Whats the best FOOTBALL book you have ever read ?

[Lord Bracknell]

Another vote for A Season With Verona by Tim Parks.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Many of my favourites already mentioned, but I'll add Futebol -The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Belios which i enjoyed.

 

[CPFC G]

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro - Joe McGinniss
Provided you don't kiss me - Duncan Hamilton
My father and other working class heros - Gary Imlach

All decent reads

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Many of the ones already mentioned (the Verona one, Gary Imlach, the Damned United, Michael Calvin, the one about how Qatar bought the World Cup by the two Times journalists).

Also enjoyed reading Andrew Jennings various exposés of FIFA- his writing style can sometimes come across as a little ranty, but it's nonetheless funny to read.

That Ben Smith book- if he's one of our coaches, that would explain its otherwise mysterious presence in the club shop. I wondered about that. Personally, I though the subject matter was OK, it was occasionally interesting to read about Steve Evans' methods, but I thought the writing style was appalling. It looked really badly edited, and felt like every other sentence ended with unnecessary exclamation marks, as though it had been written for kids.

Each to their own, I guess

 

[LennyD]

Dont know if these have been mentioned, but books ive read on holidays

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/009949955X/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=89WZ0HCT42SPXP1D9R9N

Paul McGrath's book, how he managed to play with all that booze in him is rather incredible


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pointless-Jeff-Connor/dp/0755313534

A man follows east stirling round for the year

 

[Napier's Knee]

Another vote for the Tim Parks Verona book. The quarterly magazine/journal The Blizzard is also a very good read

 

[hans kraay fan club]

This thread has made me come over all EVANGELICAL, regarding Andy Dougan's book - Dynamo: Defending the honour of Kiev.

Seriously, it is an astonishing book. The only book in my life that I've read more than once*, and currently on Amazon for £0.01 (and £3 postage). I DEMAND that anyone who has not read it, seeks it out and does so. If you don't like it, I will personally refund you the cost (postage excluded)

Blurb:

In 1942 at the centre point of World War II an extraordinary event took place not on the battlefield but in a municipal stadium in Kiev. This is the true story of courage, team loyalty and fortitude in the face of the most brutal oppression the world had ever seen.

When Hitler initiated Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, he caught the Soviet Union completely by surprise. At breathtaking speed his armies swept east, slaughtering the ill-prepared Soviet forces. His greatest military gains of the entire war were made in a few short months, and the largest single country that he conquered was the Ukraine, roughly the size of France. Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, was circled, assaulted and overrun, and among the city’s defenders who were captured and incarcerated were many of the members of the sparkling 1939 Dynamo Kiev football team, arguably the best in Europe before the war. Captured Kiev was a starving city whose population were deported in vast numbers as slave labour.

However one man determined to save not just the surviving players from the Dynamo side but other athletes. He offered them work, shelter and, most valuable, bread, as workers in his bakery. Inspired by the charismatic goalkeeper Trusevich, the Dynamo side was re-formed as Start FC and a series of fixtures was arranged, all of which the team win handsomely, to such an extent that they inspired Kievan spirits. The final fixture against the Luftwaffe was agreed by the German authorities: a well-fed team from the Fatherland would vanquish the upstart Ukrainians, especially if the game was refereed by an SS officer. The match is an allegory of resistance; its consequences are brutal. Andy Dougan has discovered the truth behind a legendary encounter, sorting fact from fiction and restoring to the centre of World War II a moment of extraordinary poignancy and complex bravery, of which the cliché is demonstrably true: football is not a matter of life or death; it’s much more important than that.

*discounting a couple of 'books' that I had stashed away in my early teenage years, that I *ahem* read a few times

 

[pearl]

A second attempt at googling it proved much more fruitful as I have now found it;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Match-Mana...ok/dp/0747573352#immersive-view_1476355674103

think I may get my friend that - thanks

 

[The Albion Roar]

Not just because of the local interest in the subject matter, Alan Mullery's autobiography is a good read.

Then there's always this peach. Not sure how to describe it, so I'll leave it to this review...

http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/42-Media/145-no-love-no-joy

 

[Guinness Boy]

Thanks AZ Gull regarding the plug for my book Lost In France about Leigh Roose. The cheque is in the post!

Seriously, for those of you who don't know, Lost In France is the story of Leigh Roose who was a goalkeeping pioneer during the early years of the 20th century; a playboy, scholar, maverick and soldier who was killed at the Battle of the Somme on 7 October 1916 - in other words the 100th anniversary was last week. He was football's first household name because women adored him as much as men idolised him. Imagine Paul Gascoigne with a university education, then throw in Beckham's savvy PR and George Best's way with the ladies. That was Leigh.

The version of the book you refer to AZ is an old one; I updated and rewrote large chunks this year as new material kept coming to light, with the new edition being released last month to coincide with the anniversary of Leigh's death. The coverage over the past couple of weeks has quite simply blown me away; John Humphrys even had me on the Today programme last Friday talking about it. Here's a link to a piece Wales on Sunday commissioned me to write (Leigh was Wales' keeper from 1901 until 1911):

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/100-years-ago-week-wales-11963800

It's well worth a read, even if I say so myself. Alternatively visit the BBC Radio Wales website and search 'Lost In France' for a playback of the programme they commissioned based on the book, which was broadcast last Saturday afternoon and again last night. Honestly, compared to that generation and what they went through, we don't know we're born.

The new version, in case anyone's interested, is called 'Lost In France - The Remarkable Life and Death of Leigh Roose, Football's First Superstar', and is published by Pitch Publishing priced £8.99. A bargain, considering it took me 16 years on-and-off to research his story.

I heard you on Today. Nice to have a Brighton fan on who wasn't [MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION]

Book sounded really interesting and the new edition is now on order!

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Dick Tights book for ME

Dick Tight writes self help book for yuppie flu sufferers - who knew?

This thread certainly reflects the general 40-something demographic of NSC, with all the usual suspects - All Played Out, The Glory Game, Left Foot Forward, The Far Corner, Amongst the Thugs - has anyone actually picked up a football book since 1989?

 

[Spencer Vignes]

Thanks for your earlier praise Guinness. And thank you for ordering yourself a copy. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Regarding Humphrys, I was partly expecting his traditional grilling. But no! He couldn't have been more encouraging. Maybe it was because I was doing the interview down the line from the BBC studios in Cardiff, where I now live.....and he's originally from! A possible case of looking after your own? Still, I'm not complaining.

As I said, try and catch that BBC Radio Wales 'Lost In France' documentary on their i-player. It's only half-an-hour long, but moving as heck.

 

[SeagullinExile]

I really enjoyed "All played Out" by Pete Davies.

It's the story of Italia 90 - from the players and fans point of view, and how English football changed during that World Cup.

I was there in Italy during the Summer of 1990, and the book brought back many memories. What a brilliant World Cup that was.

i was there too - Terrifying at times, but the best football experience i have ever had. Brilliant times

 

[Gwylan]

I heard you on Today. Nice to have a Brighton fan on who wasn't [MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION]

I've been on Today too - but I didn't talk as authoritatively as El Pres

 

[AZ Gull]

Thanks AZ Gull regarding the plug for my book Lost In France about Leigh Roose. The cheque is in the post!

Save the postage, a pint at Christmas will suffice.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Build a Bonfire

 

[Brownstuff]

So long ago I read it but loved Fever Pitch and probably tops the list
Season with Verona not far behind
Best autobiographies read were by Terry Venables and Jack Charlton who both had interesting lives
For nostalgia Albion by John Vinnicombe
Liked Cascarinos book and Tony Adams Addicted
Never read books by the wallies who have ghost written books whilst they are still playing and who have won f all for their country like messrs cole,ferdinand and gerrard etc
Brilliant Orange and Zlatan are also good reads that spring to mind
Although not especially a great book best title is Taking Le Tiss as that was what the football genius did to all the football peasants running around him

 

[joeinbrighton]

I just mentioned a contender on the Martin Ling thread - "Living on the Volcano" by Michael Calvin.

Quite a few contenders but I would say Duncan Hamilton's biography of Brian Clough called "As Long As You Don't Kiss Me" takes some beating. "The Italian Job" by messrs Marcotti and Vialli and Stuart Roach's book on Steve Coppell, "On a Wing and a Prayer" are both excellent reads too.

 

[fcportaloo]

This

 

[FamilyGuy]

build a bonfire

What he said - but Bobby Charltons autobiography comes close - and Paul Mersons too