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George Best: A Memoir: A unique biography of a football icon
Michael Parkinson and George Best faced one another countless times in interviews. Their conversations were mutually respectful, even intimate, yet always brimming with searching questions and revealing answers.
The great Manchester United and Northern Ireland attacker - one of the few sports personalities to merit the term 'iconic' - was almost always candid, lucid and self-effacing. Alcoholism had him in its grip from an early age, affecting the love affairs that fed the tabloid headlines, but there was far more to Best than booze and birds.
In George Best: A Memoir, Michael Parkinson draws upon decades of award-winning journalistic experience to re-evaluate a remarkable footballer and a damaged friend. The book weaves together recollections of when the 'the fifth Beatle' ensured it was Manchester, not London or Liverpool, which made the Sixties swing; of Best enjoying a carefree kickabout with the Parkinsons' children in the family garden; and selected transcripts from their endlessly fascinating interviews.
'Where did it all go wrong?' is the punchline to a famous Best story. George Best: A Memoir provides Michael Parkinson's considered response to the question while bringing fresh insight into the footballing genius that made Best one of the immortals and the self-destructive side of his character.
The great Manchester United and Northern Ireland attacker - one of the few sports personalities to merit the term 'iconic' - was almost always candid, lucid and self-effacing. Alcoholism had him in its grip from an early age, affecting the love affairs that fed the tabloid headlines, but there was far more to Best than booze and birds.
In George Best: A Memoir, Michael Parkinson draws upon decades of award-winning journalistic experience to re-evaluate a remarkable footballer and a damaged friend. The book weaves together recollections of when the 'the fifth Beatle' ensured it was Manchester, not London or Liverpool, which made the Sixties swing; of Best enjoying a carefree kickabout with the Parkinsons' children in the family garden; and selected transcripts from their endlessly fascinating interviews.
'Where did it all go wrong?' is the punchline to a famous Best story. George Best: A Memoir provides Michael Parkinson's considered response to the question while bringing fresh insight into the footballing genius that made Best one of the immortals and the self-destructive side of his character.
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2018
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35 people want to read
About the author
Michael Parkinson
85 books9 followersSir Michael Parkinson, CBE (born 28 March 1935) was an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his chat show, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007. He has been described by The Guardian as "the great British talkshow host".
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 5, 2023
3.5 Stars!
This reads like a history of Busby era Man United, particularly in the early stages, with interviews with Bobby Charlton and much attention paid to the Munich disaster of 58. He is also good on the cultural scene of Manchester and “Granadaland”, perhaps getting a little carried away, lapsing into hyperbole at times, but still making some very good points about the importance of the city and its cultural relevance and its wider impact. Reminding us that Manchester was the first industrialised city of the Industrial revolution and was also the city where Marx and Engels met as well as being the place where Ernest Rutherford first split the atom.
There are cracks in here, it suffers from pointless repetition and some cloying love bombing, there is little here for those with a sound grounding on the subject already, but this makes for an ideal primer for those unfamiliar with Best and his life, Parkinson can write and there was some good stuff in here, and ultimately the story of Best is a dark and tragic one and ultimately his life reads more like one of opportunities and possibilities squandered rather than of a life lived to the full, a sad story.
This reads like a history of Busby era Man United, particularly in the early stages, with interviews with Bobby Charlton and much attention paid to the Munich disaster of 58. He is also good on the cultural scene of Manchester and “Granadaland”, perhaps getting a little carried away, lapsing into hyperbole at times, but still making some very good points about the importance of the city and its cultural relevance and its wider impact. Reminding us that Manchester was the first industrialised city of the Industrial revolution and was also the city where Marx and Engels met as well as being the place where Ernest Rutherford first split the atom.
There are cracks in here, it suffers from pointless repetition and some cloying love bombing, there is little here for those with a sound grounding on the subject already, but this makes for an ideal primer for those unfamiliar with Best and his life, Parkinson can write and there was some good stuff in here, and ultimately the story of Best is a dark and tragic one and ultimately his life reads more like one of opportunities and possibilities squandered rather than of a life lived to the full, a sad story.
