The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Far more than merely a soccer book, The Beckham Experiment brilliantly explores-and exposes-that odd place where sports and celebrity collide. David Beckham's American odyssey is often too bizarre to believe, and Grant Wahl captures it all with uncommon depth, precision and insight. Forget Beckham-Wahl is the Pele of soccer writers. A brilliant book."
—Jeff Pearlman, author of Boys Will Be Boys

"In The Beckham Experiment,Grant Wahl has done a wonderful job of explaining to soccer fans--and, perhaps just as importantly to non-soccer fans--the worldwide phenomenon that is David Beckham. The reporting and the writing are all there and the story is a terrific read, whether one thinks of Beckham as one of the world's great athletes or as Posh Spice's husband."
—John Feinstein, author of Change-Up: Mystery at The World Series

"It's not behind-the-scenes access: It's what you do with it. Grant Wahl knows his soccer, but mostly, he knows a great story, at turns funny, sad, bizarre and, yeah, occasionally a little juicy. If the best thing that came out of Beckham coming to America was this book, I'd say it was a fair trade."
—Will Leitch, author of God Save The Fan, contributing editor New York magazine, founder Deadspin.com

"David Beckham is more than a gifted player. He is a multinational conglomerate. And, in Grant Wahl's extraordinary telling, his sojourn through Los Angeles makes for a gripping tale about the business of sports and the growth pangs of American soccer."
—Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World

“This is a riveting, highly entertaining book about the world’s most famous athlete, and his attempt to conquer America with his skill, charm and amazing good looks, none of which have any effect on my wife, at least according to her.”
—Dave Barry, Humor writer and winner of 38 World Cups

"Forget the underwear ads. Forget the movie. Want to know about the world's most famous athlete and his impact on the world around him? Let Grant Wahl show you. For more than a decade, observers have banged their heads bloody trying to penetrate the Beckham phenomenon. Now, having barreled through the crack created by Captain Galaxy's fish-out-of-water foray into America, Wahl reveals the strange welter of celebrity, sport and mind-boggling obliviousness lying at its core. Jobs lost, careers ruined, franchises and leagues bowing to the man's every whim: The ripple effects caused by Beckham's arrival in Los Angeles are unlike anything seen in sports in years. Armed with unparalleled access and tapping into the lacerating candor of those closest to the now-sputtering experiment, Wahl raises the bar on what to expect from a sports book. For anyone looking to expose the backstage workings of an American team and league -- not to mention the cross-pollination of pop-culture and sports -- here's the new model: Write It Like Wahl."
—S.L. Price, author of Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America

“We can quibble about whether or not the actual "Beckham experiment" has been a smashing success, but Grant Wahl's account - as well-written as it is well-reported - is an unqualified triumph. The "Becks" cultists will devour this; but so will those of us who simply like a damn good sports book.”
—L. Jon Wertheim, Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played

"I can't believe I enjoyed a book about soccer."
—Rick Reilly, ESPN Columnist

“Grant Wahl crafts a bounty of insider details and vivid character portraits to provide a keyhole's view into the 'Beckham experiment.' He reveals the Beckham beneath the stagecraft and photo shoots as the world's most famous athlete is forced to confront the locker-room class struggles in a cost-conscious league. With great care, Wahl unveils a book ribboned by humorous accounts and moments of disillusionment, conflict and drama, all surfacing when a humble MLS team finds itself taken over by Brand Beckham.”
—Selena Roberts, author of A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez

"The Beckham experiment failed miserably, but The Beckham Experiment succeeds as an engaging peek into the weird worlds of Beckhamania and U.S. soccer. Grant Wahl, the country’s best writer on the sport, may even convince all those who played soccer as kids to remember why they loved the game."
—Frank Deford, author of The Entitled

Product Description

In 2007, David Beckham, the golden boy of soccer, shocked the international sports world when he signed a five-year contract with an American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Under the direction of his manager, Simon Fuller, the mastermind behind American Idol and the Spice Girls, Beckham was ready for a monumental challenge and a risky adventure–ready, as Fuller put it, to earn his stripes Stateside. Could he pull off what no player had ever accomplished (including Pelé in the 1970s) and transform soccer into one of the most popular spectator sports in America? It was a bold experiment: failure meant a team, a league, a sport, and Beckham himself might miss their chance to hit primetime in the U.S.

