There are certain things I personally found quite disturbing. For example the admission that Nasser Hussain's father had had such a huge impact upon Nasser's life and decision to take cricket seriously. One got the impression that this was an example of a classic pushy parent. Nasser Hussain seems to be in fear of upsetting his father, to the point of getting his brother to phone up his father when he stood down as England captain and then again when his career came to an end. Going back to his childhood if Nasser Hussain played well at cricket then the whole family got "chocolate and curry" and his father was happy, but if Nasser Hussain didn't play well then the whole family suffered as a result. Personally I read this, and as a parent, I thought that this is surely unhealthy.

This book details the many confrontations that took place during Nasser Hussain's career and he has obviously upset a lot of people along the way. This apparently enabled him to play cricket with fire and passion. This book describes Nasser Hussain as being fiercely loyal to those around him, those who he calls "my boys." There are many examples described where Nasser Hussain stands up for his boys sometimes against fierce opposition. His reputation as a bad boy earlier in his career obviously enabled him to understand other bad boys later on and encourage them to give a lot to the England cause. I felt very sorry for Nasser Hussain when he describes how he found himself betrayed by some he had backed strongly.

You get an impression about sportsmen and women by watching their careers as they progress. But this book shows that there is a lot more going on behind the headlines, behind the highs and lows of their career. Nasser Hussain has written a wonderful, frank account of his life - full of exciting highs and depressing lows. Some are disturbing accounts and others describe the wonderful joys of being a sportsman at the top of his profession. If you only ever purchase one autobiography make sure it is this one.

The book starts by describing Nasser's extraordinary eve-of-match routine and illustrates the amazing duality of batting for a living: Nass couldn't live without batting, it obsessed him and, moreover, doing it well...better than the next man, obsessed him. At the same time he detested it, and probably never got a good night's sleep all the time he played cricket. His compulsive habits the night before an innings were tragicomic. All of these are symptomatic however of his not entirely wholesome relationship with his father. In short, Nasser lived his life for his Dad, never for himself. His dad, when not explicity mentioned (which he is ubiquitously throughout), hovers over the revelations and episodes in the book like a malign spirit. Nasser virtually exhibits Stockholm Syndrome...thanking his dad for everything he has achieved...and mitigating against his dad's domineering and pushy behaviour by saying the ends of Nasser's career have justified the means. Nasser has convinced himself, but failed to convince me.

The book is ghost written, but is nowhere near as classily penned as Atherton's autobiography. Nasser aspired to Atherton's traits and skills as a batsman and as a captain with some success - intellectually and as a writer, he is very much his inferior. Nasser was never a studious and thoughtful captain in the same way as Atherton. He read Brearley's essential book on the subject of course, but his theories and methods were very much based on intuition and luck, rather than on pondering captaincy's finer tactics and points. Nasser was at the helm of English cricket throughout some extremely turbulent and heady times - touring Zimbabwe, winning in the Pakistan gloom - but his powers of description and his limited literary style don't get maximum value from the material. Instead he comes across sometimes as a bar-room philosopher verging on the pub bore: repeating the same manly platitudes.

The book is however enjoyable and insightful on the whole. It covers Nasser's controversial but, in my opinion, courageous and heartfelt views on the cricketing commitments of British Asians. Nasser does not hold back in his criticisms of people such as Mike Gatting, Ronnie Irani and Tim Lamb. His book, just like Atherton's, does a superb job in exposing the sheer ineptitude and pettiness of English cricket's hierarchy. His description of the celebrated 'three fingered salute' to the commentary box on scoring a hundred batting No. 3 in ODIs, and his unscriptable finale of his last Test runs bringing up a Lord's century to win a Test match were particular highlights. Nasser is extremely honest about himself, he wore his heart on his sleeve and can be proud of his legacy and his contribution to the game and to his country.