The FIFA World Cup is almost here, and ‘The Greatest Show on the Earth will be kicking off next week. The hype can be felt in the house we live in, the street we walk, and literally everywhere. The wait is sweet but some are already running out of patience on what to do next! This little pre-tournament break can be enjoyed very well by giving a football-related book a go. Check out the list of books brought to you by WhatsOn editorial Sajid Iqbal and chose yours now!
“One Night in Turin” by Pete Davies
This book takes you back to the 1990 World Cup, especially the semi-final in Turin. It will provide an insider story about the Italia ’90 – from players to the hooligans. England lost the match in n nail-biting penalty shootout which still haunts the English fans. Pit Davies, a writer, received nine months of unrestricted access to the England team in order to develop the story.
“Danish Dynamite” by Rob Smyth, Lars Eriksen, and Mike Gibbons
Europe is ruling football in recent years, and there is always a black horse in the World Cups from Europe. Generally, Denmark is recognized as the opponent for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This book tells the story of their first-ever World Cup appearance. Stories with this football romanticism will take you back to Mexico, in 1986.
“Football in Sun and Shadow” by Eduardo Galeano
It is considered to be something special and unusual because of the choices of poetry and lyrical writing in this book. This beautiful piece of football literature provides a wide range of anecdotes from different World Cups dating back to 1930. If you want to dive into an ocean of interesting facets of the beautiful game – this is surely for you!
“Footballer” by Kelly Smith and Lance Hardy
Many of us who follow football regularly are familiar with many struggling stories of many footballers. This book tells the tale of Kelly Smith, an Arsenal icon and member of the English women’s national team. Surely, she won countless trophies but she had a really hard time dealing with depression and alcoholism along the way. It was her immense drive of passion that brought her back to the fields, read it in her own words!
“Das Reboot” by Raphael Honigstein
Germans have dominated modern football in recent years, and they are recognized for both their technical mastery and their lofty aspirations for the game. Das Reboot shares the story of the german side’s reinvention in 1996. This book will help the reader to take a journey back in time and discover what makes the Germans play like the Germans!
“Football Against The Enemy” by Simon Kuper
The classic winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award depicts the symbiotic relationship between football and politics. Writer Simon Kuper literally had to travel to 22 countries – South Africa, Russia, the USA, and many more to create this story. There is an interesting example of the football great Pele in this book about him causing a 48-hours of ceasefire during the Biafran War!
