Iain Spragg's Books

Teachers' Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from over five centuries of teaching

By: Iain Spragg

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Teachers' Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from over five centuries of teaching

By: Iain Spragg

A hilarious assortment of the weirdest and wackiest tales ever to come out of the classroom – and they’re all true. Featuring the flamboyant swimming teacher who spent his spare time fighting bears, the story of how a fight with his teacher paved the way for Al Capone’s infamous crime empire, and the bizarre tale of the American teacher who sued her own pupils for not paying attention in her lesson, this book is a real education. An ideal end-of-year teacher gift, this fascinating book is also a must-read for anyone who’s ever been to school. So stop talking at the back, pay attention and start reading! Word count: 45,000

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Page Count

275

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1911042599

ISBN 13

9781911042594

Running's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from over five centuries of running

By: Iain Spragg

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Running's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from over five centuries of running

By: Iain Spragg

Running’s Strangest Tales is a fascinating collection of weird and wonderful stories from the world of running, from the earliest marathon to today’s high-tech, apped-up approach. Within these pages you’ll find the bizarre story of the Norwegian footballer forced to miss a crucial World Cup qualifier after colliding with a moose on his morning jog, the American ultra-marathoner who had all his toenails removed to improve his running, and why some runners at the 2015 Tokyo marathon were wearing GPS-enabled, edible bananas, complete with LEDs and incoming Twitter updates. Packed with tales that are so odd you’ll hardly believe them, this book makes the perfect gift for all running enthusiasts, from the seasoned marathoner to the park jogger, and those who only ever run a bath. Word count: 45,000

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Page Count

257

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1911042424

ISBN 13

9781911042426

London Underground's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true stories

By: Iain Spragg

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London Underground's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true stories

By: Iain Spragg

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of London's Underground, or as it is affectionately referred to, the Tube. Though this isn’t the usual side of the Tube the tourists, travellers and residents see. (Though, of course, they do see a great deal of strangeness in their daily commutes!). This is the real Underground, the strange and twisted nooks and crannies of what happens hundreds of metres below millions of London legs – from its peculiar past through to its paranormal present and looking forward to its fascinating future. Following on from the bestselling Portico Strangest titles now comes a book devoted to London's globally envied, and much loved, public transport system. Located deep beneath the heart of Greater London, the Underground is awash with more strangeness than you can shake your pre-paid Oyster card at. In 2013 the whole city will be celebrating the Underground's 150th birthday – the oldest underground in the world. So, pack up your old kit bag and travel stop-by-stop with us on this strange and fantastic journey along the Northern, Picadilly, Metropolitan, Jubilee, Hammersmith and City and District Line ... and explore the Underground as you've never seen it before. London Underground's Strangest Tales is a treasure trove of the humorous, the odd and the baffling – an alternative travel guide to the Underground's best-kept secrets. Read on, if you dare! You have been warned. Word Count: 35,000

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Page Count

176

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1909396168

ISBN 13

9781909396166

London's Strangest Tales: Historic Royal Palaces

Extraordinary but True Stories

By: Iain Spragg

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London's Strangest Tales: Historic Royal Palaces

Extraordinary but True Stories

By: Iain Spragg

London's Royal Palaces are still some of the most visited places in England. A great deal of their official histories are well known. But London's Strangest Tales: Historic Royal Palaces reveals the bizarre, funny and surreal events and episodes that have occurred over the centuries on the grounds of these beautiful buildings. It gives an alternative history: from the wandering inebriated zebras at the Tower of London, the cricket ball that probably killed a king, and the mystery of Kew's disappearing mosque. This is a wonderful collection for anyone with an interest in the history and heritage of our palaces and in London life generally.

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Page Count

156

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1849941890

ISBN 13

9781849941891

London's Strangest: The Thames

Extraordinary but true stories

By: Iain Spragg

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London's Strangest: The Thames

Extraordinary but true stories

By: Iain Spragg

The 19th-century MP John Burns described the Thames as 'liquid history' and ever since the Romans founded Londinium in 43 AD, the river has played a key cultural and economic, political and social role in the history of England. London's Strangest: The Thames reveals the bizarre, funny and surreal events and episodes that have occurred over the centuries on, beneath and along the banks of the famous waterway. From appearances of the world's first submarine to the raid on the Sex Pistols river concert, Lord Nelson's final journey to John Prescott's watery protest, and even the recent escapades during the floods, the River Thames really has witnessed it all.

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Page Count

135

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1910232408

ISBN 13

9781910232408

Cycling's Strangest Tales

By: Iain Spragg

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Cycling's Strangest Tales

By: Iain Spragg

Extraordinary but true stories from 200 years of cycling history. Part of the bestselling Strangest series, Cycling’s Strangest Tales is a quirky and fascinating collection of stories from cycling’s history. Included are stories of Thomas Stevens, the doughty Englishman who circumnavigated the world on a penny farthing, the 1904 Tour de France winner who was disqualified for catching the train, the 1937 Japanese invasion of China spearheaded by 50,000 bicycle-mounted troops, and the man who soared over nine circus elephants on an ordinary yellow bike. The stories come from every corner of the cycling world, whether it’s the open road, the velodrome or the BMX track. Brought bang up to date for 2017 with a selection of new stories, Cycling’s Strangest Tales is the perfect gift for anyone who’s in love with life on two wheels. Word count: 45,000

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Page Count

246

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1911042904

ISBN 13

9781911042907

Must I Repeat Myself...?

