The Men from the Boys: A novel of friendship, football and falling apart [Paperback]

Although the publisher has touted this first novel as being in competition with Tony Parsons and Nick Hornby, perhaps a more accurate (but less marketing-friendly) comparison would be a 'Noughties' take on Alan Sillitoe. TMFTB focuses on two childhood friends growing up on Lancashire council estates: Kevin, the teenage rebel whose football career is cut short after a drunken brawl, and Adam, the more timid and conscientious of the pair, who wins a place at Cambridge. The strength of their friendship is put to the test, sometimes violently, as both struggle with their new situations. It could be a recipe for clumsy political point scoring set to the form of a novel and, while class differences are a hardy perennial of many British writers, Collins handles the subject deftly and with originality. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

"sparse and vivid" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

An entertaining, provocative novel, a fresh look at male bonding and our sense of kinship, by a young, high-flying political consultant.

Living in neighbouring houses on a tough estate in Lancashire, Adam and Kevin were childhood best friends. Kevin – child of a problem family, revered fighter and footballer – was definitely the leader, while Adam – puny, bookish and sensitive – rode on the coat-tails of his dominating friend.

However, Kevin's football career is wrecked by a knee injury, leaving him at 18 unemployed with a wife and two children to support. He takes refuge in drink and drugs while Adam, complete with a new set of well-heeled friends, lands a high-flying job in London. The stretch between Strangeways prison and the hallowed cloisters of Cambridge, between the estate's Working Men's Club and London media life, becomes too much for even the best of friends.

But when Adam and Kevin lose the people that mean most to them, they – back in their home town again – are forced to confront what their roots really are and what means success to them – and in doing so they come to know what separates the men from the boys.

Touching, funny and completely unputdownable, Philip Collins's novel of life, love and loss is the unforgettable story of a new generation.

Peopled with wonderful characters and vivid scenes from closing mines to university quads, from unemployment centres and hopeless estates to the upwardly mobile, fast-stream Islington lifestyle, The Men From the Boys is also rich in the questions it poses. Readers of Roddy Doyle, Tony Parsons and Nick Hornby will enjoy The Men From the Boys.

Living in neighbouring houses on a tough estate in Lancashire, Adam and Kevin were childhood best friends. Kevin – child of a problem family, revered fighter and footballer – was definitely the leader, while Adam – puny, bookish and sensitive – rode on the coat-tails of his dominating friend. Sharing football, fighting, hiding in their den and playing in a bad band, their friendship survives different schools and a parting when Adam goes to university while Kevin stays behind to begin his career as a professional footballer.

However, Kevin's career is wrecked by a knee injury, leaving him at 18 unemployed with a wife and two children to support. He takes refuge in drink and drugs while Adam, complete with a new set of well-heeled friends, lands a high-flying job in London. The stretch between Strangeways prison and the hallowed cloisters of Cambridge, between the estate's Working Men's Club and London media life, becomes too much for even the best of friends.

But when Adam and Kevin lose the people that mean most to them in their lives, the two find themselves once more back in their home town. They are forced to confront what their roots really are and what will really bring them success in life – and in doing so they come to know what separates the men from the boys.

Touching, funny and completely unputdownable, Philip Collins's novel of life, love and loss is the unforgettable story of a new generation.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Philip Collins, now director of the Social Market Foundation, was Head of UK Strategy for an international bank, a tutor at Cambridge, and a producer at the BBC. He writes for numerous newspapers and magazines and is a frequent contributor to Newsnight and the BBC World Service. He lives in London and is currently writing his second novel for HarperCollins.