Munichs
'Absolutely gripping.' The Times, 'Best books of 2024'
-
- $22.99
Publisher Description
A TIMES, INDEPENDENT, FINANCIAL TIMES, AND IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR
'A magnificent book.' MIKE ATHERTON
'Tender, atmospheric - and hopeful.' iNEWS
'A masterpiece.' IRISH TIMES
'Electrifying.' GUARDIAN
From the author of The Damned Utd and Red or Dead, an extraordinary novel about Britain, sport and our collective past.
February 6, 1958, British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on take-off at Munich Airport. On board were the young Manchester United team, 'the Busby Babes', and the journalists who followed them. Twenty-one of the passengers died instantly, four were left fighting for their lives while six more were critically injured.
Munichs is the story of the crash and its aftermath, of those who survived and those who did not, of how Britain and football changed, and how it did not; a novel of tragedy, but also of hope.
'Profound . . . A brilliant, brilliant book.' DAVID WHITEHOUSE
'Luminous and illuminating . . . completely gripping.' ASHLEY HICKSON-LOVENCE
'Powerful.' TARIQ GODDARD
Readers loved Munichs:
'A brilliant read that provokes so many emotions. Superbly captured the grief of a city and indeed a nation.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A phenomenal read. It's for everyone regardless of football allegiances - totally brilliant!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A gripping and intense from beginning to end, evoking a profound sense of heartbreak. Powerful and moving.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Astonishing. The grief, the sadness, the guilt and the turmoil. It's all here. A brilliant read.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Peace (the Red Riding Quartet) scores with a deeply moving account—based on a true story—of a British sports team overcoming a deadly accident. On Feb. 6, 1958, a London-bound flight transporting the Manchester United football club crashes on takeoff at Munich Airport, killing eight members of the talented young squad. The injured are rushed to a local hospital. Assistant manager Jimmy Murphy flies to Munich to visit the survivors and returns home with two teammates who miraculously survived the crash without serious injuries. The days that follow are filled with official inquiries, emergency surgeries, bedside vigils, and funerals, but the heart of the story is Jimmy's attempt to rebuild the team in time for the FA Cup final. Peace renders Jimmy's campaign with rich dialogue, as in veteran player Ernie Taylor's response to Jimmy's attempt to coax him out of retirement: "I'm very sorry about everything that has happened to you like, you know, with the crash like, and I know you're desperate, and I still appreciate you asking us like, but I just don't think it would work, it wouldn't be right like." Bringing his large cast of characters—the players, their families, the air crew, the investigators, and the hospital staff—to vivid life, Peace captures all the conflicting emotions of people trying to rally in the wake of a senseless tragedy. Readers should pounce.
