- Hardcover: 416 pages
- Publisher: Sphere; 1st edition (25 Aug 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0316725293
- ISBN-13: 978-0316725293
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 16 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
89,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #10 in Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Football > British > Football Clubs > Tottenham Hotspur
Greavsie: The Autobiography
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Product Description
Review
As a goalscorer and human being, Jimmy Greaves has few equals (DAILY TELEGRAPH )
This top-notch autobiography ... moving, uplifting ... An inspiring story of a hero who earned his right to a second chance (SUNDAY TIMES )
[Greaves] could fill a library with his stories (INDEPENDENT )
both candid and poignant (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
This top-notch autobiography ... moving, uplifting ... An inspiring story of a hero who earned his right to a second chance (SUNDAY TIMES )
[Greaves] could fill a library with his stories (INDEPENDENT )
both candid and poignant (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
Review
As a goalscorer and human being, Jimmy Greaves has few equals (DAILY TELEGRAPH )
This top-notch autobiography ... moving, uplifting ... An inspiring story of a hero who earned his right to a second chance (SUNDAY TIMES )
[Greaves] could fill a library with his stories (INDEPENDENT )
both candid and poignant (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
This top-notch autobiography ... moving, uplifting ... An inspiring story of a hero who earned his right to a second chance (SUNDAY TIMES )
[Greaves] could fill a library with his stories (INDEPENDENT )
both candid and poignant (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is quite simply the best football book I've ever read. Given that Jimmy Greaves was Tottenham's best ever goalscorer and I am a second generation Arsenal fan, that's praise indeed! If, like me, you grew up with Saint and Greavsie on a Saturday morning, you'll quickly recognise Jimmy's humour and frankness.
This is not just a book about career statistics or overcoming self-inflicted addictions. Jimmy also looks at the social history involved in football, he examines how the philosophy of football has changed, and he discusses the metamorphasis of the beautiful game from a working class pastime to a multi-million pound industry.
If you're interested in our national sport, read this book.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
An obvious comparison in terms of football autobiography would be Tony Adams' "Addicted", both in terms of the common battle with alcohol and a refreshing frankness in talking about football and the characters and issues involved.
Greaves portrays an age of football that can be looked back on as a 'golden one', when attendances were massive and yet when players could mix with the fans in the local pub after a game. It's amazing to read that he travelled to Chelsea home games on public transport, and that when he became the most expensive player in Britain (£99,999) he still couldn't afford to buy a house.
Greaves also writes with characteristic humour, with hilarious one-liners and a dead-pan perspective about a game he always loved. Those of us old enough to remember Greaves playing will enjoy his descriptions of games and even the back-and-white photographs (including a lovely one of Greaves arriving at White Hart Lane with Billy Nicholson after he signed for Tottenham from Milan).
Greaves was a natural goalscorer of a very high-class, maybe the best in Europe of his era. Hence, despite all his successes, there was a strange edge of disappointment in his career, firstly in missing the final stages of the 1966 World Cup after an injury, and secondly in playing for a Tottenham team in gradual decline after the 1960-1 double season (Greaves arrived just after that).
But Greaves did after all win two FA cup medals and one European Cup Winners' Cup medal (Tottenham were the first English side to win a European trophy), and his optimism and zest for live would see him in good stead as he fought off alcoholism in some dark years after he left Spurs to develop a successful career as pundit and TV personality.
Wonderful book by a great player and a warm human being. Maybe it will convince some of the telly bosses to bring him back to the screen.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've owned this book since it first came out, and it's so good I've read it twice. It's full of great anecdotes, and Greavsie's version of events delivered with his customary wit. I'm a football fan but my team are Midlands-based, so unfortunately Jimmy never played for my club. But I've always been a fan of his since my childhood days of the 1980's, when he did lots of media work for ITV/Central, and of course "Saint and Greavsie".
I like the format of the book, each chapter from his playing day's looks at other football events and society in general during that specific season, and not just what happened in Greavsie's life. It's interesting to hear how England players were spoken to like children by F.A Staff on foreign trips in the late 50's. How things have changed. It's great to read about his time with Spurs, and he lifts the lid on the many myths surrounding his involvement (or lack of it) during the 1966 World Cup Tournament.
The chapter that deals with his alcoholism obviously is sad, one previous Amazon reviewer criticised the book for not extending this part of the autobiography. But I feel Greavsie tells us all we need to know about this dark period of his life, and also he probably doesn't recall much of it anyway. It's great that he bounced back, and became a big star on T.V. Although ITV Sport should hang their head in shame on the way they parted company with Jimmy in the 1990's.
All in all, a great read, especially for those into these type of books, or those wishing to learn about when football was a working-class man's game.
I like the format of the book, each chapter from his playing day's looks at other football events and society in general during that specific season, and not just what happened in Greavsie's life. It's interesting to hear how England players were spoken to like children by F.A Staff on foreign trips in the late 50's. How things have changed. It's great to read about his time with Spurs, and he lifts the lid on the many myths surrounding his involvement (or lack of it) during the 1966 World Cup Tournament.
The chapter that deals with his alcoholism obviously is sad, one previous Amazon reviewer criticised the book for not extending this part of the autobiography. But I feel Greavsie tells us all we need to know about this dark period of his life, and also he probably doesn't recall much of it anyway. It's great that he bounced back, and became a big star on T.V. Although ITV Sport should hang their head in shame on the way they parted company with Jimmy in the 1990's.
All in all, a great read, especially for those into these type of books, or those wishing to learn about when football was a working-class man's game.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fabulous Read
Knew he was funny from 'Saint and Greavsie'. Knew he is considered by many as England's best ever striker. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. James D. Edwards
Great read
As a football fan who remembers many of greavsies games for chelsea,it was a great read and brought back many many happy memories.I am not a chelsea fan just a football fan.
Published 4 months ago by acsrjjp
Excellent
I've read most of the well known "football related autobiographies" ... Gazza, Georgie Best, Ron Atkinson, Alex Ferguson, Bobby Charlton, Roy Keane et cetera ... Read more
Published 13 months ago by d'Artagnan
Another Les Scott production of nonsense
Les Scott is a friend to the stars. Matthews, Banks, Greaves, he's sat down and had a cuppa with them all. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ac Hyne
Good guy, not that interesting
I was utterly disappointed by Greavsie's book after high recommendation from the late Ian Wooldridge. Read more
Published 20 months ago by A. Taylor
It's a Funny Old Game!
Jimmy Greaves is well known to two generations of football fans. Firstly the brilliant goalscorer of Chelsea, Tottenham and England, and to a lesser extent, AC Milan and West Ham. Read more
Published on 25 Dec 2004 by Mr. P. J. Cooper
Surprised
Being a fan of Greavsie as a footballer and a columnist/pundit, and having always found him witty and funny, i was surprised how boring this book was. Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2004 by Mr. L. Jackson
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