Lioness - My Journey to Glory: Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year

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Of course I loved the chapters about the 2019 World Cup, the 2022 Euros and everything England got up to in-between. I also loved Beth’s reflections on different managers she’s worked with and how they differed and the stories of her fellow England and Arsenal legends. I loved when Beth told Vivianne Miedema that they’d both been nominated for a Ballon d'Or and Viv “stared impassively” and said “Yes, it’s my fifth time.” It’s important and powerful that Beth talked about how she realised she was gay, shares some of her relationship stories and mentions the difference in LGB+ acceptance between the men’s and women’s game. This is a brilliant memoir, I loved it.

Incredible writing. An incredible person. A book that is definitely worth reading and a person definitely worth following. I love this book so much. From being placed in the local boys' team as a child because her mum wanted her to run off her boundless energy, to joining Middlesbrough FC's Centre of Excellence and making her professional debut at Sunderland, Beth and women's football have come a long way.This is a great inspirational story. I will admit I am not a football fan (male or female teams), but living and growing up in London, it is impossible to do or not take notice when England is playing. Especially at football. So is being a non football fan in London is hard being a female footballer is a billion times more difficult, which is what makes Beth and the other Lioness' story even more incredible.

All I will say is if you are a fan of football, this book is a must read. Like many, I was one of those people who only recently got into women's football post-Euros. This book is the perfect introduction to one of the 2022 Euro's key player– Beth Mead. It's inspiring, well-written, and filled with anecdotes of some of the most important moments in Beth Mead's life– from signing with her now-club Arsenal to winning the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 with England's Lionesses– and everything in between. With foreword by Ian Wright and afterword by Jermain Defoe, the debut memoir from Euros champion Beth Mead is an empowering, inspirational story about a woman's struggle and success in an industry historically dominated by men. In this book she fully embraces all her life struggles. She doesn’t hide from them, openly talking about her mental health, the anger and depression, the hopes and joys she feels. It’s really refreshing to see a public figure so honest about both the highs and lows they experience in their life. Beth Mead is one of the world’s most talented female footballers – Golden Boot winner and Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Euros 2022, Arsenal Player of the Season 2021-22, and nominee for the 2022 Ballon d’Or. But long before this, Beth was just an ordinary kid from Hinderwell, North Yorkshire who wanted to play football. The journey to European Champion and Player of the Tournament wasn’t easy, success didn’t come without challenges and perseverance. It was emotionally intense and draining at times, the off-the-pitch socialising and finding her place and being away from home, and she wanted to give up more than once. At Boro’s Centre of Excellence, England training camps she attended as a teen, and when she first started at Arsenal as an adult.

About this book

Despite disappointments along the way, Beth focused on achieving her ambitions and has become one of the country's most recognised footballers, male or female. It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.

If, like me, you followed last summer's European Championships, you would have shared in the euphoria and pride at our Lionesses winning the trophy after a hard-fought final versus Germany. Instinctively, Beth understood that crucial storytelling technique of “show, don’t tell”: don’t tell me thatSarina Wiegman is the best manager you have ever played under or that Lucy Bronze pushed you to reach the next level, but how and why. Her anecdotes from throughout the tournament bring us into that summer with a new intimacy. I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people I’m a huge Gooner (unofficially crowned as the biggest Gooner at Northville High School) but I’ve really only paid attention to the men’s game. It wasn’t until the Lionesses started winning in the Euros that I started watching their training and interviews on YouTube - something that I do regularly with the men even though they share the “England” channel. Thus, it was this summer as I sat down to watch the Euro final (and the Lionesses ended up winning!) that I made a promise to myself that I would pay more attention to women’s football. Beth Mead and Leah Williamson captured my attention in that final, because a) they are world-class footballers and b) I knew they played for Arsenal.I never really know how to rate autobiographies as they are someone’s real life, so this will remain unrated for now, but this was such a great read. From 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery. Shipments to the USA & Canada:

Filled with positive lessons and an exclusive account of England's triumphant Euros campaign, Beth offers readers of all ages a heartfelt, behind-the-scenes look into her remarkable journey to glory. Since this book came out, Beth has been voted Sports Personality of the Year for 2022 - quite rightly, in my opinion. Top scorer and Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Women’s Euros, the gifted Beth Mead lifts the lid on the Lionesses’ glorious victory as well as telling the story of her own path to the top of the international game. I so appreciate Beth's vulnerability and honesty sharing her struggles and I think they will help a lot of people. It’s not glory and fame every moment of every day. You don’t know what is going on in other people’s lives, what challenges they have overcome, or are keeping hidden. I cried twice when Beth wrote about her mother. Since the publication of this book June Mead has sadly passed away ( “If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.” 💔) . It is clear the mutual love and devotion Beth and her mum shared for each other. It was an honour to read about that relationship. She’s honestly just such a role model. For not only (but especially) young girls watching her play and knowing they can also have a future in sports as a female, but for everyone who has ever struggled with mental health. For anyone who has ever dreamed of something so strongly it has taken over everything. For anyone who has struggled with a work life balance and is now working on themselves and being the best version they can be. Beth Mead is an incredible person who writes honestly about all of this and more.

Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year

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