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Waking the Giant: The inside story of Unai Emery’s Europa League winning Aston Villa
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26The inside story of one football's club's astonishing revival.
In early July 2018, Aston Villa were staring into the abyss.
Locked in a cash crisis triggered by defeat in the Championship play-off final, one of English football’s most historic and successful clubs stood on the brink of financial catastrophe.
Yet less than six years later, Villa were celebrating qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Waking The Giant takes you inside one of the most extraordinary revival acts in modern football, from the last-minute takeover by billionaire duo Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens which saved the club, through the promotion and equally remarkable Premier League survival inspired by boyhood supporter Dean Smith, right up to the present day and their return to the European elite under Unai Emery.
It is a tale of triumph plucked from the jaws of despair, several times over, with Villa frequently defying the odds to keep climbing and reclaim their place at English football’s top table.
From club record runs to great escapes from relegation and British record transfers, this is a rollercoaster ride not to be missed.
In early July 2018, Aston Villa were staring into the abyss.
Locked in a cash crisis triggered by defeat in the Championship play-off final, one of English football’s most historic and successful clubs stood on the brink of financial catastrophe.
Yet less than six years later, Villa were celebrating qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Waking The Giant takes you inside one of the most extraordinary revival acts in modern football, from the last-minute takeover by billionaire duo Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens which saved the club, through the promotion and equally remarkable Premier League survival inspired by boyhood supporter Dean Smith, right up to the present day and their return to the European elite under Unai Emery.
It is a tale of triumph plucked from the jaws of despair, several times over, with Villa frequently defying the odds to keep climbing and reclaim their place at English football’s top table.
From club record runs to great escapes from relegation and British record transfers, this is a rollercoaster ride not to be missed.
- GenresFootball
288 pages, Paperback
Expected publication November 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 31, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this book; a great insight into the recent evolution of the club with some incredible anecdotes - credit to the great work and journalism from Evans & Maher. A must read for all Villa fans.
September 12, 2025
This book is a must for all Villa fans. It’s excellent.
I listened to it as an audiobook and unfortunately the narrator was very poor.
No feeling no passion in his delivery, surely they could have found an actor Villa fan to do it. The fact that he pronounced the names of so many Villa legends wrong to me was an unbelievable own goal. Peter Withe and Juan Pablo Angel were legends so it was so disappointing that the narrator pronounced their surnames as any non football fan may have done !
Reliving the fall and rebirth of my club I found emotional as I recalled the memories of games and goals scored - could have been so much better if narrated by someone like David Bradley a brummie and Villa fan who I am sure would have added real passion to the story.
I listened to it as an audiobook and unfortunately the narrator was very poor.
No feeling no passion in his delivery, surely they could have found an actor Villa fan to do it. The fact that he pronounced the names of so many Villa legends wrong to me was an unbelievable own goal. Peter Withe and Juan Pablo Angel were legends so it was so disappointing that the narrator pronounced their surnames as any non football fan may have done !
Reliving the fall and rebirth of my club I found emotional as I recalled the memories of games and goals scored - could have been so much better if narrated by someone like David Bradley a brummie and Villa fan who I am sure would have added real passion to the story.
July 25, 2025
As an avid villa supporter I really enjoyed this romp through the past few years from our brush with bankruptcy and administration through to Champjons League nights. Really accessible and an easy-read, the book is punctuated with contributions from players and staff at the relevant time.
My only negative point is that there is nothing new here that wasn’t reported somewhere at the time. Listening to 1874 podcast, author Gregg Evans teased aspects of the book and assured listeners that there were some really surprising revelations in the book, but o can’t recall reading anything new that I hadn’t seen or heard in The Athletic, Birmingham Mail, podcasts or Twitter.
This aside, it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Fans of other clubs may be surprised at some of the stories from the club in this period, as they won’t have followed the club as avidly through media at the time.
Highly recommend.
