"Like all children, I wanted to be a soccer player. I played quite well, in fact I was terrific, but only at night when I was asleep. During the day I was the worst wooden leg ever to set foot on the little soccer field of my country. Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good soccer. I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: “A pretty move, for the love of God.” And when good soccer happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it." Taken from Eduardo Galeno's Soccer in Sun and Shadow

Here’s a list of books I have read over my almost 20 years of following football.  I have forgotten some I’m sure but this is a good start.  Another good source is EPL Talk’s Ultimate Guide to Football Books.  I’m slowly working my way through it.  Enjoy.

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Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football, Phil Ball

Phil Ball examines the complicated world of Spanish Football, which goes just beyond the games on the field.  The book is not comprehensive but gives snippets of the cultural, political and sporting influences on this league.  A must read for La Liga fans, he has released an updated version.

White Storm: The Story of Real Madrid, Phil Ball

Real Madrid is one of the most storied clubs in world football, and their history is full of ups and downs, heroes and villains, tragedy and triumph, which Phil recounts in this book.  An expansion of the chapter in Morbo, this is a rich book about Los Merengues.

Among the Thugs, Bill Buford

I borrowed this book from a friend in high school, and it terrified me.  Buford gives a first hand account of English hooliganism, and it’s not pretty.  It was hard for me to even comprehend the actions of a mob mentality, but engrossing nonetheless.

Barca: A People’s Passion, Jimmy Burns

Jimmy Burns reviews the long and complex history of FC Barcelona.  I still don’t understand all of the political threads of the story but the book examines the key players and events of the over 100 year history of the club.

22 Foreigners Running Around in Funny Shorts, Pete Davies

One of the first soccer books I ever read, Davies breaks down positions and gives a brief breakdown of tactics.  The best part was following Kasey Keller’s progress at Millwall in the early 90’s.

Soccer Empire, Laurent Dubois

A fascinating and far flung analysis of French History in terms of politics and football. Dubois looked at the events that led to the magical run of the 1998 World Cup team on home soil and how the promised multi-cultural revolution never came.  Very academic book that required concentration and some knowledge of world history.

Soccer in Sun and Shadow, Eduardo Galeano

One of my favorite books for a number of reasons.  Short, easy to get through and revealing stories of famous, infamous, and unknown moments in world football.  Some of the insights are simply mind blowing.  Highly recommend this.

The Simplest Game, Paul Gardner

A precursor to Jonathan Wilson’s Inverting the Pyramid, this book goes through the history of football and the resulting tactics.  Very straightforward with little embellishment, it is still quite good.

Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby

If you’re a fan of any team in any sport, you can relate to the emotions caused by your team’s success or failure.  This is a fantastic book and may cause you to examine just how far you will go to support your team.

Soccernomics, Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski

More of a book for soccer nerds, Simon and Stefan examine the data of football and what it reveals about teams for both club and country.  Their transfer rules are a must read and their peek into the future of international football is quite interesting.

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro, Joe McGinniss

An insight into football in general and Italian soccer in particular, McGinnis weaves an amazing tale of a team’s climb through the divisions in Italian football.  Drama, tragedy, victory and insights are all in there.

Beckham Experiment, Grant Wahl

Wahl pulls back the curtain of Beckham’s move to the MLS from Real Madrid and reveals a footballer of great ability wrapped up in an entourage that causes tension, misinformation and resentment at every turn.  A fascinating look at team dynamics and the fledging soccer league in theUS.  Great read.

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Just bought the following books for my collection:

Damned Utd, David Peace

Calcio: A History of Italian Football, John Foot

Seeing Red, Graham Poll

Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics, Jonathan Wilson

Brillant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football, David Winner