All Blues are aware that Dr David France has written 16 books to tell the Everton story from different directions, established Gwladys Street's Hall of Fame to salute the men who made the club what it is and organized the most raucous celebrations in the football cal- endar, formed the EFC Heritage Society to promote the club's rich history, registered the Everton Former-Players' Foundation - the first charity dedicated to alleviating the medical concerns of old footballers - and assembled the finest collection of football memorabilia in the world before transferring it to public ownership. Very few, however, know much more about the author than his status of Doctor Everton. This long-awaited and well-crafted autobiography provides a portrait of a man who has travelled the equivalent of four times the distance to the moon and back following Everton. It sparkles with the intimacy of a Blue peering through the mists of nostalgic romanticism, blind optimism and yearning for the lost Everton of his youth as well as fading hopes for winning the League Cup.
With no little humour, the book captures the impact that six decades majestic highs and humbling lows have had on an otherwise well-balanced soul. Raised as a Blue by a Blue, his sparkling memoirs chronicle the role of the club in his life and its graduation from his childhood crutch to faithful companion. His tales are fascinat- ing. They include hitchhiking to games in the Sixties and flying Concorde to them in the Nineties. Then there are his anecdotes related to fleeting meetings with the likes of Dixie Dean and TG Jones and friendships with Dave Hickson, Brian Labone, Alex Young, Alan Ball, Howard Kendall and many more. Of course, there is much more to his life than his role as Doctor Everton. His personal journey is inspirational and this candid autobiography interweaves an incredible rags-to- riches story with a royal blue odyssey. Throughout sixty seasons and two million miles, his devotion to all things royal blue is incomparable. It's unimaginable. It's unrivalled. It's proof that this book is aptly titled.
