Beckham (Polity celebrities series) by Ellis Cashmore £12.99

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"The spikiest, wittiest, sharpest columnist on the block, agent provocateur Julie Burchill … unmissably analyses the enigmatic phenomenon that is Becks" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Synopsis
No footballer has ever captured the imagination of the world as fast and as furiously as David Beckham. Combining the dogged dedication of the great pre-War footballers with the flash narcissism of the Sixties stars, he is loved by everyone from the teenage girls who pine over his posters to the Thai monks who build shrines to him to the football fans who desire sex with him so shamefully that they wish his wife was a whore and his baby was dead. But what does Beckham want? Is he an idiot savant, or just a fool for love? In this dazzling new book, the sharpest social commentator in Britain tackles the most stylish sportsman and - via sex, class and the celebrity culture - pins down the enigma that is David Beckham.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   8 of 12 people found the following review helpful: The closest any writer has yet got to understanding Beckham, 1 Nov 2001 By A Customer In this small but perfectly formed book, Julie Burchill has brought all her razor-sharp understanding of celebrity culture to bear on the iconic figure of David Beckham. This is not a drab exercise in analysing ball skills, it reaches far deeper into the national psyche to ask why the England captain has become such an impossible man to dislike - even to those who hate, as she does, the whole money-spinning, filthy-lucre world of modern football. When we were subjected over the years to those endless images of Gazza bawling his eyes out, the feeling eventually was that you wished somebody would really give him something to cry about. The sight of Becks beaming with paternal pride as he carries his little lad around the pitch on his shoulders evokes the opposite response. One day I might be as happy as that. All this and much, much more is in this book. Only Burchill could have written it this movingly, this accurately - and this good.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   1 of 3 people found the following review helpful: Perhaps a missed opportunity?, 24 Jan 2003 By  L. Ben Clayton - See all my reviews This review is from: On Beckham (Yellow Jersey shorts) (Paperback) Fans of the author will like this book. It is evocative and spikey, and very, very readable. However, if you are genuinely interested in the 'Beckham phenomenon' from a sociological perspective, then there are better options. This is, however, worth a look if you're seeking an evenings easy, but at the same time interesting, reading.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 2 customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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