A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke is the best sports book I've read. Absolutely devastating account of how depression can affect someone even if they're living their dream. Definitely recommend it
Can't remember if I already posted on this thread, but I can highly recommend Andre Agassi's autobiography, totally truthful. Alternatively, changing the subject, if you have any interest in the Apollo moon landings then Carrying The Fire by Michael Collins is a brilliant read
Just finished the nowhere men. Terrific bolls about the life of football's scouts. I also really enjoyed the numbers game about football analytics, just starting inverting the pyramid
I'm midway through KP's book and it's interesting reading. He makes some good points even though it's hard to imagine anyone can side 100% with him. Diplomacy is not his strength! I always think we underestimate what being on tour is all about. How many people could be abroad in unfamiliar places with their office or workmates for three months?
Andy Flower comes out badly from the book; it's a good read.
Just finished the nowhere men. Terrific bolls about the life of football's scouts. I also really enjoyed the numbers game about football analytics, just starting inverting the pyramid
I can recommend these three too.
The Nowhere Men is a revealing collage of discussions about the life of scouts. Once you've read this book you'll never again want to be one. You'll also be much less optimistic that we can find hidden gems nobody else is aware of.
You don't need to be analytically minded to enjoy The Numbers Game. Some of its insights are fascinating, for example about when to use substitutes. The key takeaway here is that if as a coach you're not into this stuff you're going to get left behind.
Inverting the Pyramid is a book about the history of tactics and, indirectly, of football more generally. I found it to be a bit of a labour of love, but worth it in the end. Jonathan Wilson's research is extraordinary.
Like him or not, Warnock is a real football man and his honest, direct style makes for a very entertaining book. Highly recommended and, again, a nice easy read.
The Simon Jordan book is a must read for anybody with any interest in what it must be like to own a football club. Jordan is candid and self deprecating, perhaps surprisingly so. He is scathing about "traditional football values" and "the sanctity of the dressing room".
The byline for Jordan's book might have been, "How to become a millionaire. Start with £80m and buy Crystal Palace." If I hadn't read any of these five books I'd start with this one.
Sadly, I've read too many books, about many things, to remember most of them let alone all of them!! However, one book I do recall enjoying was Red by Gary Neville. It provides a real insight into what it must have been like in that United dressing room during Ferguson's pomp. No wonder they were so successful.
As for Neville himself, I'd never liked him as a player, but I now have a huge respect for him having read the book. What came across was a frightening combination of almost animal aggression and determination combined with a high level of reflective intelligence. The observations about other teams and their players are fascinating.
Passovotchka - The story of Moscow Dynamo's post world war two tour of Britain. Football and social history.
Calcio (Italian football) and Pedalare, Pedalare (Italian Cycling) both by John Foot. David Millar's autobiography (Cycling). What I talk about when I talk about running by Murakami. Soccernomics by Simon Kuper, several of his other books have been recommended in this list, and this one is worth reading as well.
i started Soccernomics a couple of months ago, but struggled to get into it. Might give it another go.
Haven't started and completed a book in over 5 years i reckon. CL seems to take up any reading time, but i'm determined in the new year to start reading books again.
i started Soccernomics a couple of months ago, but struggled to get into it. Might give it another go.
Haven't started and completed a book in over 5 years i reckon. CL seems to take up any reading time, but i'm determined in the new year to start reading books again.
Nice to read this and good luck .. with a young family, work, making money and the pub/club/wine bar/meals out etc., it's not easy to find the time to get immersed in a good book. Personally, now that most things for me run like clockwork, I have a life as quiet or as noisy or as busy as I choose. I can now sit down for a 'quick read' and look at the clock to find that three or four hours have disappeared in a minute, train journeys pass in no time at all, and all thanks to a good book and of course the horse racing and football form guides ((:>)
Just finished the nowhere men. Terrific bolls about the life of football's scouts. I also really enjoyed the numbers game about football analytics, just starting inverting the pyramid
I'm reading The Nowhere Men at the moment, very interesting. One chapter features a game in our L1 title season (though typically it's one we lost!) as the scout was looking at our opposition Colchester. Some interesting comments about Anthony Wordsworth, and how the scout thought he was happy to be a big fish in a poor team and didn't want to push himself...
Maybe @weegie Addick can review it (or Bob Peters)
Matchdays The special journey of a Dutch bloke in the football capital london
In het voetbalseizoen 2013 – 2014 vertrok Paul Baaijens naar Londen. In 35 dagen bezocht hij wedstrijden van alle dertien Londense voetbalclubs die gedurende dit seizoen actief waren in de Engelse professionele voetbalcompetities. In zijn boek Matchdays neemt hij de lezer mee in zijn bijzondere voetbalreis langs de Londense velden.
During the season 2013 – 2014, Paul Baaijens left Holland for London. In 35 days, he visited football matches of all the thirteen London football clubs that where active in the four professional divisions. In his book Matchdays he describes his incredible journey.
Paul Baaijens (Nijmegen, 1989) is the author of the book Matchdays. In 2006, he went to a match of Charlton Athletic, together with his dad. Since that day, he fell in love with the English football culture and especially Charlton Athletic.
was trying to find - unsucessfully - a history of Welling United for my Brother in law, who seems to thankfully given up his Millwall supporting youth. When I noticed a book called the Londoner Gazetteer, by Russ Wiley, anyone read it? Not strictly sport related but might be of interest
Ha - just found this - thanks for the tip-off, Ben. I'll see if I can get it on my Kindle. Been a while since I've read a whole book in Dutch, mind you - but would be good practice!
I'm currently half way through Mike Brearley's 'Art of Captaincy' - if you love cricket it is essential reading. I thought I was an expert on the game when infact I knew nothing.
i started Soccernomics a couple of months ago, but struggled to get into it. Might give it another go.
Haven't started and completed a book in over 5 years i reckon. CL seems to take up any reading time, but i'm determined in the new year to start reading books again.
Nice to read this and good luck .. with a young family, work, making money and the pub/club/wine bar/meals out etc., it's not easy to find the time to get immersed in a good book. Personally, now that most things for me run like clockwork, I have a life as quiet or as noisy or as busy as I choose. I can now sit down for a 'quick read' and look at the clock to find that three or four hours have disappeared in a minute, train journeys pass in no time at all, and all thanks to a good book and of course the horse racing and football form guides ((:>)
Yep since we started having kids my book reading days have been numbered that and the arrival of CL on iPads and phones means the endless hours of sitting on the toilet reading a book have disappeared I need no distractions when I read a book so haven't read one for ages
Further to my post above, I've now remembered another football book I'd recommend. Indeed, I'd place it ahead of those those I commented on above.
It's The Italian Job by Gianluca Vialli, written with Gabrielle Marcotti. It's not an autobiography, but a comparative analysis of Italian and English football.
Vialli is not judgemental. He simply seeks to explain the differences and does so in the context of the respective cultures, the attitude of fans and the role of the media. It's one of the most thoughtful and insightful books about football I've read, if not the most.
You may not think that's a terribly high bar, but in my view this is an outstanding book by any standards. Well written and easy to read.
Five and a half years on and in 'lockdown' this thread might be of interest to 'bump.'
For the interest of ancient cricket fans I stumbled across my old copy of Trevor Bailey's biography of Garfield Sobers commonly called Gary or Garry (Bailey mentions this). The book was written in 1976 and published in 1977 and I found it very interesting reading it again at this distance. It's only a little over 150 pages so not a long read.
Comments
What I am recommending is Dynamo by Andy Dougan. It's the most moving and inspiring account of football I've ever read.
Simon Jordan's is even better
Andy Flower comes out badly from the book; it's a good read.
The Nowhere Men is a revealing collage of discussions about the life of scouts. Once you've read this book you'll never again want to be one. You'll also be much less optimistic that we can find hidden gems nobody else is aware of.
You don't need to be analytically minded to enjoy The Numbers Game. Some of its insights are fascinating, for example about when to use substitutes. The key takeaway here is that if as a coach you're not into this stuff you're going to get left behind.
