Paul O'Connell

the-battle

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more

source_10558

By signing up, I confirm that I'm over 16. To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our <a href="/company/about-us/notices/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a>

Keep an eye out for a confirmation in your inbox

Stories, ideas and giveaways to help you spark young imaginations

source_10972

The latest books, activities and tips to help you grow little readers

source_10975

About us

About Us (Header 4)

john-le-carre-a-legacy-of-spies-960-2.jpg

Margaret Atwood

Richard Osman

Malorie Blackman

George Orwell

marian_keyes_mobile_320x200px.png

Elif Shafak

shonfaye

Authors (Header 3)

Books (Header 2)

Company

Features (Header 1)

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

The Battle

It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide

The years of O'Connell and O'Driscoll were as close to a golden age as ever Ireland will get and O'Connell's book tells you how it all happened ... It should be mandatory for every Irish squad member to read O'Connell's book to better understand what it takes to make a team

The intense physicality of his rugby upbringing is an abiding theme ... along with humour, the craic and an extensive knowledge of how teams work

I found The Battle entrancing

Excellent ... [an] eye-opening account of the never-ending battles he fought

Fascinating ... the recollections of life with the British and Irish touring team leap out as highlights

A fascinating insight into what has driven him and how his approach to the game changed over time. The inner tensions of possibly the most intense competitor of his generation are laid bare in The Battle.

Revelatory ... Unflinchingly charts his personal evolution ... He is not at all easy on himself

It is pure O'Connell ... Players and coaches from all sports will have the pencil out, finding nuggets

Absorbing and compelling ... The O'Connell who dominates this book is the one who becomes fixated on the mentality of champions

O'Connell has emptied the tank here. ... What has come out ... is a psychological profile that is almost shocking at times in what it reveals about the bloody single-mindedness of the competitive gene

He is a standard-bearer for the country and someone whose principles, moral compass, ideals and heroic virtue make us wish our children would aspire to be someone like him

An exceptional book ... tremendously honest

Engaging, honest and insightful. Terrific

Honest, fair and devoid of self-pity ... reflects on his life without a shred of hypocrisy or recrimination

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Provides many revealing insights into the mind of a born winner

WINNER OF THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR 
 
The revelatory autobiography of a rugby colossus: Paul O'Connell. 
 
There has never been a rugby player quite like Paul O'Connell. He is synonymous with passion, heart and determination; but he is also the thinking man's rugby player, a legendary student of the game. 
 
As the heartbeat of Munster, British and Irish Lions captain in 2009, and captain of the first Ireland team to defend a Six Nations championship, O'Connell has emerged as perhaps the most beloved of the golden generation of Irish rugby players. In an autobiography as intense as its author, he tells the story of his remarkable career. 
 
'O'Connell's book tells you how it all happened' David Walsh, Sunday Times 
 
'O'Connell has emptied the tank here' Hilary A. White, Irish Independent 
 
'The intense physicality of his rugby upbringing is an abiding theme . . . along with humour, the craic and an extensive knowledge of how teams work' Paul Hayward, Daily Telegraph 
 
'I found The Battle entrancing' Stephen Jones, Sunday Times 
 
'Revelatory . . . Unflinchingly charts his personal evolution' Keith Duggan, Irish Times

Paul O'Connell's name is synonymous with passion, heart and determination. But he was also the thinking man's rugby player, a legendary student of the game. Playing for fifteen years at the highest level, and captaining Munster, Ireland and the Lions, he maintained a remarkably high standard of performance and leadership. 
 
Now, in his frank and vivid autobiography, O'Connell tells the unlikely story of how a kid who quit rugby in his teens became a talisman for club and country, and one of the most respected figures in the international game. This is a book about a career-long battle to be fitter, smarter, better. O'Connell writes about the dark times, when he struggled with injuries and self-doubt. He writes about the dramatic evolution in his approach to mental preparation and leadership. And he writes with wit and warmth about the best times: in the gym and on the road with teammates, and sharing the joy of big victories with family, friends and fans. 
 
The Battle brings us inside the head of the most thoughtful player of his generation, and one of the great personalities of the game. It is a book for everyone who wants to understand a remarkable era in Irish rugby, and for everyone who wants to understand the roots of individual and collective achievement. Intense, honest, moving, funny and uplifting, it will take its place as a classic of sporting autobiography.

Paul O'Connell was born in Limerick in 1979. He was selected for three British and Irish Lions tours, including as captain in 2009. He won three Six Nations championships with Ireland, including two as captain, in 2014 and 2015; and he won two Heineken Cups with Munster.

There has never been a rugby player quite like Paul O'Connell. His name is synonymous with passion, heart and determination. But he is also the thinking man's rugby player, a legendary student of the game. 
 
As the heartbeat of Munster, British and Irish Lions captain in 2009, and captain of the first Ireland team to retain the Six Nations championship, O'Connell became the most beloved and respected of the golden generation of Irish rugby players - and was widely regarded as one of the very best players in the world. There was nothing inevitable - or even likely - about any of this, and in an autobiography as intense and thoughtful as its author, O'Connell explores the forces and struggles that turned him into the player and leader that he became. The Battle is a book for everyone who wants to understand the roots of achievement and the inner world of an elite sportsman. It will take its place alongside the very finest sports books of recent years.

The Battle

Select a format:

Retailers:

Summary

Reviews

About the author

Paul O'Connell

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter