The Boss

Book excerpt: Ferguson's own autobiography was a great bestseller on its publication in 1999. But Fergie's book told the story through only one pair of eyes. Now, Michael Crick, acclaimed biographer of Jeffrey Archer, writes the first fully rounded, independent portrait of Sir Alex. From his roots as a Govan trade unionist to the current peaks of world football, Crick applies the same forensic skills he applied to his study of the disgraced Tory peer. Through hundreds of interviews with those who've known and worked with Sir Alex, and delving back through the archives, Michael Crick explores the money and the politics of football, the bust-ups, the fights, and those memorable moments of glory. Charismatic and charming, volcanic and ruthless, searingly ambitious and astonishingly successful. What makes Sir Alex Ferguson tick? How did this complex character become the most successful manager in British football, producing -- first at Aberdeen and now at Manchester United -- two of the most prolific trophy-grabbing machines in the modern game? THE BOSS is essential reading not just for Manchester United fans and football followers in general, but for anyone interested in the skills of successful management.