Fun book for Premier League fans! Takes a close look at the business aspects of the Premier League’s history. I had not realized the degree to which EFun book for Premier League fans! Takes a close look at the business aspects of the Premier League’s history. I had not realized the degree to which English club owners were influenced by the American vision of sports when designing it, and the dynamics of the initial breakaway are particularly relevant in the context of today’s Super League controversy. The discussion of the broadcast rights is the most interesting part, and even if it makes for dry reading, it’d be great to hear even more there (maybe a book written by Richard Scudamore?). I don’t think this will interest you if you aren’t already interested in soccer, and it’s a little breathlessly written, so recommended for pre-existing fans only. ...more
I picked this up randomly at the library. It was a delight! Heart-warming, charmingly illustrated, by the end I was totally cheering for the O’Dowd DrI picked this up randomly at the library. It was a delight! Heart-warming, charmingly illustrated, by the end I was totally cheering for the O’Dowd Dragons. We get a light mix of basketball history, personal histories of the players and coaches, and a running theme of having the courage to break boundaries. Exciting and uplifting.
My favorite part of the book is when Yang breaks the fourth wall a bit and explains how he’s chosen to take creative liberties in the service of telling a good story in graphic format. There are both direct instances of this in the story (Jeevin’s hair, Yang’s conversations with his wife), and also in the endnotes, which are very interesting (changing the order of events, turning a text exchange into a personal conversation). ...more
I enjoyed this thoroughly despite not knowing much about boxing at all. A collection of boxing essays from A.J. Liebling, a writer for the New Yorker I enjoyed this thoroughly despite not knowing much about boxing at all. A collection of boxing essays from A.J. Liebling, a writer for the New Yorker from the first half of the 20th century, that are similar but enjoyable. Somewhat cantankerously narrated and dryly observed, Liebling spends time not only watching fights but visiting training camps, sitting at bars with old-timers, chatting about fighters with the man-on-the-street, and periodically referring to the pugilist culture of 19th century Britain as depicted in Boxiana, a British writer of those times whom Liebling admires. (A running joke in his essays is to lob a bombastic line of praise for Boxiana at some point near the beginning.)
While Liebling clearly loves the sport of boxing, he avoids over-reverence, a trap that has snared thousands of mediocre sportswriters. His love is instead communicated through nitty-gritty detail, countless little things that catch his eye and that he then relates to you. This is, for me, the best way to write about sports - don't make it bigger than it is (it's entertainment), don't make mythologies out of the athletes (they're just people), basically don't try too hard. If you love the sport, just write about the sport, and it'll come through. ...more
Bobby Fischer was an unpleasant person. Petulant and demanding even before he unraveled in older age, self-centered, ungrateful to his friends, paranoBobby Fischer was an unpleasant person. Petulant and demanding even before he unraveled in older age, self-centered, ungrateful to his friends, paranoid, anti-Semitic, and notoriously vitriolic, one might wonder why anyone would have anything to do with this man. The answer, of course, was his prodigious talent at the chessboard. My understanding is that chess masters consider Fischer one of the top three players of all time, with some ranking him number one.
And herein lies the problem with this book. If you are already a player and student of chess, you have probably already seen Fischer's games and marveled at his brilliance and his contributions to theory. If you are not, I don't think there is anything in this book that will convince you that he is a man whose life was worth learning about. Fischer is not best learned and digested through stories and anecdotes but through scoresheets and analysis. As a human being he had worth as a chess player, tremendous worth, but in precious few other walks of life.
Author Frank Brady, a personal friend of Fischer's, clearly has his sympathies with Fischer, as do countless other people in the book who played with, taught, and helped Fischer both at and away from the chessboard. (One-time World Champion Boris Spassky comes off particularly well, and really almost everyone looks like a nice person next to Fischer.) But I remain of the belief that Fischer's friends were so gravitated to the genius of his play and his obsession with the game that they were able to overlook his numerous other flaws.
The book is certainly not bad; well-paced, enthusiastic, at times given to over-speculation (Brady sort of admits some disposition towards this in his introduction). But the problem is its subject. Fischer was not a great man away from the chessboard, and as this book is a regular biography with no chess analysis whatsoever, it doesn't hit the next gear and compel the reader forth. I suggest reading about Fischer's games instead.
On that note, I'm little more than a chess dilettante but I find Fischer's games quite enjoyable. 17. ...Be6!! in the "Game of the Century" when Fischer was only 13 years old. Hard to beat that with some stories about a grumpy, petty man, huh? ...more
As someone who is interested in learning a bit more about the history of English football/soccer (I started following it in 2008, and so am a bit of aAs someone who is interested in learning a bit more about the history of English football/soccer (I started following it in 2008, and so am a bit of a johnny-come-lately), I found this book readable if bland. I will warn you now that if you do not have this sort of prior interest, I find it highly unlikely that you will remotely enjoy this at all. For me it sits on the border between one and two stars, but I reserve single stars for books towards which I have genuine antipathy, and this one was at least a little amusing and entertaining for someone already interested in the sport.
The story (fictional, but based heavily on real-life events) is told in two alternating halves that cover the tempestuous 44-day tenure of Brian Clough as Leeds manager and Clough's previous appointment at Derby County, with the latter story converging to the beginning of the first story as the book ends. The former is totally uninteresting, with no character development and no plot advancement other than to depict the catty behavior of Leeds players and coaches towards Clough. The latter is a little better, but still somewhat static - Clough is Clough, Peter Taylor is Peter Taylor, the players are the players, really the only character that shows any change is Sam Longson, and his change seems abrupt and clumsily written.
The writing style is marked by repetition, repetition, repetition. This and that. This and that. This and that. And lots of Clough drowning in a morass of self-pity and fear and doubt, fear and doubt, fear and doubt. On the bright side, that makes it a fast read - the sentences on average can be processed quite speedily. Not exactly high praise, I know. Even reading this concurrently with the start of a new Premiership season couldn't get me excited. I'll be looking for other, better soccer books. ...more
A review and statistical analysis of strategies in baseball. The authors pick through baseball ideas very methodically, and the book's organization isA review and statistical analysis of strategies in baseball. The authors pick through baseball ideas very methodically, and the book's organization is its biggest virtue. It really steps you carefully through each consideration and checks each possibility. The best sections are the chapters on bunting and intentional walks. Unfortunately the thoroughness is done up to a fault; the writing style gets a little repetitive and could really have used some editorial work. There are also some methodology question marks - the authors sometimes use arbitrary thresholds and splits that seem reasonable enough but beg the question, "Why this way instead of that way?" Not for beginners to the subject of statistical sports analysis, even if it purports to be aiming for the general public. ...more
Entertaining and rambling autobiography of one of the most interesting team owners in baseball history. Veeck was a guy who had a million war stories Entertaining and rambling autobiography of one of the most interesting team owners in baseball history. Veeck was a guy who had a million war stories to tell, and he tells them in full yarn-spinning style, with all the strengths (funny, insightful, spontaneous) and weaknesses (disorganized, sometimes overextended) thereof. Great for baseball history fans or people interested in the politicking behind a professional sports league. ...more
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