Some of the best new Sports Books releases for coming up or just released.

Perhaps the most timely release ever here we are less than 24 hours after the controversy at "Old Trafford" and we are talking to Journalist and Author William Ralston about his new book "The Impossible Job" which reveals the job of a football referee like never before.” This is a book about referees, but it is also about pressure, judgement, fear, authority, technology, and the strange way football turns human decisions into public trials exactly like the one we are having today. Ralston follows officials from grassroots matches to the elite game, including access around UEFA, FIFA, and PGMO circles, and builds a portrait of a role most people see every week but rarely understand. The book ultimately won't make you sit in your chair or at a game and agree and applaud each decision or jump to a referee's defence every week but it will quietly touch your subconscious and even though you would never admit so in public after reading this book and listening to this show you will have just a little bit more empathy.

"Talking Sports Books" latest video edition features New York Times best selling author Tom Coyne who has just released "A Course Called Home" and if after reading it you decide to go and buy yourself a golf course then do get in touch and let us know how you got on. Golf often conjures images of pristine fairways, elite players, and exclusive clubs. Yet, Tom Coyne’s latest book, A Course Called Home, invites readers to explore a different side of the game—one rooted in community, resilience, and the love of a local course that many might overlook. Coyne, a New York Times bestselling author known for his deep research into golf culture, takes us on a personal journey that reveals how golf can be about more than just the game itself. So join Tom and me as we talk about just how much fun realising a life dream can be and if you are fool enough to think that fun was the only emotion experienced here then perhaps a timely reminder that before you go out and buy a golf club, football club , rugby club or any other club be prepared for the day when the roof caves in , literally.

Coming up on this month's TALKING SPORTS BOOKS SHOW, we explore Be On That Hill — a book that goes far beyond the standard sports biography. Because these are stories about much more than sport. They're about ambition, loneliness, control, risk, memory — and the very human need to turn achievement and performance into something meaningful. We'll also hear the extraordinary story of a Kenyan runner who had both feet amputated, discover the story behind the most-played piece of music in American stadiums and arenas, and explore some of the loneliest jobs in sport — including the vets responsible for euthanising injured racehorses. And we'll hear from the young district attorney thrust into the global spotlight when he found himself taking on NBA icon Kobe Bryant. All that and more, coming up on TALKING SPORTS BOOKS with Tim Caple and Seth Wickersham. Be On That Hill by Seth Wickersham is available 9/22/26

The greatest books in sport part 1 begins with "The Fight' by Norman Mailer widely regarded as not just the greatest ever book on Boxing but sport's greatest book.

A quick look at some of the most interesting new releases coming this month.

Welcome back to the new edition of "Talking Sports Books" and joining me on the show today is journalist and author Jonathan Wilson to talk about his new book "The Power and The Glory A New History of The World Cup"

Looking at our choice of books of the month for May 2026