The Goalkeeper's History of Britain (text only)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
The Goalkeeper's History of Britain is a comic blend of the personal and political seen through the eyes of former BBC Foreign Correspondent and amateur ‘keeper Peter Chapman. Based on the whimsical premise that Britain's character as an island nation finds its sporting embodiment in the shape and stance of the man between the uprights Chapman's chronicle of the 20th century weaves a funny and charming tapestry of personal recollection and saloon-bar history lesson. He argues that the game itself has waged war against the goalie--from the days when a striker could bundle keeper and ball across the goal line and score to the indignities of the passback rule--and that the best of us is found in our struggles to "keep a clean sheet".
It's a vision of the century which sees the siege of the Imperial mindset mirrored in the fortunes of the England football team and those individuals who kept goal--from Reg Matthews to David Seaman, each successive lofty yeoman a totem to the British Way of Life. Chapman has written an intelligent study of the roots and function of identity, but at no point do the scale of his ideas to swamp his comic instinct or finely developed sense of the absurd--this is a readable and amusing take on the meaning of being number 1. --Alex Hankin --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Review
‘Witty and acutely observed, it is the story of post-war Britain told through the eyes of a North London boy brought up on the tradition of goalkeeping legends.’
Daily Mail
‘More than football… woven together with skill and style.’
Independent
‘Well written, charming, funny.’
Sunday Times
‘There are times when words are worth a thousand pictures… invigorating history, but the football too is excellent’
Glasgow Herald
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked up a second hand copy, prepared to give it a go, and I'm glad I did. By drawing a parallel between the decline of Britain's place in the scheme of world affairs and of Britain's proud tradition of producing the 'world's best goalies', Chapman has produced an analysis of the 20th century that is hard to beat.
It's an unlikely analogy, comparable perhaps to (Ballard's?) 'The assassination of President Kennedy considered as a downhill car race', but it works like a charm. Only quibble: 'Jack' Thomson the great Celtic keeper of the 1920s/30s was actually known as John.
If you like the modern history of Britain or sport, piuck this up as soon as you can.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Harold Wilson meets the Frank Swift of Islington in earthquake-ravaged Mexico City. Warm, wry and wholly irresistible.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
More focus, less self-indulgence
The first thing I have to say about this book is that it is entertaining and easy to follow whether you are a football fan or not. Read more
Published on 30 Aug 2000
A hilarious read!
Just before "The Goalkeepers History of Britain" was published I had the pleasure of playing football with the author, Peter 'The Cat' Chapman. Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2000
A formal, cultural, sporting & personal history that scores.
Author Chapman has produced a work of formal-, cultural-, sporting- and personal-history that scores well in all catagories. Read more
Published on 9 April 2000
Hilarious, witty and fascinating sporting and social study
Chapman's keen eye evokes a Britain that isn't long gone - from patriotic pomposity to a nation that doesn't know what it is anymore - all seen through the eyes of the last man at... Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2000
A humourous blend of the personal and factual.
Gentle, informative and funny, the Goalkeeper's History of Britain is a humorous blend of the personal and factual. Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2000
A delightful trip into the unfathomable mind of the 'keeper
Peter Chapman's book is simply a lovely read. He spins a great yarn, and whether he's talking about household names or his schoolyard contemporaries, you feel you can see them... Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2000
"The Goalkeeper's History of Britain" is superb.
A journey through post-war British through the eyes of a goalie, a football fan, and a Londoner, "The Goalkeeper's History" is a a fabulous piece of writing. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 1999
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