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Celia Walden

Babysitting George Hardcover – 16 May 2011

by Celia Walden (Author)

4.1 48 ratings

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'So George Best walks into a pub...' Howls of laughter drown out the punch line, and for the first time since I heard the news of his death I smile. George would have liked that one.

2003. A Sunday in early August. Celia Walden, a young reporter, receives an unusual phone call from her editor. She is to drop everything, travel immediately to Malta, track down a legendary footballer and global superstar and keep him away from the press. But George Best, a notorious alcoholic and party animal who just had a liver transplant and been left by his wife - again - isn't the easiest man to find... and when Celia does discover him in an Irish bar, drinking countless white wine spritzers, he isn't exactly delighted to see her.

But the unlikely friendship that develops between George and Celia reveals an intelligent, funny, wild and complex human being, a man who loved reading thrillers, was a member of MENSA, worshipped women, and whose extraordinary life had played out under the constant glare of the media spotlight.

Celia, or 'Trouble' as he liked to call her, stays with George for months. She witnesses drunken brawls, life inside a rehabilitation clinic, his relationships with women and their families, and hears his story; from his early homesick days at Manchester United, to his years of super stardom, from his notorious womanising and partying to his tumultuous marriage to Alex and, finally, devastatingly, his crippling addiction to alcohol.

Babysitting George is a tender and beautifully written account of a unique relationship between a young journalist and a dying star. It questions the cold, exploitative nature of tabloid journalism, the terrifying, all-consuming nature of addiction and the deeply humane, implausible friendships that can change one's life forever.

Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date

16 May 2011
Dimensions

20.3 x 25.4 x 4.7 cm
ISBN-10

140881417X
ISBN-13

978-1408814178
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Celia Walden
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Product description

Review

'Funny, moving and shot-through with a clear-eyed, unsentimental humanity,
Celia Walden's memoir of George Best near the end of his life is a beautiful portrait of genius in tragic, terminal decline. Babysitting George reminded me of Rex Reed's famous essay of an ageing Ava Gardener, and Norman Mailer writings on the twilight years of Muhammad Ali. Yes, it really is as good as that. This is a sad story told with humour and heart and with - the journalist's dream - unprecedented access. It is not a football book - but if you loved George Best, then you will know him far better after reading Babysitting George. And, perhaps more importantly, you will love him far more'

― Tony Parsons

Book Description

A unique and moving memoir of a young journalist's summer in the company of George Best, in the year before he died

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Publishing (16 May 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 140881417X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1408814178
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 20.3 x 25.4 x 4.7 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 1,254,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 632 in Illness & Addiction
- 1,174 in Alcohol & Drug Abuse Biographies
- 3,674 in Football Biographies (Books)

Customer reviews:
4.1 48 ratings

About the author

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Celia Walden

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Known for her wide-ranging articles on everything from current affairs to health and motoring, Celia has a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph and has written for Glamour, GQ, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Russian Vogue, Grazia, Stylist, The Spectator and Standpoint.

Her first book, Harm’s Way – described by the Observer as a “gripping debut” and by Grazia as “a subtle, sensual, absorbing tale” – was published in 2008 and translated into four languages. Her second book, Babysitting George, was BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week and nominated for the William Hill 2011 Sports Book of the Year prize. Her first thriller, Payday, is to be published by Little Brown in September 2021.

Born and raised in Paris, Cambridge-educated Celia now divides her time between London and LA.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

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Alright but not much that is new

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2011

Verified Purchase

I bought this book for my husband who is a big George Best fan as I thought it would give a new insight into the man that George Best became before his death.
Having bought the book, I then read that Celia Walden is married to Piers Morgan, a man whose TV persona I dislike greatly. Based on my then assumption that this would be another tabloid tittle-tattle book, I was tempted not to give it as a present but decided in the end that I would - and decided to read it myself just to see what I really thought.
It does show a slightly different angle as the author has never really had any interest in football and wrote the book from a very human view.
There are one or two misconceptions about the life of this alcoholic which she manages to put straight - he didn't start drinking as soon as he woke up and he drank white wine (unexpected!!).
Other than that it was only OK. Mediocre writing and nothing that I (or my husband) could have lived without.

One person found this helpful

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JUDE

Sad, funny, horrible yet enjoyable reading.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 June 2011

Verified Purchase

This book is easily the most controversial of all the Bestie tomes and I loved it. Celia Walden is a very talented writer and this is a book packed with anecdotes from the final phase of the great man`s life. I can not see what Alex or Gina are complaining about, George Best WAS a hopeless alcoholic, he DID cheat on the women in his life and he DID get into all manner of physical scrapes whilst under the influence of the only mistress he ever truly loved. It is written with considerable affection and tenderness. Some of it is funny, some of it cringe worthy but it has the authentic feel of GB all the way through it. Of course, none of us know if everything written is one hundred per cent accurate, but it puts flesh on the bones of Bestie`s last times. It will be interesting to read what Phil Hughes makes of it.

2 people found this helpful

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Ewing Grahame

the worst of times

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 May 2012

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Empathetic account of a tabloid journalist's attempt to keep their alcoholic star columnist on the straight and narrow (and away from rival reporters). Funny and touching, it paints a rounded picture of the dog days of this particular flawed genius.

One person found this helpful

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WRIT

but ultimately a very sad and depressing story - no fault of the writer

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2015

Verified Purchase

A heartfelt and thoughtful book, well enough written, but ultimately a very sad and depressing story - no fault of the writer, the fault all belongs to the subject.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 September 2013

Verified Purchase

An interesting of one my true heroes. Of George Best, but Celia Walden gave an a good insight. Of living with George. As an normal person. If you like.

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meg feasey

Exceptionally well written and a brilliant insight is given to the destructive relationship George had ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 May 2017

Exceptionally well written and a brilliant insight is given to the destructive relationship George had with alcohol. It is a sad read but it also makes you smile at the humorous side of the football genius George Best. A very good read.

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goingpostal

Very interesting read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2013

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a fascinating insight into the death throes of a footballing legend. She treats the subject with compassion and sensitivity. To all the people in other reviews, bleating about the media exploiting poor defenseless George, he made his booze money in later years by selling his car-crash of a life to the newspapers, in exchange for his drink money. He had no other source of income. He was not a helpless victim. I also like that Walden doesn't buy the idea that alcoholism is a disease. No pathology, no disease. Alcohol addiction is a self-destructive behaviour. Calling it a disease is a cop-out for the alcoholic, giving them an excuse to continue drinking. Walden is a good writer, she held my attention from start to finish. The book has the ring of truth about it. The two women in the book have questioned the veracity of the story, but what else would they do, when they want to sue and make money off Bloomsbury. I recommend this book. At times sad, to see how alcohol destroyed Best, but worthwhile reading.

2 people found this helpful

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Roger Smith

Very Touching

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2011

This is a very touching, very honest account of how a young journalist with no interest in football, and very little knowledge of George Best becomes bewitched by Best's wonderful charm, intelligence and tragic addiction to alcohol.

It's beautifully written, very funny in parts and you can hear George's voice in many of the scenes, which seem very accurate and well reported.

The tragedy and misery of Best's alcoholism is well described and painfully sad to read.

You leave the book dismayed at the terrible illness Best suffered from, but also filled with wonder at the way a dying man is still capable of charm, wit and humour. His star quality remained right up to the end.

3 people found this helpful

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