Matt Allen

Writer

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Books

Matt Allen is an award-winning music and sports journalist andauthor whose work has appeared in Q, Mojo, Kerrang!, Esquire, GQ,The Guardian, The Telegraph and FourFourTwo among others. He isalso an official writer for the International Olympic Committee andcovers all their major Summer and Winter Games

Non-Fiction

Publication DetailsNotes

AT THE EDGE:RIDING FOR MY LIFE

2016

Viking

Danny MacAskill lives on the edge.The cyclist is legendary for his YouTube viral videos like The Ridge,Cascadia and Imaginate: nerve-racking montages of stunts which scale everything from mountain peaks, rooftops, ghost towns and movie sets.His life is one of thrills, bloody spills and millions of online hits.It hasn't been an easy ride. Doubt, stress and the 'what if?' factor circle every trailblazing trick, which require imagination, fearlessness,groundbreaking techniques and an eye for a good camera angle. He has spent his life pushing the extremes; somehow, he's still around to tell thetale. In this unflinching memoir of mayhem, Danny shares his anarchic childhood on the Isle of Skye and early days as a street trials rider, takes us behind the scenes of his training and videos, shares never-seen-before sketches from his personal notebook, and reveals what it takes to go the next level - both mentally and physically.Join Danny for a nerve-shredding ride. Just be sure to bring a crash helmet.

SAS: WHO DARESWINS: LEADERSHIPSECRETS FROM THESPECIAL FORCES

2016

Viking

Are you up to the challenge of SAS leadership? Only the best willsucceed...
Britain's SAS (Special Air Service) has an unparalleled reputation for soldiering excellence. Their skills and techniques have been perfected in the most demanding environments imaginable, but many of these can also be used in our everyday lives.This book takes situations all of us will experience during our lives and presents tactical lessons drawn from SAS training and battlefield experience. Its four authors - stars of the hit Channel 4 show SAS: WhoDares Wins - how their finely honed understanding of how to handle extreme challenges can be applied in any environment. Their advice on negotiation, people management, self-motivation and resilience, among other things, can transform your performance in a whole range of scenarios: from buying a house, nailing a job interview, and the experience of dealing with rejection, to maintaining a diet, or managing that pushy colleague at work.This is the ultimate guide to leadership and personal achievement.

HELLO LIFE!

2015

NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ----
Marcus Butler's irreverent YouTube channel has long combined laughs and comedy sketches with thoughts on more serious issues. What sets him apart from the rest is his ability to mix light-hearted banter with a deep empathy for the problems facing young people today. Thanks to his experiences of family illness, his parents' divorce, weight issues and catastrophic hair days, Marcus is in a unique position to share everything he has learned about healthy living, relationships and dealing with the daily pressures life throws at us all. Working with journalist and writer Matt Allen, in HELLO LIFE! his part-autobiography, part-self help guide Marcus shares his trademark big-brotherly advice and unveils his road map to success for anyone navigating the trickier aspects of modern living.Funny, cool, fully illustrated and totally readable, this book is the ultimate must-have for fans of Marcus Butler.

5 SECONDS OFSUMMER: HEY, LET'SMAKE A BAND!: THEOFFICIAL 5SOS BOOK

2014

Harper Collins

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ----This book is pretty much our official story so far. It really does only seem like last week we played our first gig in at the Annandale hotel in Sydney.Since then we’ve been given the opportunity to turn into the people and musicians we wanted to be.The people who gave us the opportunity were the fans. So this book is like a thank you. We want everyone to know the story of how four western Sydney teenagers picked up their instruments and dreamt of being one of the biggest bands in the world. There’s also some embarrassing photos of us dicking around and some facts that some of us didn’t even know. So we hope you enjoy it!Love cal, luke, ash and mike x

FASTER THANLIGHTNING

2013

Harper Sport

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ----
The autobiography of the fastest man of all time and a superstar whose talent and charisma have made him one of the most famous people on the planet.Whether you know Athletics or not, and even whether you know sport ornot, chances are you know Usain Bolt. The fastest man on the planet, not just now but ever, Usain has won the hearts of people everywhere with his mind-blowing performances and his infectious charisma – uniting supporters around the world.In this, his full autobiography, Usain tells his story in his own words: from humble beginnings in Jamaica, to international stardom at Beijing and onto the new heights of superstardom he has reached since lighting up London 2012.Full of the charm and charisma that has made him the most popular sporting figure of our time and a universal celebrity, this is a book that Usain’s millions of fans will love.

