Product Description

Football is not just a matter of life and death: it's much more important than that' - Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly was without doubt among the greatest football managers of the post-war era and his story is still an inspiring read for anyone interested in the sport. To football fans everywhere, Bill Shankly was far more than just a manager: he was a folk hero whose legend still dominates the game. Shankly took Liverpool from Second Division obscurity and helped create the legend that became the Anfield of Keegan, Hughes, Toshack and Heighway. With his impertinent questions, blunt observations and appreciation of life, Bill Shankly's wit, down-to-earth wisdom and sheer determination set a standard that holds good to this day. This full and frank biography tells his larger-than-life story and is an inspiring tribute to one of football's most enduring heroes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81898 in Books
• Published on: 1997-01-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 331 pages

About the Author
Stephen F. Kelly has written more than 20 books including a number on Liverpool Football Club. These include: You'll Never Walk Alone: The Official History of Liverpool FC, Liverpool In Europe, The Kop (updated and reprinted half a dozen times), The Boot Room Boys and biographies of Bill Shankly (reprinted seven times), Kenny Dalglish (updated three times), Graeme Souness and Gerard Houllier.

Customer Reviews

What a legend!! Must read for any football fan.
Last night at 7pm, I picked up this book to start reading it. It is now 6am in the morning and I have just finished the book. I didn't move from my chair for a second and I still don't feel tired. This is a dangerous book because you will not put it down!! You don't have to be a Liverpool fan to fall in love with Bill Shankly and his incredible character. Confident, humble, generous, tough, gave so much and simply asked for 100% effort and loyalty from his players and support staff. More importantly, he loved football with a passion and loved all fans who were passionate about the game. I felt sad at the end of this book thinking that maybe Bill Shankly became such a great man, and so endeared and respected, that he became isolated after he resigned from Liverpool. He wouldn't be the first great man to feel that way. This book is very well written and has so many funny anecdotes and yarns that I was repeatedly in stitches from laughing so hard. In the end Bill Shankly was one big kid at heart, with a big heart at that. Buy this book...but please don't start reading it at 7pm in the evening, especially if you have to work the next day. I am supposed to start work in less than 2 hours but I don't feel tired. I am more convinced after having read this book that Bill Shankly, although not the most successful football manager, was certainly the greatest! He turned rubble into gold, converted shaky foundations at LFC into a dynasty, took young, hungry players and made them feel invincible. God Bless Bill Shankly. Long live the King.

Reads like a newspaper report.....
.....the book for the most part is a player by player and match by match account of every player that moved to or from Liverpool while Shankly was in charge, and every match they played. In amongst all these transfer fees and scorelines there's the occasional quote from Shankly (sometimes repeated...), but not much else. There's very little insight into what he actually did as a manager, from the book it seems his only contribution to Liverpool was to buy players and sell them, and play a bit of five a side. The book contains little that couldn't be found in a book of statistics. Having said that, I read the book with a good deal of interest, as most Liverpool fans will, but I was more interested in the man himself, and there's precious little of him on offer.

Brilliant!!!
Shankly may not have won the most trophies, but this book clearly illustrates why he is the greatest British Manager of all time. It shows his insatiable love of the game and gives details of his innovations (i.e. 5-A-Side games in training). The most enjoyable part of the book, is his building of his first great LIVERPOOL team (i.e. Yeats, Hunt & St. John). A must for any football fan!