Nick Townsend – författare

The fascinating true story of how legendary gambler Barney Curley pulled off the greatest betting scams in horse-racing history.‘Calls to mind The Italian Job.’ Independent on SundayThe bookies always win.But one man has been proving them wrong for four decades.In the summer of 1975 Barney Curley, a fearless and renowned gambler, masterminded one of the most spectacular gambles of all time with a racehorse called Yellow Sam. It cost the bookmakers millions of pounds.They said that it could never happen again.But in May 2010, thirty-five years after his first coup, Curley staged the ultimate multi-million-pound-winning sequel.The Sure Thing tells the complete story of how he managed to organise the biggest gamble in racing history - and how he then followed up with yet another audacious scheme.Praise for The Sure Thing:‘Extremely entertaining, and a revealing insight into one of horse racing’s most colourful, and controversial, characters’ The Press‘Fascinating’ Racing Post‘A brilliant read. Love horse racing or not, you won’t be able to put it down’ Wexford People‘There are fiction books that won’t keep you as enthralled as this!’ ***** Reader review

In 2003 the British public voted Sir Steven Redgrave the Golden Sports Personality of the last fifty years. A fitting award for Britain's most successful Olympian ever, who on 23 September 2000 entered the record books as the only athlete ever to have won five consecutive Olympic gold medals. Steve's fascinating autobiography tells the story of an outstanding career in sport, from his first contact with rowing as a 13-year-old schoolboy, through his battle with diabetes and colitis. He discusses his rowing partnership with Matthew Pinsent and describes the extreme pressures and emotional conflicts that can cement or destroy a team. He speaks too of his struggle to preserve a balanced family life in the face of an extraordinarily intensive training programme and reveals both the mental and physical pain that go hand in hand with being a world champion. A Golden Age is a spellbinding insight into the lifestyle and history of one of the world's most motivated and illustrious sportsmen.

Obesity and its linked morbidity and mortality is a significant public health challenge on a global scale and places a burden not only on the individual but also on society as a whole. This Mini-Guide presents key themes relating to this challenge, including the means of measuring obesity, the most recent prevalence and trends, the health consequences and causes of obesity along with approaches to counter obesity both at an individual and a population level.

"..useful for anyone preparing a presentation or policy on the topic." Reviewed by Nerys Williams on behalf of Occupational Medicine, January 2015

The fascinating true story of how legendary gambler Barney Curley pulled off the greatest betting scams in horse-racing history.‘Calls to mind The Italian Job.’ Independent on SundayThe bookies always win.But one man has been proving them wrong for four decades.In the summer of 1975 Barney Curley, a fearless and renowned gambler, masterminded one of the most spectacular gambles of all time with a racehorse called Yellow Sam. It cost the bookmakers millions of pounds.They said that it could never happen again.But in May 2010, thirty-five years after his first coup, Curley staged the ultimate multi-million-pound-winning sequel.The Sure Thing tells the complete story of how he managed to organise the biggest gamble in racing history - and how he then followed up with yet another audacious scheme.Praise for The Sure Thing:‘Extremely entertaining, and a revealing insight into one of horse racing’s most colourful, and controversial, characters’ The Press‘Fascinating’ Racing Post‘A brilliant read. Love horse racing or not, you won’t be able to put it down’ Wexford People‘There are fiction books that won’t keep you as enthralled as this!’ ***** Reader review

A new, fully authorised biography of the most successful trainer in British horse racing history.In the stratified and often secretive world of racehorse training, Mark Johnston has always been different: forthright, combative, provocative, and candid – a man who delights in questioning convention. Over more than three decades, he has gone from being a vet from a thoroughly working-class Scottish background to, mathematically, the most successful trainer in the history of British horse racing.In this new, fully authorised biography, acclaimed author Nick Townsend provides a unique insight into the world of Mark Johnston and his phenomenally successful operation. With unparalleled access to Mark and those closest to him, Mark Johnston: Phenomenon will dig into his storied career, his strong and passionate views on the sport of horse racing, and how he's planning for the future in unprecedented times, offering a fascinating portrait of one of horse racing's most singular figures.