November 14, 2019
An honest, stark, compassionate and beautifully written account of the life of the worlds greatest soccer player by a man who knew him so well. It spares none of the facts about the reality of George Bests life. But it also presents the reasons why a young life with such exceptional prospects ended so prematurely and so tragically. George Best pressed the self destruct button early in his career. A series of interviews between Best and Parkinson explore why this happened. Best was aware of what he was doing, yet he never truly sought to save himself.
A life, a brilliance lost so young should not be lost in vain and that is exactly why this book presents a very stark series of lessons to the sporting world. Indeed, to any world where superstars are created. Look after them. Take care of them. Looks out for them. Nurture and protect them. When warning signs appear, do whatever is necessary to save them. If you don't, you will lose them and they could easily lose their lives in a celebrity bubble on the most public of stages.
A life, a brilliance lost so young should not be lost in vain and that is exactly why this book presents a very stark series of lessons to the sporting world. Indeed, to any world where superstars are created. Look after them. Take care of them. Looks out for them. Nurture and protect them. When warning signs appear, do whatever is necessary to save them. If you don't, you will lose them and they could easily lose their lives in a celebrity bubble on the most public of stages.
August 28, 2019
If you know nothing of George Best then this book would be of interest. However, if you were a fan or followed his career / life in any way then this comes across as Parkinson rehashing interviews to sell more books. There is very little that is new here. All of the old familiar stories come out - all told a thousand times before. I did not buy this book - it was given to me as a gift. Even so, I would suggest the Parkinsons need some new material.
December 15, 2025
"I know George would still have been a superstar in the era of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and David Beckham - but how would they have fared in his?"
A brilliant quote that exactly describes the reason why I think George Best is the greatest ever player to walk on that green grass.
This is not a biography-like tale. Which is good. There are quite a few of those around already. This is an honest take on someone who knew George well and someone who knew to ask him all the right questions to find out what exactly George had been going through.
It's brilliantly written. Each time I put the book down, I wanted to read that little bit more. I love these sort of books. I am just sorry it was so short.
The story at the end by Michael's son was a beautiful cherry on a very delicious cake.
This book made me realise one thing (and perhaps also the reason why I cannot give it any less than 5 stars).
I always said that George Best was way ahead of his time in football. He'd easily be the best player in the world, even 20, maybe 30 years after he was on the scene. God, even now, he would still put in a decent game in the top flight. I think he was the most advanced and most 'ahead of his time' player ever, that's why I don't think there ever was anyone better than him. Pele, Maradona, Messi or Ronaldo, yes, they play the sort of football like it is played 10, 15 years in the future, but with George I believe he would still work wonders a lot further in the ever evolving sport of football.
But what I never realised was that while he was ahead of his time on the pitch, he was there off it, too. The fame, the attention, the tabloids, the pressure, these things footballers put up with on a daily basis. NOW! Back then, it was a completely different story. The players would mingle with the general public with no issues. They took public transport, lived in terraced houses, and a lot of them had normal jobs on the side. George was too good and too famous to afford to do that. He was a superstar, and nobody knew how to deal with it. They do now, thankfully, but not then.
There were famous people then, I mean we're talking about the era of The Beatles and Elvis, but no-one ever saw this sort of fame in football. A workman's sport. Lower class hobby. Football just wasn't ready for an icon such as George Best. And he wasn't ready either.
A brilliant quote that exactly describes the reason why I think George Best is the greatest ever player to walk on that green grass.
This is not a biography-like tale. Which is good. There are quite a few of those around already. This is an honest take on someone who knew George well and someone who knew to ask him all the right questions to find out what exactly George had been going through.
It's brilliantly written. Each time I put the book down, I wanted to read that little bit more. I love these sort of books. I am just sorry it was so short.
The story at the end by Michael's son was a beautiful cherry on a very delicious cake.
This book made me realise one thing (and perhaps also the reason why I cannot give it any less than 5 stars).
I always said that George Best was way ahead of his time in football. He'd easily be the best player in the world, even 20, maybe 30 years after he was on the scene. God, even now, he would still put in a decent game in the top flight. I think he was the most advanced and most 'ahead of his time' player ever, that's why I don't think there ever was anyone better than him. Pele, Maradona, Messi or Ronaldo, yes, they play the sort of football like it is played 10, 15 years in the future, but with George I believe he would still work wonders a lot further in the ever evolving sport of football.
