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Eric Cantona
Many have tried to persuade Eric Cantona to write his autobiography. He never will. Philippe Auclair has interviewed every key player in Cantona's life to produce a biography that reveals, for the first time, the heart and inner thoughts of this most extraordinary character. Cantona played for six different French clubs, making his international debut at twenty-one, before going to England in 1992 and making an immediate impact with Leeds United. He transformed the team but became even more talismanic when he moved to Manchester United, where to this day Manchester United fans refer to him as "King Eric." Eric Cantona graced the Premiership like few others and he remains a deeply compelling figure to anyone who cares remotely about football.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 11, 2013
Curiously a much better book than Auclair's autobiography of Thierry Henry, possibly because Cantona is a much more interesting man than Henry (and I speak as an Arsenal fan who loathes Manchester United with every fibre of my being!).
Auclair is even handed about Cantona's strengths and his accompanying weaknesses, his skewering of the mob reaction to Cantona's attack on Matthew Simmonds at Selhurst Park is one of the stronger passages of the book, as is a section towards the end when Auclair examines how carefully calibrated Cantona's rebel image given the commercial revenue it earned him. But that passage serves as a useful marker for the book as a whole - it's a short passage which doesn't do more than raise an extremely interesting critical question, Auclair is unable to get any answers. Given the difficulties of the subject, to criticise him for that is perhaps unfair.
So you get an honest appraisal of Cantona's football career and some of his motivations, but ultimately Auclair is unable to get through the protective wall that cantona set around him. But I'm not sure that anyone else could have done.
Auclair is even handed about Cantona's strengths and his accompanying weaknesses, his skewering of the mob reaction to Cantona's attack on Matthew Simmonds at Selhurst Park is one of the stronger passages of the book, as is a section towards the end when Auclair examines how carefully calibrated Cantona's rebel image given the commercial revenue it earned him. But that passage serves as a useful marker for the book as a whole - it's a short passage which doesn't do more than raise an extremely interesting critical question, Auclair is unable to get any answers. Given the difficulties of the subject, to criticise him for that is perhaps unfair.
So you get an honest appraisal of Cantona's football career and some of his motivations, but ultimately Auclair is unable to get through the protective wall that cantona set around him. But I'm not sure that anyone else could have done.
June 20, 2022
Yine (çok kötü değilse de) sorunlu bir çeviri. Ama okuduğum en iyi biyografilerden biri. Yazar Cantona'nın yaşamını anlatmakla kalmamış, bir psikolog gibi analiz de etmiş. Üstelik çok da ilgi çekici saptamaları var.
Ben çok sevdim bu kitabı, ama Cantona'yı daha az seviyorum artık. Belki de kendimle karşılaştığım yerler yüzünden :))
Ben çok sevdim bu kitabı, ama Cantona'yı daha az seviyorum artık. Belki de kendimle karşılaştığım yerler yüzünden :))
June 2, 2012
So much more depth than the typical football bio
October 21, 2020
çok iyi biyografi. cantona'ya karşı özel bir ilgi/sevginiz yoksa da (benim yok) alın okuyun derim.
November 10, 2024
Średnia po prostu
July 25, 2023
A slow start to the book, but once into the football side it became a well researched good read.
March 18, 2017
If you are a Manchester United fan born in 1975, then Eric Cantona is, and always will be, 'the King'.
This book is is no hagiography and quite unique in many respects for a sports biography / autobiography.
This book is is no hagiography and quite unique in many respects for a sports biography / autobiography.
May 21, 2014
كان من الممكن اعطي الكتاب 5 نجوم بعد 60 صفحة فقط,او 120 صفحة,في النهاية قررت ارفق المراجعة بعد 180 صفحة وانتهاء الجزء الأول من مسيرة كانتونا
بداية اشارة للكاتب المذهل فيليب اوكلير..اسلوبه في بناء الأحداث من حول الشخصية بدون اقتباس مباشر منها مذهل فعلا..وانت تقرأ المسيرة من خلال كلمات من حوله بإستطاعتك أن تبني احداث سنوات وشخصيات مرت في مشوار الكرة الفرنسية..هو كاتب رائع واسلوبه في السرد ممتع وغير ممل
نقطتين احب اتفرع منها..اولا صورته كلاعب قليل من عاصرها لذلك ما يرتبط بالذاكرة فقط هو اعتدائه على مشجع البالاس وهذا اختزال ظالم للاعب وشخصية مثله..
ثانيا هو مش مجرد لاعب كرة قدم..هو ثائر,متمرد,ممثل,حساس..يلعب الكرة ليجد تلك اللحظات الثمينة من نقاوة الإبداع..لحظة يرتبط فيها افكار ابداع بعقلك بما يفعله جسدك,لحظة سحر خالص..لو كانت الكرة للمال لما لعب (كلامه الشخصي)..هو ببساطة متمرد على كل ما يرتبط به مفهوم لاعب كرة القدم..مش لاعب عادي اللي يعتبر فان غوخ ملهمه ورامبوند مثله الأعلى !
قراءة سيرة كانتونا تفتح عليك باب الجانب الإنساني للاعب الكرة..البعض منهم يملك ذلك الجانب المظلم ليستلهم منه قوته..شيء خارج الحدود..غريب!..لكنه يظهر بشخصية مثل كانتونا,ابراهيموفتش,بالوتيلي..اترك التعبير التالي لكانتونا ليوضح
i have this passion inside that i cant handle. its like a fire inside which has to get out and which you let out. sometimes it get out and do harm. i do myself harm. it worries me when i do harm. especially to others. but i cant be what i am without those other things in my character.
شخصية مثل كانتونا دائما ستكون مثار لتسائلات وسوء فهم..لذلك اعتبر قراءة هذا الكتاب نقطة مهمة لمحاولة فهم هذا اللغز وإزالة الغموض من حوله
(مختصر)
بداية اشارة للكاتب المذهل فيليب اوكلير..اسلوبه في بناء الأحداث من حول الشخصية بدون اقتباس مباشر منها مذهل فعلا..وانت تقرأ المسيرة من خلال كلمات من حوله بإستطاعتك أن تبني احداث سنوات وشخصيات مرت في مشوار الكرة الفرنسية..هو كاتب رائع واسلوبه في السرد ممتع وغير ممل
نقطتين احب اتفرع منها..اولا صورته كلاعب قليل من عاصرها لذلك ما يرتبط بالذاكرة فقط هو اعتدائه على مشجع البالاس وهذا اختزال ظالم للاعب وشخصية مثله..
ثانيا هو مش مجرد لاعب كرة قدم..هو ثائر,متمرد,ممثل,حساس..يلعب الكرة ليجد تلك اللحظات الثمينة من نقاوة الإبداع..لحظة يرتبط فيها افكار ابداع بعقلك بما يفعله جسدك,لحظة سحر خالص..لو كانت الكرة للمال لما لعب (كلامه الشخصي)..هو ببساطة متمرد على كل ما يرتبط به مفهوم لاعب كرة القدم..مش لاعب عادي اللي يعتبر فان غوخ ملهمه ورامبوند مثله الأعلى !
قراءة سيرة كانتونا تفتح عليك باب الجانب الإنساني للاعب الكرة..البعض منهم يملك ذلك الجانب المظلم ليستلهم منه قوته..شيء خارج الحدود..غريب!..لكنه يظهر بشخصية مثل كانتونا,ابراهيموفتش,بالوتيلي..اترك التعبير التالي لكانتونا ليوضح
i have this passion inside that i cant handle. its like a fire inside which has to get out and which you let out. sometimes it get out and do harm. i do myself harm. it worries me when i do harm. especially to others. but i cant be what i am without those other things in my character.
شخصية مثل كانتونا دائما ستكون مثار لتسائلات وسوء فهم..لذلك اعتبر قراءة هذا الكتاب نقطة مهمة لمحاولة فهم هذا اللغز وإزالة الغموض من حوله
(مختصر)
March 7, 2018
Well, first of all, Goodreads' page count for this hardback edition is out by nearly 200 as there are 469 pages, rather than the 288 it tells me there are.
But listing issues apart, this is a very good book. I think it helps that the author is a fellow Frenchman, who can explain Cantona's Marseille background in cultural and social terms that most English biographers would not bother with. And of course, Auclair has been more detailed and done more actual research than most previous biographers - again, the English tendency had been to cobble together tabloid stories with a view to sales rather than accuracy.
What we get here is a thoroughly researched, calm and sensitive look at the life of a man who remains adored in the red half of Manchester to this day. As someone who knew little about Cantona's career prior to his arrival in England, the sections dealing with his early career were particularly interesting and informative. Achievements and controversies are reported equally - and vitally, with the context that sensationalist English reports often omitted.
An engrossing and high-quality biography.
But listing issues apart, this is a very good book. I think it helps that the author is a fellow Frenchman, who can explain Cantona's Marseille background in cultural and social terms that most English biographers would not bother with. And of course, Auclair has been more detailed and done more actual research than most previous biographers - again, the English tendency had been to cobble together tabloid stories with a view to sales rather than accuracy.
What we get here is a thoroughly researched, calm and sensitive look at the life of a man who remains adored in the red half of Manchester to this day. As someone who knew little about Cantona's career prior to his arrival in England, the sections dealing with his early career were particularly interesting and informative. Achievements and controversies are reported equally - and vitally, with the context that sensationalist English reports often omitted.
An engrossing and high-quality biography.
August 27, 2010
Une petite déception. Après Open de André Agassi, je pensais retrouver une biographie intéressante, mais je la trouve un bon niveau en-dessous.
Le soucis vient principalement de sa longueur, et surtout des résumés de matches qui ralentissent considérablement la lecture. Les phases d'analyse, ou celle qui décrivent l'environnement, la personnalité de Cantona, sont toutes très intéressantes. J'étais encore jeune lors des événements, je m'en rappelle brièvement. J'ai vu beaucoup d'images, de vidéos depuis. Et redécouvrir tout ça, la chronologie, des interviews et commentaires d'époque, c'est vraiment intéressant.
Savoir qu'il a gagné contre Sunderland 2-0 en ayant fait un centre pour Ryan Giggs, ça me gave. Et ces passages sont un peu trop nombreux dans la seconde partie du bouquin (sa vie professionnelle en Angleterre), dans une biographie déjà longue en termes de pages.
Il faut vraiment apprécier le joueur et le personnage pour s'y lancer.
Le soucis vient principalement de sa longueur, et surtout des résumés de matches qui ralentissent considérablement la lecture. Les phases d'analyse, ou celle qui décrivent l'environnement, la personnalité de Cantona, sont toutes très intéressantes. J'étais encore jeune lors des événements, je m'en rappelle brièvement. J'ai vu beaucoup d'images, de vidéos depuis. Et redécouvrir tout ça, la chronologie, des interviews et commentaires d'époque, c'est vraiment intéressant.
Savoir qu'il a gagné contre Sunderland 2-0 en ayant fait un centre pour Ryan Giggs, ça me gave. Et ces passages sont un peu trop nombreux dans la seconde partie du bouquin (sa vie professionnelle en Angleterre), dans une biographie déjà longue en termes de pages.
Il faut vraiment apprécier le joueur et le personnage pour s'y lancer.
December 28, 2016
The literary world is not overly filled with biographies of Eric Cantona despite his career and becoming the driving force and personality of the newly established Premier League in 1992 so Philippe Auclair’s contribution is definitely the most definitive.
The author has taken immense research to get a full picture of Cantona’s life and career with recounts of his professional career in France which is rarely told in this depth. His journey from France, his parallel career with his national team and ultimately his exit from France to Leeds United in 1991. There’s much needed context on his international career which, sometimes, gets lost because he wasn’t able to win a trophy yet he achieved success at a lower level and stayed on with the team after the failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.
Cantona’s disciplinary record is discussed and Auclair’s analysis that this was down to the style of football United played (aggressive) but to make a comparison with Don Revie’s Leeds, I felt, was a tad extreme. Premier League football was played a certain way from 1991-1997 and that intensity was seen at other clubs also plus Cantona quickly became a target for opposition players so naturally would respond in some way if he felt the referee wasn’t helping.
Auclair captures Cantona’s influence post-suspension in 1996 wonderfully, with words to paint the pictures of the Frenchman’s goals that saw United eclipse Newcastle United to the title.
One of the reasons of Cantona’s final season ended lacklustre for him as it did, in my opinion, was the summer malaise of seeing France perform in this country and he wasn’t there (to his own decision as the author states), plus also he must have felt some unhappiness with the lack of support from France’s FA (incidentally, he didn’t speak to journalists for a long time during his final few years at United) yet this wasn’t mentioned at all as a reason to why he turned down Aime Jacquet’s request to play in the Euros of 1996.
Overall, this is a definitive read on Eric Cantona. Like many sports stars, he has contradictions but also his moments of sincerity and generosity. Auclair tells his story with the in-depth research via newspaper cuttings, videos to show how Cantona’s career was pivotal to the rise of the Premier League as a product. There is much weight behind his sources such as Guy Roux, Gerard Houillier, his France Football colleagues, Sir Alex Ferguson etc. For a Manchester United fan, this is a must read.
The author has taken immense research to get a full picture of Cantona’s life and career with recounts of his professional career in France which is rarely told in this depth. His journey from France, his parallel career with his national team and ultimately his exit from France to Leeds United in 1991. There’s much needed context on his international career which, sometimes, gets lost because he wasn’t able to win a trophy yet he achieved success at a lower level and stayed on with the team after the failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.
Cantona’s disciplinary record is discussed and Auclair’s analysis that this was down to the style of football United played (aggressive) but to make a comparison with Don Revie’s Leeds, I felt, was a tad extreme. Premier League football was played a certain way from 1991-1997 and that intensity was seen at other clubs also plus Cantona quickly became a target for opposition players so naturally would respond in some way if he felt the referee wasn’t helping.
Auclair captures Cantona’s influence post-suspension in 1996 wonderfully, with words to paint the pictures of the Frenchman’s goals that saw United eclipse Newcastle United to the title.
One of the reasons of Cantona’s final season ended lacklustre for him as it did, in my opinion, was the summer malaise of seeing France perform in this country and he wasn’t there (to his own decision as the author states), plus also he must have felt some unhappiness with the lack of support from France’s FA (incidentally, he didn’t speak to journalists for a long time during his final few years at United) yet this wasn’t mentioned at all as a reason to why he turned down Aime Jacquet’s request to play in the Euros of 1996.
Overall, this is a definitive read on Eric Cantona. Like many sports stars, he has contradictions but also his moments of sincerity and generosity. Auclair tells his story with the in-depth research via newspaper cuttings, videos to show how Cantona’s career was pivotal to the rise of the Premier League as a product. There is much weight behind his sources such as Guy Roux, Gerard Houillier, his France Football colleagues, Sir Alex Ferguson etc. For a Manchester United fan, this is a must read.
October 14, 2022
I love listening to Auclair on Football Weekly, and - as a supporter of the French national football team, and knowing Cantona mainly through highlight reels and more recent interviews and outbursts, I wanted to give this a read - especially after Auclair's recounting of his writing of the biography on the podcast during some pandemic downtime in the summer of 2020.
No one can say that this isn't a well-researched book. For one not overly familiar with the history of Ligue 1 (France's top tier professional league), some of the earlier chapters might be tough going - Auclair provides precise commentary on specific matches, managers, and stories that define seemingly every formative moment in the career of the striker from Marseilles, and I admit that a fair amount of this was more for the Ligue 1 connoisseur than it was for me. However, every time Auclair turned his attention to the emotional highs and lows and personal nature of Cantona, I was there for it.
Auclair's best moments are when he interrupts his narrative and, in Italics, turns philosopher and poet, a tendency not foreign to his subject. Auclair is fair and balanced here. The most moving passages for me speak to failed partnerships, friendships dissolved and fan delirium. Auclair respects the volatile Frenchman, and so will you.
I've picked-up Auclair's biography on Thierry Henry and, despite being a Spurs supporter, will look forward to this one and hope a third is in the works.
No one can say that this isn't a well-researched book. For one not overly familiar with the history of Ligue 1 (France's top tier professional league), some of the earlier chapters might be tough going - Auclair provides precise commentary on specific matches, managers, and stories that define seemingly every formative moment in the career of the striker from Marseilles, and I admit that a fair amount of this was more for the Ligue 1 connoisseur than it was for me. However, every time Auclair turned his attention to the emotional highs and lows and personal nature of Cantona, I was there for it.
Auclair's best moments are when he interrupts his narrative and, in Italics, turns philosopher and poet, a tendency not foreign to his subject. Auclair is fair and balanced here. The most moving passages for me speak to failed partnerships, friendships dissolved and fan delirium. Auclair respects the volatile Frenchman, and so will you.
I've picked-up Auclair's biography on Thierry Henry and, despite being a Spurs supporter, will look forward to this one and hope a third is in the works.
December 30, 2025
I'm completely biased about this because King Eric is the reason why I love football and Manchester United. But it's also nice to know that the King has one of the best sport biographies I've read, and I've read more than a few. The author did a great job in capturing all the important moments and events of Eric's life and putting them into correct context, thus discovering to the world what kind of interesting character Eric Cantona actually is.
Outcast and outsider in his own country, misunderstood and taken for granted, rebel without a cause, artist trapped in the body of supreme athlete, made King by acclamation of fans of one of the greatest club in the world, became bigger than life then retired in his prime, known for his complete loss of control in face of adversity even more than his beautiful, important and historic goals.
Still, three decades after he retired, they sing his name every Christmas.
Ask any Manchester United fan and he will without any hesitation tell you that on the 12th day of Christmas his true love gave him twelve Cantonas, eleven Cantonas, ten Cantonas, nine Cantonas, eight Cantonas, seven Cantonas, six Cantonas, five Cantonas, four Cantonas, three Cantonas, two Cantonas and an Eric Cantona!
Outcast and outsider in his own country, misunderstood and taken for granted, rebel without a cause, artist trapped in the body of supreme athlete, made King by acclamation of fans of one of the greatest club in the world, became bigger than life then retired in his prime, known for his complete loss of control in face of adversity even more than his beautiful, important and historic goals.
Still, three decades after he retired, they sing his name every Christmas.
Ask any Manchester United fan and he will without any hesitation tell you that on the 12th day of Christmas his true love gave him twelve Cantonas, eleven Cantonas, ten Cantonas, nine Cantonas, eight Cantonas, seven Cantonas, six Cantonas, five Cantonas, four Cantonas, three Cantonas, two Cantonas and an Eric Cantona!
September 10, 2022
A very well written and researched biography of one of the most enigmatic and controversial footballers in the history of the game. With sources deriving from family, former teammates, managers, journalists, fans and critics, the writer provides an even-handed analysis of what made Éric Cantona very much the maverick he was known to be. A gifted player that is remembered for his personality, skill, strength, goal scoring and play-making was also unfortunately susceptible to moments of madness and ill-discipline causing a media frenzy everywhere he went.
The book chronicles his turbulent years in the French league to his move to England in the 90s where he gained cult hero status at Leeds and, shortly after, Manchester. He has since been regarded as Alex Ferguson's most inspired signing, proving to be the catalyst, the final piece of the puzzle, that would lead to many years of domestic dominance for Manchester United. The book also covers his complicated relationship with the French national team. All the ups, downs and redemptions are discussed in depth up to his disillusioned retirement from the game at age 30.
The book chronicles his turbulent years in the French league to his move to England in the 90s where he gained cult hero status at Leeds and, shortly after, Manchester. He has since been regarded as Alex Ferguson's most inspired signing, proving to be the catalyst, the final piece of the puzzle, that would lead to many years of domestic dominance for Manchester United. The book also covers his complicated relationship with the French national team. All the ups, downs and redemptions are discussed in depth up to his disillusioned retirement from the game at age 30.
December 1, 2017
Cantona is a very interesting character but this book certainly isn't. Couldnt finish it even containing less than 300 pages, mainly because of the very long paragraphs which made the read boring and the story hard to follow.
I give it 2.5 stars and I was really fooled by the high av. rating this title possessed here on goodreads. Maybe hundreds of man utd fans have just voted without reading it. Of the part I had the endurance to read, got one or two good anedoctes, the rest were endless sentences about who-gives-a-shit characters (coaches, journalists, fellow players) of the average french football.
I give it 2.5 stars and I was really fooled by the high av. rating this title possessed here on goodreads. Maybe hundreds of man utd fans have just voted without reading it. Of the part I had the endurance to read, got one or two good anedoctes, the rest were endless sentences about who-gives-a-shit characters (coaches, journalists, fellow players) of the average french football.
February 21, 2019
Ooh aah cantona
One of the best football books I've ever read. Objective in analysis but doesnt stop from acknowledging the genius anf enigma that was Cantona
One of the best football books I've ever read. Objective in analysis but doesnt stop from acknowledging the genius anf enigma that was Cantona
September 18, 2019
Loved it. Phillipe Auclair has a wonderful vocabulary
December 2, 2023
Whimsical and comprehensive.
June 7, 2024
Slick. Smart. Fitting.
September 13, 2024
"Herhalde topu ilk kez elime alıp okşadığım gün hava güneşliydi, insanlar mutluydu, bu yüzden içimden futbol oynamak geldi. Hayatım boyunca o anı yakalamaya çalıştım."
September 18, 2024
Everything I want from a biography. Offers more insight than any autobiography could. Éric Cantona, the King.
June 30, 2019
This book sparks joy and I haven't even gotten to Cantona's United years yet.
An added bonus has been populating Cantona's previously anemic Wikipedia page.
An added bonus has been populating Cantona's previously anemic Wikipedia page.
September 30, 2023
There really isn’t any reason to read a biography of Eric Cantona in 2023. Retired since 1995, he’s pretty much disappeared from the public eye. Although I was an admirer of Cantona when I first moved to England during his heyday with Manchester United in the early nineties, I bought this biography more because of a burgeoning interest I have in its author, French journalist Phillipe Auclair, who I discovered a few years ago through the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast. Along with football writers such as Jonathan Wilson, Barney Ronay, and Nicky Bandini, the standard of the journalists that appear on the podcast is excellent. Auclair is one of the stars of the show - charming, witty, extremely erudite (particularly for someone speaking in their second language), insightful, and opinionated (although the cross he bears to be carry the podcast’s moral conscience can be gratingly righteous). I bought Cantona to see if Auclair could write as well as he speaks. The short answer is yes. Written in English, his love of language and colourful insights are rife throughout. And his irresistible personality shines through, possibly too much at times, as he indulgently allows himself a number of pages at the end of each chapter to editorialize and, more controversially, psychoanalyze the subject. Cantona’s story is as complicated as it is fascinating, and Auclair his fellow Frenchman revels in the contradictions: mercenary individual or loyal team player; hard working grafter or gifted foreigner; troublemaker or principled leader; footballer or artist/philosopher; perennial choker or repeated winner. The life of a footballer is largely made up of goals, assists and results, and Auclair with his wry asides and perceptive commentary is able to breathe life into these dry statistics. Many of the details I was either unaware of or had forgotten (it’s hard to believe this all happened nearly thirty years ago). It may be a cliche, but Cantona was a larger than life character, full of passion and heart and soul. Auclair captures this humanity well, but it is pretty apparent that in Auclair's eyes Cantona could do very little wrong. From the bare chested portrait of a young Cantona on the cover to the enraptured tone Auclair uses throughout, the line between professional journalism and hagiography is often threatened if not crossed. I too was a fan of Cantona - he played the game as it should be played, bringing flair and artistry, and dare I say, elegance, to the lives of the people who were fortunate enough to watch him - but it is clear he was no saint.
Reading this biography has only partially satiated my curiosity of Auclair though, as I discovered that Auclair, in a previous life, was a successful musician and independent record label owner. In this instance, rather unusually, it would appear the biographer is almost as intriguing as his subject.
Reading this biography has only partially satiated my curiosity of Auclair though, as I discovered that Auclair, in a previous life, was a successful musician and independent record label owner. In this instance, rather unusually, it would appear the biographer is almost as intriguing as his subject.
May 19, 2013
First off, this book is my introduction to Philippe Auclair. I wasn't familiar with his writings before but now I am a fan!
For me, Auclair's credibility (which he maintains throughout)comes from his detachment from Eric himself. Yes, both of them are French but that's about it. No grandiose claims of being in the circle or unobstructed link to the man himself. In this book, Auclair intertwined the highs and the lows broadening the story right from the very beginning in a little household full of Cantonas in a small, rustic village just off the coast of Marseille.
What else do we need to know about Eric Cantona? Well, definitive doesn't even begin to describe this book. He can be imperviously imperturbable to impetuously impetus in a split second! From the off, you get the who's who of football punditry out and aloud.
Cantona - the book - was gripping, engaging and poignant at times with Auclair's masterful display of musings from former coaches, teammates, managers which incidentally made me scurry through the video archives of YouTube just to re-live the moments narrated in the book. Auclair also included with appeasing clarity all the moments of sheer brilliance for club and country. There's one whole chapter dedicated to that infamous 'kung-fu kick' with Auclair steadily pacing the moment of madness from previous chapters with an honest look at Eric's psyche.
Critically, I'm sure that 'Cantona' will divide opinions on him more than ever and might even surprise the most ardent fan of the Frenchman. It is literally enthralling to know that at the heart of it, Eric was a football journeyman who finally found his spiritual home in England.
For me, Auclair's credibility (which he maintains throughout)comes from his detachment from Eric himself. Yes, both of them are French but that's about it. No grandiose claims of being in the circle or unobstructed link to the man himself. In this book, Auclair intertwined the highs and the lows broadening the story right from the very beginning in a little household full of Cantonas in a small, rustic village just off the coast of Marseille.
What else do we need to know about Eric Cantona? Well, definitive doesn't even begin to describe this book. He can be imperviously imperturbable to impetuously impetus in a split second! From the off, you get the who's who of football punditry out and aloud.
Cantona - the book - was gripping, engaging and poignant at times with Auclair's masterful display of musings from former coaches, teammates, managers which incidentally made me scurry through the video archives of YouTube just to re-live the moments narrated in the book. Auclair also included with appeasing clarity all the moments of sheer brilliance for club and country. There's one whole chapter dedicated to that infamous 'kung-fu kick' with Auclair steadily pacing the moment of madness from previous chapters with an honest look at Eric's psyche.
Critically, I'm sure that 'Cantona' will divide opinions on him more than ever and might even surprise the most ardent fan of the Frenchman. It is literally enthralling to know that at the heart of it, Eric was a football journeyman who finally found his spiritual home in England.
August 24, 2013
A terrific account of the career of a footballing genius and an unmissable read for any fan of Cantona or Man. Utd. It should appeal to the neutral too. Cantona found his football and spiritual home at Old Trafford because Alex Ferguson "got him" in a way few managers before did. When Cantona went from Leeds to Man. Utd, the fortunes of both clubs changed dramatically and it's not hard to see that Cantona's transfer had a big part to play in this. For Man. Utd, he was the catalyst and foundation of a new football dynasty. His style of play encouraged others to express themselves, and he was a father figure to the "kids" who would dominate the game for years to come.
There are many interesting stories in the book particularly the one describing how Cantona turned down the chance to return to the French national team after his football suspension. If he had, he would surely have featured in France '98.
Very few people truely know or understand Eric Cantona, a man as elusive as he is brilliant, but this book comes closer than any to explaining the motives and ambitions of the gallic genius.
There are many interesting stories in the book particularly the one describing how Cantona turned down the chance to return to the French national team after his football suspension. If he had, he would surely have featured in France '98.
Very few people truely know or understand Eric Cantona, a man as elusive as he is brilliant, but this book comes closer than any to explaining the motives and ambitions of the gallic genius.
March 4, 2013
Fantastic insight into a grossly misunderstood footballer. This is not a platform to defend his actions, nor pour scorn on them, but a chance to present his career in facts rather than tabloid hyperbole.
Instead of using simple guesswork, it analyses his state of mind and asks 'why' rather than judging.
Auclair writes this in such a way that it does not feel like a biography of a famous personality but a historical or psychological piece on one of history's great characters. He manages this whilst keeping the reader enthralled in the narrative.
He also relies on the accounts of those who knew him best (which includes a number of prominent people in French and English football).
A first class account & the best biography that I have read.
Instead of using simple guesswork, it analyses his state of mind and asks 'why' rather than judging.
Auclair writes this in such a way that it does not feel like a biography of a famous personality but a historical or psychological piece on one of history's great characters. He manages this whilst keeping the reader enthralled in the narrative.
He also relies on the accounts of those who knew him best (which includes a number of prominent people in French and English football).
A first class account & the best biography that I have read.
July 7, 2014
A superbly crafted narrative on the life of one of the most misunderstood characters in the history of football. It's tempting to choose sides in a biography, particularly when it's the biography of a man who has simultaneously been deified and vilified by the same society, at the same frame of time. However, Philippe Auclair shows excellent balance throughout this meticulously documented archive of Cantona's life - up to his 'death' in 1997 - and combines it with marvellous, free-flowing prose that makes the book an absolutely delightful read, despite the amount of dry detail it contains.
Highly recommended for every football fan.
Highly recommended for every football fan.
April 3, 2013
Cantona - the rebel, the revolutionary, the show man, the artist..a human fighting with the world and with himself for his existence
Opinion keeps on changing as you go through the book... initially it runs on a track of 'portrayal of cantona' as an unusual freak , ill tempered but a passionate lad , however as it builds up its totally up to the leader to form an opinion
Book is worth a read on account of fine details of league football , behind the curtain world of french journalism and sports fraternity be it England or France, interpersonal relationship of coaches - players and players-owners.
Opinion keeps on changing as you go through the book... initially it runs on a track of 'portrayal of cantona' as an unusual freak , ill tempered but a passionate lad , however as it builds up its totally up to the leader to form an opinion
Book is worth a read on account of fine details of league football , behind the curtain world of french journalism and sports fraternity be it England or France, interpersonal relationship of coaches - players and players-owners.
December 13, 2010
Apart from the too detailed (for me) accounts of Cantona's exploits in the French first division and the post-Kung Fu/Palace episode Man Utd days, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Cantona was (and still is) an interesting bloke and even greater footballer. Auclair's book is intelligent and well written, certainly worth reading if you like football with flair, passion and panache, Eric had plenty of that!
Cantona was (and still is) an interesting bloke and even greater footballer. Auclair's book is intelligent and well written, certainly worth reading if you like football with flair, passion and panache, Eric had plenty of that!
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