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Boycott: the Autobiography
Book by Boycott, Geoff
339 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Boycott
21 books7 followersGeoffrey Boycott OBE is a former Yorkshire and England cricketer. In a prolific and sometimes controversial playing career from 1962 to 1986, Boycott established himself as one of England's most successful opening batsmen. Since retiring as a player, Boycott has found further success as a cricket commentator.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 8, 2018
The strangest book I've ever read and easily, THE most difficult one to rate. I'll tell you why.
If nothing else, this book PRECISELY tells you why Geoffrey Boycott is widely construed to the most selfish bastard there is in Cricket and even borderline batty by some. For once, the moniker 'whingeing Pom' is actually, an understatement. The levels resorted to by Boycott to justify his case left me incredulous and more than once, I wasn't sure whether I was reading a serious account/satire of a situation! The acute, persecution complex of the bloke and his nauseating sense of self importance was amusing at first, disturbing next and just plain despicable and infuriating at the end. His inherent racism and subtle sense of entitlement are further dampeners.
I'm actually awarding two Stars simply 'cuz his early days were decently documented and the sheer ingenuity exhibited in explaining his actions. The SonOfAGun could talk his way outta the electric chair and that's actually doing 'im a disservice!!!!
WHEW!
If nothing else, this book PRECISELY tells you why Geoffrey Boycott is widely construed to the most selfish bastard there is in Cricket and even borderline batty by some. For once, the moniker 'whingeing Pom' is actually, an understatement. The levels resorted to by Boycott to justify his case left me incredulous and more than once, I wasn't sure whether I was reading a serious account/satire of a situation! The acute, persecution complex of the bloke and his nauseating sense of self importance was amusing at first, disturbing next and just plain despicable and infuriating at the end. His inherent racism and subtle sense of entitlement are further dampeners.
I'm actually awarding two Stars simply 'cuz his early days were decently documented and the sheer ingenuity exhibited in explaining his actions. The SonOfAGun could talk his way outta the electric chair and that's actually doing 'im a disservice!!!!
WHEW!
June 8, 2012
Geoffrey Boycott is undoubtedly one of my favourite cricketers. Not a "hero" cricketer like a Botham, a Richards, an Imran or Majid Khan or an Adam Gilchrist or Shane Warne, but someone who achieved greatness through hard work, application, dedication and unrelenting graft, even in the face of great adversity.
I learnt a lot about him from this autobiography, written shortly after he'd been "sacked" from cricket by his beloved Yorkshire in the mid 1980's. I didn't know that he'd lost his spleen as a youngster, and the subsequent effect it had on his immune system whilst battling injuries and illness. I certainly wasn't aware of all of the intricacies of his battles with various authority figures - seemingly everyone in authority that he came across in his life.
Looking back, I'm not sure there's a single character in the book, outside his immediate family, who he didn't fall out with at some stage or another in his career. In an autobiography, you expect the authors' view to be biased - but even the world's greatest Boycott supporter would have to admit he is at best intransigent...
Many of the criticisms of Boycott in the public domain are referred to in this book - his apparent selfishness, putting himself before the team, his unsociable character, his sharp temper coupled with a complete disability to tolerate fools or foolishness and his disrespect for authority are all ackowledged by the author. But little coherent defence is made by him against any of these accusations - he simply puts his point across, and says "and I was right - my statistical record speaks for itself". He has a point - but for me, he tacitly admits to most of the charges put against him in the process.
A fascinating and extremely complex character, and a tremendous career - the statistics prove that, but so does thehuge amount of fans he has across the cricket world, despite his apparent character defects. Maybe its his imperfection and his vulnerability which make him so easy to like?
I learnt a lot about him from this autobiography, written shortly after he'd been "sacked" from cricket by his beloved Yorkshire in the mid 1980's. I didn't know that he'd lost his spleen as a youngster, and the subsequent effect it had on his immune system whilst battling injuries and illness. I certainly wasn't aware of all of the intricacies of his battles with various authority figures - seemingly everyone in authority that he came across in his life.
Looking back, I'm not sure there's a single character in the book, outside his immediate family, who he didn't fall out with at some stage or another in his career. In an autobiography, you expect the authors' view to be biased - but even the world's greatest Boycott supporter would have to admit he is at best intransigent...
Many of the criticisms of Boycott in the public domain are referred to in this book - his apparent selfishness, putting himself before the team, his unsociable character, his sharp temper coupled with a complete disability to tolerate fools or foolishness and his disrespect for authority are all ackowledged by the author. But little coherent defence is made by him against any of these accusations - he simply puts his point across, and says "and I was right - my statistical record speaks for itself". He has a point - but for me, he tacitly admits to most of the charges put against him in the process.
A fascinating and extremely complex character, and a tremendous career - the statistics prove that, but so does thehuge amount of fans he has across the cricket world, despite his apparent character defects. Maybe its his imperfection and his vulnerability which make him so easy to like?
November 2, 2015
Marmite player and a Marmite person overall, yes he's funny on 5Live with his cliches but then you know he does beat up women...and according to his account in this book was also desperate to tour Apartheid South Africa because, well they'd get paid a lot. The first half of this book is great when he's focusing on his own life and the cricket, the second half is terrible though. Page after page of him whingeing and banging the drum about the 'anti-Boycott brigade'. He basically seems disliked by everyone but none of this is his fault and he's never done any wrong! Draw your own conclusions...
August 17, 2014
Fantastic, albeit biased insight into a remarkable career. More Yorkshire insights than England, Headingley 1981 is barely mentioned. A remarkable player who seems disliked wherever he goes!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews