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Post by peterthornesboots on Mar 29, 2012 18:51:44 GMT
In a couple of months time I'm travelling to Europe, however I face a considerable coach journey (15 hours I think) and I was wondering if anyone could suggest some decent football-related books to take with me on the trip? Biographies, autobiographies, that sort of thing, and they do not necessarily have to be Stoke related. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!  |
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Post by AlanHansen on Mar 29, 2012 19:09:31 GMT
I'd recommend a season with Verona.
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Post by citizensmith on Mar 29, 2012 19:09:53 GMT
15 hours to get to dover on a coach. is it horse drawn? ;D
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Post by peterthornesboots on Mar 29, 2012 19:11:24 GMT
15 hours to get to dover on a coach. is it horse drawn? It's a coach journey to Germany ... I havent queried what sort of coach we're using!  |
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Post by alansuddick on Mar 29, 2012 19:15:03 GMT
1. miracle of castel de sangro by joe mguiness 10/10
2 season with veron by tim parks 8/10
3 once upon a time in naples about maraddonas time there real eye opener. 8/10 all excellent football books.
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Post by AlanHansen on Mar 29, 2012 19:19:52 GMT
1. miracle of castel de sangro by joe mguiness 10/10 2 season with veron by tim parks 8/10
3 once upon a time in naples about maraddonas time there real eye opener. 8/10 all excellent football books. Funnily enough someone at work recommended this to me last week, I assume its the same one: The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy. |
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Post by leicspotter on Mar 29, 2012 19:23:41 GMT
Gordon Banks: A hero who could fly...not a long book but very poignant
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Post by stokeny on Mar 29, 2012 19:24:32 GMT
Soccernomics, someone bought it for my birthday. It's pretty interesting and a little bit different.
Left foot in the grave - is good too.
I'm assuming of course you've read all of the Stoke books, which are the dog's bollox
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Post by alansuddick on Mar 29, 2012 19:26:28 GMT
yes mate the castel di sangro book excellent
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Post by huuuuuth on Mar 29, 2012 19:28:24 GMT
'The greatest footballer you never saw: The Robin Friday story' |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2012 19:51:51 GMT
'Provided You Don't Kiss Me' about Clough's time at Forest is good.
'All Played Out' by Pete Davies about England at Italia '90 is the best book about football I've ever read.
Tony Cascarino's (ghostwritten) autobiography is different and a lot better than your average footballer's memoir. So is Southgate's which contrasts his career with that of his best mate, jobbing keeper Andy Woodman, and is all the more interesting for it.
'Brilliant Orange' is a decent if pretentious read on Dutch football. 'Tor' is a terrific book on German football.
'Death or Glory' is a great book about the dark side of the world cup, including how wars have been fought over it and tyrants have tried to exploit it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2012 19:55:38 GMT
Oh ah stantona. Shit title but a great read about Phil Stant's time as a lower league pro-footballer AFTER serving in the Falklands War.
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Post by butlerstreetbertie on Mar 29, 2012 20:01:12 GMT
Would agree with RVD re the Clough book, a cracking read. Also recommend 'My Father and other Working Class Football Heroes' by Gary Imlach about his father Stewart who played for Forest in the '59 Cup Final.
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Post by logdog on Mar 29, 2012 20:09:06 GMT
"Kicked Into Touch" by Fred Eyre, and "Left Foot In The Grave" by Garry Nelson. Both really funny books about footballers struggling to get by in the lower divisions of the Football League. Well worth a read...
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Post by logdog on Mar 29, 2012 20:12:00 GMT
Won't go down too well on here, but have to admit, ex-Fail "star" Peter Swan's autobiography is hilarious. Big Bad Billy Whitehurst gets plenty of mentions...
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Post by Olgrligm on Mar 29, 2012 20:19:29 GMT
Stephen Foster's two books ('She Stood There Laughing' and 'And She Laughed No More') are about as good as you'll get in terms of Stoke related literature.