With unprecedented access to the Galaxy and one-on-one interviews with Beckham, veteran Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl focuses on the inner circle of the experiment: Beckham, Galaxy leading scorer Landon Donovan, Simon Fuller, controversial former coach Ruud Gullit, outspoken former Galaxy president Alexi Lalas, and Mrs. Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham. Wahl takes readers behind the scenes, on the road with the team and inside the locker room, to reveal just what happened on and off the field when the most renowned player in the world left the glamour of European soccer to play in a country that has yet to fully embrace the sport. We find out what his teammates really think of their superstar captain, who was calling the shots behind the scenes, how Beckham’s management conducted a shadow takeover of the Galaxy organization, and if the team plans to embrace him–or not–when he returns from AC Milan for the 2009 season.

The Beckham Experiment is a no-holds-barred account of ego clashes and epic winless streaks, rivalries and resentments, big gambles and great expectations, cultural and class collisions, and ultimately the volatile mix of celebrity and professional sports. As Beckham embarks on his third season with the Galaxy, the question remains: even for a player the caliber of David Beckham, are some goals out of reach?

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Crown (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030740787X
• ISBN-13: 978-0307407870
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,629 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "You Can't Escape the Field", July 14, 2009

By	Steve Amoia (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Three seasons into Beckham's American adventure, the same question remained: Would it ever be about the soccer?" That was the last sentence of the book, and it easily could have been the first.

Amidst great hopes and unrealistic expectations ("Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally." Tim Leiweke, CEO of AEG), the experiment has been a commercial success, and raised the profile of MLS. But as Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary manager of Manchester United, said, "You can't escape the field." It was a theme that the author stressed with regularity, and one that apparently escaped American soccer promoters during their formulation of this grand experiment.

Grant Wahl, in a very detailed, entertaining, and enlightening book, threw the gauntlet down, and provides the reader with answers why the experiment has not achieved all of its objectives. The portrait was an extremely balanced analysis that was not dumbed down to sell more books for a non-soccer audience. Mr. Wahl writes about the sport of soccer without derision and/or frequent comparisons to its more accepted mainstream counterparts. He understands international soccer (he has covered 5 World Cups) along with the unique way the game is organized professionally in North America. Like a scientist, the author presented the equation, gathered the evidence from many sources, structured an interesting story, and ultimately demonstrated why the experiment did not work yet where it was needed the most: On the field of play.

Although Beckham did not provide exclusive interviews for the book, he is quoted frequently from previous discussions with the author. Despite a painful ankle injury, and promotional realities, Beckham began the experiment in prime time on a July evening at the Home Depot Center. Being the great professional that he is, he soldiered on so that the Galaxy and MLS could maximize a rare window of opportunity in the mainstream American consciousness. But after a few starts and stops, it came to a thundering halt when Beckham suffered another injury and was forced to weeks on the sidelines. The show went on without its protagonist. American fans, many of whom had to pay inflated prices to see the Galaxy and/or buy multiple game packages, began to voice their anger.

This book also chronicled the unsung life of the typical American professional soccer player. Many of whom toil in obscurity, and earn a minute fraction of Beckham's salary. They fly coach, stay in modest hotels, and have a $45 per diem. But in true American fashion and spirit, they dealt with a Hollywood reality show replete with Machiavellian behind the scenes maneuvers, and enough twists and turns to unseat the most balanced of people. Alan Gordon, an oft quoted player who earned $30,870 annually during his first three years with the Galaxy, summed it up best: "I'm just trying to make this team, so I don't give a ****. I don't care who is fighting with who as long as I'm on the team and have a salary."

Despite the increased awareness of American soccer domestically and internationally, along with the global demand of David Beckham, you can't escape the field. Even if you can bend it like Beckham.

Steve Amoia, World Football Commentaries

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars David Beckham and the MLS--with Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas as the subtext., July 18, 2009

By	Patrick O'Harra (Dayton, WY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Grant Wahl's much-publicized book "The Beckham Experiment" fits right in with other "season with" books like John Feinstein's "Season on the Brink" (about Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers) and Joe McGinniss's "The Miracle of Castel di Sangro" (about one Serie A football club punching well above its weight). The author, a writer with Sports Illustrated, details the goings-on of the MLS's LA Galaxy during the "Beckham Experiment" that brought the world's most famous (but certainly not the world's most talented) football player to US soccer.