But what I never realised was that while he was ahead of his time on the pitch, he was there off it, too. The fame, the attention, the tabloids, the pressure, these things footballers put up with on a daily basis. NOW! Back then, it was a completely different story. The players would mingle with the general public with no issues. They took public transport, lived in terraced houses, and a lot of them had normal jobs on the side. George was too good and too famous to afford to do that. He was a superstar, and nobody knew how to deal with it. They do now, thankfully, but not then.
There were famous people then, I mean we're talking about the era of The Beatles and Elvis, but no-one ever saw this sort of fame in football. A workman's sport. Lower class hobby. Football just wasn't ready for an icon such as George Best. And he wasn't ready either.
March 14, 2024
‘Perhaps, in the final analysis, the real tragedy of George Best was that he was born out of time’.
In this sensitively written memoir, Michael Parkinson reflects on the life and tragic loss of his friend, George Best. Infamous for his on and off the pitch antics, Parkinson’s reflections are more intimate and around the human side to Best, and the context and circumstances around his rise to fame.
You don’t have to be a football fan, a fan of Parkinson or a fan of Best to appreciate the reflections or themes of thought in those book. Parkinson reflects on the support given to young people then and now, and ponders the question of what if he was alive today…in a different world, more awake to the impact of pressure and fame on young people…would things have been different for George Best?
I was lucky to attend a publicity event for this book, and hear Parkinson being interviewed by his son. He spoke so fondly of Best, and it was so so moving (both humorous and heartbreaking), and I don’t think this always translated fully into the pages. It felt a little more objective and literal and didn’t convey the emotional connection and friendship that the two clearly had.
I enjoyed reading the book, and could hear Parkinson’s voice in my head as I was reading. It’s a book I’m proud to own and brings back memories of a lovely evening that I was lucky to have experienced.
In this sensitively written memoir, Michael Parkinson reflects on the life and tragic loss of his friend, George Best. Infamous for his on and off the pitch antics, Parkinson’s reflections are more intimate and around the human side to Best, and the context and circumstances around his rise to fame.
You don’t have to be a football fan, a fan of Parkinson or a fan of Best to appreciate the reflections or themes of thought in those book. Parkinson reflects on the support given to young people then and now, and ponders the question of what if he was alive today…in a different world, more awake to the impact of pressure and fame on young people…would things have been different for George Best?
I was lucky to attend a publicity event for this book, and hear Parkinson being interviewed by his son. He spoke so fondly of Best, and it was so so moving (both humorous and heartbreaking), and I don’t think this always translated fully into the pages. It felt a little more objective and literal and didn’t convey the emotional connection and friendship that the two clearly had.
I enjoyed reading the book, and could hear Parkinson’s voice in my head as I was reading. It’s a book I’m proud to own and brings back memories of a lovely evening that I was lucky to have experienced.
April 30, 2019
I've read many books about George Best, an absolute hero of mine when I was a puppy, and that I read this one in a couple of days, is testament to how good these memoirs are.
A mixture of memories and interviews between George and his long time friend, Michael Parkinson, it's has all the details and stories you've probably already heard about George, but what makes it different is the personal reflections from Parkinson. The Best he knew away from the pitch, the excesses and the headlines. He doesn't condone everything George did, but does try to find out why it all ended so sadly.
He does questions his role as friend and how he could have maybe helped George in later years but then reflects on that maybe the only one who could help George was George. Which is sad, but apparently true.
It is a short read and as expected, nicely written and presented by Parkinson with help from his son, Michael Jnr and it's not all about the downfall of George as it does pay tribute to the man, who in my honest opinion, was and will always be, the greatest football player ever.
A mixture of memories and interviews between George and his long time friend, Michael Parkinson, it's has all the details and stories you've probably already heard about George, but what makes it different is the personal reflections from Parkinson. The Best he knew away from the pitch, the excesses and the headlines. He doesn't condone everything George did, but does try to find out why it all ended so sadly.
