Pele: My Life in Pictures
£10.50
Would Have Been The First £60m Player - I was given this book as a gift by a very good friend of mine. As so many of us have only seen rare footage of this living legend, it s a difficult task on how to gauge his ability with today s current superstars. However, from the scenes I have watched, and some of the comments within this book, I can only imagine he would top the list that would include Ronaldinho, Kaka, Messi and Henry. Better than Best or Maradona? I m not sure, perhaps equal. I enjoy reading football biographies, and this was no exception. So many aspects of his life is covered, even his early cahoots with girls, to his poorly managed businesses that cost him huge amounts of money. He speaks fondly of his family, especially his father, Dondinho, and how he was the inspiration towards his path to football immortality. A magnificent read, and easy to follow.
A Piece To Last Forever - Described as The most comprehensive book on football there has ever been by no less than The Daily Telegraph and in the words of Sports Illustrated practically every word presents a new treasure, Gloria s limited edition Pele leaves no stone unturned in chronicling the story of football s greatest (and enduring) hero.The book weighs 16kgs, has over 700 pages and is packed with the best photography and a lifetime of great writing, from the likes of Hugh Mcilvanney and Brian Glanville (both of whom contribute new pieces as well as old), 100,000 words from Pele himself (most of them culled from the 2006 Pele autobigraphy) and photography from the likes of Lord Lichfield, Neil Leifer, Juergen Teller and the great William Klein.Each unit comes bound in silk and is the ultimate gift for the mad football fan with a genuine eye on football history. The publisher was one of the key editors on GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali and this work carries some of the trademarks of that piece: from unseen imagery, great quotes, family scrapbook style images and tributes from team members, competitors, managers and experts. It is the first ever football `big book and after getting my copy (for Christmas), I can t imagine ever wanting to own another giant book on the greatest of all sports (my humble opinion).It s about a single individual and that alone makes it an extraordinary human story. That Pele himself came from the humblest of origins at a time when black players were hardly ever seen on the international stage, makes it an even more resonant football story for today s players and (rich!) fans. Since it comes in a global edition of only 2,500, it s a superb heirloom and probably a super investment. It will last forever. If you ve got a bonus to spend anywhere or a rich uncle, I can t imagine a more valuable football collectible that this to own.
What a life - Before i read this book i have seen clips, heard stories and wondered was pele really all that good. After reading this book it is easy to see what everyone goes on about. The book really gives an in depth account to Pele the player and Edson the man. It is thoroughly enjoyable to read how the life of a legend came about over 1,250 goals says alot, but reading the book also sees what a colourful life he had off the pitch with numerous women and the places that have been. I feel that after reading the book i really know what and who Pele was and was and what the fuss is all about. I beleive now that Pele was a not only a great player but Edson a great man.
A brief history of a great footballer - Although Pele is regarded by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, he was at his peak before TV coverage became what it is today. That and that he never played European club football means that the only time many of us actually saw Pele play was in World Cup tournaments. In fact to the vast majority of people under the age of thirty Pele is probably most famous for his advertisements about erectile disfunction! Like all football supporters I have seen his header that produced Gordon Banks miraculous save, his outrageous dummy and his lob from the halfway line during the same World Cup but I was hoping this book would tell me a little more about the man and the footballer. I was disappointed. It rattles along at a pace - rather too quickly for my liking. The description of his childhood is brief, preferring to move onto his football career. Even this is touched on all too briefly, at one stage he tells us about playing football with a ball made out of rolled up socks then within a few pages he his part of Brazils World Cup winning team of 1958! This continues all the way through. In particular I wanted to find out more about the wonderful Brazil team of 1970, but this book tells me little I didn t already know.This is not a bad book, in fact as footballers autobigraphies go its good, but I will wait till until somebody writes the definative biography before I read about the true story of Pele.
A Brilliant Autobiography - This is a thoroughly interesting book for anyone interested in the greatest footballer of all time, football fan or not. Unlike the usual biographies of Pele, this is from the man himself, in his own thoughts and words, therefore we can be sure of its authenticity. The book is well presented, with many photographs and Pele s career goals in the appendix.