I started that and gave up halfway through. Difficult to read, Burns' tone is crude and bitter throughout.Quote:
Originally Posted by stann
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I started that and gave up halfway through. Difficult to read, Burns' tone is crude and bitter throughout.Quote:
Originally Posted by stann
:( Looking forward to it now! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Sheridan
Forgot one, for any goalkeepers on here, Only The Keeper To Beat. Forgot who it's by and ain't going to go looking for it now. Thought it was a bit whingy at first but after years of playing behind crap defences it suddenly made perfect sense.
Quick review of the Irish books I’ve read (that I can remember!)…
The History of Dundalk FC is fantastic, is just crammed full of facts and information, and little gems of anecdotes.
We Are Rovers is very good, specially if you’re a hoop
Dyed in the Wool is one for Rovers fans only really
Strings of My Harps is very interesting
The Rod de Khors autobiog which somebody mentioned is rubbish, theres not enough interesting material to stretch beyond 2 pages, never mind 100.
Eamonn Sweeney’s One Red Army is a great book, highly recommended.
Of the rest of football… A Season with Verona stands out. Parks understands football and paints a picture of Italy in general thru his love of Hellas Verona. Castel di Sangro is a great book and a great story, if you can put up with a football book written by a mad American. Another excellent book is Dynamo, Defending the Honour of Kiev, about the Kiev team that played and beat the occupying Nazis during the War.
Dunphy’s Only A Game is worth a look, way ahead of its time and well written, but delusions of adequacy were evident even back then. Morbo and Futebol the Brazilian Way of Life are both highly entertaining, if not really in-depth. Futebol has some laugh out loud moments. Ajax The Dutch The War (by Simon Kuper, Football Against the Enemy) is fascinating, not really about Ajax though. I thought Agnew’s book was ok.
Starting into Behind the Iron Curtain, looks very good.
Im think im gona buy Calcio is it recommended?
I think my favourite would be Jonathan Wilson's "Behind the Curtain" - full of corruption and mystery and perfect for anyone who was fascinated with teams from Eastern Europe when they were growing up.
Simon Kuper's "Football Against the Enemy" is class too and would suit a broader spectrum of people. For a novel, I still rate "Fever Pitch" as a really good read.
I only like autobiographies of complete gougers and best of them all is Frank McAvennie's "Scoring". Hilarious stuff on and off the pitch. Collymore's "Tackling my Demons" is a laugh too. Neither of them ever admit that sometimes it was their own fault!
"Singing the Blues" is probably only of interest to Waterford fans, but it's a great chronicle of life as a Blues fan and has researched our early days excellently. Could be interesting for people who like reading about Irish football history too.
Hand of God [Jimmy Burns book about Diego]
A season with Verona
Dynamo - Defending the honour of Kiev
Other notable mentions go to
Calcio
Football against the enemy
Forza Italia
Ajax - The Dutch, The War
Not the best-written book in the world but as a young League of Ireland fan at the time I enjoyed it alot.Quote:
Originally Posted by red bellied
Highly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irish Fan
Ireland - 'theres only one red army'
by eamonn sweeney, see also his excellent article written last sunday in the sun indo !!!!!!!!
Also heard 'we are rovers is excellent'
UK - The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw: Robin Friday Story
Synopsis
Robin Friday was a footballer bent on self-destruction. Always in trouble with the referee, in and out of prison, owner of a drug habit, he never fulfilled his potential, and died in 1990. This book provides a full appreciation of the football genius of Robin Friday.
:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
Goes without saying really. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
Robin Friday is a legend. Book is co-written by Oasis' old drummer Guigsey and self-regarding mod spoofer Paolo Hewitt.Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
KOH
UK - The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw: Robin Friday Story
Synopsis
Robin Friday was a footballer bent on self-destruction. Always in trouble with the referee, in and out of prison, owner of a drug habit, he never fulfilled his potential, and died in 1990. This book provides a full appreciation of the football genius of Robin Friday.[/QUOTE]
Spot on Oriel...even if you never read the book...if you see it in a book shop make sure you take a look at the photos.... there one of him just after scoring.... having rounded the keeper and stroked the ball into the net ... he's seen (Friday sported jet black 70's long hair and a pair of side burns to die for) sneering distainfully at the keeper lying on the ground and giving him a classic two fingers Harvey Smith... 100% pure rock 'n' roll
My own favorites include the above, the recent fiction work about Leeds/Clough "The Unforgiven" , Cascarinos biog...and Dylan's "Chronicles" which I know has nothing to do with footie but is just brill !!
Also heard 'we are rovers is excellent'
ha ha just re-read my typo
joking aside is there much in this book about the league in general or is it 100% srfc as the title suggests ?
Was in Waterstone's today and after hearing that Football Against The Enemy was a goo read I decided to get it - it better be worth it :cool:
Only book I've ever read associated to football was Shaun Tordoff's book on the City Psychos - Hull's firm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hooperatzi
Read the Franklin Foer.. a good one.
Simon Kuper's is good but overrated.
We Are Rovers is not bad.
My particular favourite of recent times is " Behind The Curtain" by Jonathan Wilson, it's a travelogue about visits to Eastern European Countries and football in those countries and gives a low down on what some clubs are about and what goes on there since the Iron Curtain came down. Better than Kuper's offering, largely due to being a bit more up to date.
Where is "Singing The Blues" available boy? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by bluemovie
"Red Army General" by Tony O'Neill.
Just finished reading it about a month ago.
Synopsis
Tony O'Neill has for thirty years been one of the most famous faces in the biggest soccer crew in England. Tarred by the police as the ringleader of Manchester United's massive hooligan following the notorious Red Army, he is a true legend of the terraces. This is his 1st book about the biggest football firm in Britain. Charting his rise though the ranks during the 70's and how he had to adapt to the new casuals movement of the 80's after spending a few years in jail.
My verdict
A decent read if your into hooligan books especially if your a united fan. Will get his 2nd book "The Men in Black" at some stage
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calcio Jack
That guy is supposed to be an absolute legend by what ive heard,must get that book..
El Diego by Diego Maradona is a fantastic read but honestly, the best book that ive ever read has 2 go there's only one red army by eamonn sweeney
This sounds like a sad, sad pile of slurry written by a self-indulgent neanderthal. What in the name of all that's sacred is there to like about a bloke writing about wandering around smashing things up and attacking people for no particular reason? The blurb above makes it sound like this was some kind of achievement, instead of just some sad-arsed overgrown toddler stroking off over tales of his "heroics".Quote:
Originally Posted by Neish