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Post by joinerssquire on Mar 29, 2012 20:22:36 GMT
It's not just a football book but 'Ali, Lillee Pele and me' by Brian Viner is a terrific read. The first chapter 'Alan Hudsons Bowels' features the one and only Huddy and the whole premise of the book is that the 1970's was the greatest sporting decade. As someone who was a teenager during that time it strikes a chord. The description of Stan Bowles being pissed on 'Superstars' and failing to hit the target in the shooting competition will have you howling with laughter.
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Post by peterthornesboots on Mar 29, 2012 20:39:14 GMT
Thank you for all the suggestions! Keep them coming.
I've already read the Brian Clough book "Provide You Don't Kiss Me", it's by far the best football book I've ever read!
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Post by mailman44 on Mar 29, 2012 20:52:52 GMT
Robert Enke's biography "A Life Too Short" is outstanding. As a goalkeeper myself I found it fascinating he could still play at such high level despite his affliction. Plus ending it by stepping in front of a speeding train really is poignant.
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Post by numpty40 on Mar 29, 2012 20:57:11 GMT
Stephen Foster's two books ('She Stood There Laughing' and 'And She Laughed No More') are about as good as you'll get in terms of Stoke related literature. Really enjoyed these books, I very rarely 'laugh out loud' when reading books but I did with these. I thought the original Gazza autobiography from a few years ago, My Story was a brilliant read. |
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Post by onionman on Mar 29, 2012 21:05:58 GMT
If you're a sad bastard, try Why England Lose.
I enjoyed it (and I'm a sad bastard).
If you're not a sad bastard, give it a wide berth.
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Post by Hiram on Mar 29, 2012 21:56:21 GMT
Eamon Dunphy's 'Only a Game? - diary of a professional footballer' is the best football book I've read.
Sir Stan's 'TheWay it Was' is a great read.
The Damned United, if you haven't read it already, is a wonderful imagining of what was going on in Brain Clough's head during his 44 days at Leeds.
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Post by stokeny on Mar 29, 2012 22:59:32 GMT
Fuck me, who knew so many Stokies could read . |
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Post by JoeinOz on Mar 30, 2012 0:05:51 GMT
THE Italian Job by Gianlucca Vialli.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Mar 30, 2012 0:12:46 GMT
If You like tactics and that sort of shenanigan then Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson is good. It's basically a football tactic history book.
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Post by supersimonstainrod on Mar 30, 2012 7:38:21 GMT
'An Anatomy of England','Behind The Curtain','Inverting The Pyramid' All by Johnathon Wilson.
'The Ball Is Round' by David Goldblatt.
'Futebol, a history of Brazilian football' by Alex Bellos.
'Calcio,a history of Italian football' by John Foot.
'Why England Lose' as mentioned above is a good read, written by economists specializing in sport if i remember rightly......
'A Cultured Left Foot' by Musa Okwonga.
'On Football' by Hugh Mcilvanney.(the Don of footy writing)
'Barca' by Jimmy Burns.
'The Glory Game' by Hunter Davies.
'Englischer Fussball' by Raphael Honigstein.
'50 People Who Fouled Up Football' by Michael Henderson'
All great reads imho.
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Post by Stretfordpotterer on Mar 30, 2012 7:58:29 GMT
Tony Cascarino and Gary Nelsons are probably the best bio's i've read.
Morbo and Tor about spanish and German football respectively are also interesting.
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Post by peterthornesboots on Mar 30, 2012 8:05:00 GMT
Fuck me, who knew so many Stokies could read . I was wondering how long it would be before someone said something along those lines ;D |
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Post by apb1 on Mar 30, 2012 8:13:58 GMT
Another vote for Miracle of Castel di Sangro.
The Ball is Round, while excellent, is more of an academic history, and may take you over the luggage allowance ;D
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Post by supersimonstainrod on Mar 30, 2012 8:31:07 GMT
lol at apb1..........I find i can fit a chapter in between the end of a game and the much anticipated appearance of RVD's conclusions thread. ) ;D |
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