Football Book Review Thread

[historyman]

Football Book Review Thread

worldcupboy wrote:

I read Pele the autobiography, it`s quite repetitive and increasingly dull. Dreadful book.

It's been a few years since I read it, but I recall having similar feelings afterwards.

I think part of the problem is that his life story is nowhere near as interesting and entertaining as Garrincha's, and of course that biography on him by Ruy Castro a few years back was a cracking read.

[Levin]

Football Book Review Thread

I imagine that this has come up before but has anyone read Offside by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán. It seems to be set in and around Barcelona.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Football Book Review Thread

I have. I give the book a solid "Meh".

[E10 Rifle]

Football Book Review Thread

Does anyone want my review copy of Soccer versus The State? It's got a lot of my illegible scrawls and enigmatic underlining all through it, but we've got book-space/capacity issues at home at the moment so if anyone wants to give it a home, give us a shout.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Football Book Review Thread

what did you make of it, e10?

[Bored Of Education]

Football Book Review Thread

I'll have it, E10. I shall PM you with my address. I only want it for your notes

[E10 Rifle]

Football Book Review Thread

Oh Gawd, now what am I gonna do - how do I decide who to give it to? Perhaps I should give it to whoever of you does the most leftwing things in the next week. I dunno.

Gramcy, see last month's WSC for my thoughts - though inevitably, I can expand.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Football Book Review Thread

PM for "Gramcy", as E10 called him.

[Bored Of Education]

Football Book Review Thread

It's OK, E10. If AG's comment was a dibs, then he can have it. If not, I will have it. To be honest, I am going to beat him hands-down in a left-wing-off, aren't I?

[Anton Gramscescu]

Football Book Review Thread

No mas, Bored. It's yours: I already have a copy.

Monsieur Isaacs, le nom "Gramcy" est mon nouveau nom de plume. Je fais le tour de l'europe. Prochaines arrets: Mr. Anton Gramski et Mr. Tony Gramshee.

[The Exploding Vole]

Football Book Review Thread

Ooh la la.

[Diable Rouge]

Football Book Review Thread

Just Follow The Floodlights by Brian Kennedy is a potted roll-call of the 2011 League of Ireland. The 21 Premier and First Division clubs are analysed by historical review and matchday details, along with a "Defunct Clubs" section that, sadly, has grown considerably in recent seasons. It would have been perfect if the author had included the four third-tier clubs, but hopefully these will join the 2012 First Division, and the volume will satisfy both LoI experts and novices alike.

[Sundeporino]

Football Book Review Thread

Nearly finished 'Cups For Cock Ups" which concerns the carry on at Man City during the Swales/Lee era and immediately afterwards. You can see why it was the Theatre Of Comedy or whatever they were called.

Have two Martin O Neill biogs ready to start for obvious reasons.

[danielmak]

Football Book Review Thread

After watching a few Round 3 FA Cup games this weekend, I realized I don't have anything on the FA Cup sitting in the pile of books to be read. I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for some good books. I prefer intelligent fan-centered books/literary journalism (something akin to Tim Parkes' A Season With Verona) rather than a straight history.

[ad hoc]

Football Book Review Thread

Just read "Up Pohnpei" which spoke particularly to me as I could have been in it, I suppose.

As many people here know I lived on Pohnpei for two years in the 90s, and played football pretty much every evening there, on this crappy pitch at the high school. The standard was so low that I believed then that I could have got in any FSM national team (at least one that accepted all residents). (I am shit at football, but I know for a fact I was one of the best 11 players on the island, and I am pretty sure I may have been in the whole country. I told some long story about it all here: http://szekely.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-international-football-career.html (coincidentally when I first heard about the mission of the writer of this book to go there)

Anyway, Up Pohnpei is the story of Paul Watson's trips to Pohnpei to try and coach the team there, and his successes and failures. I enjoyed it - though it may be because I'm familiar with some of the people and places mentioned. The review in this month's WSC is pretty fair I thought. I think I would have liked something a bit deeper, but perhaps I again am talking from the standpoint of someone who is unusual (having actually been to Pohnpei). Worth a read

[ad hoc]

Football Book Review Thread

That was the most half arsed review I have ever read, and I wrote it. Sorry all.

Anyway, thanks to the miracle of modern technology I have now spent my morning having a couple of conversations with Mr Watson.

[Bored Of Education]

Football Book Review Thread

That sounds right up my street. Actually, I have had a mission to play a game against a national team so may try and get PAul Watson's details from you

[Bored Of Education]

Football Book Review Thread

A TV bit about it, ad hoc

[Sport Economist]

Football Book Review Thread

At our site The Two Unfortunates, we are currently undertaking a 'Book Reviews Week' and today, Russell George has provided his thoughts on Ronald Reng's A Life Too Short. All of our book reviews, almost all of which are to do with football can be found here. here

Comments welcome

[Anton Gramscescu]

Football Book Review Thread

About a week ago, I finished This Love is Not for Cowards, Savlation and Soccer in Ciudad Juarez, by Robert Andrew Powell.

This is marketed as a football book. It's the same formula as The Miracle of Castel di Sangro - find miraculous club in latin country, go live there for awhile, and learn important truths about the community by following the team (Tim Parks is a bit the same way though the team is more established. Or was at the time, anyway).

That's the concept, at least. It doesn't really work, in part because he's a terrible football writer. Joe McGinnis and Tim Parks could describe games reasonably well - and in McGinnis' case the team had a good narrative arc, too (here, there isn;t one - the Indios are terrible and are obviously headed for releagation pretty much from day 1). But the author's game descriptions are pretty limp and lifeless. And he doesn't do himself any favours by doing things like calling the Liga de Ascensio "the minors" or describing Pachuca as "the Green Bay Packers of Mexico". Unlike some of these follow-a-team for a season in a foreign country books, you actually learn remarkably little about Mexican football as a result of reading the book.

The stuff about Ciudad Juarez is really interesting. There are fascinating stories about how public order has completely broken down and how the cartels have come to dominate life there. If you're a Breaking Bad fan, there's enough here about the cartels to make you watch the show in a new light. But it sits uneasily with the football stuff. The two halves of the story don't work nearly as well together as they do in McGinnis's work.

Not a complete waste of time, but not one I'd urge anyone to rush out and buy.

[Guest]

Football Book Review Thread

Just finished Robert Enke's biography, A Life Too Short. Great book; I could really connect with the guy. Really touching and sad at times.

[danielmak]

Football Book Review Thread

This is a couple years old, but Vanity Fair had done a Soccer Scribes podcast series with various writers reading an excerpt or excerpts from one of the author's books. Here is Eduardo Galeano reading from Soccer in Sun and Shadow:

http://www.mediafire.com/?kigdwkvh3wl3nbb

[Ray de Galles]

Football Book Review Thread

I am in a particularly lachrymose mood at the moment especially with regard to football, kits and fathers & sons but even allowing for that Duncan Hamilton's new one looks good.

[ursus arctos]

Football Book Review Thread

I'd read Hamilton's shopping list, but that looks truly outstanding.

I never took him for a member of the Toon Army; he always struck me as Nottingham through and through.

[ale]

Football Book Review Thread

ursus arctos wrote: I'd read Hamilton's shopping list, but that looks truly outstanding.

I never took him for a member of the Toon Army; he always struck me as Nottingham through and through.

its referenced a few times in the Clough book...as are his North east roots which he implies got him a foot in the door with Clough in the first place...