'Magnificent ... the pinacle of rugby writing' – Owen Slot, The Times

The 1997 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa is one of the most iconic in rugby history. Written off at home and abroad, Martin Johnson's men were given no hope of success against the world champion Springboks in their own backyard. But a combination of brilliant coaching, astute selections and outstanding players laid the foundations for the touring side's outstanding attacking mindset and brutal stonewall defence.

On the other side was a team expected to stamp their authority on the tourists and confirm their place as the best side on the planet. But with political, racial and economic scandals swirling around the Springbok camp, plus a rookie coach parachuted into office just before the tour began, the hosts were under huge pressure.

In a Test series that will go down in legend as one of the most compelling of all time, the sides could barely be separated. This is the inside story from both camps as they battle for supremacy, lifting the lid like never before as a huge cast of characters look back on those extraordinary weeks and the impact it had on their lives and careers thereafter. Hilarious, insightful and spine-chilling, Tom English and Peter Burns provide the perfect read for all Lions fans.

'Magnificent ... the pinacle of rugby writing'

'The 1997 British & Irish Lions expedition to South Africa was among the greatest of modern tours. This Is Your Everest, full of evocative memories and riveting detail, soars high above the average rugby book. Compelling stuff'

'brilliant and powerful . . . chock-full of fascinating insights and delicious detail'

'Hard to beat stories from the horse’s mouth. Quite a stampede here. A riveting account of a ground-breaking tour'

'beautifully captured'

'phenomenal'

'A brilliantly evocative recreation of the 1997 tour, put together with great skill ... rawness and emotion drips from the pages'

'probably the grestest rugby book of all time'

Tom English is an award-winning BBC Sport writer and broadcaster. A former Irish rugby correspondent with the Sunday Times and chief sports writer with Scotland on Sunday, he was voted Scottish Sports Feature Writer of the Year six times.

Peter Burns has been a sports editor for over ten years. He is the author of eight books, including Behind the Thistle: Playing Rugby for Scotland; Behind the Ryder Cup: The Players' Stories; Scottish Rugby 101 and White Gold: England's Journey to World Cup Glory.