Unpublished Letters to the Daily Telegraph

By: Iain Hollingshead,Kate Moore

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Must I Repeat Myself...?

Unpublished Letters to the Daily Telegraph

By: Iain Hollingshead,Kate Moore

TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Now in its tenth year, this anniversary edition of the best-selling series is a review of the year made up of the wry and astute observations of the unpublished Telegraph letter writers. In a year in which even the most seasoned commentators have struggled to keep pace with the news cycle, letter writers to The Daily Telegraph have once again provided their refreshing take on events. Readers of the Telegraph Letters Page will be fondly aware of the eclectic combination of learned wisdom, wistful nostalgia and robust good sense that characterise its correspondence. But what of the 95% of the paper’s huge postbag that never sees the light of day? Some of the best letters inevitably arrive too late for the 24/7 news cycle, or don’t quite fit with the rest of the day’s selection. Others are just a little too whimsical, or indeed too risqué, to publish in a serious newspaper. And more than a few are completely and utterly (and wonderfully) mad. Thankfully Iain Hollingshead is on-hand to give the authors of the best unpublished letters the stage they so richly deserve. Baffled, furious, defiant, mischievous, they inveigh and speculate on every subject under the sun, from the rubbish on television these days to the venality of our MPs. With an agenda as enticing as ever the tenth book in the bestselling Unpublished Letters series will prove, once again, that the Telegraph’s readers have an astute sense of what really matters.

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Page Count

210

Publisher

White Lion Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1781317968

ISBN 13

9781781317969

Lyttelton's Britain

A User's Guide to the British Isles as heard on BBC Radio's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue

By: Iain Pattinson

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Lyttelton's Britain

A User's Guide to the British Isles as heard on BBC Radio's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue

By: Iain Pattinson

The I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue team of Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor, in the company of their esteemed chairman Humphrey Lyttelton, have been recording their BBC radio show around the UK for longer than any of them can remember ... that's about a week - or twenty minutes in the case of Barry Cryer. At each venue Humph would present a short history of the location, written by Iain Pattinson, to the mutual delight of the audience, the team and their delightful scorer Samantha (who somehow always found time for a rewarding poke around the area's backstreets). We are privileged to present, in gazetteer form, the very best of Humph's local histories form Radio 4's multi award-winning 'antidote to panel games'. As accurate as Wikipedia and as comprehensive as Reader's Digest, this unique guide tells you everything you never knew you wouldn't ever need to know about the background and inhabitants of Britain's most prominent towns and cities. The intelligent reader will waste no time in adding it to their collection. Bristol It was from Bristol in 1497 that John Cabot set off to find a new route to the Spice Islands by sailing north-west. He instead discovered a strange, hostile world which he named 'Newfoundland', until the natives explained that they actually called it 'Swansea'. Nottingham It's well documented in official records that the city's original name was 'Snottingham' or 'home of Snotts', but when the Normans came, they couldn't pronounce the initial letter 'S', so decreed the town be called 'Nottingham'or the 'home of Notts'. It's easy to understand why this change was resisted so fiercely by the people of Scunthorpe. Brighton A settlement is first recorded in Brighton as long as ago as 3000 BC, when Celtic Druids practised their ancient worship of oaks, mistletoe and virgins, and indeed, oaks and mistletoe are still plentiful in Brighton.

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Page Count

242

Publisher

Random House

Published Date

ISBN 10

1409050688

ISBN 13

9781409050681

Did Anyone Else See That Coming...?

By: Iain Hollingshead

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Did Anyone Else See That Coming...?

By: Iain Hollingshead

New in the best-selling series of Unpublished Letters, this is a year in review made up of the wry and astute observations of the unpublished Telegraph letter writers. In a year in which even the most seasoned commentators have struggled to keep pace with the news cycle, letter writers to The Daily Telegraph have once again provided their refreshing take on events. Readers of the Telegraph Letters Page will be fondly aware of the eclectic combination of learned wisdom, wistful nostalgia and robust good sense that characterise its correspondence. But what of the 95% of the paper’s huge postbag that never sees the light of day? Some of the best letters inevitably arrive too late for the 24/7 news cycle, or don’t quite fit with the rest of the day’s selection. Others are just a little too whimsical, or indeed too risque, to publish in a serious newspaper. And more than a few are completely and utterly (and wonderfully) mad. Thankfully Iain Hollingshead is on-hand to give the authors of the best unpublished letters the stage they so richly deserve. Baffled, furious, defiant, mischievous, they inveigh and speculate on every subject under the sun, from the rubbish on television these days to the venality of our MPs. With an agenda as enticing as ever the ninth book in the bestselling Unpublished Letters series will prove, once again, that the Telegraph’s readers have an astute sense of what really matters.

