Blood on the court

If you thought squash was a game for public schoolboys and middle-aged businessmen, think again.

This book exposes the gritty reality of professional squash, as seen through the eyes of world champion Peter Nicol.Peter Nicol is an extraordinary athlete with a collection of titles including the World Open, British Open, World Super Series and a Commonwealth Games gold medal.

He is also charming, intelligent and articulate - a sponsor's dream, with fierce determination to dominate the game for as long as he can. And since his collapse at the British Open Final in 1999 due to food poisoning, Nicol has sought to make himself fitter than ever.This book provides an insight into Nicol's climb to the top of one of today's most physically demanding sports.

He reveals the secrets of his training routines and his contempt for rival players who waste their talent.

He describes the great triumphs and the outstanding matches of his astonishing career, while reflecting on the tragedies and despair that have helped focus his ambition.Shockingly, Nicol reveals that seven of the world's top ten squash players take drugs.

He also discusses the sexual habits of those on the world tour and how women players often turn to lesbianism to escape their predatory male counterparts.

These are issues in squash which have never been discussed, revealing a dark underbelly of one of the world's toughest sports.