David Peace who is famous for his novel “The Damned United” which later was made into a movie, is now writing a new novel about Liverpool’s legendary manager Bill Shankly.
The book is named as “Red Or Dead” and will be published in August.
Red or Dead?When asked about his new novel, he said,
“I have written about corruption, I’ve written about crime, I’ve written about bad men and I’ve written about the demons. But now I’ve had enough of the bad men and the demons. Now I want to write about a good man. And a saint. A Red Saint.”
“Bill Shankly was not just a great football manager, Bill Shankly was one of the greatest men who ever lived. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club, and the people of Liverpool the city, know that and remember him.”
“But many people outside of football, outside of Liverpool, do not know or do not remember him. And now, more than ever, it’s time everybody knew about Bill Shankly.”
“About what he achieved, about what he believed. And how he led his life. Not for himself, for other people.”
The novel will cover the whole Shankly’s timeline right from his lower-league experiments with Workington Reds and Carlisle United to his dominance of English football with Liverpool and his shock retirement in 1974 having led the club to a double triumph.