A Beautiful Game: The World's Greatest Players and How Soccer Changed Their Lives

by Tom Watt

Overview

Foreword by Arsene Wenger, Introduction by David Beckham

Soccer writer and bestselling author of My Side, Tom Watt, talked to the world's top soccer players about growing up and falling in love with the game: Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil's Gilberto Silva; England's David James and Scotland's Craig Gordon; Italy's Fabio Cannavaro, Spain's Iker Casillas, and France's Franck Ribéry; South Africa's Benni McCarthy and Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu; USA's Landon Donovan and Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura; and the world's most famous player, David Beckham.

A Beautiful Game tells their stories, in the players' own words—stories of boys who would grow up to be heroes for a new generation of young players and fans. They look back to their childhoods: to their family homes, to their schoolrooms, to the friends they grew up with, and to the places where they first played the game that has made them stars. Combining stunning photographs with the world's greatest players sharing their personal stories of how soccer transformed their lives, this inspiring book is an intoxicating celebration of the "beautiful game."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061992377
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/29/2010
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Tom Watt is an English actor, writer, and broadcaster. Television, film, and stage credits include EastEnders, Patriot Games, and Fever Pitch. Tom has broadcast about soccer extensively in the U.K. and the U.S. He co-produced the innovative children's sports series Rookies for Channel Four television and created the successful Row Z for BBC Choice TV. After presenting sports shows over the past ten years for BBC and independent radio and television stations, he is currently the lead presenter for BBC London's soccer coverage and hosts weekly programs for Arsenal's club TV channel.

As well as writing about soccer for every major U.K. newspaper, Tom is the author of several books about the game: The End, a groundbreaking oral history of Arsenal FC; A Passion for the Game, ninety firsthand accounts of life behind the scenes in English football; The Greatest Stage, the official history of Wembley Stadium; and, most recently, My Side, the bestselling autobiography of David Beckham. Tom also produces schoolbooks built around soccer, the latest of which, a twelve-book series called The Jags, was published earlier this year.

Editorial Reviews

...a generous collection of eye-catching photographs, this coffee-table book lets some of the world’s best players track back to their days as youngsters and write about how the sport seduced them.

New York Times

Don’t let the long title intimidate you: This large-format offering is filled with gorgeousphotos and candid interviews with some of the sport’s most accomplished players, who share their love of the game.

Washington Post

...readers will no doubt find something to identifywith in the anecdotes of great players.

goal.com

...the undemanding book is fun to flip through and 5 percent ofthe revenue from the book goes to UNICEF. Recommended.

Los Angeles Daily News

A Beautiful Game also offers an interesting data set: a rare chance to considerthe question of what makes a player from the perspectives of the players themselves.

Pitch Invasion

...a great promise that’s beautifully executed.

Oregonian (online)

Full of vibrant images, the book is an inspiring ode to the sport.

San Francisco Chronicle

...a great promise that’s beautifully executed.

Oregonian