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Page Count

208

Publisher

Aurum

Published Date

ISBN 10

1781317658

ISBN 13

9781781317655

Women's Vascular Health

By: Iain Greer,Jeff Ginsberg,Charles Forbes

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Women's Vascular Health

By: Iain Greer,Jeff Ginsberg,Charles Forbes

This book brings together specialist authors from a variety of medical disciplines to give comprehensive coverage of the whole spectrum of women's vascular health. Covering coronary artery disease and its precursors, venous disease, thrombophilic defects, hormonal therapy and haemorrhagic problems, the content is divided into three sections. Sectio

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Page Count

507

Publisher

CRC Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1444113615

ISBN 13

9781444113617

Running's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from over five centuries of running

By: Iain Spragg

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Running's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from over five centuries of running

By: Iain Spragg

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Page Count

257

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1911042424

ISBN 13

9781911042426

Teachers' Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from over five centuries of teaching

By: Iain Spragg

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Teachers' Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from over five centuries of teaching

By: Iain Spragg

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Page Count

275

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1911042599

ISBN 13

9781911042594

Cycling's Strangest Tales

By: Iain Spragg

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Cycling's Strangest Tales

By: Iain Spragg

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Page Count

246

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1911042904

ISBN 13

9781911042907

Shakespeare's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from 400 years of Shakespearean theatre

By: Iain Spragg

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Shakespeare's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true tales from 400 years of Shakespearean theatre

By: Iain Spragg

A fascinating playbill of stories from the weird and wonderful world of Shakespearean theatre through the centuries, including distinguished actors falling off stages, fluffed lines, performances in the dark, and why you must never, ever say the name of that Scottish play, especially if you are Peter O'Toole. Discover a wealth of Shakespearean shenanigans over the years, including the terrible behaviour of the groundlings at Shakespeare's Globe, how the 'rude mechanicals' in A Midsummer Night's Dream got recast as a bunch of ladies from the WI, and how Dame Maggie Smith got even with Sir Laurence Olivier. Published to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, this treasury of curious tales is a must-read for all Shakespeare lovers and theatre fans. Word count: 45,000

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Page Count

301

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1911042394

ISBN 13

9781911042396

London Underground's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true stories

By: Iain Spragg

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London Underground's Strangest Tales

Extraordinary but true stories

By: Iain Spragg

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Page Count

176

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1909396168

ISBN 13

9781909396166

Ledley King

The Biography

By: Iain Spragg

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Ledley King

The Biography

By: Iain Spragg

The man they call Mr. Reliable, Ledley King has been a cult figure at White Hart Lane ever since he burst onto the Premiership scene in May 1999. A product of the Tottenham youth system, he is now a mainstay for both club and country and is widely acknowledged as one of Europe's most naturally talented defenders. Renowned for blistering pace, cool head, and composed distribution, King is the longest-serving member of the Tottenham squad and was appointed club captain in January 2005. He still holds the record for the fastest goal in Premiership history after finding the back of the net after just 10 seconds against Bradford City in December 2000. First capped by the senior side against Italy in 2002, King played for England at every junior level, and he was outstanding in the opening match of Euro 2004 against France before he was forced to return home for the birth of his son. His England career has been hampered by injuries—he missed the 2006 World Cup with a broken metatarsal bone—but he has time on his side and looks destined to be a key figure at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

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Page Count

260

Publisher

John Blake

Published Date

ISBN 10

1844545504

ISBN 13

9781844545506

Playing in the Hole

By: Iain Spragg,Adrian Clarke

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Playing in the Hole

By: Iain Spragg,Adrian Clarke

No one can dispute that football has provided some of thefunniest quotes (intentionally or not) in the history of sportand Playing in the Hole is a comprehensive collection of these hilarious comic offerings. It is packed with over 750 quotes on all aspects of the game from and about the most famous names in football.

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Page Count

256

Published Date

ISBN 10

1847321445

ISBN 13

9781847321442

London's Strangest Tales: Historic Royal Palaces

Extraordinary but True Stories

By: Iain Spragg

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London's Strangest Tales: Historic Royal Palaces

Extraordinary but True Stories

By: Iain Spragg

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Page Count

156

Publisher

Portico

Published Date

ISBN 10

1849941890

ISBN 13

9781849941891

England Rugby Yearbook 2016/17

By: Iain Spragg

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England Rugby Yearbook 2016/17

By: Iain Spragg

England Rugby has every reason to be excited about the new era for the men's national team, which started with the 2016 RBS Six Nations Championship. The England Rugby Yearbook 2016/17 looks back at the past season for the men's, women's, Under-20s, Sevens, and Saxons team, focusing on the 2015 Rugby World Cup and 2016 RBS Six Nations Championship. It was a similar story for England Women, after their 2014 World Cup-winning coaching team had departed and new players had joined the squad. All this, plus an exhaustive statistics section, including biographies of the men and women to look out for in 2016/17, and 160 stunning full-color photographs make The England Rugby Yearbook 2016/17 required reading for every England Rugby fan.

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