From: Jim Goloboy on
On Jul 1, 8:08 am, Sven Mischkies <hs...(a)der-ball-ist-rund.net> wrote:

> Here a list of candidates:
> 1) Why England Lose: And other curious phenomena explained - Simon
> Kuper

Interesting, but mainly an opinion piece despite the pretensions of
the authors.

> 2) Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics - Jonathan
> Wilson;

Very good.

> 3) Football Against The Enemy - Simon Kuper

Good but perhaps dated by now. A newer book in a similar vein is "How
Soccer Explains the World" by Franklin Foer--I haven't read this
myself but have heard mixed reviews.

> 4) Tor!: The Story of German Football - Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger

I don't know this one but he has written some good columns for
soccernet.

> 5) Calcio: A History of Italian Football - John Foot
> 6) Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football - Phil ball

Similar to these is Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos--
you have to like a book that opens with a chapter on Brazilian players
in the Faroese League.

> 1-3 are my favourites so far, 4 next and I am not sure about 5-7.
> Can you comment on the books, and/or recommend others?

National Pastime by Szymanski and Zimbalist--the first part with
parallel histories of the early years of baseball and soccer, and
discussion of how different league structures evolved and why soccer
spread internationally while baseball mainly didn't, is good. The
second part devolves into math games.

Miracle of Castel di Sangro is old but still entertaining.

The Beckham Experiment was pretty good but probably of limited
interest to non-US readers.

From: Sven Mischkies on
Jim Goloboy <jim.goloboy(a)gmail.com> wrote:

> > 3) Football Against The Enemy - Simon Kuper
>
> Good but perhaps dated by now. A newer book in a similar vein is "How
> Soccer Explains the World" by Franklin Foer--I haven't read this
> myself but have heard mixed reviews.


Ah, yes - forgot that one.

This is from a review I found:

"The last drop is Franklin Foer's blatant way of taking sides, from what
he suggests, a naive reader with no previous knowledge might actually
think that the sectarianism involved in the Old Firm (Glasgow Rangers
vs. Glasgow Celtic) is purely a case of Protestant majority abusing the
Catholic minority, who have never set a foot wrong. Further on in the
course of the book, Foer goes onto label many famous football teams as
racist clubs. What ever happened to objectivity, the most important
guide line of every journalist? "

Nope, that's not for me.


> > 5) Calcio: A History of Italian Football - John Foot
> > 6) Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football - Phil ball
>
> Similar to these is Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos--
> you have to like a book that opens with a chapter on Brazilian players
> in the Faroese League.


Goodness. How did they get there??? :) I put it on the list. I assume
you read the other two, too - what's your opinion?


> > 1-3 are my favourites so far, 4 next and I am not sure about 5-7.
> > Can you comment on the books, and/or recommend others?
>
> National Pastime by Szymanski and Zimbalist--the first part with
> parallel histories of the early years of baseball and soccer, and
> discussion of how different league structures evolved and why soccer
> spread internationally while baseball mainly didn't, is good. The
> second part devolves into math games.


Didn't know that one - but combining baseball and football makes it
interesting - up on the list. :)


> Miracle of Castel di Sangro is old but still entertaining.


Aye, it's on the list, too. Was not so sure about it at first, but it
should be ok.


> The Beckham Experiment was pretty good but probably of limited
> interest to non-US readers.


;)


Ciao,
SM

--
http://www.gourockviews.co.uk
I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting. But it
does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously.
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From: JK on
Sven Mischkies wrote:
>
>
>
>> Miracle of Castel di Sangro is old but still entertaining.
>
>
> Aye, it's on the list, too. Was not so sure about it at first, but it
> should be ok.


Entertaining, but it's Joe McGinness so take it with a grain of salt,
and his habit of injecting himself into the story is tiresome.