Inverting the Pyramid is a book about the history of tactics and, indirectly, of football more generally. I found it to be a bit of a labour of love, but worth it in the end. Jonathan Wilson's research is extraordinary. And these two.
Like him or not, Warnock is a real football man and his honest, direct style makes for a very entertaining book. Highly recommended and, again, a nice easy read.
The Simon Jordan book is a must read for anybody with any interest in what it must be like to own a football club. Jordan is candid and self deprecating, perhaps surprisingly so. He is scathing about "traditional football values" and "the sanctity of the dressing room".
The byline for Jordan's book might have been, "How to become a millionaire. Start with £80m and buy Crystal Palace." If I hadn't read any of these five books I'd start with this one.
Sadly, I've read too many books, about many things, to remember most of them let alone all of them!! However, one book I do recall enjoying was Red by Gary Neville. It provides a real insight into what it must have been like in that United dressing room during Ferguson's pomp. No wonder they were so successful.
As for Neville himself, I'd never liked him as a player, but I now have a huge respect for him having read the book. What came across was a frightening combination of almost animal aggression and determination combined with a high level of reflective intelligence. The observations about other teams and their players are fascinating.
Passovotchka - The story of Moscow Dynamo's post world war two tour of Britain. Football and social history.
Calcio (Italian football) and Pedalare, Pedalare (Italian Cycling) both by John Foot. David Millar's autobiography (Cycling). What I talk about when I talk about running by Murakami. Soccernomics by Simon Kuper, several of his other books have been recommended in this list, and this one is worth reading as well.
Haven't started and completed a book in over 5 years i reckon. CL seems to take up any reading time, but i'm determined in the new year to start reading books again.
Personally, now that most things for me run like clockwork, I have a life as quiet or as noisy or as busy as I choose. I can now sit down for a 'quick read' and look at the clock to find that three or four hours have disappeared in a minute, train journeys pass in no time at all, and all thanks to a good book and of course the horse racing and football form guides ((:>)
Just been told about this book.
Maybe @weegie Addick can review it (or Bob Peters)
Matchdays
The special journey of a Dutch bloke in the football capital london
In het voetbalseizoen 2013 – 2014 vertrok Paul Baaijens naar Londen. In 35 dagen bezocht hij wedstrijden van alle dertien Londense voetbalclubs die gedurende dit seizoen actief waren in de Engelse professionele voetbalcompetities. In zijn boek Matchdays neemt hij de lezer mee in zijn bijzondere voetbalreis langs de Londense velden.
During the season 2013 – 2014, Paul Baaijens left Holland for London. In 35 days, he visited football matches of all the thirteen London football clubs that where active in the four professional divisions. In his book Matchdays he describes his incredible journey.
Paul Baaijens (Nijmegen, 1989) is the author of the book Matchdays. In 2006, he went to a match of Charlton Athletic, together with his dad. Since that day, he fell in love with the English football culture and especially Charlton Athletic.
I'm currently half way through Mike Brearley's 'Art of Captaincy' - if you love cricket it is essential reading. I thought I was an expert on the game when infact I knew nothing.that and the arrival of CL on iPads and phones means the endless hours of sitting on the toilet reading a book have disappeared
I need no distractions when I read a book so haven't read one for ages
It's The Italian Job by Gianluca Vialli, written with Gabrielle Marcotti. It's not an autobiography, but a comparative analysis of Italian and English football.
Vialli is not judgemental. He simply seeks to explain the differences and does so in the context of the respective cultures, the attitude of fans and the role of the media. It's one of the most thoughtful and insightful books about football I've read, if not the most.
You may not think that's a terribly high bar, but in my view this is an outstanding book by any standards. Well written and easy to read.
For the interest of ancient cricket fans I stumbled across my old copy of Trevor Bailey's biography of Garfield Sobers commonly called Gary or Garry (Bailey mentions this). The book was written in 1976 and published in 1977 and I found it very interesting reading it again at this distance. It's only a little over 150 pages so not a long read.