A snow day (finally) in Boston. Time to revive an old winter thread. What soccer book would you recommend? This is Four-Four-Two's top-50 1) Football Against the Enemy (S.Kuper) 2) Fever Pitch (N.Hornby) * 3) All Played Out: The Story of Italia 90 (P.Davies) 4) Brillant Orange (D.Winner) 5) A Strange Kind of Glory (E.Dunphy) 6) Keeper of Dreams (R.Reng) 7) Full Time (T.Cascarino & P.Kimmage) 8) Tor! (U.Hesse-Lichtenberger) 9) Football in Sun and Shadow (E.Galeano) 10) Puskas on Pusksa (R.Taylor & K.Jamrich) 11) The Glory Game (H.Davies) 12) The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro (J.McGinniss) * 13) Niall Quinn: The Autobiography (N.Quinn & T.Humphries) 14) Only a Game? (E.Dunphy) 15) The Boss: the many sides of Alex Ferguson (M.Crick) 16) The Beautiful Game? Searching for the Soul of Football (D.Conn) 17) The Far Corner: A Mazy Dribble through North-East Football (H.Pearson) 18) Addicted (T.Adams) 19) Football: The Golden Age (J.Tennent) 20) Dynamo: Defending the Honour of Kiev (A.Dougan) 21) The Football Man (A.Hopcraft) 22) Those Feet: A Sensual History of English Football (D.Winner) 23) Passovotchka: Moscow Dynamo in Britain 1945 (D.Downing) 24) A Season with Verona (T.Parks) 25) Tackling My Demons (S.Collymore) 26) Keane (R.Keane & E.Dunphy) 27) Ajax: The Dutch, The War (S.Kuper) 28) White Angels (J.Carlin) 29) Managing My Life (A.Ferguson) 30) Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life (A.Bellos) 31) El Macca: Four Years with Real Madrid (S.McManaman & S.Edworhty) 32) The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw: The Robin Friday Story (P.Hewitt & P.McGuigan) 33) Kicking and Screaming (R.Taylor & A.Ward) 34) England v Argentina (D.Downing) 35) MorboL The Story of Spanish Football (P.Ball) 36) The Football Grounds of England and Wales (S.Inglis) 37) Ajax Barcelona Cruyff: The ABC of an Obstinate Maestro (F.Barend & H.Van Dorp) 38) The Story of the World Cup (B.Glanville) 39) The Mavericks (R.Steen) 40) Walking on Water (B.Clough) 41) Left Foot Forward (G.Nelson) 42) The Billy the Fish Football Yearbook (Viz Comics) 43) Barca: A People's Passion (J.Burns) 44) The Way It Was (S.Matthews) 45) Back Home: The Story of England in the 1970 World Cup (J.Dawson) 46) Steak...Diana Ross: Diary of a Football Nobody (D.McVay) 47) The Beautiful Game: A Journey through Latin American Football (C.Taylor) 48) Steaming In (C.Ward) 49) Out of His Skin: The John Barnes Phenomenon (D.Hill) 50) The Fashion of Football (P.Hewitt & M.Baxter Some various reviews of recent books that i have read: Offside: Soccer and American Exceptionalism. by Andrei S. Markovits and Steven L. Hellerman - incredibly dry the first 50 pages, reads like a college thesis. then it gets into the meat of the matter by explaining why soccer is the 5th major sport behind football, baseball, basketball & hockey in the US. National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer by Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist - Similar to Offside in that it compares and contrasts the growth of Baseball in America with Soccer around the world. The Geezers Guide to Football: A Lifetime of Lads, Lagers & Labels by Dougie Brimson - I've enjoyed this book for than any of the other Brimson books. He follows Watford and by the end of the book you could end hating Luton as well. You could try Barmy Army: The Changing Face of Football Violence by Dougie Brimson, but, i liked Among the Thugs better. The Vision of a Champion: Advice & Inspiration from the World's most successful women's soccer coach - by Anson Dorrnace and Gloria Averbuch - More of a coaching and coaching philosophy book. If you coach soccer, it's a must read, a great book. The Man Watching: A Biography of Anson Dorrance, the unlikely Architect of the Greatest College Sports Dynasty Ever by Tim Crothers - Very good read and gives you more insight into the very compettive Anson Dorrnace. Among the Thugs by Bill Buford - if you want a glimpse of English hooliganism. or Bloody Casuals: Diary of a Football Hooligan by Jay Allan - A diary of Scottish hooliganism. How Soccer Explains the World By Franklin Foer- Explores soccer in different cultures and how soccer fits in the society. Vignettes of soccer in different societies, some recent and some historical. Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic genius of Dutch Football by David Winner - I've heard many people sing the praises of this book. Got it for Christmas last year, loved it. If you have interest in the great Dutch teams of the 70's, this book is a must. Helps explain some of the success of Barcelona as well. The Game of Their Lives: The Untold story of the World Cup's Biggest Upset by Geoffrey Douglas - Very St. Louis oriented, but, in it's day, St. Louis was the hub of the US soccer world. Enjoyed it simply for the reason of how this ragtag group of American amateurs beat the "Galacticos" of their day. Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby - I liked it and can relate to the fanaticism of following a team. How he lives & dies each weekend with how well Arsenal (another plus) does on the field. Oh yeah, he's got a girlfriend or something. Miracle of Castle Di Sangro & Season with Verona were both enjoyable reads that I would recommend. Unlucky - I enjoyed it because my friend's son & a former teammate of mine played a season with the North Virginia Royals PDL team for a season. John Harkes Captain for Life and other temporary assignments with Denise Kiernan. It gives you a full flavor of the egotism that fills his little brain. The Football Factory by John King - pass. Lad drinks lager. Lad punches Lad. Lad drinks more Lager. Lad punches another Lad. Rinse and repeat. "Pitch Invasion" - three stripes, two brothers, one feud by Barbara Smit -Tells about how the Dasslers created soccer shoes ( not boots) and modern sports marketing. Their rise, their split, their dealings with FIFA & the IOC, the rise of Nike, etc..Very interesting read especially for anyone who grew up with only 2 chocies of soccer shoes: Gerd Mueller Goal's or Puma Kings. A friend recommended that I read Keane: The Autobiography by Roy Keane with Eamon Dunphy- I am really enjoying it. In the beginning of his career, Keane explains where his back pass to his goalkeeper was intercepted by a Crystal Palace forward in the 1991 FA Cup. His coach, the legendary Brian Clough responded in the following manner, " When I walked into the dressing room after the game, Clough punched me straight in the face. 'Don't pass the ball back to the goalkeeper, ' he screamed as I lay on the floor, him standing over me. I was hurt and shocked , too shocked to do anything but nod my head in agreement. My honeymoon with Clough and professional football was over." A bit of an understatement! I'm breezing through the book. What should I read next?
I recently finished "How Soccer Explains the World" by Franklin Foer and it is a fun read. Basically an American fan travels the world for a year seeing how soccer reflects and is affected by society and culture. Very good historical perspectives of many famous clubs like Celtic/Rangers, Barca and Juventus (almost predictsthe match fixing scandels that would come shortly after publication).
Just finished this a few weeks ago. It also digs in pretty good into Red Star Belgrade and their firms. It's a good read.
"My Life in Football" by Gordan Strachan Stay away from this book at all costs. This is the most unreadable piece of shite that has ever resulted from ink on paper. If you see this book in the bookstore window, cross the street to avoid the possibility that the store clerk will throw it at you hoping that you are sufficiently impaled by it that you will not be able to pry it loose before the ambulance takes you to the hospital. Trust me on this one.
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro is one of my favorites. Another really interesting one is The Italian Job by Gianluca Vialli. Vialli compares the differences between Italian and English soccer from the youth levels, through coaching and of course the professional levels.
I don't particularly do soccer books, but I can heartily recommend "Hidden Financial Risk: Understanding Off Balance Sheet Accounting"
took a week and a half to read. I've met some of the characters of the book at various games in the states not overseas. Those I have not met, I know I have seen at games. Best part is remembering where I was in the states while they were in Korea. It's a good diary read.
As someone who's mentioned in the book once or twice, it really is a fun read. Everyonce in a while, I'll re-read it just because of the great memories it brings back.
and you are one of the people that I have actually met, in passing, at Foxboro, Hartford and in Columbus. It's great when a book makes a personal connection and to be honest there are not many "american soccer" books out there and I couldn't wait to read this one. No one understands the american soccer fan(and what we must go through) like the american soccer fan. From the old Foxboro stadium to the New Gillette, to Hartford to the Crew stadium to the Overdraught in Cambridge watching the US/Germany to Vaughn's in Hartford before game.. We all have our stories and I'm just glad one story made it to print
Andy is a good guy, despite being a DC United fan! He and his wife Amy were staying at The Mill in Diebach, and they rode with me to the game in Gelsenkirchen vs the Czech Republic. Everything other than the match itself was great!
