Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #745033 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 191 pages

Book Jacket
Bill Samuel, the discoverer, coach, mentor and friend of Gareth Edwards, MBE, is a brilliant teacher and a wise, amusing Welsh patriot. In Rugby:Body and Soul he vividly describes the culture of the Welsh industrial villages that produced him and most of the characters in this book. Rugby was and still is an integral part of the Welsh valleys and this book is an affectionate affirmation of Welsh life as well as an important contribution to the future of Welsh rugby. With a foreword by Gareth Edwards, Rugby:Body and Soul is perceptive, humane and often very, very funny.

About the Book
"A brilliant observation of Welsh valley life" --The Observer

"It is a rollicking tale, warts and all, about the grass-roots of the game ... a social document of untold value ... it is a fascinating tale" --Daily Telegraph

"The best account yet written of the competitiveness and sheer fanaticism of rugby in Wales. Constantly compelling, deeply personal, searingly honest, by turns moving and hilarious ... it is a riveting account of Welsh rugby as a cultural force" --Gareth Edwards, Welsh Rugby Historian

Synopsis
Welsh patriot Bill Samuel describes the culture of the Welsh industrial villages which produced him and most of the characters in this book. It is an affectionate affirmation of Welsh life as well as a contribution to the future of Welsh rugby.

Book Information
A brilliant teacher and a wise, amusing Welsh patriot, Bill Samuel vividly describes the culture of the Welsh industrial villages which produced him and most of the characters in this book. Rugby was and still is an integral part of the Welsh valleys and Rugby: Body and Soul is an affectionate affirmation of Welsh life as well as an important contribution to the future of Welsh rugby. With a foreword written by Gareth Edwards, it is perceptive, humane and often very funny.

"One of the best two rugby books I've ever read"
--Stephen Jones, Sunday Times

"A brilliant characterisation of Welsh Valley life" --The Observer

"It is a rollicking tale, warts and all, about the grass-roots of the game ... social document of untold value ... it is a fascinating tale" --Daily Telegraph

"The best account yet written of the competitiveness and sheer fanaticism of rugby in Wales. Constantly compelling, deeply personal, searingly honest, by turns moving and hilarious...it is a riveting account of Welsh rugby as a cultural force" --Gareth Wiliams

Customer Reviews

An insight into the history of Soth Wales, as well as rugby
This is a lovely look at a way of life which has now disappeared in Wales, as well as an insight into rugby's role in Welsh life. On top of this, it also charts the rise of the greatest rugby player of all time from the perspective of his mentor. An excellent read for anybody interested in either rugby, or Wales.