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Manchester United: The Biography: The Complete Story Of The World's Greatest Football Club (2010)

by Jim White(Favorite Author)

4.34 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0751539112 (ISBN13: 9780751539110)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Little, Brown Book Group

review 1: This book is of no interest to anyone who doesn’t support Manchester United. Or, to put it another way, ‘them’. But, despite being a United fan, Jim White takes just the tiniest step back to give a clear-sighted account of the travails and glories of a club that has divided opinion across the decades, and been a pioneer in areas as diverse as player unionisation, European competition and rampant commercialism.It helps that Jim White writes so well. He’s clearly done a lot of desk research, going through the minutes of board meeting in the early years to give genuine insight into how the club was being run, as well as how it was perceived by players and fans. But what I enjoyed most was White’s ability to summarise the historically important issues and moments... more in United’s story, and how they related to broader changes in football and society. It was strange to read about games that I’d been to, and players that I’d idolised, as events and characters in the wider narrative. Odd to recall Ferguson’s early antipathy with Wenger, for example, or the significance of Cantona’s kung fu kick. But throughout the book, as any red knows so well, the ethos of Manchester United is the one constant: the never-say-die attitude first born after Munich, the sense of destiny that so irks the ABU’s, the recognition that no player or manager is bigger than the club. These are all qualities that every club can claim, but few have been able to articulate them so dramatically down the years.If there is one weakness, it’s the coverage of the last decade or so, but that’s because it’s so close. The coverage of United’s most successful period somehow doesn’t have the level of historical insight, but White is hamstrung by the fact that it’s still on-going. The seasons seem to blur into one another, and changes in the wider football culture perhaps merit further discussion. But I’m quibbling really. To a United fan, this was one of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read about the club. White is the voice of the club – articulate, passionate, and very clued-up indeed. You won’t want to read this yourself, but if you have a friend who supports the club, this would be a perfect book to give them.
review 2: A jauntily written entertaining history of the English football giant. Author hits all the famous highs and lows- '68 and '99 European Cups, the Munich air disaster of '58 and the disintegration of George Best's talent- very capably. He knows the boardroom as well as he does the pitch. Is he perhaps a bit too reliable in taking Alex Ferguson's side in his many disputes with players? Is that why White retains access to the notoriously prickly Scot? Just asking. Well done. Read it in under a week. less

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