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I won the book in a TSF competition, I promised a review, so here it is. 
Foreword. I said it before: Alex Higgins is my least favourite player. Reading the book hasn't changed my mind ... much.
The book itself is very well written and I think it's a pity Sean Boru didn't get more recognition for the work done. Although Alex life is far from being a happy one the story as told is full of hilarious episodes and humour, dark brand of it more often than not. I quite enjoyed it.
It retraces Alex's life, more or less in a chronological way, with some important chapters devoted to his marriage and relationship with Lynn. It certainly throws light on Alex background and personality...
What I gather of it is that Alex was and still is mainly the cause of his own problems. A much loved boy who was never taugh discipline and never accepted anything but his own ways and has a very high perception of himself. Although he doesn't deny behaving badly in many occasions the main motto of the book is " I wan't that bad, it's not my fault..." OK I oversimplify, but that's really the main feeling I got reading through it. And as a matter of facts Alex never really attempted to change his ways - he expected the others to support him and accept him the way he was - and exhausted the patience of many who tried to help him.
Of course he paid the price, a very high one. But somehow he's still in his delusion.
He has a point though regarding the WPBSA. Although in my opinion the authorities had all reasons to punish him for his behaviours and actually showed a lot of patience before having had enough of him, it isn't healthy, neither fair, for the same organisation to be the players association, the authorities in charge and the disciplinary body all at the same time. Conflict of interests are inevitable with such a setup and Alex, like others btw, certainly has on occasions be the victim of it.
The other interesting aspect of the book is the light it throws of the reality of the snooker player's life away from the lime lights. The many hours hanging around in shabby venues, the long trips by road and trains, the depressing hotels, the many days away from home, the late nights, the temptations, the struggle for money when not at the top, the sicophants, the sometimes dishonest managers ripping you off ... All this is taking it's toll on the guys and certainly exposes them to higher risks of going off the rails.
Finally there is also the difficult relationship with the press and its consequencies. Lack of privacy in difficult moments being the most disturbing one.
All in all I certainly recommend the reading.
Foreword. I said it before: Alex Higgins is my least favourite player. Reading the book hasn't changed my mind ... much.
The book itself is very well written and I think it's a pity Sean Boru didn't get more recognition for the work done. Although Alex life is far from being a happy one the story as told is full of hilarious episodes and humour, dark brand of it more often than not. I quite enjoyed it.
It retraces Alex's life, more or less in a chronological way, with some important chapters devoted to his marriage and relationship with Lynn. It certainly throws light on Alex background and personality...
What I gather of it is that Alex was and still is mainly the cause of his own problems. A much loved boy who was never taugh discipline and never accepted anything but his own ways and has a very high perception of himself. Although he doesn't deny behaving badly in many occasions the main motto of the book is " I wan't that bad, it's not my fault..." OK I oversimplify, but that's really the main feeling I got reading through it. And as a matter of facts Alex never really attempted to change his ways - he expected the others to support him and accept him the way he was - and exhausted the patience of many who tried to help him.
Of course he paid the price, a very high one. But somehow he's still in his delusion.
He has a point though regarding the WPBSA. Although in my opinion the authorities had all reasons to punish him for his behaviours and actually showed a lot of patience before having had enough of him, it isn't healthy, neither fair, for the same organisation to be the players association, the authorities in charge and the disciplinary body all at the same time. Conflict of interests are inevitable with such a setup and Alex, like others btw, certainly has on occasions be the victim of it.
The other interesting aspect of the book is the light it throws of the reality of the snooker player's life away from the lime lights. The many hours hanging around in shabby venues, the long trips by road and trains, the depressing hotels, the many days away from home, the late nights, the temptations, the struggle for money when not at the top, the sicophants, the sometimes dishonest managers ripping you off ... All this is taking it's toll on the guys and certainly exposes them to higher risks of going off the rails.
Finally there is also the difficult relationship with the press and its consequencies. Lack of privacy in difficult moments being the most disturbing one.
All in all I certainly recommend the reading.
It says it all ...
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