This follow-up to Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer is "an enchanting love letter to English football" ( The Daily Telegraph).In this playful, witty, and highly original look at English soccer, David Winner, author of the acclaimed Brilliant Orange, journeys to the heart of an essential English pastime and sheds new light on the true nature of a rapidly changing game that was never really meant to be beautiful....

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDThe Netherlands has one of the world's most distinctive and sophisticated football cultures. From the birth of Total Football in the sixties, through two decades of World Cup near misses to the exiles who remade clubs like AC Milan, Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea in their own image, the Dutch have often been dazzlingly original and influential.The elements of their style (exquisite skills, adventurous attacking t...

Imagine the River Tiber as an alimentary tract. Picture a hungry saint. Think of erotic Renaissance fruit paintings, transubstantiation and a tiramisu café where magic issurelyon the menu... This highly original interpretation of Rome's history, culture, art and religion takes the form of a book about food that's not really about food at all.During his first two years in Rome, David Winner found himself in turn amazed and overwhelmed by its physical, historical and cultural vastnes...

Rio Ferdinand is one of the finest footballers of his generation - a born winner and one of the game's greatest stoppers. Full of outstanding stories and forthright opinions, #2Sides sees Rio reflect on his unique rise to the top of the game:- Cutting his teeth in the West Ham youth teams and becoming captain of Leeds United at the age of 22- His record-breaking transfer to Manchester United that made him one of the most revered centre-backs in world football...

'ENDLESSLY ABSORBING' Mail on Sunday'MASTERPIECE' The Times'RUTHLESS' Daily Telegraph'INCOMPARABLE' Sunday Mirror'SEARINGLY HONEST' The SunThe No.1 bestselling memoir of Roy Keane, former captain of Manchester United and IrelandIn a stunning collaboration with Booker Prize-winning author Roddy Doyle, R...

Get ready for the Euros by journeying through the iconic and searingly honest story of one of the country's best ever footballers'A truly world class career . . . This is a must read' 5***** READER REVIEW'An astonishing tale of commitment, loyalty and determination' 5***** READER REVIEW'A heart on sleeve account of success and failure' 5***** READER REVIEW________In My Story, l...

'ABSORBING' Guardian'ENTHRALLING' New Statesman'EPIC' Evening Standard'INESCAPABLE' The Sunday Times'MAGISTERIAL' Irish ExaminerFully revised and updated, the definitive history of Argentinian football from the award-winning author of Inverting the PyramidAlfredo Di Stefano, Diego Mar...

**THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE YEARA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Brilliant, gripping, beautifully written, real,' says Jonathan Northcroft.**So, you think you know Joey Barton. Think again.No Nonsense is a game-changing autobiography which will redefine the most fascinating figure in British football. It is the raw yet redemptive story of a man shaped by rejection and the consequences of his mistakes. He has represented Engl...

Football fans will love this insight into the life and mind of Big Sam. With nearly 20 years as a player - plus almost 25 years as a coach and manager - under his belt, Sam Allardyce is one of the most recognisable figures in British football.'Big Sam' has been a robust defensive general throughout the seventies and eighties, and an imposing touchline presence as a gaffer since 1994.Over the last four decades, Allardyce has seen it all. The game he so loves...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Outrageous, audacious, jaw-dropping' SUNDAY TIMES'An essential read' DAILY MAIL'Utterly captivating' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Hugely entertaining' GUARDIANThe fascinating life story of professional cricketer Kevin Pietersen, MBE, from his childhood in South Africa to his experiences as one of the leading lights in the world of inte...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Wrighty's characteristic honesty means his book is far more engrossing than most bland football memoirs' Sunday TimesIan Wright, Arsenal legend, England striker and TV pundit extraordinaire, is one of the most interesting and relevant figures in modern football.His journey from a South London council estate to national treasure is everybody's dream. From Sunday morning football directly ...

So who is Louis van Gaal? An inflexible ex-PE teacher who only knows how to act like a dictator or a footballing visionary that has made him one of the greatest ever European managers?Wherever he has gone, Van Gaal has been accused of being a domineering disciplinarian and a control freak. He is certainly, by his own admission, a man who leaves nothing to chance. A disciple in the 1970s of Rinus Michels’ Total Football philosophy, he is a fascinating contradiction – an ultra-indivi...