Babysitting George

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'Celia Walden's memoir of George Best near the end of his life is a beautiful portrait of genius in tragic, terminal decline' - Tony Parsons

'Funny, affectionate and tragically sad by turns, and the book actually sheds new light on the ex-footballer' - Independent

'A touching insight into George Best the man - and the media circus that made him' - Economist
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A unique and moving memoir of a young journalist's summer in the company of George Best, in the year before he died

August, 2003. Celia Walden, a young reporter, receives an unusual phone call from her editor. She is to drop everything and fly to Malta in an attempt to track down a legendary footballer and keep him from the press. George Best, an alcoholic with his personal life in chaos, isn't, however, the easiest man to find. But the unlikely friendship that develops between George and Celia reveals an intelligent and complex human being.

Babysitting George is a tender account of a unique relationship between a young woman and a dying star, which questions the exploitative nature of fame and tabloid journalism, the horrors of addiction and the humane, implausible friendships that can change one's life forever.