Suggested Reading List

The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro
by Joe McGinniss

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...7708220/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-2200677-7093622

 

I just starteed reading it the other night. It was highly recommended. So far, yeah, it's quite a read. He does a good job at capturing the feelings of those who "discover" how passionate soccer can be. It's for an audience who isn't familiar with soccer, so you have to read through a lot of him describing all the basic rules, but he breaks it up with humor and other interesting facts.

 

Fever Pitch is one of the finest books I've read. It turned me into an Arsenal fan- for better or worse. His other books are phenomenal, even though they have nothing to do with soccer.

 

Manchester United Ruined My Life - Colin Schindler

Among The Thugs - Bill Buford

Steaming In - Colin Ward

Faith of our Fathers - Alan Edge

My Favourite Year - Nick Hornby (ed)

Some can be found on Amazon - others on amazon.co.uk. "My Favourite Year" is a fantastic anthology of non-fic shorts from the best football writers in the UK. Essential in my opinion.

 

Those who subscribe to the logic of Among the Thugs would hate the next book that I recommend:

Soccer in Sun and Shadow
by Galeano (spelling?)

I love this book. Others hate it. See which type you are.

 

The Far Corner - by Harry Pearson

A Mazy Dribble thru North East Football.

Very funny stuff - in the same vein as Fever Pitch. One old guy goes to a bunch of pro and semi-pro games in NE England.

One of my favorite parts is when he tells of an old fan who has been a Sunderland fan so long he no longer has any optomism. Any time the opposing team crosses the halfway line with the ball, the old man would say "Oh...I don't like the looks of this."

 

A book that I could not put down. Excellent reading material and an interesting view of the game.

 

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"Soccer and American exceptionalism" is a very scholarly book that makes some points but is not "fun" reading. It is a good analysis for the why and wherefore of american soccer, and any american footy fanatic should read it, but I wouldn't pick the book up a second time, it was rough getting through it the first time.

 

Miracle of Castel di Sangro

I took this book w/ me on my recent trip to Italy. I didn't want to go see the sites, but rather to stay in the hotel and read this book! It was great in my opinion.

I have just started A Season With Verona by Tim Parks.
Anyone with any opinions on this book?

 

If you're still in the Cup mood, Geoffrey Douglas's "The Game of Their Lives" is a short little walk down memory lane with the men who were there.

Sparky, order a copy from the library soon as I'm going to get it again for my vacation in a three weeks.

If you have a daughter/sister/girl friend/wife who plays, you might be interested in
Jonathan Littman's "The Beautiful Game: Sixteen Girls and the Soccer Season That Changed Everything"

 

OK I'll bite...

rubbish! If by "logic" in Among The Thugs, you mean an endorsement of violent hooliganism than you are incredibly short-sighted. Buford's stories are disgusting and incredibly riveting - but in no means an advertisement for ill behavior. It is a vitally important book to read if you want to learn about the darker side of something that is associated with the game all over the world.

By the way - I own and read Soccer in Sun and Shadow. I really enjoyed Galeano's writing (even if I dont always see eye to eye with the soccer poets who ascribe to the letter of his law) - but think of it as a good piece of literature. To think that you have to be either "pro-hooligan" or "beautiful game hippie" is ludicrous. I recommend people read both books and appreciate them for what they are - not use them as divisors.

In other news - I enjoy both "Its a Wonderful Life" and "A Clockwork Orange".

 

If you're feeling a bit nerdy, or are a referee, or can't tell the difference, I'd say you should give FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME a read. It gives some excellent inside the game stories and advice from 2 really funny brits who also happen to be world class referees.

 

Yes, the point of the book is to explore mob mentality. It happens to involve soccer mobs. It could as easily be any other group.

 

Great read.

One of my favorite soccer books is Football Against The Enemy by Simon Kuper.

Basically, the book is about soccer's importance in societies all over the world. The author travelled to almost 2 dozen countries and interviewed important and not so important figures. It's a very interesting read- it's by no means a sociology textbook. The chapters on Argentina and Germany are great. Plus, there's the usual Barça-Real Madrid, Celtic-Rangers chapters which are still good.

I've read most of the books listed above, and Football Against The Enemy is still my favorite. The Big Soccer store has it:
https://www.bigsoccer.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=162_2_69&products_id=211&

 

Twenty-two Foreigners in Funny Shorts by Pete Davies.

Hands down, one of the best sports books I have ever read.

 

The Glory Game, Hunter Davies.

 

I would echo praise for the following previously mentioned books
Fever Pitch Nick Hornby
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro Joe McGinniss
Faith of our Fathers - Footbal As A Religion Alan Edge
Football Against the Enemy Simon Kuper

I would add to that list:
Morbo - The Story of Spanish Football Phil Ball
Brilliant Orange - The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football David Winter
The Geezers' Guide to Football - A Lifetime of Lads, Lager and Labels Dougie Brimson

And one I'm currently reading:
Futebol - The Brazilian Way of Life Alex Bellos

 

This book is poorly written IMO. He does not do the subject justice.

Hand of God - A biography of Diego Maradona by Jimmy Burns is a very good read.

 

Cherries in the Red by Trevor Watkins.

It's about how the community saved Bournemouth AFC from administration. Great book.

 

"All Played Out - The Full Story of Italia '90" by Pete Davies

Even has a full chapter on the Italy v USA match titled, "The Biggest Thing in Our Lives". Mostly focused on England and their fans travels, but still a solid read.

John

 

Andy Dougan: Dynamo: Defending the Honour of Kiev

I've read most of the books mentioned so far, and I'd put this one right at the top of the list. Here's the description from the bigsoccer store.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=162_2_69&products_id=1991&

 

Must reads

Football Against the Enemy, Kuper

Miracle of Castel di Sangro, McGinniss

Grass of Another Country, I can't remember the author of this one, but its pretty good, he follows the US National team through Italia '90.

 

Two books that don't get much mention on this site:

1. "London Fields," by Charlie Connelly, is a nice look at English football throuh the lens of the 1998-99 FA Cup. He touches all of the bases, with some interesting chapters about the New Den, womens football, the Hackney Marshes, among others.

2."The Beautiful Team: In Search Of Pele & The 1970 Brazilians," by Garry Jenkins. A nice little book as well, with Jenkins going to Brazil and catching up with many of the players. Photos too of Gerson, Felix, Piazza, Carlos Alberto, etc., as they are today. The chapter on Tostao is very interesting and gives insight to the tension on the team re: Medici regime. In fact, one of his biggest regrets was not protesting the Medici team reception. "I rationalized that one thing had nothing to do with the other, we are professionals in sports and we could not mix that with political problems. It was a chnace I had to protest, I regretted it very much."

 

Passovatchka--story of moscow dynamo trip to england after ww II

Brilliant Orange--one of the best soccer books ever written.

Dynamo--story of kiev team during wwII. jb