Don Revie: The Biography: Shortlisted for THE SUNDAY TIMES Sports Book Awards 2022

by Christopher Evans, Johnny Giles (Foreword)

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DON REVIE – ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX AND CONTROVERSIAL MEN EVER TO GRACE THE GAME OF FOOTBALL

'Engrossing' - Sunday Times

'Impeccably researched... As a life and times, Evans's account is immaculate.' – Jonathan Liew, New Statesman

'A poignant and engrossing read… a well-crafted biography.' – FourFourTwo

'Thoroughly researched and engagingly written, this superb biography sheds new light on one of the most controversial, enigmatic figures in football history ' – Leo McKinstry, journalist, historian and award-winning author

'Excellent' – Johnny Giles, Leeds United legend

'Essential reading' Ryan Sabey, the Sun

Whenever the greatest managers the game has ever produced are mentioned, names like Busby, Shankly, Paisley and Ferguson trip off the tongue. Despite dominating the game in the late 1960s and '70s there is one name Don Revie, the former Leeds United and England manager.

Revie was one of the most complex and controversial men ever to grace the game of football. As a player, he was crowned Footballer of the Year and credited with creating the modern centre-forward. As a manager, he took a Leeds United side languishing in the lower half of the second division and turned them into not only league champions, but one of the most dominant sides in the country.

As England manager, Revie lost the magic touch and became increasingly indecisive. After three years in the role and fearing the sack, Revie became the first man to walk out on England.

Then came the backlash. Revie was branded a traitor and banned from the game for 10 years, and the press declared open season on the manager. Accused of offering bribes to throw matches, his reputation was destroyed. Shunned by the football establishment, he died just 12 years after walking out on England. Revie's death, at the age of 61, robbed him of the opportunity ever to rebuild his reputation as one of the most important figures ever seen in English football. The life and times of this multifaceted, enigmatic, pioneering football man have still never been fully explored and explained in detail before.

Featuring new interviews with Johnny Giles, Kevin Keegan, Norman Hunter, Eddie Gray, Allan Clarke, Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Malcolm Macdonald and members of the Revie family , this long-overdue biography reveals how today's football owes so much to Don Revie.

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Shortlisted for THE SUNDAY TIMES Sports Book Awards 2022

'A no-holds-barred insight that convinces the reader that Don Revie stands amongst the giants of English football.' - Lord Mann

'Meticulously researched and expertly crafted exploration' - Jeff Powell, Daily Mail

'A superb read'. - Alex Montgomery, Chief football writer and former Chairman of the Football Writers Association

384 pages, Paperback

Published September 19, 2023

About the author

Christopher D. Evans also writes as Christopher Carpenter, Nathan Elliott, Robert Knight and John Lyon.

See authors with similar names.
Christopher D. Evans was born in 1951 in Tredegar and educated at Cardiff University between 1969–1972, and Swansea University 1973–4. He now lives in South London, where he teaches science full-time at a secondary school. His first novel, Capella’s Golden Eyes, was published in 1980. With Robert Holdstock, he co-edited the Other Edens Series of original science fiction and fantasy anthologies which appeared in the late 1980s. Aztec Century (Gollancz, 1993) won the BSFA Award for Best Novel of 1993 and was runner-up for the Wales Book of the Year Award. Christopher also writes as Christopher Carpenter, Nathan Elliott, Robert Knight and John Lyon.

Reviews

[AJW · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has been a Leeds Utd fan for 50 years, I thought I knew Don Revie well. But this book gave me lots of information I didn’t know. In particular, Don Revie’s playing career before he joined Leeds. The book is well researched and Revie’s critics are allowed their say as well as his supporters. I’m not blind to the faults of “The Don” and I thought the author gave a balanced and fair assessment of Don’s achievements.

I genuinely believe that any fan of football in the post-war period up to the late 70s will enjoy reading this book, not just Leeds fans.

[Gerry McCaffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The middle half of this book reminded me of the two histories of Leeds United that I read a number of years ago. There was little additional insight around the actions and interactions of the Don. The first part of the book, his life before Leeds, and the last section, life after Leeds were interesting.

As a Leeds fan since in the late ‘60s it brought back many memories not all of them joyous. I enjoyed the read.