Tony Shaw

A gargantuan battle for hearts and minds, the Cold War is the supreme example of a 'people's war'. But what did the 'people's game' have to do with it? From Dynamo Moscow's stormy tour of Britain in 1945 to the inaugural Women's World Cup in 1991, Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall chart the clash between capitalism and communism in ten iconic football matches. They take us across Europe, Asia, South America and Africa to uncover football's part in bolstering democracies and dictatorships and in the struggle for influence in the developing world. They show how these matches offered a rare opportunity to see what life was like on 'the other side' of the Iron Curtain, making friends of enemies but also fuelling revolution. Featuring legendary players, goals and on- and off-field controversies, this is a fascinating history of how the Cold War shaped football and how football shaped the Cold War.

Many aspire to serve with the Special Air Service, arguably the world’s most prestigious regiment, but few achieve their aim. In this inspiring memoir the author describes how he left school without any qualifications and embarked on a 30 year career much of it spent in Hereford, including four years in ‘The Regiment’. Against the odds he rose through the ranks before being commissioned and eventually retiring as a Major. Initially attached to 22 SAS as a signaller, he volunteered for and passed ‘Selection’, the most gruelling and demanding of tests. He was posted to D Squadron Boat Troop with whom he saw active service in the Falklands War, Northern Ireland and the UK counter-terrorist team. Thanks to the diary he kept during the Falklands War, the reader is treated to a gripping first-hand account of the intense action that he and his colleagues experienced, including recces, diversionary attacks, raids and ambushes both on South Georgia and the Falklands Islands. Later he commanded the Royal Signals troop supporting D Squadron, 22 SAS before commissioning and later on pursuing a second career as a security consultant in various Middle Eastern hotspots. It is a privilege to read this commendably modest account of one man’s unique career which provides a fascinating insight into elite special forces soldiering.