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Football’s Braveheart: The Authorised Biography of Dave Mackay
£10.60£19.00 (-44%)
Football’s Braveheart is the riveting life story of Dave Mackay, the fearless, skilled, heroic and barrel-chested left-half who was an icon for Spurs, Hearts, Derby and Scotland. Off the field, Dave was a humble, fair-minded, sociable man. On it, he was an out-and-out winner, a warrior and inspiration with consummate ball skills and intelligence. The heartbeat of Spurs’ double-winning side of 1961, he came back after two broken legs to add to a glittering trophy collection started at Hearts. After his playing career, Mackay distinguished himself as a title-winning manager with Derby County. A legends’ legend, he was lauded by George Best as the hardest and bravest opponent he ever faced. Fabled managers Bill Nicholson (Spurs) and Brian Clough (Derby) hailed him as their best signing, and other admirers included Jimmy Greaves, Denis Law and Sir Alex Ferguson. Author Mike Donovan has gained exclusive, first-hand insights from those who knew Mackay best to bring you the definitive story of a man who made an indelible mark on football.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Pitch Publishing Ltd (26 July 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 512 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1785317911 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1785317910 |
| Dimensions | 15.24 x 4.57 x 23.5 cm |
by Alexander T. Fraser
Great booker from brilliant seller
by Glenn M. Renshaw
Book review: Dave Mackay; Football’s Braveheart by Mike Donovan
There have been many great players that have played for Tottenham; Mackay, Greaves, Hoddle, Jones, White, Jennings, Ardiles, Villa, Blanchflower and the list goes on, and one of these great names, I mentioned – a true legend – has just had a book written about him. Yes, Mike Donovan has just written a tome of a book about our legendary player.
Mike Donovan, an award-winning author, has written numerous books on Tottenham Hotspur. Mike has also been following Spurs since the 60s, so he is well qualified to put pen to paper about one of his (our) heroes. Mike’s other books include The King of White Hart Lane (Alan Gilzean), Glory, Glory Lane, Spurs’ greatest games, Spurs’ Unsung hero (Terry Dyson) and Takenote! about Darren Anderton. And I’ve read them all. All 100% enjoyable reads. I’ve been fortunate to meet these footballers, Mike has mentioned, and in the Dave Mackay book, I even reminisce about my experience with Dave Mackay in his fans section at the end of the book (true!).
David Craig Mackay was born on 14 November 1934 and was a successful football player and then a manager of a Division one trophy-winning team. Dave was first known for a highly successful playing career with Heart of Midlothian, then in 1959, he was poached by Tottenham. From there, he never looked back, becoming a Double-winning medal holder in the famous 1961 Spurs side. After playing for Spurs, he played for Derby County, where he won another league medal and then as their gaffer, he won the Division One league title.
Dave also represented Scotland 22 times and was selected for their 1958 FIFA World Cup squad. Our club described him as one of our greatest players and was known as ‘the heartbeat’ of that double team he graced.
Mike Donovan goes deep into his career/ and life and reading his book, you get an accurate account of this legend. You get a feel of the man and what he did to make his name synonymous with our club, not just our club, but Derby County and the footballing world.
This book is foreworded by his son Derek Mackay and the legendary Denis Law.
The book is broken down into six parts: Beginnings, Heart of Midlothian, Tottenham Hotspur, Derby County, Management and Post career. But that isn’t the end of Mike Donovan’s thoroughly researched book. There are sections for Eulogy, Historians, Fans (where I play my small part, along with others), Poets, Quite interesting (facts) and then to his Honours and career record.
All this in 507 pages; a fantastic ride from when he was born in 1934 to his sad death in 2015 and beyond. Oh, and we mustn’t forget the astonishing photos that accompany this fantastic tome of a book.
Trust me, this is a great book and will be a classic (have no doubt). If you are a Spurs fan and interested in the club’s history and players, then this is a must book for you!
Glenn
by Jacqui
A great account of a brilliant footballers life, maybe a little too repetitive in regard to the amount of people saying how good he was. I was born in Edinburgh not far from his birth home and grew up loving both Hibs and Hearts – the famous five (Smith, Johnstone, Reilly,Turnball and Ormand with Conn, Bauld and Wardhaugh – how Scotland wishes for players like that now. I didn’t see McKay play much but he was the heartbeat of Hearts and Scotland. I did speak to him once as he got off the coach for the European final in Rotterdam in 1963,; l was in the Army in Germany and travelled to the game, unfortunately his only words when, as jocks we wished him all the best, was sorry lads I’m injured and not playing. A true Scottish hero.
by Lesley
Almost everyone who played alongside Dave McKay said he was their best team mate. Skilled tough and driven. This book captures some of that but is a bit waffling. Worth a read though.
by Glenn M. Renshaw
A great read
by jim Anderson
Was bought for a Hearts supporter,he said it was a good read
by Gary
This book piqued my interest as I feel an affinity for football in the 70s (although I was born in 1979) and I’d heard of Dave Mackay having read and watched ‘The Damned United’ and read books by John Giles and about Don Revie. What a treat this book is! The affection the writer has for the subject is clear, and as the book goes on you can see why. It is highly researched and rich in anecdotes and quotes from Mackay, his family, team mates and opponents. What stands out is that you learn so much more than Dave Mackay the footballer. You learn of his humanity, his love of family, his ordinariness and extraordinariness. It gives a wonderful insight into post-war Edinburgh and how Mackay’s life was shaped. The final few chapters are beautifully poignant. A wonderful labour of love by the author Mike Donovan.
by briscork
A must for any old school Spurs fan. Lovely photos throughout.