I See a Bad Moon Rising... (Coming Back to Me: The Autobiography of Marcus Trescothick - Marcus Trescothick)

Member Name: thedevilinme

Product:	Coming Back to Me: The Autobiography of Marcus Trescothick - Marcus Trescothick
Date:	10/10/09 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Honest account of depression in sport

Disadvantages: Honest account of depression in sport

All men live a quiet life of desperation, recession of course a breeding ground for that apathy, something women never really understand, expecting them to always be their rock as they grizzle away on their shoulders for the slightest little thing. When men can't deal with the modern pressures of life, often due to women, and mortgages and kids, women all too often walk away from men, their most intrinsic selfish trait by far. We are indifferent to that state of affairs as that's the only way it will ever be, but if we show weakness then the stigma is forever there, depression often the curse of the free thinker who contemplates too much, or the hunter gatherer who can no longer provide, writers some of the most likely to suffer depression. England cricketer Markus Trescothick could hide no longer from his battle with depression, again a needy woman and family life at the centre of the anxiety. He used O-Level Drama (his only one) to try and hide his illness but that only made the anxiety worse and so he eventually cracked, this book that decline.

Cricketing wives are an interesting breed as they marry men in the full knowledge they won't see them for half the year but then complain about just that, often sighting it for the divorce. Mrs Trescothick is as equally needy for me, and after reading this book she is clearly at the heart of Marcus angst. The anxiety from being away from home and his family got so bad for the cavalier opening batsmen that his Somerset team mates had to take him home when they found him sobbing in Dixon's at Heathrow airport as they were about to board a flight for a pre-season tour. There are lots of moments like that in the book, depression and anxiety medication taken by 25% of Britain's at some point in their lives.

The early days for Marcus were anything but depressing, a carefree youngster who grew up around village cricket and moved up the grades through his local county club and then young England with the likes of Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood. As a big hitting batsman he was a similar size, more chins than a Chinese phone book in his teens. But it wasn't a Freddie addiction to beer but fizzy pop and sweets that kept him podgy; the type of boy in mans body behaviour Tresco probably still does today. Once cricket had to pay the mortgage it was there it all began to unravel for Marcus. Interestingly in the young England side he played alongside Phil and Gary Neville of Manchester United and England.

After signing for Somerset in 1991 at the age of 16 with the Junior Young Cricketer of the Year Award in his back pocket (3 grand the going rate for second teamers back then for a summer contract, and not a lot more now), he soon blasted himself into the A team after catching the first team coach's eye, an extraordinary triple ton in the seconds a sign this kid was special. He scored 311 out of a total of 619 all-out chasing 627, all this in just 140 overs and with a drunken number 11 with a leg injury.

In 1994 he smashed 2500 runs for the first team in all competitions and was soon touring with England A, resulting in his selection for the full England team in New Zealand the following year. He won cricketer of the year in 2002-03 by scoring an incredible 1,533 test runs and established his place as England's big hitting opener, his career culminating in The Ashes victory in 2005 before the demons took hold proper in 2006 in Australia for the 5-0 thrashing. By then he was making up all manner of excuses to go home from tours, including the one where his father-in-law fell off the ladder. Cruel rumours soon circulated for his absence, the one that did the rounds that his wife was cheating on him with everyone from his best friend and fellow pro Steffan Jones to Somerset's fitness coach, the type of thing that quickly messes up a sensitive guys head away from home. A lot of that stuff goes on in professional cricket but I actually know Jones as he played for my team Northamptonshire and it's just not true. Trescothicks wife isn't glamorous like the big players gals are and Jones wife is very sexy.

After returning from the form of cricket that has caused him so much stress his Somerset career has been superb, enough to be voted cricketer of the year again, where it all started. There's no shame in being sensitive and caring as a man and I think that's the lesson Marcus has learnt ad this book preaches that lesson, and if you are suffering in silence and not yet made the big leap of faith with the doctor then buy this book and be reassured that there is way out.

Any good?

A lot of cricket and indeed sports writers wanted this to win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, not because its a great read but because they too suffer similar symptoms as him sometimes, finally depression recognised in the group of people that are not what we would think as typical suffers. I read the book because I write about cricket and like to get inside the minds of the top players and now appreciate his condition as other players I criticize who go out of form maybe in the same place. I think I learnt my lesson on that reading this. Problem is there's too much stuff on that condition in the book and the autobiography becomes therapy for Marcus rather than a good read for the punter, all rather depressing if you excuse the pun.

As usual with these books where players are still playing at the top level there's not enough dirt on fellow players and people in the game. You don't learn anything new if you're a cricket fan. There's also lots of match and career statistics and again I know all those and so speed reading away that quarter of the book.

For non sports fans with depression this book will no doubt help their condition as it proves successful and seemingly happy people also suffer with the cruel condition that is sucked up from the darkest corner of the brain for when man thought the Sabre Tooth Tiger to survive. The brain is complex and locks away many things and when one of those little doors creaks open it's not a nice thing to happen they say. Those doors are meant to stay locked shut and for Marcus they swung open at the peak of his international career, what this book is really about, a taboo men just don't talk about because of the stigma, that quiet life of desperation.

Summary: Honest account of depression in sport