Who Am I?
£8.60£20.90 (-59%)
‘Powerful and thoughtful’ Don McRae, Guardian
‘A fascinating and incredibly honest insight into the pressurised life of an elite athlete, on and off the pitch’ Piers Morgan
RAW. REVEALING. REFLECTIVE. The candid autobiography.
Danny Cipriani has always been searching for something. On the pitch, it was a line-break or space. A chink of light to dart through. An angle that no one else could see. Off the pitch, it was seeking a path through the pressure, fame and chaos that came with being anointed the ‘Saviour of English Rugby’.
Who Am I? is the raw and powerful memoir of a man of mercurial talent who, with the world at his feet, made his England rugby debut aged 20. A man who, just a year later, contemplated suicide. A man whose safe space was on the field, away from the drink, the women and the drugs he turned to in an attempt to escape his thoughts.
Now, for the first time, one of the most compelling personalities in the sport reflects on who he was, where he’s come from and the man he’s become. Alongside his astute insight into playing under Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones, Danny also talks about chasing his dreams, his desire and passion to represent England, and his drive to become the best player he could be.
This is the story of a once complicated man. A man searching for answers. A man trying to understand who he is.
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Additional information
| Publisher | HarperCollins (14 Sept. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 336 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0008617287 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0008617288 |
| Dimensions | 15.9 x 3.1 x 24 cm |
by Victoria Cipriani
Powerful read. I didn’t put it down 🙂
by JS
A very good and thought provoking read, far more revealing than most sports biographies. I particularly enjoyed the sections from the diverse selection of people he’s played and worked with. The book reveals a clearly complex character who cares and thinks deeply about the game of Rugby. Despite a fleeting England career he brought skill and joy to the game unlike any other player of his generation. The book offers a chance to re live some of this from his time at Wasps and Gloucester in particular. He seems to have finally figured himself out and I was left thinking he still has a lot to offer rugby beyond that as a player.
by EH
This book is a great read. Cipriani is totally honest about his life in rugby ; his successes due to his outstanding talent but also challenges he faced both on and off the pitch, and ultimately his discovery and acceptance of who he is now.
by Book Man
The media reaction to this book rather proves the author’s point. Despite Cipriani producing a very thoughtful memoir, explaining his life and actions in great detail, they choose to focus on the stuff they’ve always focused on, namely his sex life (it actually probably amounts to a couple of pages overall and he hardly mentions any names) and various other indiscretions, most of which have already been reported on at length. That’s the narrative they’re going to stick with, come what may. In doing so, they ignore Cipriani’s difficult upbringing, his very valid (and timely) criticism of English rugby and his mental health struggles. And they ignore the fact that Cipriani has gone to great lengths to improve as a person. He comes across as a good guy, who admits he made mistakes, and if you take the time to read his book, I think you’ll like him. Certainly better than almost any other rugby player memoir I’ve read (although that’s not saying much!)
by Andy S
“Who Am I?” is inspirational. Danny is true to himself – defiant in a storm of pressure to conform to the status-quo, whilst overcoming his own demons along the way.
If you’re on a self-development journey, this book is a great opportunity to learn from an incredible talent. Danny, who is often misrepresented in the media, is a positive person, who continually strives for the best.
Danny shows that great accomplishments can be achieved through hard work and stepping out of comfort zones. Through the openness on his mental health, it feels like this book will help people in need, and inspire people to be their true selves.
by Jerry Semington
Was a tough read tbh. Just overall very self entitled and whiney. Shame as he was a decent player, just too much ego to be a pleasant read.
A lot of the stories he tells cast in the light of a victim, and are damming of some popular players and coaches. It’s hard to believe there’s any truth in his stories given the mountain of stories from reputable players & coaches saying he was insanely arrogant and a nightmare to coach.
The highlight was him complaining about being asked to get up quickly in training, he thought there was absolutely no point to it… kinda sums his victim-playing “i know better” mentally up quite well.
by Amazon Customer
Decent read if a little self absorbed.
I hope Danny finds the peace he craves.
Worth a read, especially if you’re a rugby fan.