Just finished this one. His constant footnotes were a bit irritating to me but if you were reading it and knew nothing about soccer they would probably be helpful. Overall I found it an interesting read.
Finished Roy Keane's autobiography. Although I admired him for what he did on the field, I wasn't always his biggest fan. The book gives you some insight into Keane, his motivations and the trails and tribulations of a top professional football player. I'd recommend it. I am now reading Rinus Michels book, "Teambuilding - The Road to Success." He coached Holland, Ajax and Barcelona in the 1970's. More of a coaching book, he's the master of the obvious on some things. " During a 90 minute match every player constantly has to anticipate the ever changing situations and make split second decisions about which option to take." The book continues with similar "stunning" observations. Which make me rate the book as only "okay." His best chapter was on how he developed his 4-3-3 system over the traditional British 4-4-2, the Brazilian 4-2-4, the German 5-3-2 , the 3-5-2, the 3-4-3, etc. His best chapter and a very good read. Otherwise, you get more of... "A coach can only function well if there is a good harmony within the club and the team." Received some other good reads under the Christmas Tree this year: The Rough Guide to Cult Football Focused For Soccer by Bill Beswick Playing Out of Your Mind by Allan Goldberg and....23 Days in Korea by Andy Gustafson One goal for 2008 is to read more books. The other goal is to see the Rev's lift the MLS Cup! Happy New Year!
The Game of Their Lives: The Untold story of the World Cup's Biggest Upset by Geoffrey Douglas - Follows the the selection , training and WC matches of the USMNT in the early 1950's. Unlucky - Follows the North Virginia Royals for a summer.
Reminds me of a gem from Jackie Stewart, the Scottish Formula 1 racing driver: "Th' faaaster th' caaarrr gooos arrrrrooooond th' treck, the mooor lakely et-ess tae win th' rrrrace!"
Rinus Michels book, "Teambuilding - The Road to Success." - Great coach ( Fifa coach of the century) but not the best writer. If you are into coaching, soccer theory and styles, you might want to read it. His chapter on how he developed the Clockwork orange style on the 70's is the best part. Almost finished with "The Rough Guide to Cult Football " www.roughguides.com Very Anglo-centric, but an interesting read on the insights, foibles and culture around footy. Not for the first time reader, you'll need some previous English soccer history to understand the importance of Duncan Edwards, Corintinan Casuals and Hackney Marshes. It does leave the British isles for brief discussions on the NASL, some European and S. American players and teams. Of a Rev's note, the book is dedicated to " Len Glover, Glen Mulcaire and Stevie Nicol." If you like English footy trivia, you'll like this one.
I can speak for Football in Sun and Shadow by E. Galeano: Great book - probably one of the most lyrically written accounts of Football ever published. The author is Uruguayan and has a passion for the sport. Various soccer friends recieved this as a Christmas gift this year. My bookstore only manages to have one copy available when I go in - and I snap it up each time. The Game of Their Lives by Geoffrey Douglas never makes the English Best-Of lists for obvious reasons. But it's a must read and the Movie The Greatest game could have been far better if it had stuck to the book. Jamie Trecker's Love and Blood isn't bad - and is an easy read (I bought it and read it and enjoyed it). But to really get a feel for the World Cup experience Andy Gustafson's 23 Days in Korea is the Superior Book. I'm actually surprised to hear myself say that. Trecker's editorializing is fun and informative (and somewhat biased and loose with the facts) but Gustafson was there - a fan like you living the dream and putting it to pen. US Soccer fans may enjoy Claudio Reyna's More than Goals. It follows his journey through the football ranks - and is especially fun for those of us whose love of ' interest in the US Team grew with him. The book blissfully wraps up prior to WC 2006 and him joining Red Bull... Thanks for the topic - There is a serious lack of American soccer books beyond the 121st variation on "How to Coach Soccer". I'm headed over to London to catch some footy in early March and I'm hoping to track down one or two of the titles on this list for 2008 reading. I'll let you know Mr. Sangster.