Interesting
Steve Davis was just a rookie from Plumstead, south London, learning how to play from an old book his snooker-obsessed father had given him, when an encounter with Barry Hearn changed his life forever. With his backing, Steve began touring the country in a clapped-out car as an amateur. Challenging established professionals and winning titles, supported by his loyal following the Romford Roar, it wasn’t long before he progressed to the world’s stage.
By the eighties, Steve had helped transform a previously shady sport into a national obsession. He and a cast of legends such as Ray Reardon, Dennis Taylor and Alex Higgins, with other young guns like Jimmy White, were doing silent battle in front of huge audiences. Tens of millions of viewers would witness the nail-biting conclusions of his world championship finals; this was snooker’s golden era.
The man behind the ‘boring’ tag has always been the sport’s smartest and sharpest man. With his cool, obsessive approach, Steve rewrote the rule book and became untouchably the best player in the world and the best paid sportsman in the country. Interesting lays it all bare: what it was like to win in those pressure-cooker situations; how to cope at the top, when everyone wants you to lose; and how you deal with the moment when a man comes along who is finally better than you. This is a memoir that closely evokes the smoke-filled atmosphere of those arenas, the intrigue behind the scenes and the personal psychology and sacrifice that is required to stay at the top of such an exacting sport.
Steve Davis has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including a huge total of 28 ranking events and 53 non-ranking. He was the No.1 player in the eighties, and his most significant wins include six world championships and three Masters. In 1988, Steve was made an MBE and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and in 2001 he was awarded an OBE. He also picked up his ironic nickname ‘Interesting’ and a puppet from the satirical series Spitting Image. Remaining a household name, he has appeared on a number of popular British TV shows, including I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2013.
Steve continues to play snooker, and in 2013 he won the world seniors championship. Still very close with Barry Hearn, he is a world ambassador for the sport. He is also an established analyst and commentates for the BBC’s snooker coverage. A man of many interests, Steve is a former president of the British Chess Federation and a keen amateur chess player, as well as a regular broadcaster with Phoenix FM.