{"product_id":"9781471163135-in-sunshine-or-in-shadow","title":"In Sunshine or in Shadow","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize\u003cbr\u003eThe remarkable tale of Gerry Storey, and how his boxing gym brought together a city during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e***Donald McRae's new book \u003ci\u003eThe Last Bell \u003c\/i\u003eis published on 13th March 2025***\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'One of the most captivating boxing writers on the planet' Barry McGuigan\u003cbr\u003e 'A superb tale.His inspirational story celebrates peace and reconciliation' \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Multi-award-winning author Donald McRae's stunning book is a powerful tale of hope and redemption across the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland - thanks to boxing.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At the height of \u003cb\u003ethe Troubles\u003c\/b\u003e, Gerry Storey ran the Holy Family gym from the IRA's heartland territory of New Lodge in \u003cb\u003eBelfast\u003c\/b\u003e. Despite coming from a family steeped in the Republican movement, he insisted that it would be open to all. He ensured that his boxers were given a free pass by paramilitary forces on both \u003cb\u003eRepublican and Loyalist\u003c\/b\u003e sides, so they could find a way out of the province's desperate situation. In the immediate aftermath of the \u003cb\u003e1981 Hunger Strikes\u003c\/b\u003e, Storey would also visit the Maze prison twice a week to train the inmates from each community, separately.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In itself, this would be a heroic story, but Storey went further than that: he became the trainer for \u003cb\u003eworld champion Barry McGuigan\u003c\/b\u003e and Olympian \u003cb\u003eHugh Russell\u003c\/b\u003e, who became one of the most famous photographers to document the Troubles. Even with all his success and the support of both sides, Storey still found himself subjected to three bomb attacks from those who were implacably hostile to any form of reconciliation. He also worked with the Protestant boxer \u003cb\u003eDavy Larmour\u003c\/b\u003e, who fought two bloody battles in the ring against Russell, his Catholic friend. At the same time, in Derry, the British and European lightweight champion \u003cb\u003eCharlie Nash\u003c\/b\u003e fought without bitterness after his brother was killed and his father was shot on \u003cb\u003eBloody Sunday\u003c\/b\u003e – the most infamous day of the conflict. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Now, Donald McRae reveals the \u003cb\u003eextraordinary tale of those troubled times\u003c\/b\u003e. After years of research and intimate interviews with the key characters in this story, he shows us how the \u003cb\u003eviolent business of boxing became a haven of peace\u003c\/b\u003e and hope for these remarkable and compassionate men.  \u003ci\u003eIn Sunshine or in Shadow\u003c\/i\u003e is an \u003cb\u003einspirational\u003c\/b\u003e story of \u003cb\u003et\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eriumph over adversity and celebrates the reconciliation\u003c\/b\u003e that can take place when two fighters meet each other in the ring, rather than outside it. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'[An] outstanding and important book, Don McRae's powerful storytelling shows the courage of the people of the North' Andy Lee\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56450780463478,"sku":"9781471163135","price":9.58,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_31790580.jpg?v=1760453960","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781471163135-in-sunshine-or-in-shadow","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}