Recommendation Tuesday: A Life Too Short

Recommendation Tuesday: A Life Too Short by Ronald Reng
Genre: Biography / Football

This is the life story of Robert Enke, a German goalkeeper whose promising career was somewhat stunted by a failed move to Barcelona before recovering enough to become the first choice for the German national team ahead of the home World Cup in 2008. There was to be no happy ending to this story, however, as Enke finally succumbed to the depression that had dogged him throughout his career and committed suicide.

Even knowing what was to come, I found myself at various points of the book desperately hoping for a different conclusion. This is largely down to Reng’s talent; the incredibly delicate and humane manner with which he tells the story. The various phases in Enke’s life and career are described without any unnecessary drama or hyperbole.

A Life Too Short looks at the other side of the coin. It is not a manicured-curated biography that is typical of most celebrities, carefully picking which stories to tell. Instead it portrays Enke in all his humanity as he struggles with his professional and personal doubts, as he grows from a young player into an established international one.

Ultimately, it is his life story that stays with me. Perhaps it is because I too have occasionally struggled with depression and can relate to his experiences. Or, quite simply, it is because we realise that footballers, no matter how much they earn, are not different from the rest of us.