In need of a few books as i'll be off work for a month and under doctor's orders to take it easy.

I really like the type that are part travel or "I spent a season reffing / playing / following AFC Craphampton around".

For example, I loved the one by Tim Parks where he wrote about Hellas Verona for a year.

Preferably on Amazon so I can kindle it or get a used copy.

Possibly other sports too.

thanks all!

CINMx

how lucky are you !

http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... =2&t=11899

Sightlines by Simon Inglis is very good. He travels around Buenos Aires trying to visit all the football grounds

William Garbutt: The Father of Italian Football by Paul Edgerton is an excellent read.

What about rejected ??? Its only £2.99 apparently

Joeys autobio is a good read. Certainly bares himself.

My favourite books are in no particular order.

Tim Parks - A season with Verona.

Brian Clough - Walking on water

Alex Ferguson autobiography

Alex Ferguson - Leading.


Edit - oh and Stan the man.

The suicide squad book is hilarious.

I have actually read scores of football books, mostly ghost-written autobiographies (oxymoron there?) and quite a few biographies. They are almost all totally identical / predictable in structure, starting with their schooldays and junior teams, getting scouted, then pro contracts, then their professional career. The more famous will try to throw in a few juicy titbits that you've probably already read about in the press.
I could list many but here are a few you might try as I think they're a little diffferent to the run-of-the-mill:

From JImmy Greaves, a personal favourite - The Heart of the Game
- Greavesie - The Autobiography (pub 2003)

Patrick (Paddy) Barclay, journalist - The Life and Times of Herbert Chapman
- Matt Busby, The Definitive Biography
- Football Bloody Hell ! Alex Ferguson

Jim Baxter - Autobiography

and for one that's entertaining with some revelations that might surprise you:

Paul Merson - How not to be a professional footballer (Put aside any pesonal opinions you may have of Merson, and see how a hugely paid modern footballer spent his time and money. The money he got through on booze and drugs - all detailed- is eye-watering.)

That Daniel Gray chap came flogging his wares back on the old CM - he's released another book now called Saturday, 3PM.

It's got good reviews but i've not read it yet.

His last one had Burnley in it and was a great read

Has to be My Father And Other Working Class Football Heroes by Gary Imlach

CharlieinNewMexico wrote:In need of a few books as i'll be off work for a month and under doctor's orders to take it easy.

I really like the type that are part travel or "I spent a season reffing / playing / following AFC Craphampton around".

For example, I loved the one by Tim Parks where he wrote about Hellas Verona for a year.

Preferably on Amazon so I can kindle it or get a used copy.

Possibly other sports too.

thanks all!

CINMx

Try mine mate. There is a thread about it. Look at the initial feedback from your fellow Clarets.

Morgan wrote:I have actually read scores of football books, mostly ghost-written autobiographies (oxymoron there?) and quite a few biographies. They are almost all totally identical / predictable in structure, starting with their schooldays and junior teams, getting scouted, then pro contracts, then their professional career. The more famous will try to throw in a few juicy titbits that you've probably already read about in the press.
I could list many but here are a few you might try as I think they're a little diffferent to the run-of-the-mill:

From JImmy Greaves, a personal favourite - The Heart of the Game
- Greavesie - The Autobiography (pub 2003)

Patrick (Paddy) Barclay, journalist - The Life and Times of Herbert Chapman
- Matt Busby, The Definitive Biography
- Football Bloody Hell ! Alex Ferguson

Jim Baxter - Autobiography

and for one that's entertaining with some revelations that might surprise you:

Paul Merson - How not to be a professional footballer (Put aside any pesonal opinions you may have of Merson, and see how a hugely paid modern footballer spent his time and money. The money he got through on booze and drugs - all detailed- is eye-watering.)

Reckon you'd like mine too!!

A bit cruel writing ' pub' after the words Greavsie

An old book but should still be available is Kicking into the Wind. It is a record of a year in the life of Rochdale FC. If some of the overpaid and pampered players of nowadays were made to read it they might appreciate things a bit more.

Also ex Charlton player Gary Nelson had two books. Left foot forward and a follow up at the end of his career Left foot in the grave. Both good reads.

I don't claim to have read more than a half dozen football books, one I did enjoy when it came out was...For The Good of The Game. History of the PFA, luckily only as far as 1990s. Interesting that there was club that managed to control most of the voting that would have given players better wages and contracts right up to the time of the abolition of the maximum wage.

aclaretinstevenage wrote:Also ex Charlton player Gary Nelson had two books. Left foot forward and a follow up at the end of his career Left foot in the grave. Both good reads.

Have read both of these and can recommend them .
Colin Schindler has written a couple of excellent footy books,but can't remember what they are called,both very good reads also.

starting_11 wrote:That Daniel Gray chap came flogging his wares back on the old CM - he's released another book now called Saturday, 3PM.

It's got good reviews but i've not read it yet.

His last one had Burnley in it and was a great read

I read the Knitters book and it is great, I am also enjoying the "Saturday 3pm" book

An excellent writer is Mr Gray.

I would also recommend "Inverting the Pyramid" by Jonathan Wilson (I think).

Also anything by Dave Thomas.

Paul Mcgrath book is a brilliant read, an old book but good.

Miracle of Castel Di Sangro (sp) by Joe McGinness, is old but brilliantly told.

Jonathan Wilson has just brought out a book about Argentinian football which is meant to be good.

Floodlit Dreams by Ian Ridley is entertaining.

Thanks everybody for the recommendations so far!

Rejected, I can only seem to download you to the Kindle app on my phone which I'm not really a fan of, not my actual Kindle. Is that because I'm US? Just thought I'd let you know in case it's costing you sales.

CharlieinNewMexico wrote:Thanks everybody for the recommendations so far!

Rejected, I can only seem to download you to the Kindle app on my phone which I'm not really a fan of, not my actual Kindle. Is that because I'm US? Just thought I'd let you know in case it's costing you sales.

Hello, thank you for getting in touch!!

Unfortunately it won't download to some Kindle devices. I have been told that it is because of the letters which have been scanned in. To make it compatible with all Kindles requires a special format which I would have to spend hundreds on doing. I haven't got hundreds to do it!! It works on most and as you said, the kindle app on any ipad/phone and android/tablet device!!

Sorry I can't be of more help!! Hope you enjoy it if you manage to get it!

Colin Shindler, Manchester United ruined my life.
Duncan Hamilton, The footballer who could fly
Mark Hodkinson, Life Sentence. A book on the trials and tribulations of supporting Rochdale.

A lot of good recommendations:

Jonathan Wilson has just brought out a book about Argentinian football which is meant to be good.

Angels with dirty faces is the title and so far I am enjoying it.

Pirates, Punks and Politics - Nick Davison about St Pauli
Calcio John Foot
Footballers Don't cry - Brian Glanville excellent writing covering over 50 years of his writing
The far corner Henry Pearson - a ramble round the north east mainly lower league and non league, written in the style of our own Dave Thomas. (He has also done some other books which are written in the same observant and funny way.
The Beautiful game David Conn
Fear and loathing in La Liga - Sid Lowe
Hatters, knitters and Railwaymen Daniel Gray Burnley gets a couple of mentions.

Enjoy the time off.

I'm not saying they are the greatest ever football books but for two total contrasts and two hugely different careers, one magical and one all heartache... try the Fletch and the Eli books... one all light and sunshine and the other a almost a textbook on the perils and pitfalls of being a pro footballer.

Rodleydave wrote:I'm not saying they are the greatest ever football books but for two total contrasts and two hugely different careers, one magical and one all heartache... try the Fletch and the Eli books... one all light and sunshine and the other a almost a textbook on the perils and pitfalls of being a pro footballer.

If he wants a book from magical to heartache he should try Dave Thomas' "Jimmy Adamson, The Man Who Said "No" To England". A top read Dave in Rodley and a mention for a well known Ashington bass player.

minnie - 3 footballers of the year were born in the same street in Ashington I believe, name them.

CleggHall wrote:minnie - 3 footballers of the year were born in the same street in Ashington I believe, name them.

The book above names them all and the Street. Laburnum Terrace. Let others guess.

Jimmy Adamson, Jackie and Bobby Charlton

Many Geordies get this wrong by naming Jackie Milburn, Jimmy Adamson is a forgotten man in these parts.

Stan T's book is indeed a good read.
Best opening quote re Vinnie Jones phone call.
And the Warnock chapter

Last football book I read was Gary Neville's autobiography. Was decent to be fair.

IndigoLake wrote:Last football book I read was Gary Neville's autobiography. Was decent to be fair.

I heard a rumour you're about to read a good one though!!

rejected wrote:I heard a rumour you're about to read a good one though!!

Haha, true enough! My first football related book in ages!

Brilliant Orange (David Winner) - Dutch football and Holland in general. One of my favourite books and one I could read over and over again.

Tor! (Ulrich Hess-Lichtenberger) - German football, more of a straight history.

Morbo (Phil Ball) - Spanish football, a history but split into mainly geographical sections. Be warned, the edition I have only covers to around 2000 so misses all the best stuff.

Behind the Curtain (Jonathan Wilson) - Eastern Europe, split by country. Nicely done, but they get a bit repetitive; country develops technically skilled teams, do OK up to the fall of Communism, better players move to the West, local scene goes to sugar.

Inverting the Pyramid (Jonathan Wilson) - history of football tactics. Better than it sounds.

Full Time (Tony Cascarino) - about as far away as possible from the standard football autobiography, and not just for the bit about how he was never actually qualified for Ireland.

In Ma Head, Son! (Pat Nevin) - another atypical memoir but in a different way; it's a series of interviews between Nevin and a psychiatrist done while he was winding down his career at Tranmere. Helps that he's not the 'standard' footballer.

Burnley Were Back! and Another Tilt At The Big Time (Stephen Cummings) - Burnley's 1994/95 and 2014/2015 seasons as seen by someone who was at every game for both if them.