Right… so season’s over (there’s some Champions League stuff still) and we gots like, what, three weeks before the next season starts up, so what are we going to do here at 7amkickoff?
Well, I can’t go on vacation because the world sucks giant ass and I hate transfer speculation with the fire of a thousand suns so.. here’s what we will do: I’ll probably write a post about which TYPE of MFer I think Arsenal need this summer (hint: big MFer) so we can play a 433 and get away from this atrocious 343; I’ll probably write a post about the Invincibles stats (if I can get off my ass and work on the project); I’ll probably write about some books I’m reading; I’ll probably write about the sandwiches I’m making; and uhh.. I might take some days off.
On the topic of books, here’s a weird thing: I read a page every 2 minutes. I’m reading Brilliant Orange right now and it’s a 280 page book. That means it will take me 9 hours and 20 minutes to read the book in its entirety. If I want to read Richer Than God (another book I have here on my list of books to read) that will take me over 14 hours. Same with Fear and Loathing in La Liga. Meanwhile The Ball is Round (David Goldblatt) sits on my desk like a boat anchor, coming in at over 900 pages, reading this book would be the equivalent of going back to Grad School. And if I want to finish John Cross’ book about Arsene Wenger it will take me about 100 hours because I’ll be stopping for vomit breaks every 10 minutes (it’s like a child wrote it in crayon) and because he doesn’t cite his Wenger quotes (and in some cases they aren’t verbatim) it takes me about an hour per quote to find the original.
And here’s the thing about football books: they suck. Reading a description of a football game is awful. Reading a description of teams and players and their interpersonal relationships is laborious. I’ve only found a few football books actually interesting and that’s either because the writer is fantastic, the topic is engaging, or because the book breaks the mould of regular football book and tells short vignettes about football rather than long, weird descriptions of stuff that happened. It seems like a lot of football writers are either told to or feel like they need to tell the same point three different ways.
With that in mind, if you need something to read this summer, my favorite football books are:
- Football en Sol y Sombra (Soccer in sun and Shadow) – Eduardo Galeano. Completely breaks the mould of football books, telling the history of soccer in short stories full of magical realism which electrifies the soul. Also, he hates the Jose Mourinho’s of the world.
- Stillness and Speed – David Winner. It’s a book about Bergkamp, just read it.
- Invincibles – Amy Lawrence. Great writer, incredible topic.
- Rebels for the Cause – Jon Spurling. An alternative history of Arsenal. This book is so great that I would put it up there with the Eduardo Galeano book. Read Galeano first, this second.
- Thierry Henry: Lonely at the Top – Philippe Auclair. Philippe Auclair is just enough of a unique writer to make what would otherwise be a mediocre story into something engaging.
- Fever Pitch – Nick Hornby. Usually autobiographies are like reading a bad first date but Nick Hornby takes a coming of age story, turns it into a love story, and wraps it all around the greatest title win in Arsenal history. Probably the third book you should read on this list. Maybe even the 2nd book. Basically this is what all football writers aspire to but Hornby did it so well that he ruined the genre for everyone. THANKS NICK.
So that’s what we will be doing here at 7amkickoff this summer. I hope you all stay safe, stay healthy, and get a chance to get some time off. It’s been a hell of a year so far and we all could use a break.
Pretty well aligned with you on books. Stillness and Speed, Invincibles, and Fever Pitch are all on my shelves. Soccernomics too, though that’s a little dated.
Just found a fun one. For those of you old enough to remember the NASL and particularly those in the PNW, it’s good fun: Hooper’s Revolution by Dennie Wendt.
‘Bloody Confused” by Chuck Cullpepper was an enjoyable book about football
Stillness and Speed is awesome
I’ve never read a book about football, and probably never will. It’s strange in a way because I love reading blogs (well, yours and Andrew’s), and I clearly expend a decent amount of energy into following the game, but I just have no desire to pick up a book about any of it. I guess sport is largely a distraction for me, and so my investment is mainly in the here and now. It’s similar, perhaps, to the way I enjoy watching film and television, but don’t care a jot what any of the actors have to tell me about what it was like being an actor, etc.
One of the reasons I’m drawn to your blog, Tim, is that you drift off topic from time to time, and into the world of…well, just life! Being a dad, living in this weird country, reading Shakespeare, cooking, trying to balance life/work, all of it. And speaking of which, I like your plans for summer writing. I’m especially looking forward to your book reports and culinary adventures, with sandwiches or other!
Oh, and caveat to my general avoidance of sports-related books: if it’s well conceived and well delivered, the topic is irrelevant. Or rather, its relevance is made apparent in a newly configured way because of how it is articulated. So I’m open to your (or anybody’s) recommendations, but I’m also open to recommendations of books you were surprised you liked based on the topic.
Bun, you’d like Fever Pitch, I think. It really isn’t a football book. Football just makes up errr… well, a lot of it, but that isn’t what it’s about. Like what Tim said…
Thanks, Jayke. That’s definitely one I’ve wanted to check out.
Another book I’ve heard if quite good is “The Miracle of Castel do Sangro”. Anyone read that?
Yes! Excellent. Soccer, family, food, crime, history, redemption. Real book, real author, really good. (I’m obviously not doing it justice.)
thanks for the list, I haven’t found time to read for pleasure. not really high on the list, I’m more into movies, saving reading for studying purposes. mainly history, theology and science.
I’ll be glued to this window, artetas first? yes please. very interesting given the circumstances. the rumours are looking tasty and it’s been so long for me taking any window seriously.
another party on the field please.
