Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Damned Utd
    The Damned Utd
    The Damned Utd
    Audiobook (abridged)4 hours

    The Damned Utd

    Written by David Peace

    Narrated by John Simm

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In 1974 the brilliant and controversial Brian Clough made perhaps his most eccentric decision: he accepted the Leeds United Manager's job. As successor to Don Revie, his bitter adversary, he was to last 44 days. David Peace takes us into the mind and thoughts of Ol' Big 'Ead himself and brings vividly to life one of postwar Britain's most complex and fascinating characters.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFaber & Faber
    Release dateSep 6, 2012
    ISBN9780571239146
    The Damned Utd
    Author

    David Peace

    David Peace grew up in Yorkshire in the '70's and vividly remembers listening to the hoax tape of the Yorkshire Ripper on his way home from school. He was selected as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists 2003. He lives in Japan.

    Related to The Damned Utd

    Related audiobooks

    Soccer For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Kaka

      Jul 27, 2021

      Kaka
      16 min read

    • Article

      Bruce Grobbelaar

      Aug 24, 2022

      Bruce Grobbelaar
      17 min read

    • Article

      Arrigo Sacchi

      Feb 2, 2023

      Arrigo Sacchi
      16 min read

    • Article

      Claims To Fame Tranmere Rovers

      Jan 6, 2022

      In 1924, a Birkenhead prodigy called William Ralph Dean made his Tranmere debut. ‘Dixie’ would soon be gobbled up by Everton and obliterate British records – but not before losing a testicle courtesy of a horror tackle in a reserve game against Altri

      1 min read

    • Article

      1972 Honda Cr250m Elsinore

      Sep 5, 2020

      IN THE LATE ’60s, Soichiro Honda was quoted as saying: “Honda will never build a two-stroke motorcycle”. The company had made its name with four-strokes and legend has it that “Mr Thunder” hated two-strokes with a passion. Fortunately for many of us,

      1 min read

    • Article

      Don Cook

      Oct 1, 2021

      Don Cook
      1 min read

    • Article

      Tales From Tokyo

      Dec 15, 2022

      Tales From Tokyo
      3 min read

    • Article

      BEST&WORST DUNDEE UNITED

      Oct 19, 2022

      BEST&WORST DUNDEE UNITED
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Lockup

      Jul 2, 2020

      The Lockup
      4 min read

    • Article

      Eric Liddell 1902–45

      May 13, 2021

      Eric Liddell 1902–45
      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Damned Utd

    4/5

    268 ratings15 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      You chose the right book, if you're interested in football history mixed with fiction.
      "Damned United" is about Brain Clough management in English football leagues accompanied with his friend/assistant Peter Taylor.
      it's written from Clough's point of view, started with commence of his career in Leeds United club -which was under management of Clough's biggest rival, Don Revie for 13 years- interspersed with some flashbacks that gives you some hints about his successful days in Derby County and how he became BRIAN CLOUGH.

      - The Times as "probably the best novel ever written about sport"

    • 4/5
      I loved this book. My family were big Derby fans in the 60's/70's and all the football I remember is in here.

