The Goalkeeper's History of Britain [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

I've just finished an excellent book, worthy of high praise. A journey through post-war British history through the eyes of a goalie, a soccer fan, and a Londoner, "The Goalkeeper's History of Britain" by Peter Chapman is a fabulous piece of writing. It might seem an arcane subject for many Americans, sports fans or not, but I found "Goalkeeper's History" to be a book which made sense of many aspects of the British character I had always wondered about. A book for sports fans, Anglophiles, and modern history lovers, "Goalkeeper's History" follows Peter Chapman's eyewitness account of growing up in the postwar London borough of Islington. When the book begins, Chapman outlines the neighborhood of his early childhood, late 1940s and early 50s Islington, still filled with the graphic aftermath of the Blitz, where numerous houses survived only as piles of smashed bricks. We get to know family and friends, Londoners all, survivors of war and imperial retreat. Islington comes to life through the eyes of this excitable young football fan, who learns football and team loyalty from his Dad and Uncles. By early school age, Pete had fallen in love with the stoic goalkeeper's position, the practical personification of the English spirit on the football field. We follow Chapman's childhood as world event's rage, Britain pulls back from empire, and popular culture spreads rapidly across the globe. He goes on to play goalie for Leyton Orient's junior team in the 1960s(sort of like playing minor league baseball), then leaves school and works as a traveling carbon paper salesman in America, a reporter for the Guardian and BBC in Latin America, a sports reporter for the World Cup for ITV, and eventually as an editor for the Financial Times. Throughout he gives us a humorous and whimsical insight into the English character and the steadying presence of the goalkeeper, soccer's version of Churchill's bulldog. As a lifelong baseball and football fan, European history buff, and Anglophile, I loved Chapman's book for the fact that it gave me a cultural perspective on his country only a native could have. I've often developed sports's analogies to make sense of Ameican history, politics, and culture, but although I'd spent more than 3 years living and working in Britain, such intuitive understanding of their culture often escaped me. Chapman's book gives the reader a tool to make sense of everything from hooliganism to Thatcherism to the differences between "shotstopping and crossing". Add this to books that will keep our "special relationship" special. "The Goalkeeper's History of Britain" is funny, thoughtful, and written in a fast-paced conversational tone. I imagined sharing a beer and swapping sports stories with Peter Chapman as I blitzed through his pages. As soccer continues to grow in popularity in this country, with English Premier League on the Fox network every weekend, and American women dominating the World Cup, take a minute to pick up "The Goalkeeper's History of Britain". It's a lovely book. Buy it, read it and savor it.

I'm not sure how much I can add after the wonderful review by Mr. Nunn, except that I share many of the same views.

My mother heard an interview on National Public Radio with the author and thought I would enjoy this book. I had been looking for a book that was able to somewhat clearly and entertainingly depict some features of British culture. As a football (soccer to Americans) fan, this book was wonderful. The book intertwines British (primarily English) football history centered around the goalkeepers with some bits of British history as well as some autobiographical bits.

The analogy of the goalkeeper for the country of Great Britain is quite ingenious and helpful in understanding the kind of general attitude the British have towards the world. I don't want to spoil the fun of figuring out the British attitudes Mr. Chapman often refers to, but I will say that they are enjoyable and fun to find.

I hope you read this and find it as entertaining as I did. I'm confident it will be well worth your time.