My only negative point is that there is nothing new here that wasn’t reported somewhere at the time. Listening to 1874 podcast, author Gregg Evans teased aspects of the book and assured listeners that there were some really surprising revelations in the book, but o can’t recall reading anything new that I hadn’t seen or heard in The Athletic, Birmingham Mail, podcasts or Twitter.
This aside, it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Fans of other clubs may be surprised at some of the stories from the club in this period, as they won’t have followed the club as avidly through media at the time.
Highly recommend.
July 27, 2025
Disappointing, doesn’t read like the roller coaster journey first touted at the pre launch. Reads like an infomercial for Sawiris and Edens. Too corporate and no sense of the fan experience. (I am eternally grateful to the current custodians for rescuing the club, hence the 3 star review)
July 22, 2025
Must read for every Villa fan. Felt the later chapters on Emerys time a bit weaker with less insider detail and more just a listing of what happened but the first half of the book on the championship days and takeover give great insight and have heaps of inside information and research.
July 1, 2025
Feels like a must read for any Villa fan. A mixture of eye-opening exclusives and previously unheard stories from the rollercoaster journey in the Championship to a return to European football. As someone who went through it all as a supporter, it's interesting to read about how it was for those playing or in charge at the time.
Read
September 24, 2026This whole book is about how Sawiris and Edens saved the club from Tony Xia and got it back to winning ways, yet the first 50-odd pages read weirdly like a Xia pr piece.
The book presents facts that have been well researched and published by well-regarded publications and journalists, and follows it up by saying "Tony says this is all a lie and he actually did the exact opposite". What's the benefit of printing these unproven claims from a known liar / con-man trying to improve his reputation in what's meant to be an authoritative work about the real events that happened. If it's true that he really did try and pay the promised club running costs but was stopped by the Chinese government or was working with Sawiris after the buyout why not ask him to prove it before printing blatant untruths. This isn't a court case, you don't need to show everyone's side of the argument when you know one side is wrong. And if Gregg Evans truly believes that there's any chance that what Tony's claiming isn't bs then that surely draws into question some of Gregg's reporting at BirminghamLive where he's confidently released articles going against Tony's version of reality. I get getting a Xia interview is a big deal, but it just doesn't add to the story by printing lies (predominantly) unchallenged.
Following the takeover section, the book focuses on the promotion season which I largely missed back then having moved away from Birmingham for University. So I assume this is general knowledge for most Villa fans, but there were 2 things that hit me.
Firstly, about Dean Smith's dad, the reason Smith has the love for the club and ex-Villa turnstile operator, suffering from dementia in a care home, but still smiling when Smith told him he was taking Villa to the Premier League. I assume everyone already knew that, but it really drums down the meaning of that match and Smith's relationship with the club in one anecdote.
Then the second bit in this section was about Tammy Abraham. I didn't realise how close he was to leaving us in 2019, from bottom half Championship Villa to top half Premier League Wolves yet he rejected that move to make a name for himself at AVFC. That's remarkable in itself, but jump forward 7 years and he rejects a move away to fight for his space in Villa again. Reading this the same week Tammy scored a winning brace over Coventry in the league cup shows he's not just a legend cause of the goals he's scored for the club but he seems to care a lot more than we see from footballers these days. With the context of half of Villa bailing for bigger paycheques in Summer 2026 and it feels even more something that should be celebrated.
Looking at the second half of the book, Emery isn't mentioned until over 2/3rds through, which is insane. I get this book was initially focused on the climb rather than Emery's era, but you know why people are buying this book when you put the Europa League trophy on the front. The book covers eight years from 2018 to 2026, Emery took over in 2022 so halfway through and is given basically 100 pages to cover all that, and I feel like it suffers because of it. Losing to Olympiacos, losing at Wembley, and losing at Old Trafford are 3 of the biggest moments of the decade at Villa, and each is summarised in a paragraph. A lot of space is spent just listing results and saying who was injured when, which is just not as interesting.
As a recap of Villa's rise from potential non-existence to the UCL this is an excellent book that I thoroughly recommend, but it definitely feels like the new edition is being misadvertised post-Istanbul. I'm going to read Guillem Balague's Rise of the Villans to hopefully give a better look at the Emery-era, but that shouldn't detract from a great first half that's really interesting even as a match-going fan with a general knowledge of events, let alone someone less involved with the club.
The book presents facts that have been well researched and published by well-regarded publications and journalists, and follows it up by saying "Tony says this is all a lie and he actually did the exact opposite". What's the benefit of printing these unproven claims from a known liar / con-man trying to improve his reputation in what's meant to be an authoritative work about the real events that happened. If it's true that he really did try and pay the promised club running costs but was stopped by the Chinese government or was working with Sawiris after the buyout why not ask him to prove it before printing blatant untruths. This isn't a court case, you don't need to show everyone's side of the argument when you know one side is wrong. And if Gregg Evans truly believes that there's any chance that what Tony's claiming isn't bs then that surely draws into question some of Gregg's reporting at BirminghamLive where he's confidently released articles going against Tony's version of reality. I get getting a Xia interview is a big deal, but it just doesn't add to the story by printing lies (predominantly) unchallenged.
Following the takeover section, the book focuses on the promotion season which I largely missed back then having moved away from Birmingham for University. So I assume this is general knowledge for most Villa fans, but there were 2 things that hit me.
Firstly, about Dean Smith's dad, the reason Smith has the love for the club and ex-Villa turnstile operator, suffering from dementia in a care home, but still smiling when Smith told him he was taking Villa to the Premier League. I assume everyone already knew that, but it really drums down the meaning of that match and Smith's relationship with the club in one anecdote.
Then the second bit in this section was about Tammy Abraham. I didn't realise how close he was to leaving us in 2019, from bottom half Championship Villa to top half Premier League Wolves yet he rejected that move to make a name for himself at AVFC. That's remarkable in itself, but jump forward 7 years and he rejects a move away to fight for his space in Villa again. Reading this the same week Tammy scored a winning brace over Coventry in the league cup shows he's not just a legend cause of the goals he's scored for the club but he seems to care a lot more than we see from footballers these days. With the context of half of Villa bailing for bigger paycheques in Summer 2026 and it feels even more something that should be celebrated.
Looking at the second half of the book, Emery isn't mentioned until over 2/3rds through, which is insane. I get this book was initially focused on the climb rather than Emery's era, but you know why people are buying this book when you put the Europa League trophy on the front. The book covers eight years from 2018 to 2026, Emery took over in 2022 so halfway through and is given basically 100 pages to cover all that, and I feel like it suffers because of it. Losing to Olympiacos, losing at Wembley, and losing at Old Trafford are 3 of the biggest moments of the decade at Villa, and each is summarised in a paragraph. A lot of space is spent just listing results and saying who was injured when, which is just not as interesting.
As a recap of Villa's rise from potential non-existence to the UCL this is an excellent book that I thoroughly recommend, but it definitely feels like the new edition is being misadvertised post-Istanbul. I'm going to read Guillem Balague's Rise of the Villans to hopefully give a better look at the Emery-era, but that shouldn't detract from a great first half that's really interesting even as a match-going fan with a general knowledge of events, let alone someone less involved with the club.
August 21, 2026
When Aston Villa were relegated from the Premier League in 2016, it was both unthinkable and inevitable. Premier League ever-presents until then, they had also spent the second-most seasons in English top-flight history. Yet years of poor ownership, mismanagement and declining investment had left Villa in a position which most of their fanbase would have deemed inconceivable.
The more worrying thing was Villa - still in the Championship two years later - would find themselves in even greater trouble before their rebirth, facing a severe cash-flow crisis, insolvency and the serious risk of being placed into administration. When things ultimately looked their bleakest, two incredibly ambitious billionaires would save Villa at the eleventh hour — and the rest, as they say, is history.
Covering this uncertain period to the rapid revival of one of England’s most traditional and biggest football clubs are the Birmingham Mail (and later The Athletic) journalist Gregg Evans and the Express & Star writer Matt Maher. They provide additional exclusives and behind-the-scenes information on arguably the most bonkers decade of Aston Villa’s illustrious history - one which was about much more than just relegation ➡️ promotion ➡️ stability ➡️ European football.
