Author:Robbie Savage,Janine Self
Robbie Savage could have been just another Manchester United reject. Instead, he used the Old Trafford scrapheap as a springboard to become one of the most instantly recognisable footballers in the Premier League, despite being told by Sir Alex Ferguson he was not good enough to stay in the class of '92 alongside David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Gary Neville.
For the last 17 years, Savage has carved out a reputation as a hard man and wind-up merchant with an unerring ability to grab a headline. From deliberately getting Tottenham's Justin Edinburgh sent off in a Wembley cup final to the 'Jobbiegate' row with referee Graham Poll and the bust-ups with John Toshack, Rio Ferdinand, Graeme Souness and Paul Jewell, the list is endless.
Yet numerous footballing legends will testify to the skill of the midfielder, who has starred for Crewe, Leicester, Birmingham, Blackburn and Derby, and won 39 international caps for Wales. Behind the long blond hair, the Armani tattoo and the flamboyant cars, Savage has always been the heartbeat of his team.
Savage! provides a unique insight into the extraordinary life of an elite sportsman, a colourful character and loving family man. Love him or loathe him, Robbie Savage's story is a remarkable one.
Enraging yet hilarious, Savage! the book is just like the man himself: never boring. Football would be poorer without him
—— FourFourTwoAn explosive autobiography
—— Daily MirrorA fast-paced autobiography . . . an honest, enjoyable book
—— Henry Winter , Daily TelegraphSavage has become a character of the game with enough anecdotes to warrant a collection of books. This'll do for a start, though. (****)
—— Irish Daily Star on SundayA humorous and touching account of [Savage's] career to date
—— Football PunkFull of incident, detail and gossip
—— Daily TelegraphAstounding
—— The ObserverHugely enjoyable, poignant book... Dave Roberts' wonderful series of tales explain why every one of the programmes made it into the box; each is infused with a mixture of touching reminiscence or laugh-out-loud anecdote
—— Birmingham PostDeliriously enjoyable... utterly engaging
—— Caroline Sanderson , The BooksellerNostalgically warm in its tender recall of the way things used to be, this is a book for the true football follower, whose life has been shaped by the game and doesn't mind admitting it
—— Duncan Hamilton, two-time winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year AwardWonderful, hilarious and moving. 32 Programmes is not just a football memoir but a delicious slice of the 1960s and 1970s, a razor-sharp and achingly evocative social history. This brilliant memoir will resonate with all of us who have ever supported a football team, listened to music and fallen in love.
—— Charlie Connelly, author of Attention All ShippingI loved this book. If you know a man in his forties or fifties, please give him this book
—— John InverdaleA funny, charming and heart-warming tale of obsession
—— Nigel Walrond , Western Sunday IndependentI fail to believe that anyone who reads Dave Roberts' new book 32 Programmes cannot relate to his thinking as a football fan. It traces his life as a football fan through 32 chapters in his life, going into the bitter-sweet details of growing up in the 1970s and '80s via 32 football matches. Building on and around his first book, The Bromley Boys (soon to be released as a film, no less), Dave introduces us to his career, his attempts to find a soul mate and finally in a twist his life changing circumstances that will have you reaching for a tissue. If you read one new book on your holidays this summer, choose this one. And then you try and detail 10, let alone 32, games that mark the milestones in your life
—— The Ball is RoundEntertaining, heart-warming and expertly executed, this book is certain to strike a chord with anyone who's ever loved the game. Engrossing and enjoyable... funny and charming
—— Alistair Hunter , Two Banks of FourAn entertaining read, rich in nostalgia and reminiscent of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, this offers an insight into the power of obsession and how the beautiful game has changed. Moving and amusing
—— Sport magazinePaul Hendrickson has another theme more interesting than Hemmingway's boat: the writers deadly effect on his sons
—— Peter Lewis , Daily MailThis is a measured and thoughtful, sometimes lyrical book that adds considerably to the Papa story
—— Ronan Farren , Irish IndependentHendrickson has a tremendous feel for Hemingway, as both writer and man; his own writing is vivid and personal... What he says about Hemingway is usually dead on target
—— Sarah Churchwell , GuardianHemingway's Boat... turns a seemingly trivial search for an old boat up on cinder blocks in a Havana yard and a potentially mawkish concentration on the latter end of a life into a powerful meditation on what made Hemingway tick and what made him great. Though one needs other books for the first 35 years of the life, it supersedes them all.
—— Brian Morton , Sunday HeraldHendrickson has a fluent, engaging tone...he brings us closer to understanding Hemingway as a man who loved and lost - as opposed to the archtypal misogynist bully he is widely regarded as
—— Big Issue in the NorthHis life was spectacular, and, somehow, went spectacularly wrong. Hendrickson tells the story of the man and the boat, and the fish, and the women, and the writing. And then the moment when, at the age of 61, Hemingway woke up early one morning and shot himself. In the head. On purpose. Some story. Very well told
—— William Leith , Evening StandardRich, magisterial account...Other books on Hemingway have tended to focus on his post-1930s literary decline and his machismo. The portrait that emerges from these pages is altogether more human
—— Ed Caesar , Sunday TimesHe has a tremendous feel for Hemingway, as both writer and man
—— Sarah Churchwell , GuardianThis is a portrait of the author which is likely to leave one feeling more warmly disposed towards him
—— HeraldMore a portrait than a biography, this book is a dazzling late example of "New Journalism"...the result is touching, revelatory and utterly absorbing
—— IndependentUnmissable
—— The LadyWhile much of Hemingway’s life may have been hellish, Hendrickson’s writing is a delight. A fine work
—— Fachtna Kelly , Sunday Business PostVery well told
—— William Leith , ScotsmanAn album of fascinating snapshots of Hemingway
—— Simon Shaw , Mail on SundayPaul Hendrickson writes with a great deal of passion…
—— NudgeA terrific and fresh approach to the man
—— Daniel Woodrell , Financial Times