Product Description

Few modern British sportsmen have fascinated the public more than Geoff Boycott. In this first comprehensive and balanced account of Boycott's life -- fully updated to include his battle against cancer -- award-winning author Leo McKinstry lifts the lid on one of cricket's great enigmatic characters. A record-breaking Test cricketer and acerbic commentator, Geoff Boycott has never been far away from controversy during his long career in the game. Based on meticulous research and interviews with a host of players, Test captains, officials, broadcasters, friends and enemies, this definitive biography cuts through the Boycott myth to expose the truth about this charismatic, single-minded and often exasperating personality. What was Boycott like as a schoolboy? How did his England cricket colleagues such as Graham Gooch, Dennis Amiss and Brian Close feel about him as a person? Why was he so unpopular in his early career for Yorkshire? And what is the real truth about the relationships that soured his private world? From his upbringing as a miner's son in a Yorkshire village, through highlights like his hundredth century at Headingley against Australia, to the low points such as the damaging court case in France, this warts-and-all account of his life makes for captivating reading.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #138496 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
'The best book on Boycott so far' Yorkshire Evening Press 'A terrific biography' Wisden 'Underneath that brusque facade there is a sensitive soul that wants to be loved but does not really know how to get it' Simon Hughes 'A thorough and illuminating study!difficult to put down' The Times 'A magnificent, intelligent book' Country Life

About the Author
Leo McKinstry writes regularly for the Daily Mail, the Sunday Telegraph and the Spectator magazine on a wide range of subjects. Born in Belfast in 1962, he is a graduate of Cambridge University. He has authored several books, including the critically acclaimed story of the Charlton brothers, Jack and Bobby, which won the WHSmith Sports Book of the Year Award in 2003.

Customer Reviews

Definitive...
Although Geoff Boycott himself needs no introduction, many of the aspects of both his career, and his personal life have been either lost or exaggerated in the plethora of tales and anecdotes about his life. Leo McKinstry aims to set the record straight in this frank and incredibly well-researched biography.

He succeeds emphatically, cutting through all the tabloid hysteria that surrounded Boycott's life, and delivering a brilliant and, most importantly, honest portrayal of one of sport's most complex individuals. The story itself is as compelling as any biography I have read, and is by far and away the most definitve and complete book about Boycott.

Whatever anyone's personal view of Boycott, one cannot help but be gripped by the incredible single-mindedness and tenacity of the man who 'just wanted to play cricket for Yorkshire'. It truly is a most remarkable read, and moves at such a spanking pace it could almost be a novel. I read this book in one sitting, and anybody who has even a passing interest in cricket should certainly pick this one up. At this price there is absolutely no reason not to.

A very fair account - which is what matters in this case
Boycott evokes strong responses in many people on both sides of the fence: amongst professional cricketers past and present, amongst cricket fans and amongst the general public by dint of his wider celebrity. Those views are deeply entrenched and, I suspect, unlikely to be changed. If you retain an open mind however then, simply, there's no better place to look to form your opinion on Boycs than Leo McKinstry's excellent biography.

The subtitle of the book, 'A cricketing hero' kind of hints at McKinstry's personal stance on Boycott (indeed, it would a strange author indeed who took the trouble to write a biography on a cricketer s/he despised....which makes me wonder about Don Mosey...) but the overwhelming impression I got from the biography was just how fair it was: McKinstry is obviously an admirer of, but by no means an apologist for, Boycott.

Most of the prejudices, misconceptions and lazy tabloid thumbnails of Boycott - received wisdom built upon professional jealousies, Chinese whispers and apocryphal gossip - are expertly picked apart with logic and bare facts. Many of the anecdotes exposing Boycott's boorishness, arrogance, selfishness and social ineptitude are upheld, with no attempt to excuse, contextualise or qualify them.

With admirably comprehensive research and careful and even-handed compilation, Boycott is presented as a very complex character, a person of stark contradictions: utterly self-centred but also generous, eye-wateringly rude and insensitive and yet considerate and charming, confident, calculating and determined whilst also emotionally fragile and in need of constant encouragement, intensely private but craving attention.

I have read more passionate and interesting cricketing [auto]biographies but, given the aim of the book, none have been better researched or well balanced.

The best cricket biography I have read
Geoffrey Boycott : A Cricketing Hero is a crickting biography that impressed me the most about books of cricketing legends I have read so far to emerge in the scene. It is beatifully and insightfully written to paint a full picture of Boycott from various angles. The main features include childhood, schooling days, first cricket career, international scene, media role, continued contribution to the game and personal life. He unfortunately is no stranger to controversy as few parts of the book provide evidence of.

Geoffrey Boycott is clearly misunderstood as it an initial impression that I potray of the legend. A few distinguish traits are not favoured well with peers. He is perceived as self centred, obsessed and arrogant individual, but no one can deny he is one of the all time cricketing greats to embrace a name within the sport. He loves and is passionate about cricket, which is unquestionable. Ok he resorts to quarrels with the management and is obsessive with technique, but their is real truth to this. The author sets about trying to understand Boycott's character and looks at contrasting sides the personality.

If you have a passion for cricket, read this biography and you will understand the psychology of Geoffrey Boycott's personality and what traits differniates the legend from leading cricketers. The biography is beautifully narrated and colourfully in sighted. It took me three days to read this biography, as it is so fascinating and interesting.