The Busby Babes - Richard Skinner

The Busby Babes is a tale of spirit, courage and the eternal bonds of friendship. It is about a group of men whose passion for football led them to unparalleled success and unprecedented glory. But it also cost many of them their lives. Matt Busby, the patriarchal Manager of Manchester United, revolutionised English football by bending the rules and pushing the limits. At Manchester United, he created a team of boy wonders, the Busby Babes, a group of players who became the game's first superstars, heroes to millions of people. But, just as they were on the verge of world acclaim, disaster struck... Richard Skinner's authoritative account tells the story of their astonishing achievements to a new generation of adoring football fans. Researched extensively and exhaustively, the book reconstructs in detail the drama of their journey from schoolboys to junior team players, from becoming League Champions to their glorious efforts in Europe. Supported by Harry Gregg and Albert Scanlon's moving testimony, the book provides a more complete picture of the Busby Babes than ever before. This is their definitive story.

Richard Skinner is the author of two previous books of non-fiction, a writer's handbook Fiction Writing (Hale) and a book of essays, reviews and interviews Vade Mecum (Zero). He has written reviews and features for the Guardian, Financial Times, Sunday Times and Sight & Sound. He is also the author of three novels, all published by Faber & Faber.