This book first looks at the amazing football history of the two great (debatable) sides, England and Germany. Germany are famed for their ruthless efficiency, their tenacious will to win and not to mention the odd dive or foul. Whereas England are the people’s heroes, as well as the over-emotional inventors of the beautiful game we all know and love. Therefore the book promised to be good.

Nobody knows for sure why these two teams and their fans love to hate each other. Maybe it’s because of the war, maybe because of the ’66 World Cup Final and that goal or maybe it’s because of Oliver Kahn. Either Way the hatred is there and as fierce as ever. The book bills it as the perpetual over-achievers against the perpetual under-achievers, no prizes for guessing which ones which.

Anyways it is basically a collection of funny stuff about these two sides and then it moves onto the World Cup (2006) and laughs at things there as well. It’s a small book but one that keep you amused in times of boredom so I would recommend a read.

The beginning of the book starts how it means to go on with this: “We loathe their robot mentality, hate their diving, despise their cheating, are appalled by their arrogance and, most of all, resent their constant success.” Now are you telling me the author of this book doesn’t have an ounce of bitterness aimed at Germany in him?

In the book we are introduced to the 11 Germans we hate the most, not to mention the 11 one cap wonders for England with big fat dumpling Michael Ricketts top of the list, how much did the smog monsters from down the road pay for him again?

My favourite part of the book comes in the 2006 World Cup section where they have a brief run down of all the international sides and next to them put what everyone really thinks of them. For example, Italy – Whinging, Sweden – Blond, Switzerland – Unemotional, not to mention the disappointing Spanish and the bitter Argentines.

It’s a decent book that does exactly what it ses on the tin, it makes you laugh and occasionally throws in a little fact for you to take down the pub with. It get’s the thumbs up from me and is worth the money.

This book was courtesy of Carlton Books.
www.carltonbooks.co.uk

James Henderson

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