It will be an interesting window, for sure, though I think it will be distinctly underwhelming if the expectation is that we’ll be landing some big-name / expensive signings (I’m not suggesting you’re saying this, btw). Current signs would seem to point to our business relying on loans, out-of-contracts, and maybe one or two of the under-the-radar variety. For me, I’d really like the focus to be on central midfield. I know quite a few who would prioritize a defender, and of course I’d be fine with one, but I think there’s more urgency in the center of the pitch, both in terms of creativity and muscle.
I think we’ll get one “expensive” signing as we tend to every summer. who that will be seems to be a toss up between party and costa (can’t see it). party, price wise seems reasonable enough if that’s the marquee signing. I agree the center needs fixing first, long overdue and I would imagine Mikel thinks so too. how could he not being a MFer too?
party was also one of the earliest rumours that won’t die down so I’d be pretty disappointed if it didn’t come to fruition. add another under the radar type (diawara?)and the middle would be fairly solid, assuming Danny stays.
now we’re at the table with the agents, Philipe looks pheasible and Willian looks certain (really happy if this happens). that’s quite a team once a few defenders are sold and one brought in (sarr?) under the radar type probably.
I’d give Martinez the number one shirt also.
quick update. just seen rumours for rakatic. makes sense. that would be really nice for the youts to have him and party to learn from. plus gives us a decent level of experience and quality/tech ability.
Yeah, nice call there See. Interesting that you’d be happy with Willian. I think I would be, too, but it’s hard to countenance a three-year (if true) contract for someone of his age.
thanks, over the years, playing the chavs, Willian has always been a danger man for me. I’d be relieved whenever he didn’t play because he is really good going backwards or forwards. highly skilled but not to proud to put in a shift. doesn’t look the sort to fall off a cliff and getting that level of talent and professionalism for 3 years I think will be worth it.
Brilliant Orange was pretty good, though it drifted at times. Felt like Winner was throwing stuff at the wall rather than producing a coherent thesis. Good stuff thrown, though.
Recently I’ve done Pep Confidential, which I cannot endorse. For sure unique insights into a driven personality & the type it takes to win blah blah blah, but it’s 400 pages long and devolves into sequence of games & is borderline hagiography. Much more fun is the Mourinho at Madrid hit job, which has a lot of fun gossip on Arsenal adjacent players (Lassana & Ozil specifically) and demonstrates the toxicity of the big M’s personality and methodologies. Tottenham are in for a fun ride.
Carlo Ancelotti’s book has an incredible first page & the rest almost lives up to it. Short and sweet, though.
I suspect you have heard this from tons of other people, but everytime I see you type “MFers” I read it as MotherFuckers (and it’s great).
I catch myself doing the same thing and it never fails to make me smile.
I’m re-reading the very excellent Jared Diamond’s Pulitzer prize winning history of the colonization of the New World and how it was “achieved” (in quotes because I wonder about the appropriateness of that word). The title may give away the premiss but I urge anyone interested in the topic to read: Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. Also very good is his companion piece, Collapse, which focuses on why and how civilizations fail and fall.
I’m spending the summer playing and virtually connecting with the community of musicians I’ve grown up and grown old with.
Someone asked me to join his jazz ensemble. I politely declined but was humbled that he would even think of me, and out and out rock guitarist.
You may have heard the old joke:
What’s the difference between a rock player and jazz player?
A rocker plays 3 chords in front of 3000 people, and jazz musician plays 3000 chords in front of 3 people.
I love the technical aspects of playing but I love the passion and enjoyment more. I hope our club gets back to more of that.
Looking forward to reading the blog when the new season arrives in just a few short weeks. Peace. Out.
Guns, Germs and Steel has already become required reading for sociology and history majors. Very recommended.
Currently reading a knock-off version of John Bolton’s tell-all of the Trump admin- I refuse for any amount of money to enter John Bolton’s pocket.
I like Phil Ball’s writing too, and enjoyed his Morbo: the story of Spanish football. Makes me imagine a life of watching football with random old chaps in Spanish bars.
On the recommendation of a third generation Gooner called TTG I have acquired a second hand copy of ‘Forward Arsenal’ by Bernard Joy. Joy played for The Arsenal from 1935 to 1946 then became a journalist at the Evening Standard. ‘Forward Arsenal’ was published in 1952 and recounts the history of the club to that point. He had access to the club archives and private collections and clearly had the support of the club as Tom Whittaker wrote the Foreword.
TTG read it when he was a nipper during the dark ages of the late 50’s and early 60’s, and it sustained his familial indoctrination through those lean years. Those who used to visit Goonerholic’s drinks may know the fine fellow. He can quote sections of ‘Forward Arsenal’ from memory (my own son did the same with Fever Pitch).
It feels like an Arsenal equivalent of the Dead Sea Scrolls. I am only at the second chapter but the Introduction and first chapter proclaim the traditions and standards of the club that are said to distinguish The Arsenal from all other clubs in the English Football League. I’m looking forward to a bit of hagiography about players whom I only know by reputation.
I have to add that all Gooners, indeed all football fans, should read Fever Pitch. It’s a fine book, encapsulates much of the general football fan experience and provides a fan perspective of The Arsenal’s pivotal 1989 season so well summarised by Amy Laurence’s excellent book ’89’ (‘Invincible’ is another fine book by Amy). Those who only know the club during the Wenger years will find Fever Pitch invaluable background and recognise the roller-coaster emotions familiar to any committed supporter.
Diamond’s ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’ is a superb book and wonderfully informative about why the world developed in the way it has. It’s definitely one book I would take with me to the desert island.