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Product Description
Review
This tome delivers a top-class, thorough, and, most importantly, engaging discussion of football tactics. Boring topic, great cover, revelatory book. Buy it. (MAXIM )
an outstanding work, cerebral and fully engaging...the football book of the decade (SUNDAY BUSINESS POST )
the perfect book for an serious follower of football who wants to be enlightened, educated and entertained (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
an outstanding work, cerebral and fully engaging...the football book of the decade (SUNDAY BUSINESS POST )
the perfect book for an serious follower of football who wants to be enlightened, educated and entertained (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
Book Description
Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, this is the first-ever comprehensive global history of football tactics by the highly acclaimed sports writer Jonathan Wilson.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
this is quite possibly the best book on sports that i have ever read. Much more than a history of the tactical evolution of football, it is a fascinating account of why football has become the most loved and watched sport on the planet. it is comprehensive in its detail, but never less than readable and engrossing - i am currently on my second time through. it is very well illustrated with diagrams that explain the text. i cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone who loves the sport and is interested in how it got to where we are now, or for that matter to anyone just interested in the history of the world over the last century or so - a great read.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is well worth your money if you're a fan of football. The information presented there is very detailed, with lots of interesting facts. The overall style of writing is engaging and intelligent. The text is supplemented with easy-to-understand diagrams (formations, tactics) and there are also photos (in color) in the middle of the book. But the most valuable feature of this book is, of course, the subject matter itself. Never before have I seen such a detailed work on the evolution of football tactics. It has to be said, even though this book is focused on the tactical aspect of the game, it is obviously not only about 4-4-2's and the like, there is actually plenty of history in there as well (and 'plenty' is an understatement). Overall I can definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in football. You will not be disappointed. And last but not least: 'Inverting The Pyramid' is actually just pretty fun to read, you know, like a book, as if there was a plot. A sporting page-turner, if I may say so.
39 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I would like to see all the UK's cliche-spouting, brain-deadening, parochial and myopic TV pundits suspended until they've read, and can pass a written test on this book. There's more sense in a few pages than I've ever heard from Alan Hansen. Anyone who ever again says "You just need to pick the best 11 players... ". There should be an official injunction against Kevin Keegan ever becoming manager at another club.
The best part is, it looks like a dry technical textbook.. but it's actually madly passionate about the game, the characters, the colour, the place of football in wider-culture and the national identity.
His analysis of Croatia v England during the qualifiers for Euro08 is deeply cathartic; explaining specifically and simply how we were so effectively carved up. I was also amazed by the evidence showing that England's football character hasn't changed in 100-odd years - from the start the game here was about passion and workrate over technique and skill (this is only just starting to change). And by his explanation of how the game spread around the world via trade routes. And by his observation that Real Madrid are habitually the whipping boys of whichever club is the new force in Europe (Benfica, Ajax, AC Milan..) - so hello Liverpool. I was surprised by the heat and violence of the Argentine game, and the bewildering decay of Uruguay and Hungary. And Roy Hodgson, what a bloke!
The one thing I thought is missing from the book is an in-depth analysis of Wenger at Arsenal and the shake-up he's given the UK game, though now I've reached the end I suspect he would say that, as beautiful as they can be to watch, there's nothing new tactically (they're basically a traditional 4-4-2..)
Oh and some technical insight into the great Lampard-Gerrard paradox.
The best part is, it looks like a dry technical textbook.. but it's actually madly passionate about the game, the characters, the colour, the place of football in wider-culture and the national identity.
His analysis of Croatia v England during the qualifiers for Euro08 is deeply cathartic; explaining specifically and simply how we were so effectively carved up. I was also amazed by the evidence showing that England's football character hasn't changed in 100-odd years - from the start the game here was about passion and workrate over technique and skill (this is only just starting to change). And by his explanation of how the game spread around the world via trade routes. And by his observation that Real Madrid are habitually the whipping boys of whichever club is the new force in Europe (Benfica, Ajax, AC Milan..) - so hello Liverpool. I was surprised by the heat and violence of the Argentine game, and the bewildering decay of Uruguay and Hungary. And Roy Hodgson, what a bloke!
The one thing I thought is missing from the book is an in-depth analysis of Wenger at Arsenal and the shake-up he's given the UK game, though now I've reached the end I suspect he would say that, as beautiful as they can be to watch, there's nothing new tactically (they're basically a traditional 4-4-2..)
Oh and some technical insight into the great Lampard-Gerrard paradox.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great book
Great book,looking back at tactics managers have used in football over the years. you will learn a lot from it.
Published 11 days ago by tina
Informative
THE CONTENT OF THIS QUIRKY BOOK ON FOOTBALLING STRATEGIES IS SUMMED UP IN ONE SENTENCE ON P37. "[I]t could be said that the whole history of tactics describes the struggle to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Bailey
A history of football through the development of tactics
For anyone with an interest in the beautiful game this is a fascinating insight of the development of football tactics, from kick and rush, through 2-3-5 to the modern games trend... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lendrick
The best football book I've ever read
Inverting the Pyramid is definitely the most informative football book I've read. I'd never really thought about tactics before, but having read this, I now look at the game in a... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mrs. H. C. McCash
Excellent tactical analysis of the global game
Excellent book from someone who clearly knows their stuff and has a passion for the game. Well written and the emphasis on characters and narrative prevent this from becoming a... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mark Lewis
A Classic
An erudite and authoritative book, it should arguably be regarded as the thinking fan's bible, the Old and New Testaments of our beautiful game. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Libra
Interesting but over long!
A difficult book to review! I found the subject matter interesting (The development of tactics and formation in football) but the book itself I think is overlong and certainly was... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Russell3162001
excellent book
insightful, well-documented, funny in some places. although slightly too much focus on the British aspects (maybe naturally), this is an excellent book for any football fan.
Published 8 months ago by Andrei Ion
Very interesting
I absolutely advice this book to all football tactics enthusiasts. You will be shocked how the game has changed. The only thing is that it does not include modern tactics much.
Published 8 months ago by anar
A football enthusiast's delight
This book is fascinating if you are a devoted football fan; fond of playing styles, tactics, teams, players, personalities. Read more
Published 9 months ago by MikeSituation
Listmania!
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