Author:Boris Becker
Boris Becker shot to fame in 1985 when at seventeen years old, he became the youngest player ever to win the men's final at Wimbledon. He went on to win two more Wimbledon titles, and a total of forty-nine singles and fifteen doubles crowns, making him one of the greatest players of the twentieth century. But his life off the court has always attracted as much attention as his triumphs on it.
Now, in this remarkably candid and thought-provoking autobiography, Boris Becker tells the real story behind the headlines. He speaks of the seconds before the serve that made him the youngest Wimbledon winner of all time, and of the minutes after being sentenced as a tax evader. He talks about his marriage, his illegitimate daughter, and his painful divorce. He reveals his emotions at the end of his tennis career, and his battles with pills and alcohol. He also shares his memories of the good times, the championship wins, the make-or-break matches, and the highs and lows of life on the international circuit.
Boris Becker has written this autobiography not just for his fans but also for his children, that they may one day read the true account of their father's remarkable, and often controversial, life.
One last look back at the tortured life of the most charismatic footballer of our generation
—— GuardianBest's love letter to the Beautiful Game and his own youth
—— Irish TimesA great read
—— Sunday SportA complete history of the sport before money and marketing took over
—— MirrorThis exposé of the game's development and its somewhat Machiavellian underbelly is written with authority by esteemed commentator Clive Everton
—— Publishing NewsThe use of Clive Everton to present this insider's look at snooker's underbelly should ensure this is first choice of any snooker fan
—— The BooksellerImagine loafing in your favourite armchair, old mates around, beers and bites on hand, humour high, watching and discussing re-runs of memorable football matches. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, it's not far off what you get with Dave Roberts' delightful homage to the beautiful game, and the part his life has played in it... A book full of the joys, miseries, near-misses, hopes, failures and fun of life, in this case a football obsessive's, but it's one we can all find something to identify with. A heart-warmer
—— Jon Wise , Book of the Week, Sunday SportHugely 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