Image of books and darts for the 3 amazing darts books that you must read

3 amazing darts books that you should read

3 Amazing darts books that you should read

December is a time when my reading volume takes a nosedive due to the PDC World Championships being on TV. If like me you like to read and also love the sport of darts I can reccomend 3 amazing darts books that you should read.

Heart of Dart-ness by Ned Boulting

Book cover featuring legends of darts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ned Boulting can be seen on ITV’s coverage of the UK Open and the Players Championship Finals and provides an excellent take on darts in this book.

Ned takes us on a trip from Purfleet to Minehead, Milton Keynes to Frankfurt, to explore the origins of the modern game. He meets some of the famous names who were part of his childhood TV memories and are still alive today; names such as Andy Fordham, who nearly died on the oche after drinking fifty bottles of Pils a day, Cliff Lazarenko, who was notorious for his excessive drinking even among his not-so-sober peers, Phil Taylor, the best ever, and the Europeans, Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld.

Is it fun, or abuse? To find out that answer, and many others, he discovers that all paths lead to the Heart of Dart-ness, and the most charismatic star the game has ever seen, Eric Bristow.

Maybe darts is, after all, exactly what it claims to be; a rebel sport, a defiant gesture to the authorities, a boozy party in a pub, the ultimate getaway. The best night out.

Bellies and Bullseyes: The outrageous true story of darts by Sid Waddell

Players at Ally Pally are playing for the world title at the moment and the winner will lift the Sid Waddell trophy aloft on the 3rd of January. Sid, the voice of darts takes us on a fascinating journey in Bellies and Bullseyes.

The icon of darts commentary Sid Waddell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sid Waddell, one of the most iconic figures in darts, presents the ultimate chronicle of the sport he loved. He shares his personal journey from the mining towns of the North East to the darting halls of fame, along with the entire history of the sport. He reveals a hilarious and epic saga of darts, featuring every major event and every star player who ever graced the oche, from Eric ‘The Crafty Cockney’ Bristow to Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor.

With his trademark wit and flair, Sid evokes the authentic atmosphere of fags, booze, hot metal and polyester that surrounds the game. He has been a close friend and adviser to many of the sport’s legends, as well as a key figure in its development. No one else can tell the story like he can.

He takes us from the early days of hustling in pubs and the 1960s competitions that gave rise to John Lowe and Leighton Rees, to ITV’s wonderfully silly The Indoor League and the glory days of BBC’s coverage; from the flashy jewellery of Bobby George and the bulging waistline of Jocky Wilson to the amazing skill and professionalism of Phil Taylor; from the smoky working men’s clubs to the Houses of Parliament; this is the definitive, astonishing story of darts.

Eric Bristow: The Autobiography: The Crafty Cockney

Anyone who has looked in to the wonderful sport of darts has at the very least heard of Eric Bristow.

The Crafty Cockney was a legend on the oche in the 1980s, famous not only for his many world titles but also for his cockiness on and off the stage.

Crafty Cockney smile and dart throw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this honest memoir, Bristow tells how darts rescued him from his criminal past as a cat burglar, shoplifter and thug – and opened up a new world of booze, women and success beyond his imagination. He shares his fast rise to the top, giving intriguing glimpses into the personalities that shaped darts in its early days and how, when his own career started to decline at the end of the decade, he mentored Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, making him the most accomplished player darts has ever seen.

Bristow does not hold back as he discloses his struggle with dartitis, a mental disorder that prevented him from releasing the dart and nearly ruined his career; his romance with girlfriend and former women’s world darts champion Maureen Flowers; and his occasional public blunders.

Bristow’s life story is an exciting journey through the wild world of darts and how it influenced and motivated his life.

Honourable mentions:

Darts Greatest Games: Fifty Finest Matches from the World of Darts: Fifty Finest Matches from the World of Darts

Fear and Loathing on the Oche: A Gonzo Journey Through the World of Championship Darts (Shortlisted for the 2018 William Hill Sports Book of the Year)

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