Wahl is an experienced and nuanced reporter who tells this story with great success. He has great access to a number of important people during Beckham's time with the Galaxy, including Galaxy CEO Tim Leiweke, coach Frank Jallop, Galaxy star Landon Donovan, Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas and, most notably, Beckham himself. While this provides the text with great insight, notably lacking is the perspective of Beckham's representatives at 19 Entertainment, who are absent from the book, but are major "players" in the "experiment."

Despite Wahl missing one enormous piece of this fascinating puzzle, his close relationships with GM Alexi Lalas and Landon Donovan added, for me, an unexpected bonus to a book I expected to be largely about David Beckham. This is as much a book about Lalas and Donovan as it is about Beckham, but that's not a disappointment, as I found those two iconic US footballers to be of much greater depth and interest than the headliner, Beckham. After reading the book I'm not sure I know much more about Beckham that I already didn't know (I'm an avid follower of English football) but I did understand a great deal more about Beckham's people, Simon Fuller of American Idol fame and Terry Byrne, Beckham's closest advisor.

This book also reveals a great deal about MLS and its players on the pitch. The disparity between Beckham (the multi-millionaire) and the role players of the MLS (some making as little as $13,000) is a constant subtext as well. Anyone interested in the day-to-day life of the MLS player would be well-served to read this book. This disparity between the rich and the poor is laughable at times--some of it comically directed at Beckham's expectations contrasting with reality-- but often sadly because of the poor living conditions faced by MLS players.

While I greatly enjoyed the book and appreciated the author's mature perspective on these seasons with the LA Galaxy (in contrast to Joe McGinnis's complete lack of self-awareness in his writing of "The Miracle of Castel di Sangro") the book, at times, is written in a circular way that is distracting. Sometimes when reading I would be aware that I had read the information before. At first I attributed this to reading a pre-release "tease" from the CNN/SI website, but after continuing the book I noticed a that the author repeated descriptions and anecdotes from earlier in the book quite often. In an interview on World Soccer Daily, a daily radio show about football in American, the author explained that he wrote the book in a very short time span; I surmise this flurry of writing caused these repetitions, which lessened my enjoyment of the text somewhat, and led me to rate it at four stars.

I found the book to be an enthralling look at Beckham, the LA Galaxy, and MLS. It certainly rates as one of the five best books I've read about football (I've got more than twenty in my collection). I would recommend this book to any reader interested in Beckham or football in America.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read-- even for non soccer fans, August 16, 2009

By	L. Shafer - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a 20 year old girl who thinks that David Beckham is hot. Don't stop reading here-- I'm just letting you know. I don't follow soccer and don't care for it. I live in Ohio, so I know about the Columbus Crew and even thought about going to a game just to see Beckham play.

One day I saw on ESPN that Landon Donovan was criticizing Beckham and I heard of the book as well in a magazine. I thought, "why not?" and added it to my summer reading collection. I am a fan of sports, and thought it would be interesting to learn of this so called "experiment."

Like I said, I don't know the sport of soccer. I was afraid that Grant Wahl would throw a bunch of soccer terminology in my way and I'd be fishing the internet to learn the terms. However, he presented the book in a way that I felt as though I'd been watching forever once I was finished. Even for a "dummy" like me, I read through the book with ease and found it VERY interesting of the arrival of Beckham to present day. A lot of insight was brought about from all perspectives-- the players, coaches, and executive personnel with the Galaxy.

At first I was thinking that the book would feature all the faults of Beckham and expose him of wanting to be a celebrity over an athlete. Wahl presents it in a way that Beckham is merely juggling the two aspects... which didn't work out.

Aside from being a book all about Beckham, I found it interesting to learn about the MLS in general, which Wahl clearly paints a picture of the structure of it versus European clubs. Including the salary cap, the hotels/meals, and just the players salaries in general... was all tidbits I never knew of.

In conclusion, this book is a must read for any sports fan. Whether you like soccer or not, that's not the point. Soccer is hardly the main intention of the book, but it rather chronicles the major downs (and a few ups) since Beckham's arrival in the US.