Four Hundred Words at Five-Thirty with 'Nannies': Inside the Lost World of Sports Journalism - Softcover

"It would be almost impossible to explain why anyone who had read the compelling introduction to Peter Bills' Four Hundred Words at Five-Thirty with 'Nannies' chose not to press on with a burgeoning sense of gleeful anticipation. Bills, a renowned rugby reporter, provides the absolutely definitive summary of life as a freelance sports writer which anyone contemplating such a career should read. The author has reported on every Rugby World Cup (RWC) and, as he emphasises in this excellent memoir, the life of a freelance is no cakewalk; his description of the aftermath of the 2003 final confirms this in spades. An engaging, invariably humorous read, thanks to the author's decision to place fun at the heart of his career. A great book for any sports fan and a must for those harbouring ambitions to write as a freelance." --SportsBookoftheMonth.com

"Rugby writer's life on the road is a must read. A highly entertaining account of his 40-plus years in sports journalism, mostly spent as a freelance. Laugh-out-loud funny. He finishes the book with a passionate defence of journalism and the newspaper industry, which is as good as any I have read before, and one that could only come through an extensive knowledge of its workings. Read it and make up your own mind. Gareth Edwards has penned the book's foreword, which gives you an idea of the quality of Bills' contact book, as well as the A-list characters we meet throughout his journey. What a frantic one it appears to have been." --Sports Journalists' Association

"Quotable Tales from a Life in the Press Gang. Priceless!" --Blackpool Gazette Book of the Week

"Peter, who has a long career in journalism and twice won awards for his writing on the oval ball sport, has just had published his fascinating life story. A great Christmas gift for any sports enthusiasts among family and friends, is a lighthearted read, full of funny anecdotes about his time touring the world to write and report on various sports." --The Riviera Reporter

Peter Bills has spent the past 40 years writing about rugby for newspapers in Britain and around the world. He now shares his extraordinary experiences from a career blessed with an indecent amount of fun, unleashing a barrage of anecdotes and lifting the lid on the hidden world of sportswriting - on the characters, stars and their amazing stories. As a leading freelance writer, Peter learned the wiliest tricks of his trade. Whether conning French police, dashing between airports or collecting crazy interviews, his life has been an incredible series of escapades. The 70s, 80s and 90s were the halcyon days of sports journalism, when reporters could rove worldwide with a typewriter and a licence to set the sporting agenda. Peter Bills has been an ever-present observer throughout rugby's greatest era, collaborating on the autobiographies of many of its greatest stars. His own behind-the-scenes memoir is informative, irreverent and hugely entertaining.