- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Headline Review; Reprint edition (28 Jun 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0755314034
- ISBN-13: 978-0755314034
- Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 12.7 x 19.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 675,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
'Brilliantly funny' (Daily Mail )
'Hunter Davies' vivid autobiography retraces a life rich in incident and anecdote'
(Good Book Guide )'Such an enjoyable read. Easy-going, humorous and a natural journalist, [Hunter Davies] comes across as a thoroughly nice man'
(Sunday Times )Product Description
Hunter Davies is one of the most respected writers in the country. THE GLORY GAME is a footballing classic still in print some 30 years since its original publication but Hunter is also a successful novelist and distinguished biographer, whose subjects include The Beatles, Wayne Rooney and Paul Gascoigne. Now, though, he describes his own extraordinary life, from growing up on a Carlisle council estate in the 1950s and his student days at Durham to his introduction to Fleet Street, his enduring obsession with football and memorabilia, and the many fascinating characters he has met, interviewed and written about over the last 40 years. It is also the intimate portrait of his marriage to teenage sweetheart Margaret Forster, herself a well-known novelist. Full of wonderful observations, warm humour and colourful anecdote - a memoir to treasure.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Like many people I bought this book based on its title. But a more accurate title would be 'Me, me, me, my family, me, oh, yes a titchy bit about the Beatles and football, more me and my family'. There was hardly any material about the Beatles or football, and what there was turned out to be highly disappointing. I would have expected a lot more about what it was like doing those things - lots more anecdotes and insights, but alas, no. I feel somewhat conned, as it seems to me that the title was written to sucker me in to buying the book - let's face it the simple title of 'Hunter Davies the Biography' just ain't too catchy. I feel kind of bad writing this stuff as he's clearly a wonderful and generous man, but I found myself checking out how many pages were left well before I got to the end. His life was obviously interesting, but this didn't come across too much - probably because of his somewhat overly self-deprecating style. I thought I'd get one of those books that would evoke the spirit of the sixties - characterised by the Beatles and football, but it was all smothered by his family details. I really don't know why he would expect his readers to be interested in the career and business deatils of his children. It was his reflections and re-creation of those halcyon days that I was expecting, but it was all just a bit dreary. I've no doubt that anyone wanting this book for a history of Hunter Davies will not be disappointed. But for those of us like me suckered by the title, it was a huge disappointment.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Right on page one, Hunter Davies says "if you start name dropping about people you've met because that was your job, it looks pathetic." Which does prompt the question, why the title? The Beatles make a fleeting appearance in one chapter, while football doesn't get much of a mention until 200 pages have gone by. But that's really my only gripe - anyone expecting the lowdown on The Beatles' private lives will be disappointed.
That aside, I found this an entertaining book, an interesting story told with self-deprecation and honesty, and shot through with nuggets of information and revealing moments. "I forget all bad times" says Hunter, and for me he came over as having quite a sunny, optimistic disposition, something that probably endeared him to his wife and helped them get through 40+ years of marriage. Two writers in one marriage can be disastrous, but not here, apparently.
I'm puzzled by some of the negative reviews. It's a personal memoir, not a tale of famous people. It's written in an easy, flowing style. Okay, some of it can be skimmed, but if you want genius, read Dostoyevski. For me, this was a light, but enjoyable book.
That aside, I found this an entertaining book, an interesting story told with self-deprecation and honesty, and shot through with nuggets of information and revealing moments. "I forget all bad times" says Hunter, and for me he came over as having quite a sunny, optimistic disposition, something that probably endeared him to his wife and helped them get through 40+ years of marriage. Two writers in one marriage can be disastrous, but not here, apparently.
I'm puzzled by some of the negative reviews. It's a personal memoir, not a tale of famous people. It's written in an easy, flowing style. Okay, some of it can be skimmed, but if you want genius, read Dostoyevski. For me, this was a light, but enjoyable book.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As an avid reader of biographies I looked forward to an entertaining holiday read from this book. I have read Hunter's columns across the years in various publications, and I thought that this might be an entertaining read, bearing his track record in mind. This book was very disappointing. I felt had, done-over. Hunter is the master of creating 500 or even 1000 words out of anything, he prides himself on it - even going to the unnecessary extreme of frying his newborn child's placenta with onions in order to file copy. I felt that this book was an exercise in filing copy. Career-wise, Hunter was the right man in the right place, and this comes through in spades. Hunter is a cold, cold man, he missed his Mother's death and even her funeral as he was too busy. He is mean spirited towards his father, a man who became an embarrassing cripple for the career obsessed Hunter. He admires and respects socialism and communist affiliation as badge of sophistication, yet he and his family join the mega-rich of the sixties in luxurious tax exile, this naturally comes complete with self-justification. But Hunter's biggest hang-ups and mega-obsessions are social-class and his wife. His wife comes across as a particularly cold fish. She can do no wrong in Hunter's eyes, her family included; uxorious in the extreme, his adulation of her made me want to throw up. She's rather Stalinist in her approach and viewpoint. Further on Hunter wrings his hands in despair over the fact that his daughter applies for a council flat in London. Back to working class from upper-middle class in three generations, he opines. Poor Hunter, his daughter's payback was the refusal of Hunter to visit her while in post-rape crisis after a particularly brutal attack. His sister converts to lesbianism, leaving her husband adrift, and he's simply worried about the press getting hold of the story and the effect on his position. His other sister's husband succumbs to the same illness that killed his father, but he wasn't an embarrassment to Hunter as he was a "professional". Hunter comes across as an altogether awful man, and here he has penned an awful book - I felt used, he was milking copy out of the detritus of his life simply because he could do so, I felt tainted by it. Please stick to footballer's biographies Hunter, at least they do what they say on the tin. Reader, avoid ruining you holiday by simply refusing to take this rancid tripe with you!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
From Tony Parsons - a Hunter fan
Hunter Davies has been an inspiration for generations of writers, He wrote the first great book about pop music (his classic biography pf The Beatles) and the first great book... Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2006 by TONY PARSONS
A great read
Ignore the humourless review below. Hunter Davies is a brilliantly entertaining journalist.
He makes no great literary claims about his work. Read more
He makes no great literary claims about his work. Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2006 by Jeremy Craddock
How do review a mirror?
Hunter Davies is a hack. It is one thing to be a human mirror and attempt to reflect the person you interview, but it is quite another to churn out books that are at best mediocre... Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2006 by Literature Fan
Highlights of a remarkable career
Hunter Davies is used to making boring lives interesting - he's ghostwriting Wayne Rooney's five-volume autobiography after all. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2006 by A reader
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