From: Clément on
"Sven Mischkies" escreveu:
> Jim Goloboy wrote:
>
>> > 3) Football Against The Enemy - Simon Kuper
>>
>> Good but perhaps dated by now. A newer book in a similar vein is "How
>> Soccer Explains the World" by Franklin Foer--I haven't read this
>> myself but have heard mixed reviews.
>
>
> Ah, yes - forgot that one.
>
> This is from a review I found:
>
> "The last drop is Franklin Foer's blatant way of taking sides, from what
> he suggests, a naive reader with no previous knowledge might actually
> think that the sectarianism involved in the Old Firm (Glasgow Rangers
> vs. Glasgow Celtic) is purely a case of Protestant majority abusing the
> Catholic minority, who have never set a foot wrong. Further on in the
> course of the book, Foer goes onto label many famous football teams as
> racist clubs. What ever happened to objectivity, the most important
> guide line of every journalist? "
>
> Nope, that's not for me.

I found it to be quite entertaining myself. In hindsight, maybe the above
review is correct, I'd have to check the book again. I suppose wasn't
concerned with the author's objectivity in the first place, and certainly
was not looking for some credible explanation on "how soccer explains the
world". It's more a collection of someone's impressions on the football
culture as he traveled around the world. His opinions were not offensive to
me, but of course this has a lot to do with each person's background.


>> > 5) Calcio: A History of Italian Football - John Foot
>> > 6) Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football - Phil ball
>>
>> Similar to these is Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos--
>> you have to like a book that opens with a chapter on Brazilian players
>> in the Faroese League.
>
> Goodness. How did they get there??? :) I put it on the list. I assume
> you read the other two, too - what's your opinion?

This one is pretty good, and as a Brazilian I can tell you Alex Bellos has
some very good insight.


Maybe we could put together a complete list of the books mentioned here when
this thread is over? Maybe with RSSers' collective ratings? I wouldn't mind
doing it myself, if anyone else thinks it's a good idea.

Abra�o,

Luiz Mello

From: Sven Mischkies on
Cl�ment <lcmello.listas(a)terra.com.br> wrote:

> "Sven Mischkies" escreveu:
> > Jim Goloboy wrote:
> >
> >> > 3) Football Against The Enemy - Simon Kuper
> >>
> >> Good but perhaps dated by now. A newer book in a similar vein is "How
> >> Soccer Explains the World" by Franklin Foer--I haven't read this
> >> myself but have heard mixed reviews.
> >
> >
> > Ah, yes - forgot that one.
> >
> > This is from a review I found:
> >
> > "The last drop is Franklin Foer's blatant way of taking sides, from what
> > he suggests, a naive reader with no previous knowledge might actually
> > think that the sectarianism involved in the Old Firm (Glasgow Rangers
> > vs. Glasgow Celtic) is purely a case of Protestant majority abusing the
> > Catholic minority, who have never set a foot wrong. Further on in the
> > course of the book, Foer goes onto label many famous football teams as
> > racist clubs. What ever happened to objectivity, the most important
> > guide line of every journalist? "
> >
> > Nope, that's not for me.
>
> I found it to be quite entertaining myself. In hindsight, maybe the above
> review is correct, I'd have to check the book again. I suppose wasn't
> concerned with the author's objectivity in the first place, and certainly
> was not looking for some credible explanation on "how soccer explains the
> world". It's more a collection of someone's impressions on the football
> culture as he traveled around the world. His opinions were not offensive to
> me, but of course this has a lot to do with each person's background.
>
>
> >> > 5) Calcio: A History of Italian Football - John Foot
> >> > 6) Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football - Phil ball
> >>
> >> Similar to these is Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos--
> >> you have to like a book that opens with a chapter on Brazilian players
> >> in the Faroese League.
> >
> > Goodness. How did they get there??? :) I put it on the list. I assume
> > you read the other two, too - what's your opinion?
>
> This one is pretty good, and as a Brazilian I can tell you Alex Bellos has
> some very good insight.
>
>
> Maybe we could put together a complete list of the books mentioned here when
> this thread is over? Maybe with RSSers' collective ratings? I wouldn't mind
> doing it myself, if anyone else thinks it's a good idea.


Sure it would. IIRC we had numerous threads about books in the past -
but I was too lazt to google. ;)


"Brilliant Orange" is said to be good, too.


Ciao,
SM
--
http://www.gourockviews.co.uk
I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting. But it
does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously.
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