A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke
Ronald Reng
WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR
WINNER OF THE BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR
Why does an international footballer with the world at his feet decide to take his own life?
On 10 November 2009 the German national goalkeeper, Robert Enke, stepped in front of a passing train. He was thirty-two years old and a devoted husband and father.
Enke had played for a string of Europe's top clubs, including Barcelona and Jose Mourinho's Benfica and was destined to become his country's first choice in goal for years to come. But beneath the veneer of success, Enke battled with crippling depression.
Award-winning writer Ronald Reng pieces together the puzzle of his friend's life, shedding valuable light on the crushing pressures endured by professional sportsmen and on life at the top clubs. At its heart, Enke's tragedy is a universal story of a man struggling against his demons.
‘It should be on every British football fan's reading list’ Metro
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About Ronald Reng
Reviews for A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke
Sam Wallace
Daily Telegraph
Incredible… It’s a stunning, fascinating and ultimately heartbreaking piece of work that has done so much to further the understanding between mental illness and sport. It is also a reminder that, for all the status and all the luxury which come with being a professional footballer, those lucky enough to make a career from the game are still human beings, too
Tom Hopkinson
People
An intensely moving book that transcends football
Raphael Honigstein, Guardian A tragic book, but a brilliant one. Reng's is one of the best sports books to have been published in years
Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung
This is a powerful book which transcends football.
Sport Magazine