Best and worst sports autobiographies?

I know it is a couple of years late, but recently finished reading Steve Waugh's Out of my Comfort Zone. Pretty good read, and actually looks like he wrote it - or at least most of it - himself.

Can't say what is the worst ever, but the bookstore shelves contain quite a few boring tour accounts ghost-written for 23-year-old upstarts, who'll be "writing" their next "autobiography" in two years' time...

" quite a few boring tour accounts ghost-written for 23-year-old upstarts"

^^^^^ This!

I find it a total joke that some young little twat thinks I want to hear how he won an X-Box FIFA tournament when Team A was touring Team B. It's astonishing that they could even have an autobiog out mid-career. GP Swann being the attention-whorish arrogant example that comes to mind.

As for the best, I really enjoyed Nasser's. His career had a certain level on controversy that was intriguing to me. I suppose that he's one of my favourite cricketers didn't harm the read, though.

Best. Gordon Forbes. A Handful of Summers. and no ghost writing.

One interesting thing about Steve Waugh's book is that he handwrote it and said that his hand felt like it would drop off after completing 240,000 words.

Red wrote:One interesting thing about Steve Waugh's book is that he handwrote it .

In red ink?

Red wrote:One interesting thing about Steve Waugh's book is that he handwrote it and said that his hand felt like it would drop off after completing 240,000 words.

Sh*t happens when self-indulging.

taipan wrote:

Red wrote:One interesting thing about Steve Waugh's book is that he handwrote it .

In red ink?

Ah ha ha ha ha haaa

Possibly the best post this year.

Worst = John Daly

Very cool (though, ahem, selective): CB Fry: Life Worth Living.

Brass Monkey wrote:" quite a few boring tour accounts ghost-written for 23-year-old upstarts"

^^^^^ This!

I find it a total joke that some young little twat thinks I want to hear how he won an X-Box FIFA tournament when Team A was touring Team B. It's astonishing that they could even have an autobiog out mid-career. GP Swann being the attention-whorish arrogant example that comes to mind.

Agree - the best ones are usually written post-career, when you can look back fairly dispassionately and mention controversies without actually undermining the current order and your future career options.

I found Steve Waugh's autobiography interesting for a number of reasons: It was well-written and sometimes humorous, critical at times without being an "Everyone is unfair to me, so now I'm taking revenge on all the c*nts I've played with" whinefest, it covered matches and series I'd followed with interesting and sometimes surprising perspectives, it included a nice balance between personal and professional life, and it provided a much deeper insight into someone I'd actually spent time with and interviewed (albeit only for some 20 minutes).

Best ............ MJ Brearley - The Art of Captaincy.
Worst ........... Any of IT Botham's autobiogs.

Don't Tell Kath

mynah wrote:Agree - the best ones are usually written post-career, when you can look back fairly dispassionately and mention controversies without actually undermining the current order and your future career options.

I found Steve Waugh's autobiography interesting for a number of reasons: It was well-written and sometimes humorous, critical at times without being an "Everyone is unfair to me, so now I'm taking revenge on all the c*nts I've played with" whinefest, it covered matches and series I'd followed with interesting and sometimes surprising perspectives, it included a nice balance between personal and professional life, and it provided a much deeper insight into someone I'd actually spent time with and interviewed (albeit only for some 20 minutes).

TBH, I'm probably a little racist. I haven't read many Aussie ones. You interviewed the selfish red ink hunting dubber?

When is David Sales' autobiog coming out? "Grim Wood Up North"