Sir Stanley Matthews was the most famous and revered England football player of all time - a living legend

Stanley Matthews was the most popular footballer of his era, the man who epitomised a generation of legendary players: Tom Finney, Nat Lofthouse, Billy Wright and many more. He was the first footballer ever to be knighted, the first European Footballer of the Year (at 41), and he played in the top division until he was 50 - and he will be forever remembered for his performance in the Matthews FA Cup final of 1953, when he inspired Blackpool to victory over Bolton. THE WAY IT WAS is a the fascinating memoir of a great footballer and the remarkable story of an extraordinary life, written in the last months of his life.

"There is a heartfelt, elegiac quality [to] THE WAY IT WAS ... It is only a pity he is not here to see it published" - Chris Maume, Independent

"The book is an appropriate and nearly always engrossing chronicle of an illustrious career, and good to have" - Ian Hamilton, Sunday Telegraph

"Especially rewarding, though, are Stan's descriptions of his technical perfectionism" - Brian Glanville, Sunday Times

"A fascinating and amusing insight into the inner workings of football during its golden era" - Saul David, Daily Telegraph

"THE WAY IT WAS is a ticket to a different era, when the game wasn't saturated with money and men like Sir Stanley upheld sporting ideals" - Mike Pattenden, Times

"Brings vividly to life some of the greatest games of the time and features his perceptive analysis of the characters who illuminated the age" - Independent

"The story of one of the greatest footballers of all time ... is told in great detail and with an unexpected sense of humour. It is his vivid memory that makes THE WAY IT WAS such a good read" - FourFourTwo

"A gracefully crafted autobiography filled with entertaining anecdotes reflecting an age when the game was uncorrupted by greed and hooliganism" - Birmingham Post