Jewish gangster Jack ‘Spot’ Comer, Hill ended Spot’s criminal career with a razor attack by his infamous henchman, Mad Frankie Fraser. In the 1950’s, Hill was holding court (and seducing female aristocrats) at the Soho address that now houses the Groucho Club.
Copies of Wensley Clarkson's biography of Billy Hill will be available for sale on the evening. |
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FOOTBALL BABYLON AT FULHAM FC’S FILM FESTIVAL
On 20th September 2008 our author Mel Stein gave a talk on his new book FOOTBALL BABYLON at Fulham Football Club’s Kicking and Screening film festival.
The newly inaugurated Festival was founded “to celebrate the beauty, excitement, passion, and vivacity of football as captured and expressed on film.” Stein was one of a number of sports writers, filmmakers or players chosen to talk about the true stories behind the reel and the pitch.
As such he was a perfect choice: the former manager of Gazza and Waddle has written a sharp satire set behind the scenes at a Premiership club. |
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