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edgwareviabank's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.0
This book took me long to finish, even though I'd hoped for a quick entertaining read. I warmed up to it towards the end, but it took weeks to get to that point, and only because I hardly ever give up on books unless they are a special kind of terrible (this, to me, was just mildly disappointing).
I have wondered whether I'm too young to appreciate all the content, which spans across 60 or so years worth of World Cups. All the games I remembered or recognised are in the final third, aside from some '70s Italy matches I've heard about from my family, or from one nostalgia-filled TV show or other back home. The sections dedicated to the '80s and beyond are more likely to stick to my memory, though I've learnt plenty of trivia from the rest of the book that maybe will win me a pub quiz one day (I had no idea world football went decades with only two available substitutions!). I'd have loved to read more about '94 and '98, which I vaguely remember from my childhood, but reading between the lines, the authors didn't seem to particularly enjoy those World Cups (not fans of 2002 and 2010 either, I believe).
That isn't, however, the book's main flaw. The minute-by-minute format only really works when you're following a game in real time, or have it fresh in your mind. Looking up the events that most intrigued me on Youtube helped as a follow up, though it would be quite the job to do that with every single shot and every single goal (would footage from the '50s even be there to watch?). I must have stopped mid-sentence a million times, trying to picture in my head where in the field an action was taking place, or how the ball might be making its way to goal. Reader, I could not.
This was also one of few books that made me feel at a disadvantage for not being a native English speaker, as it's packed with slang, and not all of it was easy for me to get from context. The writers can be funny, for sure. I laughed, here and there, especially when references I could get started showing up. I think I'd have found the narrative more compelling if it had weaved in more football history (the player's club careers are barely ever mentioned, for example), rather than focusing on physical action so much.
Ok, I'm not necessarily the target audience here (not old and not visual enough?). But I love reading about football, and overall, don't regret picking this up: it was worth a try.
I have wondered whether I'm too young to appreciate all the content, which spans across 60 or so years worth of World Cups. All the games I remembered or recognised are in the final third, aside from some '70s Italy matches I've heard about from my family, or from one nostalgia-filled TV show or other back home. The sections dedicated to the '80s and beyond are more likely to stick to my memory, though I've learnt plenty of trivia from the rest of the book that maybe will win me a pub quiz one day (I had no idea world football went decades with only two available substitutions!). I'd have loved to read more about '94 and '98, which I vaguely remember from my childhood, but reading between the lines, the authors didn't seem to particularly enjoy those World Cups (not fans of 2002 and 2010 either, I believe).
That isn't, however, the book's main flaw. The minute-by-minute format only really works when you're following a game in real time, or have it fresh in your mind. Looking up the events that most intrigued me on Youtube helped as a follow up, though it would be quite the job to do that with every single shot and every single goal (would footage from the '50s even be there to watch?). I must have stopped mid-sentence a million times, trying to picture in my head where in the field an action was taking place, or how the ball might be making its way to goal. Reader, I could not.
This was also one of few books that made me feel at a disadvantage for not being a native English speaker, as it's packed with slang, and not all of it was easy for me to get from context. The writers can be funny, for sure. I laughed, here and there, especially when references I could get started showing up. I think I'd have found the narrative more compelling if it had weaved in more football history (the player's club careers are barely ever mentioned, for example), rather than focusing on physical action so much.
Ok, I'm not necessarily the target audience here (not old and not visual enough?). But I love reading about football, and overall, don't regret picking this up: it was worth a try.
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