A guide to some of the most successful and well-known athletes to have emerged from Wales. The stars featured include Ryan Giggs, Colin Jackson, Tanni Grey Thompson, Barry John, Gareth Edwards, Phil Bennett and Ian Woosnam. A concise informative book for sporting fans.

Dathliad o sêr byd chwaraeon yng Nghymru, ac arweiniad i fywyd nifer o'r rhai llwyddiannus, gan gynnwys Ryan Giggs, Colin Jackson, Tanni Grey Thompson, Barry John, Gareth Edwards, Phil Bennett ac Ian Woosnam. Dyma lyfr cryno a chynhwysfawr i ddilynwyr chwaraeon.

This short ‘one-stop’ guide to some of Wales’s greatest sporting stars is part of Gomer’s ‘Inside Out’ series – aiming to celebrate everything that makes Wales its own country. With a short foreword by Colin Jackson on the joy of competing and, of course, winning, the author presents us with an impressive gallery of stars, with dynamic photography throughout.

From the world of professional rugby there is the flair, finesse and physical strength of Gareth Edwards, the artistry and single-mindedness of Barry John, and the genius of Phil Bennett; Simon Jones tops the list of ‘cracking cricketers’ – an extensive list including the likes of Matthew Maynard, Alan Jones, Cyril Walters, Norman Riches, Don Shepherd – not to mention the legendary W. G. Grace.

In road cycling, we have Nicole Cooke – the first British cyclist, male or female, to top the world rankings. Here the author addresses the shameful fact that despite equal opportunities, in the realms of sport, ‘testosterone still reigns supreme.’ With the likes of Nicole Cooke on the professional cycling scene, winner of the Tour de France Feminine and the World Cup Series in 2006, it is shocking that the popular press still chooses to tuck coverage of women’s sport somewhere between horse-racing, sudoku and the crossword.

The phenomenal achievements of paralymic team captain, Tanni Grey Thompson, in Athens in 2004 are included and are another triumph in women’s sport. The physical and emotional energy she needed to compete, described here in a touching and heart-breakingly honest account, is an inspiration. Inspirational too are the accounts of Colin Jackson; swimmers David Davies and Martin Woodroffe; long jumper Lynn Davies; outstanding golfers Ian Woosnam, Dai Rees and Dave Thomas, and some of the stars of Welsh boxing such as Jimmy Wilde and Freddie Welsh.

This is a great little inside guide, not just to individual sporting stars, but to a whole range of sporting achievements for Wales from the turn of the 20th Century to the present day. Other titles in the series include: Welsh Icons, Great Welsh Festivals, Great Welsh Voices, Highlights of Welsh History and Welsh Traditions and Traits.

Jane MacNamee

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatâd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.