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Neil Warnock’s book is a good read, if a little self-indulgant but the best autobiography I’ve read lately is "Provided You Don’t Kiss" about Brian Clough. Great read and far superior to the Dammed United.
To reply to the original post in this thread, I’ve actually read Gerrard’s book and found it pretty entertaining throughout. Can’t say I was ever one of Gerrard’s biggest fans, but seemed to have more respect for him having read it.
The points that I took from reading it the most, were the fact that he has extremely strong family values and the problems he’s had when travelling with England to tournaments. I always thought footballers would love the trips away like that, but it seems Gerrard has struggled badly at times and felt very homesick. The other thing that came across really strongly was his passion when he pulls on an England shirt. I know all players should feel immensely proud to represent their country and pull on the shirt, but it doesn’t always appear that it’s the case, but it certainly does come across that way in his book.
Also, having played football myself for many years it gave a good insight into the life of one of the current best players in the World, where he came from and how he got to where he is today.
It’s moving in parts aswell with the bits about his cousin that was lost, and all to do with Hillsborough.
Maybe I’m just easily pleased reading books like this one that aren’t intellectually challenging. I also thoroughly enjoyed Vinnie Jones, Tony Adams and Robbie Fowler’s too!
It really comes down to what you want and take from reading – would you like a writer in control of his craft, who has a well-deserved place in literature, whose use of words means a sentence can be enjoyed for many minutes, such as Beckett, Genet, Joyce or Celine, or do you want to read a story, which although they are nine times out of ten very poorly written, holds great interest for you because of your interest in that sport or sporting ‘icon’?
If you know what you want, and that provides you with enjoyment, that’s all you can hope for.
On the subject of sports biographies, I would have much the same opinion as Drone, and certainly couldn’t put it any better.
The next two on my list are Simply Rad the autobiography of rugby legend Kris Radlinski and the biography of Marco Pantani (top Italian cyclist who died of a drugs overdose
)Probably not technically a biography, but my current bedtime reading is
Freud On Course
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Very readable.
It is out of print so you will have to try a good second hand dealer to get hold of it, but I really enjoyed reading "My Life and Arkle’s" by Pat Taffe. A thin little book but a lovely read. Try Rutland Books in Uppingham, proprietor Edward Baines is very knowledgable and as straight a man as you will meet so he won’t do you on the price.
I’ve also just finished reading the new book on Eclipse by Nicholas Clee, excellent read and best bought on Amazon as it is much cheeper.
The local shop up the road from me is doing a good thing with used books. There’s a big stand with somewhere between 100 and 200 on there (and growing all the time) and basically you pay £1 to take the book, read it and then return it and all the money goes to charity.
What happens to these books when they have been read? Would it be a good idea to advertise them in the forums Classified section?
That is a very sore point in our house – I am a terrible collector of books – I struggle to walk past a bookshop without going in and if I do go in I invariably buy a book.
All well and good – the trouble is once I buy a book I cannot get rid of it.
My wife did threaten to have a clear out once but I pointed out if any books go then she goes as well. So we compromised and I reluctantly agreed for some books to be stored in boxed in the loft. Having said that I still have all the bookcases full of books as well.
I not only have lots of my books but all of my ex husbands books from when he was a child and his fathers books as well. I’m now reading my grandson the books that I read to their mum and uncle when they were young. My mum threw all of my books away when I left home, and it scarred me for life and left me totally unable to throw anything away; I found a copy of Ghost Horse by Joseph E Chipperfield at a wonderful book shop called Peakirk Books, and cried buckets when I saw it for the first time in 40 years; it was as if I’d only just put it down; I could remember every word and picture. I feel really guilty about not passing books on, but once I’ve read them I feel as if they’re part of me. I also love old books with writing in them and have to give them a home.I’ve got a very old book of Shelleys poems and written on the front page is ‘sweet is the memory of a distant friend; like the mellow rays of the departing sun it falls tenderly yet sadly on my heart…. September 1899’. I did leave a copy of The Shell Seekers in Kefalonia because I thought it was a lovely book for someone to read on holiday [and it was a bit heavy] I also worry that, if I lend someone a book they’ll turn the corners of the pages as a bookmark and I’ll be so anry. My Arkle book is the Ivor Herbert one and it ends in 1966 with Arkle still apparently having years of greatness ahead of him, so it hurts me to read it.
My wife did threaten to have a clear out once but I pointed out if any books go then she goes as well. So we compromised and I reluctantly agreed for some books to be stored in boxed in the loft. Having said that I still have all the bookcases full of books as well.
Couldn’t you have boxed Mrs O in the loft and carried on as normal?
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
My wife did threaten to have a clear out once but I pointed out if any books go then she goes as well. So we compromised and I reluctantly agreed for some books to be stored in boxed in the loft. Having said that I still have all the bookcases full of books as well.
Couldn’t you have boxed Mrs O in the loft and carried on as normal?
gc
If I did that I would have to employ a gardener, a window cleaner and housekeeper.
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