Recommend a Book

This would make a great stocking filler at Christmas for a football fan of a certain age i.e. old enough to remember football before the Premier League era... the world where shirt numbers dictated your position, where cup ties could go to three replays, and where the 'football pinks' newspaper hit the presses as soon as the final whistles blew on Saturday afternoons.

There's 50 short chapters on different themes:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Boots-Football-Pinks-Beautiful/dp/1472958861
 
Slumdog Millionaire - Vikas Swarup. I don't know why, but unexpectedly this turned out to be my read of the year so far. Perhaps it's the long warm Spanish days or even the view of the mountains behind or the Mediterranean in front. But, I flew through the book in a day. Not only did each chapter lead to the next but every paragraph led to the next. A poor Indian boy wins the equivalent of Who-Wants-to-be-a-Millionaire? The television people think he's cheating, the police think he is cheating and he goes through how he arrived at his answers with his experience of poverty, destitution, etc. OK! It's a holiday read, but as exciting as the Zane Grays all those years ago but more believable.

If you are reading this and haven't read a book in years, then Slumdog Millionaire will have you addicted to reading again. If you have a secondary going offspring and he is reading just the notes of novels give him Slumdog Millionaire for Christmas and he'll be reading full length novels instead of the notes.
 
The Island - Victoria Hislop. The setting is Crete and in a fishing port near the Leper island of Spinalonga (known to many Irish holidaymakers who take the day trip there). Spinalonga ceased to be a Leper Colony in the late 1950's. From the 1920's the Greek government housed its lepers on Spinalonga where they opened shops, processed their own electricity and had running water when most of Greece and its islands had to go to the wells. The lepers married had children which were taken from them and given to childless couples elsewhere. Spinalonga had its own hospital, its own doctor and even its own printed newspaper.

The blurb suggest The Island is a holiday read. It's more. There are some love stories of two sisters, a playboy, their father, two doctors and village life in Crete with specific mentions of life on Spinalonga. OK! It's a book mainly for women, but us males can enjoy it too. The book is well written and extremely readable and perhaps an introduction to Crete for future Irish holidaymakers.
 
This One's On Me - Jimmy Greaves. It was first published in 1979 and part of a cache that I bought at a Spanish charity fair for €2.00 in a bundle that had 500 Spanish Verbs, Antony Beevor's Spanish Civil War among others. Jimmy Greaves was one of my all time sporting heroes and we used to go to the Saturday matinee just to see Movietone News showing all of 20 seconds of Greavsie scoring cup-tie goals. Years later Movietone showed colour snippets of more of Jimmy's goals. Jimmy Greaves had it all, football talent, money, fame. When I looked at the cover my first thought was to consign it to the bin. These were the days before mass television coverage (1960's and 1970's).

Then I read the first line "My name is Jimmy G. I am a professional footballer and I am an alcoholic." Before I had finished the first page the author admitted that he was writing the book to help clear his revenue debts in the UK. Delay in paying his due was caused by his abuse of alcohol. This is not a misery memoir. However, it shows how anybody can succumb to alcohol addiction.. Jimmy Greaves was born Roman Catholic, had a normal upbringing and suddenly was transferred from Chelsea to Tottenham Hotspur where he became a member of the original Dream Team who played attractive attacking football. He did not become addicted to alcohol overnight; it took some years and he pulls no punches describing his nadir and his need to overcome his demons. His wife found several bottles of vodka hidden in the house and in a temper emptied the lot down the sink. Jimmy literally went through his trash bin to drain what was left of the vodka to ease his dreadful need. Instantly, he admitted that he needed help and went to Alcoholics Anonymous. His cure was not instant and Jimmy takes up through his need to go from a dreadful descent to an inspiring ascent.

He recounted his drinking sessions, how he felt and named names of other famous footballers who joined his drinking circle, not that any of them would be happy with the naming. Alcohol was not the cause of him being omitted from the 1966 World Cup Final; he was injured. However, his friendship with Alf Ramsey was not a buddy-buddy one. In fact, Greaves walked away from international football as he did not wish to be training with England and not part of the set-up. The book although only 160 pages gives extensive accounts of his training, management meetings, tactics, goal scoring records, friendships and his football moments in Italy.

I don't think the book was ghost written. But, anybody who likes football would find the read to be a good one and written from the heart. I'm glad I couldn't find the bin in which I was about to consign it. Thank you Jimmy Greaves!
 
