Can you not like sport and be Australian? When it comes to sport, Australians are mad. Completely, irrationally insane. It's the closest thing we have to a culture. From Don Bradman's singular focus to Steven Bradbury's heroic not falling over, sport has shaped our sense of self. But how did we get here? Part history, part social commentary and a lot of nonsense, Titus O'Reily, Australia's least insightful sports writer, explains. Covering Australian Rules, League, Union, soccer, cricket, the Olympics and much more, Titus tackles the big topics, like- How not to cheat the salary cap The importance of kicking people in the shins The many shortcomings of the English Titus takes you through the characters, the pub meetings, the endless acronyms, the corruption and the alarming number of footballers caught urinating in public. Sport is important - gloriously stupid, but important. To understand Australia you must understand its sporting history. With this guide you sort of, kind of, will. 'An indispensable voice for serious fans, who need to be reminded to take sport a little less seriously.' Inside Sport 'An enjoyable romp through our nation's great and not-so-great sports moments . . . between the laughs lies an insightful study of everything from cricket to Quidditch.' Herald Sun

A Thoroughly Unhelpful History of Australian Sport

History

O'Reily, Titus

Australia & Oceania

Michael Joseph AU

Ridiculous Australian tales of sporting stuff-ups and forgiveness by the bestselling author of A Thoroughly Unhelpful History of Australian Sport. In sport, the term 'good bloke' doesn't mean what it says. Like 'fun run', it often actually means exactly the opposite. Titus O'Reily, the sports historian Australia neither needs nor deserves, examines why our nation's sportspeople are so readily forgiven for doing terrible things. With ridiculous tales from Australia's chequered sporting history, A Sporting Chance dissects the scandals big and small, the mistakes made in covering them up and the path athletes tread back to redemption. From the Essendon supplements saga and the sandpaper-loving Australian cricket team to whatever it is Nick Kyrgios has done now, Titus reveals the archetypes at the heart of our greatest sporting scandals. There's the corrupt cop who gave us the race that stopped a nation and the boxing champion who refused to train. There's the cashed-up businessmen who bankrupted clubs and the commentators who can't get their foot out of their mouth. And of course there's the good blokes, like Wayne Carey, Matthew Johns and Shane Warne, who it seems we'll forgive for absolutely anything. In his rambling and at times incoherent style, Titus asks the question- are Australians really that forgiving of their sporting heroes? With the rise of social media, women's sport and the drive towards greater equality, are the good blokes of Australia's sporting landscape an endangered species?

A Sporting Chance: Australian Sporting Scandals and the Path to Redemption

Sports & Outdoors

Miscellaneous

Michael Joseph Australia

When it comes to sport, Australians are mad. Completely, irrationally insane. It’s the closest thing we have to a culture. From Don Bradman’s singular focus to Steven Bradbury’s heroic not falling over, sport has shaped our sense of self. But how did we get here? Part history, part social commentary and a lot of nonsense, Titus O’Reily, Australia’s least insightful sports writer, explains. Covering Australian Rules, League, Union, soccer, cricket, the Olympics, and much more, Titus tackles the big topics, like: - How not to cheat the salary cap - The importance of kicking people in the shins - The many shortcomings of the English Titus takes you through the characters, the pub meetings, the endless acronyms, the corruption, and the alarming number of footballers caught urinating in public. Sport is important—gloriously stupid, but important. To understand Australia you must understand its sporting history. With this guide you sort of, kind of, will.

Penguin Australia

In sport, the term ‘good bloke’ doesn't mean what it says. Like ‘fun run’, it often actually means exactly the opposite. Titus O’Reily, the sports historian Australia neither needs nor deserves, examines why our nation’s sportspeople are so readily forgiven for doing terrible things. With ridiculous tales from Australia’s chequered sporting history, A Sporting Chance dissects the scandals big and small, the mistakes made in covering them up and the path athletes tread back to redemption. From the Essendon supplements saga and the sandpaper-loving Australian cricket team to whatever it is Nick Kyrgios has done now, Titus reveals the archetypes at the heart of our greatest sporting scandals. There’s the corrupt cop who gave us the race that stopped a nation and the boxing champion who refused to train. There’s the cashed-up businessmen who bankrupted clubs and the commentators who can’t get their foot out of their mouth. And of course there’s the good blokes, like Wayne Carey, Matthew Johns and Shane Warne, who it seems we’ll forgive for absolutely anything. In his rambling and at times incoherent style, Titus asks the question: are Australians really that forgiving of their sporting heroes? With the rise of social media, women’s sport and the drive towards greater equality, are the good blokes of Australia’s sporting landscape an endangered species?

Penguin (AU Adult)

The rise, fall and rise of sport gambling in Australia Australians lose more money gambling than any other country. But how did we get here? In his inimitable, hilarious style, sports historian Titus O'Reily charts the rise, fall and rise of sport gambling in Australia. We'll gamble on anything, from two flies crawling up a wall to less important things like federal elections. And thanks to the internet, phones and gambling-tax loving governments, these days Australians can indulge their love of a punt no matter what they're doing. Aussies could be at the birth of a child or performing open-heart surgery and still put a bet on. It wasn't always this easy. Once, you could only gamble on sport illegally. Which, it turns out, was actually also pretty easy. But over the last thirty years gambling on sport has been legalised, first slowly and then very quickly. Now almost every ad on TV is about sport betting, and even some of the players are getting in on the wagering. Please, Gamble Irresponsibly traces the history of gambling in Australia from horseracing in the colonial era, through the rise of SP bookies and organised crime, to the commercialisation of the industry and its impact on communities and the integrity of sport. With billions of dollars involved, what are the odds of putting the genie back in the bottle?

Please, Gamble Irresponsibly: The Rise, Fall and Rise of Sport Gambling in Australia

Humor & Entertainment

Puzzles & Games

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by O'Reily, Titus. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by O'Reily, Titus

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by O'Reily, Titus. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Thoroughly Unhelpful History of Australian Sport

A Sporting Chance: Australian Sporting Scandals and the Path to Redemption

A Thoroughly Unhelpful History of Australian Sport

A Sporting Chance: Australian Sporting Scandals and the Path to Redemption

Please, Gamble Irresponsibly: The Rise, Fall and Rise of Sport Gambling in Australia