Finally, we will find out how Jimmy won all those matches.
Sports books serve three main purposes:
- To entertain us.
- To give us a behind the scenes insight into top level sport.
- To give us an easy present to buy on Christmas Eve for any sports fan.
We are only halfway through 2015, but the announcement that Jim McGuinness will release a book before the end of the year means at least one piece of work will hit that checklist this year.
According to Amazon, the book will be called 'Until Victory Always' (release date 23 October), with the publishers eschewing a more flashy title like 'The System Works' or 'Blanket Ambition'.
The blurb says that McGuinness will reveal 'what life was like inside the Donegal camp and reflects on the decisions and experiences that propelled his players to the summit of the sport. A moving and honest meditation on the nature of sportsmanship, dedication and what it means to lead, Until Victory Always is an honest and inspiring account of achievement in the face of incredible adversity.'
Quite often, sports books about high profile figures can be quite bland and forgettable, but a few things about this project should excite you.
Obviously, the subject matter of one of the GAA's most astute coaches is interesting, but McGuinness' forays into the written word so far have been excellent.
His columns in the Irish Times are always thought provoking and enjoyable (especially the regular introduction where McGuinness is either drinking tea, visiting with family members, or both) so if he can team up with the same ghost writer, we could have a great book.
Someone like Keith Duggan or Malachy Clerkin would be excellent although McGuinness is such a smart guy that he may actually be writing the columns himself.
Either way, you can guarantee that you will either be gift wrapping this book for the GAA fan in your life this Christmas or you will be taking it out of your stocking on December 25th (people still have stockings, right?).