Hi Purple and all, It's no big deal being in the south of Spain for several weeks of winter. I swam in the Med two days ago. The Spaniards with jackets buttoned up to the neck look on me as being some kind of alien. They don't know that the Med is warmer now than the Atlantic back in Ireland in July. There are several Irish here but we're easily outnumbered by retired Brits. The "B" (Brexit) word is banned in conversation. But, life is good and as can be seen on the above book reviews I'm reading my brains out sitting on a south facing sun terrace. Like I already said it's no big deal; anybody can easily do it. A front-line 2 bedroom low rise apartment rental costs €675 per 4 weeks off season (utilities included). I don't have the car with us but the local transport is cheap @ €1.20 per trip to nearby villages. I'll be back in Ireland for Christmas, but don't be surprised if we take off again (I'm thinking Italy for a while). I had coffee out earlier (1 cup coffee (con leche), 1 glass water, 1 glass orange-juice, two small doughnuts, 1 bowl nuts) and all for €1.50. A pint of lager for Mrs Lep cost €2.00. I don't miss the Irish rain and cold. There's plenty to do and I can take as much exercise as I wish. Time is flying by of which I am often reminded by some friends who failed to make it this far.

On the minus side we've started rationing Barry's Tea (didn't bring enough). Yorkshire (Red Label) is not a bad substitute though, but next time we'll bring more Barry's. I know Purple's heart goes out to me!
 
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Great to see you enjoying the good life in Spain - a no brainer really as the costs , as you point out , are not prohibitive.
Recently back from Portugal and Spain myself after enjoying good food and brilliant sunshine whilst taking in a myriad of football games including Champions League and Europa league fixtures.
Jimmy Greaves was also a hero of mine who did nothing else on the pitch except score goals - the original fox in the box .
He actually signed from A C Milan and unfortunately for him was not part of the Spurs dream team who won the double in 1960-61 as he didn’t sign until the following season.
I can recommend any of the football books by David Goldblatt, I’m reading futebol nation a history of Brazilian football
 
On the minus side we've started rationing Barry's Tea (didn't bring enough). Yorkshire (Red Label) is not a bad substitute though, but next time we'll bring more Barry's. I know Purple's heart goes out to me!
Is that why you have the Missus drinking beer for breakfast?
 
Is that why you have the Missus drinking beer for breakfast?
Our breakfast time is 12.00pm and that's an hour later than in Ireland. Mrs Lep usually takes her siesta immediately after 9.00am, however the Spaniards wait until 2.00pm.

If Barry's see this they could have us on their next television ad. missing you all while we drink a cup of Barry's in the sun of November.
 

To really complete the picture, you should send a photo to De Paper holding a copy of the Holly Bough
 
Great deals on Kindle books at the moment

Red Notice 1.99
The Boys in the Boat 0.99
Elon Musk 1.99

And loads more

amazon.co.uk
 
Shoe Dog (Kindle edition) by Phil Knight on amazon.co.uk for 99p

Fantastic read
 

just finished reading Geoff Hursts autobiography and Jimmy and Alf Ramsey are mentioned a lot.
thebook is pretty pedestrian but I like reading books from footballers of that generation.
or listening to Johnny Giles on Off The Ball talking about football in the 60s/70s.
based on the synopsis above just bought Jimmy Greaves book on eBay and awaiting delivery.
 

If you can track down the Denis Law autobiography, that is a great read, especially his time in Italy.
 
How about the Decameron written just after the Black Death hit Florence?


Other than the introduction, it's not really about the pandemic. It's 100 stories about medieval life in all its lusty glory which were meant to take the readers' and listeners' mind off the plague.

It's a bit odd in that the introduction to each story actually summarises the story and the outcome. So you know in advance that there is going to be a happy or an unhappy ending.

But even before that you know, as each day has a theme - e.g."How someone was in deep trouble but recovered by a stroke of amazing luck."

Brendan
 
Looking forward to reading The Deficit Myth by Stephanie Kelton.
Modern monetary theorist challenging the conventional beliefs surrounding the use of taxes, budget deficits and national debts.
The Covid19 outbreak may act as exemplar to how MMT can be applied.
 
Just finished Factfulness and found it very interesting.

Starting Sam Warburton's bio (which is 99p on amazon today)
 
Prisoners of geography.

Indeed, it provides a lot of perspective on international affairs.

I thought it was the worst example of stating the obvious I have seen in a while. A collection of schoolboy essays gathered into a book.