Here is a curated list of squash books covering technique, strategy, fitness, mental training, and player biographies. It mixes classic titles with recent publications, for all ages and skill levels.
Each entry notes the author, intended audience, main strengths, and publication year.
Squash Playbook: Your Tactical Blueprint for Success
Author: Jesse Engelbrecht · Published: 2023 · Best for: intermediate to advanced players working on tactics and the mental game
Written by former professional and sport psychologist Jesse Engelbrecht, this book fuses tactical knowledge with sports psychology to turn reactive players into proactive tacticians. It works through more than 39 court scenarios, helping you build tailored strategies and approach each match with clarity and purpose.
A recurring theme is courage under pressure: the strategies aim to help you thrive in tight moments, harness inner strength, and stay resilient. Engelbrecht holds a master's degree in sport and exercise psychology and represented Zimbabwe and South Africa, including at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
It suits competitive club and tournament players who want a structured way to think about match tactics and decision-making.
All In: Becoming World Champion
Author: Laura Massaro (with Rod Gilmour) · Published: 2021 · Best for: all levels, autobiography and inspiration
The autobiography of Laura Massaro, one of the most successful British squash players, charting her journey from a shy, nervous junior to World No. 1 and World Champion. She is candid about the emotional turmoil behind her on-tour nickname "The Ice Queen", and about balancing life with her coach and husband Danny.
It covers her rivalry with Malaysia's Nicol David and her part in helping women's squash win equal prize money and merge with the men's tour. The book includes guest chapters from her close team and diary entries from the time, with a foreword by Tracey Neville MBE.
A frank, inspiring read for fans and players interested in the realities of professional sport.
Squash: Steps to Success
Author: Philip Yarrow and Aidan Harrison · Published: 2010 · Best for: beginner to advanced players working on technique and tactics
This comprehensive instructional book teaches squash through 13 progressive steps. It features over 90 drills and 200 full-color photos and illustrations to help readers master strokes, footwork, and tactics.
The content builds from the basics to advanced concepts, so it suits beginners through competitive club players. Strengths include clear diagrams, a step-by-step lesson structure, and a chapter on conditioning and advanced tactics.
It is part of the popular Steps to Success Sports Series.
Squash: Skills of the Game
Author: David Pearson · Published: 2001 · Best for: all levels, technique and strategy
Written by England's former national coach David Pearson, this guide gives in-depth technical instruction for players and coaches. It was one of the first manuals to address the technical changes demanded by a new generation of rackets and courts.
It covers all aspects of the game, from rules and basic strokes to strategy and mental play. Beginners learn proper technique while experienced players get advanced tips, all tried and tested through Pearson's work with elite players.
Its strengths are concise explanations of technique changes for the graphite racquet era and practical drills, which make it a trusted reference.
Strength and Conditioning for Squash
Author: Chris Gallagher · Published: 2021 · Best for: all levels focused on fitness and training
A specialized fitness guide aimed at players and coaches of all levels who want to raise their physical game. Gallagher is a strength coach with over a decade of experience working with top-20 ranked players, and here he outlines the training programs elite squash players use.
Topics include squash-specific endurance, speed and agility drills, strength training, nutrition, psychology, and injury prevention. The approach is modern and evidence-based, with sample workout plans, testing standards, and periodization tips tailored to the demands of the game.
It is a useful resource for improving on-court fitness and reducing injury risk.
Squash Racquets: The Khan Game
Author: Hashim Khan (with Richard E. Randall) · Published: 1967 · Best for: all levels, a classic on strategy
A classic strategy and technique book by Hashim Khan, the patriarch of the great Khan dynasty. As an "as told to" autobiography and instructional, it captures Hashim's voice and methods: the Khan grip, strokes, footwork, court strategy, and the combination shots that made him nearly unbeatable.
It suits players of any era, since the principles still hold up. Part memoir and part manual, it comes from a man regarded as one of the greatest ever to play.
Its strength is its timeless wisdom: a direct window into how Hashim thought and trained, both historically interesting and still relevant, as many of his tactics remain effective today.
Winning Squash
Author: Jahangir Khan · Published: 1985 · Best for: beginner and intermediate players working on technique
In this slim but useful book, multiple British Open champion Jahangir Khan shares his approach to squash success. Aimed at beginner and intermediate players, it offers instruction on grips, strokes, movement, and matchplay from his own perspective.