He does questions his role as friend and how he could have maybe helped George in later years but then reflects on that maybe the only one who could help George was George. Which is sad, but apparently true.
It is a short read and as expected, nicely written and presented by Parkinson with help from his son, Michael Jnr and it's not all about the downfall of George as it does pay tribute to the man, who in my honest opinion, was and will always be, the greatest football player ever.
December 26, 2018
The good thing about the Christmas holidays is that you have time to read. I read this excellent book about George Best in a day on Boxing Day but in truth I think I would have rattled through it whenever I read it, so good was it. Michael Parkinson (assisted by his son Mike) writes about his subject with a journalist’s eye and a friend’s heart. He tries to get to the bottom of Best’s genius, his rise and fall and eventual demise through a series of recollections, old interviews and an analysis of what Best meant to football and his enduring legacy on the game - and the culture of celebrity - of today. Parkinson’s memoir of a man who became known as the fifth Beatle is a moving and informative must-read account of a footballing genius whose flame burned brighter than most only to be dimmed and finally extinguished by his demons. Along the way he lit up a game, a city and a country, his life asking as many questions as his talent on a football pitch answered.
February 3, 2021
It had some interesting reveals and some anecdotes that were personal and charming but for a book written so recently and researched so thoroughly, I’m staggered that the thought George Best suffered from bipolar disorder was not explored. The driving force of the book was the question of why Best continued to self-destruct through booze, women, gambling and a hedonistic disposal of his money. To not explore such an obvious set of symptoms seems rather odd.
November 16, 2019
An enjoyable and easy to read biography about a remarkable footballer who had his share of troubles. Reading it from the perspective of a close friend (Michael Parkinson), one really feels this is part biography but also part tribute. Based off this will need to read George Best's Blessed as well as Bobby Charltons biography.
July 15, 2020
Lazy, Mr Parkinson!
A cut and paste job from a once gifted writer who is merely cruising now. Although that shouldn't come as a surprise, his publisher's indulgence of Parkinson's brazen mining of his own past writings and interviews will disappoint whoever ponies up for this insubstantial effort.
A cut and paste job from a once gifted writer who is merely cruising now. Although that shouldn't come as a surprise, his publisher's indulgence of Parkinson's brazen mining of his own past writings and interviews will disappoint whoever ponies up for this insubstantial effort.
December 30, 2018
See https://thewitteringsofacruiseshiprea...
For my full review of George Best A Memoir and reviews of a number of other great books !
For my full review of George Best A Memoir and reviews of a number of other great books !
September 10, 2019
Worth a read
August 12, 2020
Very good book. Highly recommend. Makes you want to read more about George, The Munich Disaster, Sir Matt Busby, Sir Bobby Charlton, as well as checking on Michael’s other work.
August 13, 2022
Phenomenal and heartbreaking read. As a United fan, this really hit home. Such a delicate and respectful piece.
July 17, 2025
Parkinson’s book is a short memoir covering his friendship with the footballer George Best.
Parkinson uses extracts from his interviews with Best over the years and reflects on the sadness he felt that Best died relatively young and did not live up to his full potential, and that he suffered so painfully with alcoholism.
It is an interesting read on how much the celebrity around football has changed, and how different Best’s life was from that of stars like David Beckham today. There are now systems in place to protect and support star players, which Best potentially should have had.
I’m not a big fan of Parkinson, and the attitudes towards women in the book are poor, but they seem to be of their time.
Parkinson uses extracts from his interviews with Best over the years and reflects on the sadness he felt that Best died relatively young and did not live up to his full potential, and that he suffered so painfully with alcoholism.
It is an interesting read on how much the celebrity around football has changed, and how different Best’s life was from that of stars like David Beckham today. There are now systems in place to protect and support star players, which Best potentially should have had.
I’m not a big fan of Parkinson, and the attitudes towards women in the book are poor, but they seem to be of their time.
August 25, 2022
Great insight of the relationship of George Best & Micheal Parkinson not sure it should have condoned his behaviour but has many have said nobody could stop him - George was the greatest player of his time everyone thinks he wasted his talent & his life but what a character who is still loved today
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews