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My England Years: The Autobiography | 
 enlarge | Author: Bobby Charlton
Publisher: Headline
Category: Book
List Price: £20.00
Buy New: £11.79
You Save: £8.21 (41%)
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 0755316215
EAN: 9780755316212
ASIN: 0755316215
Publication Date: September 18, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 More England than Bobby November 21, 2008
This is the second part of Sir Bobby Charlton's fascinating autobiography. In the first, "My Manchester United Years", he provided a lot of moving personal insight into, for example, his trauma post-Munich air disaster, how the club dealt with the other surviving players and their families, and his, at times, difficult relationship with his mother and brother. In other words it was a personally revealing book. This second part, by comparison, is in many ways more typical of a footballer's autobiography, focusing on match details and brief, albeit personal, pen pictures of the characters involved. For regular consumers of books covering this era of football there is little new or surprising here.
Despite this, the book is well-written, thoughful and informative. Here this great footballer leaves aside the pain and angst of Munich and transmits something of the sheer quality and competitiveness of football at the highest level. His convictions about teamwork are clear and here you feel is where he was most comfortable, immersed in what he did best alongside others of the same kind, where the only questions were how to play and how to win.
Finally, there are some striking glances into just how accessible top footballers used to be. For example, this most famous of Englishmen popped out to do some shopping on the morning of playing in the World Cup Final, in the capital city of his own country. I can vouch for this as I once wandered up his front drive, after he was a World and European Cup winner, and while he was hoovering the inside of his car I had a chat and obtained an autograph. For anyone who grew up watching Sir Bobby and remembers the era when he was simply the best English player alive then this book is a must-buy complement to volume one.
 A must have 2-part autobiography for any serious sports fan November 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Nothing annoys me more than sports men and women writing their autobiography's after some brief initial success before disappearing into the abyss of the unsustainables...... Bobby Charlton 'scores' again firstly by employing an award winning ghost writer making the reading a real pleasure but also by having enough great stories to tell having had long and eventful sporting life. This book, as the cover suggests, chronicles Mr. Charlton's England career. The book is also not without humour and without spoiling it for you, his first confrontation with Pele is laugh out loud funny!
An Excellent Sequel November 10, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The original "United Years" did not leave much to be desired as an extraordinary account of the life an extraordinary man. However, the "England Years" proved to be just as compelling and interesting, the book provides the fascinating insight of a hugely influential player on a volatile period of English football and really shouldn't be missed. A great read for any sports fan.
An insiders view of the England football team 1958 to 1970 November 7, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Although this is the second part of Bobby Charltons autobiography, it would be more accurate to think of it as being Bobby Charltons biography of the England football team from 1958, when he made his debut, to 1970, when he played his final England game, in the cruel defeat to West Germany in the Mexico World Cup.
As most of his autobiographical details were dealt with in the first book, the Manchester United Years, this book is almost totally devoted to football and there is very little of Bobby Charlton the man (as opposed to Bobby Charlton the footballer) in it. This is not meant as a critism because, like the first one, this is an excellent book.
It is largely forgotten now but fifty years ago the England football team was in a bit of the mess. At one stage - between 1958 & 1959 - they only won one game in eleven, and that was against an extremely weak USA team. As this book explains, the then manager, Walter Winterbottom, tried his best to build a winning team but he had an impossible task because in those days the England manager had very limited powers, having to refer most things, even team selection, to an FA committee. It was only after the arrival of the single-minded Alf Ramsey, in 1963, that things started to change for the better.
Being an integral part of Ramseys team (even if Sir Alf made sure that Charlton was aware that not even his place in the team was guaranteed)Bobby Charlton was well placed to cast judgement on his role in turning England into World Champions in 1966. He explains that to win the World Cup, Ramsey built a team containing not the eleven best English players but instead the eleven players who one do the best job as a TEAM. This is why the free scoring Jimmy Greaves did not play in the World Cup Final but instead the lesser talented Geoff Hurst did.
Although, quite rightly, the bulk of the book is about the 1966 World Cup and the build up towards it, Bobby Charltons two other World Cup campaigns, in 1962 & 1970, are well covered. The story of Englands quarter final defeat to West Germany after being two goals up and coasting is particuarly absorbing reading as there were many interesting side stories - Franz Beckenbauers marking job on Charlton, Gordon Banks's bad stomach, Englands capitulation after Charlton was substituted, Bobby Moore being accused of theft - involved.
A very good book, and together with 'The Manchester United Years' surely amongst the best fooball autobiographies ever written.
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