Among the most valuable parts are the champion's training philosophies: Jahangir emphasizes disciplined practice and steady, continuous improvement. Readers get a sense of how the world's leading player of the 1980s developed his skills and mental toughness.
Its strengths are the straightforward tips, including drills Jahangir used, and the value of learning directly from a champion.
Murder in the Squash Court: The Only Way to Win
Author: Jonah Barrington · Published: 1982 · Best for: advanced players, mental training and strategy
A cult classic on the mental and strategic side of squash. Six-time British Open champion Jonah Barrington does not mince words, stressing that winning squash is a brutal, all-out endeavor, hence the tongue-in-cheek title.
Aimed at advanced players and serious competitors, it introduces Barrington's "Nine Points of the Lore": attributes such as fire, fitness, fastness, and flair that he saw as separating champions from also-rans. His blunt advice on training harder, outlasting opponents, and never giving up on a ball was influential in its day.
The book's strength is its motivational force, reading like a manifesto for mental toughness and work ethic. A reprint edition was released in 2024, making it easier to find.
Trading Secrets: Squash Greats Recall Their Toughest Duels
Author: Rod Gilmour · Published: 2015 · Best for: all levels, strategy and history
An oral-history style book in which legendary players recount some of squash's most famous matches. Journalist Rod Gilmour edited first-person interviews ranging from Azam Khan on the 1960 British Open to Ramy Ashour on the 2014 World Championship final.
The result offers intimate, insider stories of epic duels. Intended for enthusiasts, intermediate players, fans, and coaches, it delivers tactical lessons on how matches were won or lost, plus human-interest anecdotes about overcoming adversity and using mind games.
One strength is its breadth: it spans eras and features both men's and women's champions. It is candid too, including Azam Khan's admission that he once beat his brother Hashim only with permission.
Run to the Roar: Coaching to Overcome Fear
Author: Paul Assaiante and James Zug · Published: 2010 · Best for: coaches and competitive players, mental side
Part coaching manual and part narrative, this book tells the story of Trinity College's squash dynasty while sharing broader lessons on leadership and mental toughness. Coach Paul Assaiante explains how he united diverse talents from around the world into an unbeatable team.
Trinity went on to win 252 consecutive matches, the longest winning streak in college sports history, and Assaiante describes how he managed egos, calmed nerves, and encouraged daily focus under pressure. The 2009 national championship final against Princeton serves as a real-life case study.
Intended for coaches, parents, and competitive players, it offers insight on motivation, since "run to the roar" is a metaphor for facing fear head-on. Assaiante also discusses his son's struggles, drawing parallels between sport and life. Its strengths are its storytelling and its practical advice on mentoring and resilience.
The Book of Jonah
Author: Jonah Barrington (with Clive Everton) · Published: 1983 · Best for: all levels, biography and training
This is the first autobiography of Jonah Barrington, the Irish-English squash icon of the 1960s and 70s. It chronicles his unlikely journey from outsider to World Champion and the grueling training that became his trademark.
Barrington famously approached squash as "boxing with rackets", a relentless, physical style that let him beat more naturally talented opponents through superior fitness and determination. The memoir suits players of all levels and squash history readers.
Readers follow his triumphs and defeats and gain candid insights into training methods, mental attitude, and the state of squash in his era. As a classic, it still resonates, showing how a fierce will to win can overcome the odds.
Jahangir Khan 555
Author: Rod Gilmour and Alan Thatcher · Published: 2016 · Best for: all levels, biography
A detailed biography of Jahangir Khan, focusing on his unbeaten run in the 1980s, one of the longest winning streaks in professional sport. The authors examine his early life and the circumstances that led a 17-year-old to embark on a five-year undefeated campaign after the death of his brother.
The book explores the pressure from an expectant nation, the extreme training, and the tactics rivals tried just to take a single game from him. It reads as both an inspiring sports story and a historical account of 1980s squash.
Its strengths include an examination of the "555" figure and why the record may need revision, plus interviews with contemporaries that add depth. The biography was praised for showing the human side of a seemingly invincible champion.
