Product Description

1999 was an outstanding year for Alex Ferguson – not only did he lead Manchester United, the most glamorous club in the world, to a unique and outstanding treble triumph, but he was awarded the highest honour for his sporting achievements; a Knighthood from the Queen. Universally respected for his tough, but caring managerial style, Ferguson is an unusually intelligent man with a fascinating life story. Covering his tough Govan upbringing through to his playing days and onto his shift into management, Managing My Life is told with the fine balance of biting controversy and human sensitivity which made it such an unprecedented success in hardback. Alex Ferguson is a legend in his lifetime.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39269 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-03
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 520 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
When considering the public face of Sir Alex Ferguson--the unsmiling, world-beating football manager who has taken just about all the honours the British game has to offer--it is difficult to imagine that he grew up as the son of a ship builder on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow. Yet Ferguson's story is much the same as many others who have made it to the top in the sport: a boy with talent who rose above the expectations of his working-class background to become a household name throughout the world.

Such is the power of football; but more relevantly, such is the power of raw talent, pure determination and a bit of good luck. In Managing My Life Ferguson tells the story of just how he developed from a football-mad youngster to the first British manager to win the FA Cup, the Premiership and the European Cup in one season; but whereas others with a similar experience romanticise their tough upbringing and eulogise it from the comfortable position success affords them, with Ferguson there is the feeling that the tough, uncompromising way he runs his team is a direct product of values instilled in childhood that he still holds close.

I grew up accepting that shipbuilding was part of the fabric of my existence. In a community that relies heavily on a single industry, there is an intensity of shared experience that draws people together and tends to make them appreciate the need to support one another. It has been said that the values great managers like Jock Stein, Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley brought to their jobs in football were rooted in their mining background. I have no doubt it is true and I am sure, too, that any success I have had in handling men, and especially in creating a culture of loyalty and commitment in teams I have managed, owes much to my upbringing among the workingmen of Clydesdale.

Opening the book with a word on his recent Treble success (after all, who could be expected to wait until the end of this extraordinary story for all the gory details?), Ferguson soon reveals the big secret of his success--family support. The constants throughout his life have been close friend and family relationships and an absolute passion for winning, and both are constantly recurring themes throughout the book. Candid, thoughtful and passionate, this is certainly a story no Ferguson lover can miss. But, more importantly, it is one those who hate him should be made to read--if you thought the dour face and frequent complaints to the referee were his whole character, you are sorely mistaken; they are symptoms of his never-ending quest for perfection.--Lucie NaylorThis text refers to the hardcover edition of this title.

Independent
`The richest and most enthralling story in post-war British sport'

Review
'The best football autobiography I have ever read’ (The Sunday Times )

‘The richest and most enthralling story in post-war British sport’ (Independent )

‘Danielle Steele meets Geoffrey Archer, with a Booker Prize quality injected by Hugh McIlvanney’ (Independent on Sunday )

'A treat' (Sunday Express )

'Ferguson emerges from this account as a genuine national hero, one of the great Scots of the 20th century' (Mail on Sunday )

'Provocative, stimulating, emotional and honest' (The Herald )

Customer Reviews

Takes tedium to a whole new level
Even by the standards of football autobiography this is very dull. There is nothing juicy or interesting here. I expected Ferguson to be a bit more of a feisty character: instead of which he's just dull. You won't get any insights into management technique or any behind the scenes stories here.

Great Book About a Great Manager
Despite not being an avid supporter of Manchester United I have always been very keen to have an insight into the life and times of club's greatest ever manager.

The book clearly portrays the great mans early days and his tough upbringing in Govan, Glasgow. Uniquely, in a city which had major religous differences Alex's parents were from a mixed marriage. We get a great insight into Alex's early footballing life and the tough times that his family endured in surviving.
A fascinating discussion about Alex Ferguson's time as a player were amongst other clubs represented Glasgow Rangers. Even as a player we could to realize that he had a volatile temperament which would continue to serve him as a natural football leader.

From success at the unfashionable Aberdeen football Club to the pressures of managing one of the biggest sports clubs in the world Alex remains how much his childhood upbringing continues to be a major backbone of his life.

A truly great read into the one of soccers most respected characters.

Read Between The Lines
There is a genre of British autobiographies you could call "man from tough working class background makes good". To begin with I was frightened that Alex Ferguson had placed his own autobiography so firmly in this genre that it would contain little of any value.

However, as you get into it, and as long as you have your 'between the lines' head on, it has quite a lot to offer.

From a footballing point of view I became more into it once it reached an era I could remember (late sixties).

Particularly fascinating is the effect senior school had on Alex, due to his being older than his peers. I find myself wondering if this was a major influence in forming the aggression, expectation of extreme loyalty, and paternalism that are clearly major parts of his make-up, and so common in successful leaders.

I am now thinking of reading Michael Crick's book, although, despite Alex's obvious attempts to hide much about himself, I think most comes through if you look for it.