WAYNE ROONEY: MYDECADE IN THEPREMIER LEAGUE

2013

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ---- MY DECADE IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE is Wayne’s first hand account of his 10 years playing at the highest level in English football – and for the biggest club in the world. This is his inside story of life on the pitch for Manchester Utd; the League titles, FA Cups,League Cups and Champions League adventures. A must for any Utd fan.From gracing the ground at Goodison as an excitable 16 year old to lifting the Champions League trophy with Manchester United. From the emotional high of scoring the winner against Manchester City with that overhead bicycle kick to the crushing low of the thrashing City handed out at Old Trafford in the 2011-12 season.This is a book for the fan who would kill to get just 30 seconds on the pitch at The Theatre of Dreams – to run on the famous turf and score in front of the Stretford End. ‘My Decade in the Premier League’ gives a real insight in to what goes in to being part of the biggest club in the world; the training pitch, the dressing room, the manager, the coaches and, most importantly, the buzz of crossing that white line and hearing the 76,000 strong crowd chant your name.In intricate, emotional detail Wayne talks about every season he has spent in the Premier League and how it feels to be one the most celebrated footballers on the planet.

HOW NOT TO BE APROFESSIONALFOOTBALLER

2011

Harper Sport

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, NOMINEE FOR BEST AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN THEBRITISH SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2011 ----
An anecdote-driven narrative of the classic footballer's ‘DOs and DO NOTs’ from the ever-popular Arsenal legend and football pundit Paul Merson, aka ‘TheMerse’.When it comes to advice on the pitfalls of life as a professional footballer,Paul Merson can pretty much write the manual. In fact, that's exactly what he's done in this hilarious new book which manages to be simultaneously poignant and gloriously funny. Merson was a prodigiously talented footballer in the 80s and 90s, gracing the upper echelons of the game - and the tabloid front pages - with his breathtakingly skills and larger-than-life off-field persona.His much-publicised battles with gambling, drug and alcohol addiction are behind him now, and football fans continue to be drawn to his sharp footballing brain and playful antics on SkySports cult results show Soccer Saturday. The book delights and entertains with a treasure chest of terrific anecdotes from a man who has never lost his love of football and his inimitable joie de vivre through a 25-year association with the Beautiful Game.

JELLEYMAN'STHROWN A WOBBLY:SATURDAYAFTERNOONS INFRONT OF THETELLY

2009

Harper Sport

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ----
Jeff Stelling is a legend amongst football fans. To the millions unable to get to their teams' games on Saturday afternoons, the next best thing is undoubtedly the pleasurable company of Jeff and the Sky Sports video printer for a cosy marathon on the sofa.The long-time host of SkySports' iconic Soccer Saturday show has become a cult figure, universally admired for his encyclopaedic knowledge of the game, his genuine and unlimited enthusiasm for ALL levels of football, and his wicked sense of humour which makes the six-hour long show simply whiz by. Jellyman's Thrown a Wobbly is a deliciously chaotic, hugely entertaining,anecdote-ridden, humorous taste of life in the Soccer Saturday studio.Hear what Jeff has to say about some of the show's legendary pundits over the years – ex-players such as George Best, Rodney Marsh, Chris Kamara, Charlie Nicholas and Matt Le Tissier. Be a fly on the wall of the hotel bar on Friday nights as Jeff and his guests gather for a natter and few drinks