There is nothing better than reading a book written by an author in love with the subject. I have laughed out loud at some parts of this book (which gets me wierd looks on the subway let me tell ya!) nearly been in tears in others, Anyone care to nominate any other great GAA reads?
'Hooked'
by Justin McCarthy (and Kieran Shannon)
"Green Fields" by Tom Humphries
Last Man Standing - Hurling Goalkeepers by Christy O'Connor is a really good read if your interested in what makes keepers tick and what motivates intercounty players to go through all the training.
Its been said on here before many times that like him or loathe him Laim Hayes book "Out of our Skins" set the GAA auto biog benchmark. Very difficult to get now.
If he brought out an update he would clean up I'd say.
Agree on the Humphries Dub v Kerry book. Excellent stuff. Read it in 2 days.
Colm O Rourke's autobiography was as good as Liam Hayes and thats high praise indeed.
Also as Tayto said Last Man Standing was top class. Don't think you would have to even be a hurling fan to appreciate it. However O Conner managed it, he got players to say stuff on the record that they normally wouldn't.
I reckon 'Hurling: The Revolution Years' is the best GAA book yet. It's by Denis Walsh of the Sunday Times and concentrates on the era of the 1990s when Offaly, Clare and Wexford made their breakthroughs.
It's written through a bunch of stories with players, management etc. Provides an honest account of what went on and tells some great tales about what the Offaly lads like Johnny Pilkington got up whilst on the sauce.
Agree with the thoughts on the Liam Hayes book - a personal account that covered suicide, winning, defeat, despair etc. ... you could almost smell the wintergreen and sweat... The Dubs Kerry book was one waiting to be written.. reading at present - enjoyable....
How could I forget Hurling-The Revolution Years?
Amazing book.
must get hold of the Liam Hayes Book.
the other one I liked in the last couple of years was the lifelong season
Who wrote that Haganboy?
Hurling: The Revolution Years was an excellent read. As said before loads of player quotes and anecdotes.
Read Sean Boylan's book 'The Will to Win' also. After first chapter I was going to leave it but happy I persevered. Wrote as he said it, bit repetitive at times but interesting. As you would expect he backs his players up constantly against criticism and is a little too saccharine when mentioning incidents.
Keith Duggan did the lifelong season available here
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lifelong-Season-Keith-Duggan/dp/1860592198
Duggan isn't very good. Gets too many facts wrong. Humphries light.