- Hardcover: 464 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Press; First Edition 3rd Impression edition (24 Mar 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0593059581
- ISBN-13: 978-0593059586
- Product Dimensions: 23.8 x 15.8 x 4.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
324,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #95 in Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Football > British > Football Clubs > Liverpool
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More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
A Liverpool legend tells his story...
Product Description
Footballing legend Tommy Smith played with Liverpool for eighteen years from 1960 to 1978. During this time he won almost every honour club football has to offer – 4 First Division Championship medals, 2 FA Cup winners medals, 2 European Cups, 2 UEFA Cups, 1 European Super Cup and 5 Charity Shields. He captained Liverpool for a number of seasons and played under both Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, widely regarded as two of the greatest managers British football has ever produced. In that time he was forged into one of football's original hard men – Shankly once said, ‘Tommy Smith wasn’t born, he was quarried.’ A uniquely tough but thoroughly fair player (in spite of his fame for the most punishing of tackles), he was sent off only once and booked only twice, on all three occasions for dissent. In this fascinating autobiography, Tommy gives us the inside story of a whole host of footballing legends – Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Ron Yeats, Kevin Keegan, Matt Busby, Brian Clough, George Best, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Moore, Denis Law and Pele, as told by one of their own. A nostalgic view of a golden age of English football, this is a window on the glory days of Liverpool. It is also the story of the time before the game was all about the money and Tommy has a lot to say about football today – so he’s not changed. As Bob Paisley once said, ‘Tommy doesn’t tackle opponents so much as break them down for resale as scrap.’
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Picture the scene... Steven Gerrard leads Liverpool to their first ever League and European double and is rewarded by having his captaincy stripped from him because Fernando Torres says he's going to leave unless he gets the job. Guess you'd be pretty peeved too.
There was never any secret about Tommy and Emlyn's dislike of each other and it was a big part of the 'behind-the-scenes' stuff at Anfield in the mid '70's. Unlike the modern game when every whisper is snatched upon by the press and is followed worldwide via the internet, very little escaped from the dressing room and for many fans these books are a rare insight into what actually went on back in the heyday. It would have been wrong for Tommy to write his story without highlighting the bad, as well as the good times.
And this is Tommy's story, not Emlyn's. It is a no-holds barred story of his life, his career, his likes and his dislikes. To omit reference to Emlyn Hughes simply because it would upset some readers would be wrong. It's Tommy's life, his influences, his thoughts and his opinions. Agree with them or disagree with them, this is who he is. Maybe he'll lose a few fans as a result, but ignoring his relationship with Emlyn simply to pacify those who want to retain a rosy image of him isn't the Smith way.
Other than that, this is the first real book Tommy has done and I would strongly urge any football fan to buy a copy and relive the golden era, not just of Liverpool Football Club, but probably football as a whole.
There was never any secret about Tommy and Emlyn's dislike of each other and it was a big part of the 'behind-the-scenes' stuff at Anfield in the mid '70's. Unlike the modern game when every whisper is snatched upon by the press and is followed worldwide via the internet, very little escaped from the dressing room and for many fans these books are a rare insight into what actually went on back in the heyday. It would have been wrong for Tommy to write his story without highlighting the bad, as well as the good times.
And this is Tommy's story, not Emlyn's. It is a no-holds barred story of his life, his career, his likes and his dislikes. To omit reference to Emlyn Hughes simply because it would upset some readers would be wrong. It's Tommy's life, his influences, his thoughts and his opinions. Agree with them or disagree with them, this is who he is. Maybe he'll lose a few fans as a result, but ignoring his relationship with Emlyn simply to pacify those who want to retain a rosy image of him isn't the Smith way.
Other than that, this is the first real book Tommy has done and I would strongly urge any football fan to buy a copy and relive the golden era, not just of Liverpool Football Club, but probably football as a whole.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the first time I have ever reviewed a book, but having read this book I feel I have to write to say how much I enjoyed it. Having been born on the Wirral and a Liverpool supporter all my life I loved Tommy Smiths book. The humour and honesty throughout, especially the stories about Bill Shankly are brilliant, I could not put the book down.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed reading this book, the narrative moves along nicely and chronologically follows Tommy's career at various clubs. There are some interesting recollections of Paisley and Shankly and fellow players but also some curious omissions (souness not described at all in this book!?) Some funny and whimsical moments also.
A little disappointing is the somewhat incessant criticism of Emlyn Hughes, who has no right of reply given that he is no longer with us. i thought this a little churlish, albeit that the criticisms may be perfectlty well founded. All-in-all it is a competently written account of a great player at a great club.
A little disappointing is the somewhat incessant criticism of Emlyn Hughes, who has no right of reply given that he is no longer with us. i thought this a little churlish, albeit that the criticisms may be perfectlty well founded. All-in-all it is a competently written account of a great player at a great club.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The real Anfield Iron.
This is an excellent autobiography by Tommy Smith. He covers his career at Anfield in a chronological order, season by season.
Published 7 days ago by Mikey
An overrated racist
Mr Smith is of course a noted racist. He was good at fouling people in the 1960s and 1970s and is from Liverpool so has the protection of his tribe so somehow he is forgiven for... Read more
Published 2 months ago by tab
"quarried not born"
bill shankly once said "tommy smith wasn't born he was quarried"this is the story of one of the hardest men to ever play football in england,but to call tommy just an hardman would... Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2008 by Stephen Clarke
A Great Throw-Back to old-times Football
An excellent book, giving a personal account of what it was like playing football back in the sixties and seventies. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2008 by E. Walker
An Insightful Entertaining Read
Unlike the plethora of ghost-written, attention-seeking, drivel that is usually spewed out from publishers in time for the beginning of the football season, this is an intelligent,... Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2008 by G. LOGAN
bitter undertones
what i took most from this book is smith's constant slagging off of Emlyn Hughes.We are meant to believe that the great Bill Shankly took the captaincy of Liverpool from Smith and... Read more
Published on 20 April 2008 by jim bean
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