MANCHESTER'S FALLEN ANGEL
The Best Autobiography You'll Ever Read
In "Blessed," one of football's most mercurial talents offers a raw and unflinching look at both his meteoric rise and his catastrophic fall. Published in 2001, just three years before his death, this autobiography serves as both a celebration of Best's extraordinary gift and a cautionary tale about the perils of fame.
Best's narrative voice carries an unmistakable authenticity as he recounts his journey from the streets of Belfast to the hallowed turf of Old Trafford. The book's greatest strength lies in its brutal honesty—Best shows remarkable candour about both his triumphs and mistakes, offering readers an intimate glimpse into the mind of a man who had everything and then watched it slip away.
The chapters covering his playing career shine with the same brilliance that characterized Best's style on the pitch. His recollections of Manchester United's golden era, particularly the 1968 European Cup victory, transport readers to a time when football was transforming from a working-class pursuit into global entertainment. Best's detailed accounts of matches and training sessions will delight football purists, while his behind-the-scenes stories offer fascinating insights into the changing face of the beautiful game.
However, the book is far more than just another sporting memoir. The narrative primarily addresses the fundamental question of how alcoholism could systematically destroy a man with extraordinary talent. Best's description of his battles with addiction is harrowing yet compelling, made all the more poignant by the inclusion of excerpts from his rehabilitation diaries.
The book doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of Best's life—the failed marriages, countless affairs, bankruptcy, and even his time in prison. Yet somehow, through all this, Best maintains a remarkable lack of self-pity. Instead, there's a sense of someone finally coming to terms with their demons, even if they haven't fully conquered them.
What makes "Blessed" particularly affecting is its timing. Written near the end of Best's life, it carries the weight of genuine reflection rather than mere reputation management. The writing reveals a clear and honest mind; one is finally ready to confront the full scope of his legacy— both the glory and the tragedy. The autobiography succeeds on multiple levels: as a sporting history, as an addiction memoir, and as a cautionary tale about fame. Best's vulnerability in discussing his mother's death and its impact on his decline is particularly moving, offering crucial context to his spiral into alcoholism.
While the narrative occasionally meanders, much like Best's own life, the pace seems fitting for a man whose story defied conventional structure. The book proved impossible to put down for many readers, a testament to both the compelling nature of Best's story and the raw honesty with which it's told.
"Blessed" stands as a fitting epitaph for a man who was, in many ways, both the best and worst of British football — a genius on the field who couldn't handle the pressures of fame off it. It's an essential read not just for football fans but for anyone interested in the human capacity for both greatness and self-destruction.
In the end, Best's autobiography achieves what few sporting memoirs manage: it transcends its genre to become something more universal—a deeply human story about talent, temptation, and the price of fame. Like its author, it is flawed but fascinating, tragic yet triumphant.
The final chapter of George Best's life was as tragic as it was predictable. In 2000, he collapsed from serious liver damage, leading to a life-saving liver transplant in July 2002 at London's Cromwell Hospital. Despite the 10-hour surgery and explicit warnings from doctors never to drink again, Best returned to alcohol just 16 months after the transplant. His final years were marked by continued struggles with alcoholism and repeated hospital stays. In October 2005, he was admitted to intensive care for the last time. He died on November 25, 2005, at age 59, from multiple organ failure brought on by his decades of alcohol abuse. Even in death, Best remained a cautionary tale of genius undone by addiction; his passing was mourned across the football world and beyond.
Pristine book with minimal wear. Dust jacket remains intact and vibrant. Slight age-related spotting (foxing) appears on the page margins, characteristic of older publications.
COST TO YOU
Book: £0.99
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Publisher: Visit Ebury Books
Published: 2001
Price: £0.99
Hardcover: 384 pages
Lavishly illustrated
Postal Weight: 747g
