"Daily Telegraph" Book of Sports Obituaries (Daily Telegraph)

Spanning the spectrum of modern sport from athletics to wrestling, and charting the lives from the charming tennis ace Arthur Ashe to football's thinker Billy Wright, this book is a wonderful testimony to such a priceless line-up of talented people. The book, which is edited by sports journalist Martin Smith, details--with many anecdotes--the rise and, in far too many cases, the fall of legends. The book is a fine tribute to those who in the main performed for the love not money, those for whom cash wasn't king, but the taking part and setting new standards were the motivation.

Given the brilliance of the players assembled it could have been easy for Smith to fail to shine on the big stage, but his obvious passion and respect make this a winner in its own right. --Jonathan Weir