Expect £100m transfers, faulty goal-line technology, club-record winning runs and a manager taking Villa to heights which could only have seemed a dream given the precarious position Villa found themselves in at the beginning of this story.
A brilliant account of one of the most remarkable periods in Aston Villa’s history. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 13, 2026
Very interesting and insightful read for the Villa fans , of which I am one. Although I knew some of the background about the club nearly going under I did not realise how bad it actually was due to poor ownership and management both on and off the pitch .The renaissance over the last few years is remarkable due to to good ownership and management on and off the pitch. It was interesting to hear about some of the players' perceptions of things . Not sure how much interest there is for non Villa fans .
August 6, 2025
An incredible story that I have been lucky enough to witness as a fan. Gregg and Matt tell it well, although it does seem too personal at times - that they might be too close to it all. It doesn't cloud the experience at all, just can be noticed when reading. Thoroughly recommend to all Aston Villa fans - UTV.
August 15, 2025
Disappointing. Reads like a puff piece for the club instead of really discussing any great topics. Obviously had interviews with key people but what they said doesn’t seem to be challenged just regurgitated.
Just Reads like a lot of Athletic articles stuck together.
Enjoyable to read as a recollection of the past but no new insights/opinions.
Just Reads like a lot of Athletic articles stuck together.
Enjoyable to read as a recollection of the past but no new insights/opinions.
January 3, 2026
As a Villa fan this is biased. I think anyone who supports Villa will love this book and any football fan will enjoy it. Well written, interesting and great to see some behind the scenes work that we’d not typically be aware of
A must for Villa fans and a recommendation for any football fan in general
A must for Villa fans and a recommendation for any football fan in general
February 22, 2026
A Must For True Aston Villa Fans
For anyone who is a die hard or ardent supporter of Aston Villa, this book is a must read. Charting the startling rise from days when the club were on the brink of insolvency to becoming a Champions League side is astonishing, insightful, and a reminder to always cherish this club we love.
For anyone who is a die hard or ardent supporter of Aston Villa, this book is a must read. Charting the startling rise from days when the club were on the brink of insolvency to becoming a Champions League side is astonishing, insightful, and a reminder to always cherish this club we love.
July 19, 2026
Intriguing insights into my favourite football club, Aston Villa. Reliving the years from relegation in 2016 to promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, to qualifying for the Champions League was a pure joy. Learning more about what happened behind the scenes makes me appreciate the achievements of Villa so much more. Great book.
September 11, 2025
Don't get the audiobook version, I did, and the narration was truly dreadful. The content itself was insightful and knowledgeable although the last season seemed to be glossed over compared to other chapters.
December 13, 2025
Great for Aston Villa fans who want to know what went on behind the scenes of the return to the EPL, the financial finagling of the recent owners, the impact of the cabbage, the slip-ups of Steven Gerrard and the departure of Jack Grealish.
This is probably as good as you’ll get.
This is probably as good as you’ll get.
September 24, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed this. My two big takeaways was just how close Aston Villa came to no longer existing after their financial crisis, and also how and why Unai Emery is the linchpin of their revival. Any fan will find the story of the journey to success fascinating.
September 8, 2025
A great read for any true villa fan.
UTV
UTV
November 16, 2025
Aston Villa modern history. Easy to read and well written
December 18, 2025
The greatest story ever told.
January 4, 2026
Great read . some real nuggets of info that havnt been in the public domain before
January 10, 2026
A must read for any Villa fan. Well documented times of the rise of Villa from the Championship to Champions League.
September 4, 2026
Interesting read, shows Villa's revival, a bit dry at times.
January 9, 2026
Reliving some of the best and worst moments of my life through words. Learnt loads of things I didnt know about my club . Reading through and sending passages to people when it mentioned something they would like to know or an inside joke made the reading experience even better
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews