Overachieving and eccentric football manager Brian Clough was on his way to take over at the country's most successful, and most reviled, football ...
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Jan 18, 2009
Nick
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With a pace as fast as ol big ed's mouth and as much fags and booze as a working man's club, this is the no-holds-barred story of how Brian Clough went to Leeds United. And left in no time flat. On his 1st meeting with the team he told them they had won the previous league through cheating, and they should just throw their medals away because with him they would win it fairly. From there it went rapidly downhill, helped along by a fair amount of boardroom backstabbing and dressing-room betrayal.
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Jul 28, 2011
Derek
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At first the narrative trick of using and re-using certain stacatto phrases over and over again was quite alienating and irritating. But soon it dawned on me that inhabiting the mind of Brian Clough for several hundred pages isn't necessarily supposed to be a comfortable thing to do and that the constant repetition probably very closely mirrors the obsessive (and very self-obsessive) nature of the man.
Another very effective narrative technique was to tell in parallel the story of Clough's brill More...
Another very effective narrative technique was to tell in parallel the story of Clough's brill More...
Jul 25, 2011
Matthew
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Having seen the film The Damned United some months back, I was intrigued to read its source material: the novel The Damned Utd by David Peace. Often this can put the reader at a disadvantage because this can leave the reader knowing what's to come in the novel. The Damned Utd though is a much different case though. Even though both as fictional accounts of famed British football (soccer to most of us Americans) manager Brian Clough's 44 day reign over the Leeds United football team in 1974 and t
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Mar 25, 2011
Richard
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The likes of Brian Clough don't seem to grace our 'technical areas' anymore (bar José Mourinho) so this book should be a good read for any football fans.
From the moment he starts his management career, Cloughie comes across as a control freak and what he says goes...
The book is broken down into the 44 days he spent at Leeds, but could be confusing to start with as this is interlaced with the story of his football (playing & management) career up to his Leeds appointment.
The r More...
From the moment he starts his management career, Cloughie comes across as a control freak and what he says goes...
The book is broken down into the 44 days he spent at Leeds, but could be confusing to start with as this is interlaced with the story of his football (playing & management) career up to his Leeds appointment.
The r More...
Aug 03, 2008
Mbanga
rated it: 
I don't think it's the greatest spots novel of all time (as proclaimed by one of the blurbs on the cover); however, it does do a good job of showing is that many of the controversies of today's game -- diving, haranguing of referees, inflated transfer fees, bungs, and obsessions with Europe -- were there even in the supposed golden years of the innocent past. Plus, the characters spend most of their time smoking and boozing, which probably is a change from the top flight of today.
Mar 20, 2010
E.
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I was by nature inclined to like this book as it is the first non-fiction football novel I've read. Then there are Peace's influences: these are, as far as I can tell, Jameses Ellroy and Kelman, Beckett and B.S. Johnson - writers who pay obsessive attention to the order and meaning of words. Some of his stylistic quirks were not to my taste, such as his use of repetition, which was as often offputting as it was engaging. It seems lazy to crowbar the reader's attention with a repeated expletive i
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Jul 30, 2011
John
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I can understand why the Clough family felt this portrayed Brian Clough in a bad light (a balance that is supposedly redressed in the film) but it makes for a really good read for those of us who lived through the heyday of Leeds United, when their reputation and unpopularity with anyone but United fans ranks on a par with the current Manchester United team. Cloughie was the man of the moment who thought that he could get them back to playing football - rather than muscling teams off the park -
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Nov 16, 2009
Godzilla
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Firstly my own little anecdote about old big 'ead: my mother was asked out by him as a teenager, but didn't have a clue who he was. In a parallel universe I could be Cloughie's son...
To the book: I was already a fan of David Peace's Red Riding Quartet, so I was hoping for more of the same, and I wasn't disappointed.
The writing is sharp and pacy, and the difefrent sides of Clough (that I was already aware of) are painted very well.
How many liberties taken and e More...
To the book: I was already a fan of David Peace's Red Riding Quartet, so I was hoping for more of the same, and I wasn't disappointed.
The writing is sharp and pacy, and the difefrent sides of Clough (that I was already aware of) are painted very well.
How many liberties taken and e More...
Sep 08, 2009
Matthew
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Really enjoyed the first half of this but towards the end some of Peace’s stylistic tropes began to get quite irritating. One of his trademark touches is the use of repetition, so a certain phrase or description that’s going through a character’s mind will crop up again every few pages. This is effective at building up a sense of routine and nagging obsession but by page 200 or so I was getting thoroughly sick of it. Also his fictionalisation of real-life characters is an interesting device b
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Dec 11, 2010
abo
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Non è semplice scrivere buoni libri sul calcio. Ci è riuscito Nick Hornby con "Febbre a 90°", ci riesce anche David Peace con "Il maledetto United", una dichiarazione d’amore per uno sport che in Inghilterra è sacro quanto la Regina, e per un personaggio che di questo sport ha fatto la storia.
Siamo alla fine degli anni ’60, un’epoca anteriore a quella narrata da Peace nella quadrilogia del Red Riding Hood.
Brian Clough, football genius con un gloriosa carriera da giocatore all More...
Siamo alla fine degli anni ’60, un’epoca anteriore a quella narrata da Peace nella quadrilogia del Red Riding Hood.
Brian Clough, football genius con un gloriosa carriera da giocatore all More...
Jul 26, 2011
David Peace has a very characteristic writing style, favouring first tense, brief sentences, strong structure. This book features in alternate short sections the story of Clough's 44 days at Leeds and his earlier career as background and explanation. Sports fans and football fans with a literary inclination will love this book, but it is not in reality a book about football. It is a book about a man of ruthless ambition destroying what he loves and almost destroying himself in the process. Cl
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Oct 22, 2009
Greenockian
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A great book. I was a Leeds fan as a kid due to the sheer number of Scots in the side and as a Scot living in the middle of England they were the natural choice for me. I also liked Brian Clough but I knew from Day 1 his arrival at Leeds would be a disaster: Yorkshire/Scottish grit meets North East cocksuredness. Something had to give and it can never be the team! The book captures a sense of the real Brian Clough for sure - but also serves as a reminder of what life was like for us in the 70's:
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Aug 14, 2010
Ty
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i chose to read this book while in England so i could truly appreciate the story line. apparently the author is one of the UK's brightest young novelists, but i guess i am not much of a "modern novel" reader. to me, it was liking reading a book written like an MTV music video is edited...the author splices together the story of Brian Clough's glory days at Derby County with his bizarre 44 days at Leeds United. much of the novel is written in stream of consciousness style, with the a
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Aug 08, 2011
Fiona
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This concurrently tells the stories of Brian Clough's unsuccessful tenure at Leeds United and of his preceeding career from the injury which ended his playing career on to his being offered the role at Leeds.
The way it's written - in short sections with lots of repetition - means that it can be difficult to get absorbed in the events. Some of the characters also appear to be two dimensional and it can be difficult to understand their motivation. This is maybe down to the fact that the novel is More...
The way it's written - in short sections with lots of repetition - means that it can be difficult to get absorbed in the events. Some of the characters also appear to be two dimensional and it can be difficult to understand their motivation. This is maybe down to the fact that the novel is More...
Sep 21, 2009
Joshua
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I picked this up in London and it was a lively tale about a controversial soccer coach in England in the 1970s named Brian Clough. This is a novel based on real events as Clough took over the Leeds United job and lasted only 40+ days before being forced to resign in a storm of controversy.
The story is told in two parts--the present as Clough self destructs and the past that shows how Clough came to get the Leeds job. I had no clue who Clough is and haven't the foggiest about '70s Engl More...
The story is told in two parts--the present as Clough self destructs and the past that shows how Clough came to get the Leeds job. I had no clue who Clough is and haven't the foggiest about '70s Engl More...
Sep 11, 2011
David
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Ok....it's fiction. But anyone with an interest in football in the early 70s would recognise the characters (and the issues) only too well. It's what helps make this into a really good read. It's all about 'dirty' Leeds. Don Revie's Leeds. They polarised opinion like few others. The Damned United by David Pierce captures – quite wonderfully – an infamous and truly bizarre 44 days. A car crash just waiting to happen! As a football supporter, there was no half way house with Leeds. You eith
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Aug 07, 2011
Mike
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A really good read. A dramatic interpretation of Cloughie's ill-fated period as manager of Leeds United. Remarkably, the author manages not to take sides and both Cloughie and Leeds come out of the book with equal amounts of respect and criticism. He was clearly a barnpot, but also undoubtedly a remarkable manager. The role of Peter Taylor is also highlighted and his importance to Clough's management is portrayed as an intrinsic element of his success.
The book is told as interwoven description o More...
The book is told as interwoven description o More...
Mar 05, 2009
Bill
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This is one of the greatest football books I have ever read, about one of THE greatest football managers who ever lived.
If you are a fan of Brian Clough or just football in general you won't be able to put this book down.
It takes you so far into the world of Seventies football that you can even smell the sodden turf and Deep Heat!
This book underlines the amazing early achievements of the enigmatic Clough, as well as the complete hatred between him and Leeds U More...
If you are a fan of Brian Clough or just football in general you won't be able to put this book down.
It takes you so far into the world of Seventies football that you can even smell the sodden turf and Deep Heat!
This book underlines the amazing early achievements of the enigmatic Clough, as well as the complete hatred between him and Leeds U More...
Aug 05, 2011
I'd heard of the book something like a year ago and as I was on holiday in London I picked this up at HMV for £4. A real bargain. What a cold, dark and miserable world the main character is living in. Well written. Recommended for a football fan as myself and whoever is looking for something a bit different.
This is coming from someone who is not familiar with Peace's other work, not to mention that familiar with Brian Clough, except for the name and some articles written in 442 football magazine More...
This is coming from someone who is not familiar with Peace's other work, not to mention that familiar with Brian Clough, except for the name and some articles written in 442 football magazine More...
Jul 28, 2011
I'll admit, I read this because I watched the movie to see Michael Sheen (because it is unlikely he will be making more Tony Blair movies), and I didn't get it, although I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Colm Meaney swear. So then I read this book, hoping it might give me a clue why Brian Clough would go to great lengths to take a job with a football club that hates him, and simultaneously coach brilliantly while doing everything possible to get fired. I still don't understand at all, which is, per
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Apr 21, 2009
Kay
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I am not a football fan, but I loved this book. David Peace had clearly done his research and decided on what he thought Brian Clough's motivation was. The film is equally good, but is rather different. In the film we see all the action, but in the book you see things through Brian Clough's eyes and get an insight into the possible interior life of a person who was known for his outspoken opinions but may not have revealed his true character & motivations to the world at large. This is one o
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Feb 08, 2012
Steve
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As a novel, this is an excellent blend of fact and fiction to create a fascinating insight into the forty-four days of Brian Clough’s tenure at Leeds United. Interspersed with that narrative is how he came into the job; his playing career cut short through injury, early days at Hartlepool, glory days at Derby County and the trip to Brighton and Hove Albion.
It is understandable that the Clough family treat the book with such disdain. The text does portray Clough as the managerial genius More...
It is understandable that the Clough family treat the book with such disdain. The text does portray Clough as the managerial genius More...
Dec 09, 2011
Gloriagloom
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Premetto che calcio e calciatori mi stan da sempre gagliardamente sulle balle; e lì locati anche gli scritti letterari intorno al calcio, siano essi le logore romanticherie che da Soriano scendono giù giù sino a Darwin Pastorin oppure le scuole moderne di pensiero che vogliono il tifo politicamente corretto alla Hornby e le teste spaccate in allegria di Irvin Welsh. Questo per dire che Il Maledetto United, così a occhio e naso, non avrebbe avuto alcun appeal su di me se non fosse che è farina de
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Dec 25, 2011
Stephen
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Cracking read, particularly if you're interested in football, particularly if you remember Brian Clough. All pseudo-stream of consciousness, which I think Peace pulls off reasonably well. It doesn't really convince as a "stream of consciousness", however if it did it would probably be unreadable. It does succeed at giving the illusion of a stream of consciousness while remaining readable. More than that, I found the structure of the book really interesting, interlocking the stories
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Mar 08, 2010
Susan
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You can't even BUY this one from Amazon or B&N in the U.S. (yeah, what a shock), so I bought a copy from an Amazon aftermarket seller in the U.K. Amongst my book friends, probably only ARLINE will give a rat's patootie about this one. :)
The comments on the cover and on the leading few pages read like hyperbole, they're so glowing and complimentary. Things like "THE best book about football. Ever." and "The best book about sport, PERIOD." I'm interested in it fo More...
The comments on the cover and on the leading few pages read like hyperbole, they're so glowing and complimentary. Things like "THE best book about football. Ever." and "The best book about sport, PERIOD." I'm interested in it fo More...
Jul 14, 2009
Kendra
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I know this book is a dramatized version of the real story. It was still a good read. Quick, engaging, and really showed how deep one of the most infamous clash of personalities in English football. I always knew Brian Clough was an icon, but this book helped me understand why.
I would recommend it for people who like laddish fiction or English football. If you don't like either, this probably won't be your thing. It's not to say you need to know the whole story, but you need to at l More...
I would recommend it for people who like laddish fiction or English football. If you don't like either, this probably won't be your thing. It's not to say you need to know the whole story, but you need to at l More...
Jun 30, 2009
Stokespower
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thught this was darned good writing, just as i was getting tired with samey samey fiction. my only reservation is the one i saw john giles (the irishman) made in a bbc documentary about clough (made to tie in with the film of the book) - i.e its historical FICTION. the book wasn't published until most of the protagnists died; because it's libelous.
doesn't make ita bad book, but it does mean you can judge it?
and also its historical fiction. puts it in the same category as 'the More...
doesn't make ita bad book, but it does mean you can judge it?
and also its historical fiction. puts it in the same category as 'the More...
Jan 09, 2009
Michael
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I'm a fan of English football and was a kid in the 1970's during the heyday of Brian Clough, one of the most high profile and brilliant managers of all time. Being a bit young to really have been aware of his brilliance at the time. This fictionalized account of a particularly strange period of his career brings him to life in a way that no by the numbers biography could have done.
The story intertwines a chronological account of his brief stint as manager of Leeds United (a team he h More...
The story intertwines a chronological account of his brief stint as manager of Leeds United (a team he h More...
Sep 08, 2009
Rachel
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Despite my almost total lack of historical football knowledge, I did enjoy this book. It's as much about one incredibly driven man's state of mind as the game itself. Jumping around from past to present is occasionally distracting and the language does get repetitive at times, but it does serve to reinforce Clough's voice.
I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but I've erred on the side of generosity. I am curious to see the film, and the changes I've heard the script made seem to be somew More...
I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but I've erred on the side of generosity. I am curious to see the film, and the changes I've heard the script made seem to be somew More...
Feb 16, 2011
Craigb
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A decent read if you’re interested in football and can remember ‘ol big ed' in his prime. My only concern is that I’m not too sure how much is fiction and how much is fact. That said I like the way the book switches to the “present” on his appointment as Leeds Manager and his time at Derby where Cloughy made his name (I didn’t realise Derby reached the European Cup semi-finals...that bit is fact). What is interesting is Cloughy’s managerial style. I wonder how it would go down with some of to
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