I picked up a new book on Friday, “Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics” by Jonathon Wilson, and I haven’t been able to put it down. Made me think of other great soccer books I’ve read.
Check out my top picks after the jump and feel free to add your own…….
Jose Mourinho: Made in Portugal by Luis Lourenco. Love him or hate him this book is fantastic.
Garrincha: The Triumph and Tragedy of Brazil’s Forgotten Footballing Hero by Ruy Castro. This guy was George Best before George Best.
Woody and Nord: A Football Friendship by Gareth Southgate and Andy Woodman. Childhood friends who experience two totally different sides of soccer, Southgate becomes an England international while Woody struggles to scrape out a living with small time clubs. A great read.
(Biased Choice) El Diego: The Auotbiography of the World’s Greatest Footballer by Diego Maradona. Simply put he was my childhood hero. If you’re Argie you’re loving it and if you’re not, well then, you’re probably not.
If you have any really good ones drop them on us so we can check them out.
Image via Amazon.com
I’m reading “bloody confused” right now and I’m really enjoying some things I didn’t know about the EPL… Plus the author discusses differences between Europe and USA… pretty cool book!
Recommend “Temples of the Earthbound Gods”, interesting read.
http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/gaftem.html
“Soccer in a Football World” by David Wangerin is an absolute must-read for all fans of the game in America.
The Italian Job: A Journey to the Heart of Two Great Footballing Cultures by Gianluca Vialli and Gabriele Marcotti>>>compares and contrasts england and italy, entertaining…
A Home on the Field: How One Championship Soccer Team Inspires Hope for the Revival of Small Town America by Paul Cuadros>>>>this is a soccer/social commentary it tells the story of a coach and the rag tag group of immigrants he coaches in rural North Carolina.
How Soccer Explains the World>>was also a good read.
“Among the Thugs” by Bill Buford. A hooliganism strategy guide!
http://www.amazon.com/Among-Thugs-Bill-Buford/dp/0679745351
How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer
http://www.amazon.com/How-Soccer-Explains-World-Globalization/dp/0060731427/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247011060&sr=8-1
futebol – alex bellos
my favourite year – various
brilliant orange – david winner
My personal favorite of late was The Damned United by David Peace, the semi-fictional account about Brian Clough.
My top 18 favorites are at:
http://www.epltalk.com/ultimate-guide-football-books/
Cheers,
The Gaffer
Soccer Against the Enemy. It’s Foer’s book, but first and much better.
And Brilliant Orange is amazing, though as much about Dutch society as it’s about football.
Is it too obvious to say Fever Pitch?
The Garrincha one sounds interesting given the era he was part of and the over-coming of his disabilities.
I am currently reading “The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer” by David Goldblatt. Goldblatt starts with English peasants playing football at festivals and works his way to the 21st century. There’s an amazing amount of historical details. I have only made it to the transition from English school dominated football to a large English public involvement in football, but already I have a new appreciation for the cultural importance of football in England. If you’ve got the endurance for a dense tome, I would check this book out.
Eugene, the Garrincha book is outstanding. Highly recommended right along with Mourinho and Woody and Nord.
I just finished Once in a Lifetime and the Damned United and enjoyed both.
I just picked up Sneaker Wars, which is the history of Puma and Adidas. Although not about soccer, soccer related.
I second the recommendatino of Goldblatt’s History of Soccer. Also – “Soccer Against The Enemy” by Simon Kuper.
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby is one of my favorites, and I’m not even an Arsenal fan.
“here we go gathering cups in may” outstanding book about liverpool’s european journeys, even if you’re not a fan, I highly recommend.