- Paperback: 238 pages
- Publisher: NPI Media Group (1 July 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 075244395X
- ISBN-13: 978-0752443959
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.4 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
761,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #52 in Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Football > South American
God is Brazilian
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Pele, Garrincha, Socrates, Romario, Ronaldinho - all of them can trace their lineage to a young man, half English, half Scottish, who carried a football from Sao Paulo and taught Brazil how to play the beautiful game.In 1894, Charles Miller arrived in Brazil with a pair of boots, a book of rules and a football. When he discovered that no one knew how to play, he marked out a pitch, gathered twenty young men and divided them into two teams...Today, Brazil is the greatest football-playing nation in the world, admired everywhere for its skill, passion, flair and commitment to attacking play - but Charles Miller has been forgotten. This is his story; a gripping narrative of one man's love of football and the clash between two very different cultures: the foxtrot versus the samba; the stiff upper lip versus swinging hips. Josh Lacey tells the profoundly moving story of a man who gave Brazil its greatest gift but lost everything - his heart, his soul and even his wife - to that seductive country.
About the Author
Josh Lacey was born in London and educated at Cambridge. He writes regularly for the Guardian and the TLS. He lives in London.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I ripped through this book as it was so interesting. Whenever I go to watch Southampton play at St. Mary's stadium, I pass a painting of Charles Miller, the subject of this book, on the bridge which spans the railway line adjacent. The caption underneath states that "Charles Miller took football to Brazil and the rest is history." This book is largely to do with this man who , although born in Brazil, was educated in Southampton where he developed an enthusiasm for the sport of football in the 1890's. Before returning to South America, be played several games for St. Mary's, the team who later evolved into Southampton FC as well as the "gentlemen amateurs", The Corinthians. This provides much of the interest for me , both as a supporter and someone with an interest in Victorian football.
I think that potential buyers need to be made aware of the way that the author has tackled his subject. Despite the picture of Pele on the cover, the book does not go this far forward in time and it is probably fair to say that a good 50% of the book does not cover football at all. Instead, Miller is put into context of how the provincial back-water of Sao Paulo eventually grew into one of the biggest cities on the planet. There is much about the involvement of the British community in the latter half of the 19th century who established commerce in San Paulo and eventually constructed the railway that opening the town up to the rest of the world. The evolution of football is seen in this context. Therefore, we learn about the various ex-pat teams who, inspired by the example of Charles Miller, took up the game and how the Brazilians became captivated but it and reinvented the sport in their own image. Towards the end of the book, we learn how misfortune overtook Miller and his rather sad demise. Unfortunately, there is little autobiographical detail and this would have very much added to our appreciation of the man.
All in all, I felt that this book was impossible to put down. It is an extremely enjoyable read but it is as much about the emergence of Brazil as a modern country in the 20th Century as it is about the world's most favourite games. As far as Pele is concerned, he probably only gets a couple of mentions in passing! Still, an essential read for those from the red and white half of Hampshire!
I think that potential buyers need to be made aware of the way that the author has tackled his subject. Despite the picture of Pele on the cover, the book does not go this far forward in time and it is probably fair to say that a good 50% of the book does not cover football at all. Instead, Miller is put into context of how the provincial back-water of Sao Paulo eventually grew into one of the biggest cities on the planet. There is much about the involvement of the British community in the latter half of the 19th century who established commerce in San Paulo and eventually constructed the railway that opening the town up to the rest of the world. The evolution of football is seen in this context. Therefore, we learn about the various ex-pat teams who, inspired by the example of Charles Miller, took up the game and how the Brazilians became captivated but it and reinvented the sport in their own image. Towards the end of the book, we learn how misfortune overtook Miller and his rather sad demise. Unfortunately, there is little autobiographical detail and this would have very much added to our appreciation of the man.
All in all, I felt that this book was impossible to put down. It is an extremely enjoyable read but it is as much about the emergence of Brazil as a modern country in the 20th Century as it is about the world's most favourite games. As far as Pele is concerned, he probably only gets a couple of mentions in passing! Still, an essential read for those from the red and white half of Hampshire!
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I had often wondered what was Charlie Millar's story and this book does not disappoint. Lacy captures the spirit and essence of Charlie Millar well - from his first vogage over to Southampton to his formative years spent at Banister Court playing football - most notably for St. Mary's of course! Millar's subsequent return to Brazil is a fascinating read.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
