KP: The Autobiography

A great insight into the life of KP. I really hope he gets back into the england team after reading how awfully he got treated by the ECB and Flower. Fascinating to hear about the issues inside the changing room and behind the scenes which as a general member of the public we don't often hear about. i also didnt know the extent of kp injuries during his career. Of course it is all written from his perspective so can seem biased but my opinion on him has been changed hugely. He is a genuine cricketer who just wants to play at the highest level for his country. All those people calling him a mercenary for making money in the ipl need to wake up and smell the salt. Other nations have embraced the ipl and big bash like nz, aus, india and SA and its no wonder they performed so well in the world cup. We are still stuck in our old traditional ways and we have a lot of catching up to do. First things first put kp back in at 4 and get our batting line up looking exciting again. This is a must read for any cricket lovers.

This is a great read for anyone that wants a real insiders view of a professional sports team. And it seems that the type of animosity that existed in the English dressing room isn't that uncommon, but it isn't necessarily a recipe for poor performance. KP would have you believe that England were successful in spite of terrible coaching and management, and maybe that's true, but there are other examples (Chicago Bulls) where seemingly conflicting players, coaches and management can achieve fantastic results. This is not an Andy Flower fan story. KP gives it to Flower again, and again, and again. Matt Prior (Big Cheese) comes in 2nd for the vitriolic attacks. I think I had a poor view of KP through the eyes of the media. KP's own words paint a far different picture. I suspect the truth is somewhere in between. Credit to KP for writing a book that was a thoroughly good read. Certainly at the top of the pile for interesting and entertaining sporting autobiographies!

An entertaining read not short of drama. There are many good things to say about the book. His thoughts on his own style of batting, his identity crisis ( British/South African/mercenary) . Some of his opinions on topics like dressing room atmosphere, IPL, coaching etc are quite insightful. However it is quite clear that this comes from an elite player with an axe to grind and confirms KP's flawed genius. He truly goes after his detractors highlighting that he isn't to blame for all his misfortunes. There are several instances of repeated name-calling , playing the victim and inconsistent narratives that at worst cast doubt on his credibility and at best highlights his immaturity. He could have indeed devoted equal space to the positive facets of his life, his batting, his key innings ( as opposed to focussing on one or two signature shots in those innings) - stuff that people could learn from. He has overdone the "Andre-agassi open" style of candid bios. At the end of the day it is what it is- an honest, personal, biased account of what exactly went wrong and who is to blame.

I didn't really care for KP before I read this book and I still don't but.... This is a fascinating insight into the England dressing room during KP's time and book you will not want to put down. Brutally honest and at times very funny, this is not one of those dull, run of the mill sports books that will put you to sleep. There's little cricket in this book actually. There are some all time great serves dished out in this book which, given KP's formidable cricketing record and standing in the game, will make it a classic that will be spoken of in generations to come. Highly recommended, whether you are an England fan or not.

I found the before to be very interesting. Shed information on the situation around KP which I found to be quite believable. Have always thought him to be very arrogant, and still see him that way, but the whole story seems very credible. I did however, think that it could have been better written, I think it could have been a little better chronologically. Despite that, well worth a read.

Kevin makes no pretence at being a writer. He is a cricketer with a story to tell,and an interesting story it is. As he himself, says, perhaps there could have been more about cricket in the book, but that is not why one would want to buy the book. It tells Kevin's side of the numerous scrapes and arguments that he got into with cricketing administrators and teammates. He pulls no punches and tells it the way he saw these events in a clear, straightforward manner. His writing gives a wonderful insight into the characters of many of the world's top international cricketers and in particular, a deep insight into Kevin himself. There is a little bit of repetition here and there, but I found the book so interesting that I read through it all in one night. Good to see that he still loves his native South Africa and still enjoys returning to the land of his birth. For cricket lovers, this is a must-read book. .

As a sportsman aiming to get to the highest level of his game, this is insightful to see the inner workings of a dressing room and is a lesson of how not to compromise your character on your ascent to the top.

A very self-centered and boring read. K.P. is trying to justify his failure at good inter-personal relations and his unpopularity with fellow team mates

What a remarkable player. An eye opener for politics in sporting world. I really wish KP play for England again.

'KP' finally gives the reader an insight of his story as we have heard him say in interviews. It was entertaining and boisterous reading about the cricket legends background and move to England as well as the colourful history of his relationships with team members, coaches and the ECB. However, a lot of complaining and repetitious hostility can be seen between KP and former coach Andy Flower which didn't need to be reiterated as much because the reader has got the point. One thing you will be guaranteed, you won't get bored reading this book.

For KP fans, it's a delight. Less of Pietersen's skills revealed more of troubles faced in English dressing room. Yet for those who know and follow kp, you can unserstand pretty clearly what the world saw and what kp experiences deep inside. Just like his batting, no grinding - everything flamboyant and in the face. Worth a read.

Well then, this book really blew me off my socks! I read this book right after I'd finished Geoffrey Boycott's most recent autobiography (in which he also shares his opnion on KP...) Clearly, KP is not just a top professional athlete and cricketing genius all rolled into one, but also a sharp analyst of what happens/happened around him. I admire him as a cricketer and personality, even when it happens that sportsmen with a strong character sooner or later clash with "the authorities" who are used to be surrounded by easygoing people who never question what they are being told and apparently are happy to behave like kids in the Kindergarten. The guys in the committee rooms more often than not just lack the psychology necessary to handle situations that involve strong chracters with an outspoken (and often quite correct view on things). I agree that keeping the team's integrity intact should always be the first ambition of each individual of the team, but frankly, now that KP has opened the dressing room door and allow the reader to be the proverbial fly on the wall, (and on the stumps for that matter) one can't help feeling disgust for some of the team and sorry for others. KP's analysis has taken the gloss off what most of us think is the fairy tale atmosphere amongst those in the team, especially when on tour. What remains are nasty scars and - at least as far as I am concerned - a sobering and different look at some of the players KP and others had to share the field and dressing room with. KP is honest enough to admit that he hismself is not without fault but then again, most of the problems and misunderstandings could have been avoided by better man-management by less narrow minded people. Anyway, I highly recommend this book which read like a roller coaster, not in the least because of David Walsh's contribution. I have read most of his books on professional cycling and the problem of doping (including the fascinating Lance Armstrong saga) so I am a big fan of his style and approach. Walsh was the perfect writer to put the story of this fantastic cricketer in the direct, no-nonsense style which typifies KP's cricket, on paper...

I would have given this book 3 and a half stars but had to make a decision so because I picked it up readily I plumped for four stars. Many of Kevin's gripes do seem to be justified and although he does moan all the way through possibly people like to hear negative things so maybe he just wanted to please and thought his book would sell better. He does complain about coach Andy Flower from start to end but I did not have a problem with that although there were some other aspects which seemed inappropriate. One example was when he stated the England team absolutely loathed the Australia team but a few pages later says the England cricket team were having a big party and the good old Aussies were also there to brighten the occasion. It also became apparent that all of his complaints against people always seemed to be of one ethnicity although he played in the Indian Premier League and Caribbean tournaments. People are people were ever you go is a very well known saying. He also did not really explain why the Racial Quota forced him to play for England rather than his clearly much beloved South Africa because he really should have played for South Africa and would surely have been a South African regular throughout his career. However it was certainly lucky for England they acquired his services even if being a true Springbok he could never quite give it 100% of everything for England. He does appear to an honest guy though and admitted some things which made him look a fool and I thought he was brave to expose and name in his view the England team bully boys. I would not nominate this autobiography as my favourite ever book but still worth reading to get an insight into Kevin Pieterson.