Customer Reviews

The Simplest Game: The Intelligent Fan's Guide to the World of Soccer

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Paul Gardner knows what he is talking about. His incredibly entertaining book is punctuated by a sharp wit and thought provoking opinions, and is not hurt by the fact that the game has had such a fascinating history.

Gardner cannot resist putting his opinion into his stories, but it has such a throwback, purist's appeal, that you can't help but pay attention and agree with him. He goes through the history of the game, all the major competitions (World cups 1930-1994, Olympics 1896-1992, European championships), the state of the game worldwide, the state of the game in America and its hopes for the future, and the history of tactics and all the major styles of play.

It really makes no difference that it was prepared for the 1996 Olympics, because if you had not read it on the cover you would probably not have realized that as you were going the book. Gardner does not base the book around this fact at all, making it truly the intelligent fan's guide to soccer.

Gardner's book is exactly what it claims to be. This is not a book for a moron, this is a book for a soccer fan who wants to know how the game is played, has been played, is managed, the history of the game, and the possible future of the game. Gardner is very opinionated, but his opinions are geared toward encouraging intelligent, exciting, attack-oriented soccer. I read this book during my first season of viewing MLS in the US, and now I keep track of the Bundesliga, Premier League, Primera, Serie A, and many other leagues with gusto.

If you are a soccer fan, and your love of the game goes beyond the unintelligent hooligan type, this is the book for you.

Plain and Simple. If you want to know the history of soccer. GET THIS BOOK. I played for 15yrs but never knew the history of the game. I am now getting ready to coach the sport I love and wanted to know the history. Talk about a great find this book was. Everything I ever wanted to know was here. Learn about the World Cups, Olympics, Tactics and the Future of the game. I am so happy I got this book because I know so much more about the game then I ever dreamt.BUY IT!

This book is a fantastic primer for new fans of the world's greatest game. Mr. Gardner covers the history of the game and its tactics and provides many an interesting story along the way. Americans will learn that soccer (like any American sport) has its legendary and quirky stories. For instance, I never knew that the Brazilian government declared Pele a national resource to prevent his club team in Brazil from selling him to an Italian team.

This is a great book to learn about the history of soccer and much more. Paul Gardner also goes through each of the World Cups in detail. He also explains the future for soccer in America. A great book to read if you are just learning the game or a big fan. Any one can read it and become more educated about the game of soccer, calcio, futbol, or voetbal.

Gardner's book is the best history of the game I've ever read. He explains the evolution of the game in an exiting and engaging style. World Cup history, tactics, the rules, it's all here. Players, fans, and coaches should be REQUIRED to read this book! Fantastic.

This book is an essential read for anyone (coaches, players, parents) who wishes to be enlightened in the sport of soccer. His writing style eloquently states the obstacles soccer has in this country and offers well thought solutions to some of these problems.

This is a comprehensive, enjoyable history of the game of soccer. It gives insights to the many facits of the game beyond the field of play. I found the analysis of the evolution of systems of play fascinating. Explanations of the changes in the Laws and how they have influenced the game we watch today put everything into a new perspective for me. Learning about the legendary names and unique characters in soccer adds flavor to this already exciting sport.

Detailed, witty, and insightful, this is a terrific book for soccer fans, coaches, and players. The book covers a lot of ground, starting with the World Cup, and moving on to the Olympics, FIFA, and other aspects of world soccer, as well as an account of the history of soccer in America (stopping short of the 1996 Olympics). There is a detailed analysis of the evolution of tactics in soccer, and the role of modern coaching as well as the changes in the rules and interpretation of rules in soccer. All of it is written in a wonderfully readable prose, funny, poetic, and always with a deep understanding of the beautiful game.

The Simplest Game for a long time was the Bible of soccer knowledge, explaining history ,tactics, and rules in surprisingly few pages. Gardner also provides lots of entertaining anecdotes. While The Simplest Game has been eclipsed in detail by The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer, that may not be a bad thing. For people who know nothing about soccer (like me, when I first picked it up) the length keeps the information form being overwhelming. I suspect that The Simplest Game's audience is new soccer fans while the audience for The Ball is Round is made of more hard-core fans.