Shot and a Ghost: A Year in the Brutal World of Professional Squash
Author: James Willstrop (with Rod Gilmour) · Published: 2012 · Best for: intermediate to advanced players, memoir
An unfiltered diary of a year on tour by James Willstrop, who became World No. 1 around that time. Co-written with journalist Rod Gilmour, this memoir offers a raw look at the life of a top pro: the exhaustion of travel, match-day anxieties, rivalries, and personal reflections.
Willstrop writes with startling honesty, from pre-match nerves to the loneliness of the circuit. He also details working with his father and coach, the late Malcolm Willstrop, and the pressures of being at the top.
The intended audience is intermediate to advanced players and fans who want a look behind the curtain. It is highly relatable, and his reflections on fear and confidence will resonate with players of all levels. The book was nominated for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2012.
Sweating Blood: My Life in Squash
Author: Nick Matthew (with Dominic Bliss) · Published: 2013 · Best for: all levels, autobiography
The official autobiography of Nick Matthew, a three-time World Champion from England known as "The Wolf." The memoir is frank and full of personality, exploring his career in detail. The tone is often humorous, with British slang and cheeky chapter titles such as "Snoring Rhinos."
Intended for fans and players of all levels, especially those interested in the modern professional era, it includes Matthew's rivalry with James Willstrop, with a whole chapter on their 2009 British Open final and the psychological battles involved.
Its strengths are the balance of instruction and insight: you learn how he trained and overcame injuries, alongside a candid look at the off-court life of a top athlete. It is admired for its honesty and motivation.
Shattered: A Champion's Fight Against a Mystery Illness
Author: Peter Marshall (with Nick Kehoe) · Published: 2001 · Best for: all levels, biography
A sports biography with a medical twist. This is the true story of Peter Marshall, an English squash star who reached World No. 2 in the 1990s before being struck down by a mysterious illness later identified as chronic fatigue syndrome.
Co-authored with Nick Kehoe, the book chronicles Marshall's struggle when, at the peak of his career, he suddenly found himself without energy or answers. It details the frustration of misdiagnosis, the impact on his mental health, and his comeback against the odds.
Its strength is the emphasis on the mental resilience needed to fight an invisible opponent. Marshall's candor about his doubts and determination is moving, and the book has been praised within the squash community for shedding light on chronic fatigue.
Raising Big Smiling Squash Kids
Author: Richard Millman and Georgetta Morque · Published: 2006 · Best for: parents and coaches, junior development
A guide for parents, coaches, and young players involved in junior squash. As the subtitle "The Complete Roadmap for Junior Squash" suggests, it covers what the squash family needs to know: the best age to start, choosing equipment, finding coaches, balancing academics with training, and the pathway to college or pro squash.
Richard Millman, a former U.S. national coach, and Georgetta Morque combine their expertise to offer practical advice on junior programs and squash organizations. The book is accessible even to parents who do not play, explaining the sport's benefits and structure.
Its strengths include its comprehensiveness, from games for very young kids to handling tournament pressure for teens, and its positive philosophy of keeping kids enjoying the game. Readers also value the resource lists of camps, scholarships, and events.
Ready, Set, Squash!
Author: Sonya Sasson and Wael El Hindi, illustrated by Elena Critelli · Published: 2020 · Best for: kids and beginners
An introduction to squash for children. Co-authored by junior squash player Sonya Sasson and former top-10 pro Wael El Hindi, with illustrations by Elena Critelli, this illustrated hardcover takes a creative approach: kids join cartoon characters on an adventure that introduces the basics.
The book covers fun facts and a brief history of squash along with simple how-to instructions on grips, swings, and court movement, all in a colorful, comic-book style. The intended audience is young readers and their parents or PE teachers, anyone new to the sport.
Its strengths are the engaging visuals and positive messaging, teaching that squash is a good way to get fit, have fun, and build confidence. Glossaries, equipment explanations, and interactive challenges keep kids engaged, filling a useful niche by making squash accessible to children.
Closing note
Each of these books has earned a strong reputation in the squash community, whether for technical clarity, motivational impact, or the perspectives of their authors. Together they offer a wealth of knowledge for players and enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels, from the beginner picking up a racket to the experienced coach or pro looking for an extra edge.
