How will England perform without head coach Eddie Jones? Can Steve Borthwick lead them to victory? Is Ken Owens the right man for the Welsh captaincy? Will France retain its 2022 glory? Or will another favourite, Ireland, pip them to the post?
Check out Biteback’s line-up for our own Six Nations of books below and keep an eye out on Twitter for exclusive deals when the games are on…
England
The England team will be changing their tactics under their new coach, aiming to play every match to win rather than focusing only on the big games – and something else that would benefit from a new strategy is the approach to tackling Britain’s poverty crisis. Former editor of Prospect magazine Tom Clark has assembled a collection of essays by today’s masters of social reportage which aims to redirect attention from dry poverty statistics towards the individual personal human stories.
Several of the writers have had first-hand experience of the issues raised and their reporting is accompanied by Joel Goodman’s poignant photography.
Pre-order:
Broke: Fixing Britain’s poverty crisis, edited by Tom Clark
Ireland
All four provinces come together to form the Irish Six Nations squad. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, should we be properly reassessing the importance and supposed inevitability of reunification? Kevin Meagher’s book, A United Ireland: Why Unification Is Inevitable and How It Will Come About, does just that.
Secure the win here:
A United Ireland: Why Unification Is Inevitable and How It Will Come About, by Kevin Meagher
Scotland
Are you ready to hear the bellowing of ‘O Flower of Scotland, when will we see your like again?’ around Murrayfield Stadium? Will the Scottish team win the title for the first time ever? Or are their historical losses related to a systemic issue in Scottish rugby? And is this issue perhaps echoed in wider society and the SNP? Have a read of David Clegg and Kieran Andrews’s tell-all book Break-Up, which examines the breakdown of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon’s political alliance.
Get to the point:
Break-Up: How Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon Went to War, by David Clegg and Kieran Andrews
Wales
With Warren Gatland back at the helm, could Wales push its way to glory? A separate nation in sport and clearly a proud one as demonstrated in Qatar last year, should Wales just leave the UK for good? Or could it? Journalist Will Hayward opens up the discussion to everyone in his fantastic book Independent Nation.
Feed me till I want no more:
Independent Nation: Should Wales Leave the UK? by Will Hayward
France
They were last year’s winners… does this mean they’ll take home the trophy again this year? Or will they follow in the footsteps of the men’s football team – winning the World Cup in 2018 but just missing the mark in 2022? Get to know the French sporting mentality and the country’s football journey from disaster to triumph in Sacré Bleu.
Prêt à lire:
Sacré Bleu: From Zidane to Mbappé – A football journey, by Matthew Spiro
Italy
Why do they keep coming back? Only victorious against Wales last year and with 0 points against England, Italy could be set up for another sporting disaster in 2023. Perhaps the Italian rugby team just need to be frank with themselves – or perhaps they will resurge like their former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Learn more about Berlusconi in Alan Friedman’s biography, which shares revelations about Berlusconi’s most private moments and his successes and failures with world leaders and more.
Bring it back:
My Way: Berlusconi In His Own Words, by Alan Friedman
Discover some of our other spring releases to kick-start your, or a friend’s, year of reading.