ARGUABLY NO sports star has ever captured the nation's hearts like Jimmy White. In an era where sportsmen have gained a reputation for their blandness, White has consistently been a brilliant one-off. Regarded as one of the most naturally gifted snooker players of all time, White has enthralled the public with his antics on and off the table over three decades. Famously, he has been a runner-up in the World Championships on a record six occasions and he has taken his hugely loyal fans through a rollercoaster of emotions, particularly in the 1990s when he lost five consecutive finals. However, that run did nothing to quell the public's fascination with a sportsmen who has never forgotten his roots. Jimmy's life has been filled with challenges, all of which he discusses, from fighting testicular cancer to changing his name to 'Jimmy Brown' for a publicity stunt in 2005. With a searing honesty, White outlines everything from his early life, his monumental natural talent and what it feels like to have got so close to sporting immortality - yet just missed out. White's no-hold barred account of a life lived in the fast lane also makes for intriguing reading. The girls, the drugs, the booze and the rock n' roll lifestyle; Jimmy pulls no punches when discussing his tearaway behaviour - his massive love and enthusiasm for life itself, his family and the sport he adores more than any other. With a best friend in Ronnie Wood - the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist, White has been at the best parties, the best gigs and lived the dream for 30 years. In a darker way, find out his honest opinions on match-fixing, drugs in sport and the friends and foes he made on the gruelling snooker circuit. Filled with anecdotes and tales galore - as well as lifting the lid on snooker's chronic problems - Jimmy's story is a thrilling and fascinating insight into a phenomenal character - on and off the snooker table.