    • 4/5
      Having once briefly worked with Cloughie in the late 1970s when I was promoting a series of football talk-ins and he guested ('Shave your beard off, young man' were his first words to me) and having enjoyed the uncannily accurate characterisation of this controversial figure on film by Michael Sheen, I was particularly interested to catch up with David Peace's fictional portrayal, the novel that inspired the film.So glad I did. Peace nails the self-obsession, the paranoia, the manipulative but compelling speech and eccentric behaviour, and above all the sheer neediness of the man who set out deliberately to create his own legend and came close to being destroyed by the ghost of another, Don Revie.Throughout we live in Cloughie's tortured mind (first person voice for the Leeds episodes, constantly switching to second person for Derby and other scenes of the past). It's an uncomfortable lodging, but the very best place to explore his troubled psyche, and it does not restrict Peace who brilliantly illustrates the seedy, shambling, low-level corrupt and amateurish nature of 'professional' football in the 1970s, and colourfully recounts the tale of Clough's 44-day tenure as Leeds United manager.This is a fascinating story, seared by truth, and a great character study, more powerful, dramatic and original than any sporting biography or autobiography you are likely to read, 'ghosted' or otherwise. It may not be, as the cover claims, 'the best novel ever written about sport' (Peace's own list of sources and acknowlegements throws up a couple of contenders for that title) but it's certainly in the running.
    • 3/5
      Started off well, but I felt like it lost its way a little. It took me by surprise at first as I had foolishly thought of it as a biography of this period of Brian Clough's management career, it is not it is certainly a fiction based around particular facts. The fact that the events featured in the book are so recent made me wonder how accurate the portrayals are and I think this affected my enjoyment of the book. I found it very difficult to see it as a work of fiction given it's setting.The style of the writing, which is split into past and present, started to tire me a little as I neared the end of the book. Overall though I enojoyed a lot of the book and will look into other books by the author.
    • 4/5
      I listened to Johnny Giles talking about this book on RTE and was amazed by his contempt for the author's account of the events of the short tenure of Brian Clough as Leeds Utd manager in the 1970's.He subsequently went onto to sue David Peace sucessfully and said that the book would never have been written if the two main protagonists ,Brian Clough and Don Revie had been alive.He said the story was a pack of lies and should never have been written..However Peace's take on one of the most fascinating episodes of English footballing history is hard to put down.Personally,I found the story of Brian Clough ,probably the most charismatic manager in British football totally intriguing.From his demise as manager of Derby County to the appointment as boss of Leeds Utd (a team he openly despised)is engrossing.They say never let the truth stand in the way of a good story ,and that may be the case here,but this is nonetheless very hard to put down.Fascinating.
    • 5/5
      I found this book entirely engrossing. i was just eleven years old when Clough took on the job of managing Leeds United and though I was obsessed with football I was naturally unaware of the undercurrents.This fictional account from Clough's viewpoint intermingles reflections on each of the 44 days that he passed as manager of Leeds with reminiscences of his previous career, starting with the horrific injury to his cruciate ligament that, effectively ended his playing career. (Incidentally this was the same injury that Paul Gascoigne suffered, delaying his move from Spurs to Lazio).It was also enthralling to read accounts of Clough's relationship with Peter Taylor, and also with a raft of players whom i remember so vividly from ATV's Star Soccer which was essential viewing every Sunday afternoon (whatever happened to Hugh Johns?), and, of course, Don Revie, whom he despised beyond measure.The unanswered question, though, is why he ever took the job on in the first place. Still, having read this I am desperate now to see the film
    • 4/5
      A unique novel. Have never read a sporting book like it. Covers the legendary manager Brian Clough's 40 or so tumultuos days as Manager of Leeds Utd. The story shifts in time from those 40 days set in the present to his past as a Manager of Derby County. I found the literary style a little annoying and the book did not live up to all the hype.The film based on the book was a lot more rewarding.
    • 3/5
      I don't think it's as good as the other David Peace books but it's still pretty good. I like his visceral style and I reckon he creates a credible Cloughie. The Clough/Leeds culture clash is well handled and the flashbacks to Clough's playing and early managerial career work well.
    • 2/5
      Great book. Rapid paced pageturner all about the fears, doubts, insecurities and machinations of a football manager.

      Found the pace really suited the subject matter, and loved the way the atmosphere was created.

    • 4/5
      This is a very intense and fast-paced book documenting the 44 days that Brian Clough spent as manager of Leeds Utd. But its not just about football, its about a man, and about what its like inside his head. His story draws you in and makes you want to read on to watch the inevitable roller coaster ride.
    • 3/5
      Interesting fictionalisation of Clough's 44 days at Leeds. The endless repetition, endless repetition, endless repetition started to get on my nerves half way through and I had to start skipping lines. It is a good account of a fascinating character and seemingly well researched... but don't believe the hype: if you aren't interested in football [I am a Leeds supporter] and don't remember the 1970's then you probably wont enjoy this book.
    • 5/5
      I was tipped off about this book by the only man I know who is obsessive about the game as I and he sold it as the "best book he'd ever read". With such high praise from one so well read I had to get it and certainly wasnt disappointed. A superb account of Clough at his best and presumably worse. This book could be the real thing along the lines of the Turin shroud, I believe it is close enough to the man himself to have been written by him (im sure his family would best answer that claim) Peaces attention to detail with regard to the eras football is outstanding and god only knows who long his research took him, to keep the book as accurate as it was. If there is a criticism I wonder how someone without knowledge of the era of the game it describes would follow the story. The charachters are real and those with knowledge dont need a mental picture, because we know who they are how they played etc. Whether a football inactive would find this quite so enjoyable is debatable but as this doesnt apply to me, stuff em I absolutely loved it. It is particularly ironic to me that two iconic managers despised each other so much. For those unaware of the geography they were practically brought up in the same street in middlesbrough (near as damn it) which again is very strange but good if like me you are from the same place.
    • 4/5
      heightened paranoia through the staccato split narrative; you read about the beginning and end of the reign at leeds at the same time, for the rest of the book, the time at leeds is comapared to cloughie's time at hartlepools (idiomatic?) and derby. another interesting feature is the constant mentioning of the date, like it's a time to remember, but it generally happens on everyday. a great way of heightening the historical senses, or just a drunkard's way of clinging to reality?
    • 5/5
      This is the best book I have ever read about football, and up there with one of the best books I have ever read. Although you (may) already know what is going to happen the narrative keeps you turning the page to see what will happen next. This book presents a superb insight into the obsessive, backstabbing and corrupt world of 1970's English football with nasty players, self important chairmen and at the centre of it all Brian Clough.
    • 5/5
      Read about Brian Clough's journey into hell. my book of the year.