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Sport Italia by Simon Martin Published by I. B. Tauris August 2011, £22.50, ISBN: 9781845118204
If anyone had any doubt about sport's ability to warp society, Simon Martin's sumptuous Sport
Italia will leave them without arguments. A nation, remember, only since 1861; Italy has survived
its first one and a half centuries by following the path described in Benedict Anderson's
influential book, Imagined Communities – and sport has played an integral part in that.
Our latest book review comes from Tom Bodell, editor of Vital Watford. Tom can be followed on
Twitter at @TBBodell and here casts his eye on the autobiography of Richard Lee, one time Hornet
and now a Bee. Graduation: Life Lessons of a Professional Footballer By Richard Lee Published by
Bennion Kearny August 2010, £9.
Here, in the latest of our book reviews, Ben Summers takes a look at Barney Ronay's The Manager, a
book which surely deserves more than its two current stars on Amazon. The Manager: The Absurd
Ascent of the Most Important Man in Football By Barney Ronay Published by Sphere August 2010,
£8.99, ISBN: 9780751542790 This book's incongruous appearance in Fabio Capello's 2010 World Cup
luggage leant it a curious subplot that could easily have been incorporated into the book itself.
Only a Game: The Diary of a Professional Footballer By Eamon Dunphy Published by Penguin (second
edition) July 1998, £8.99, ISBN: 9780140102901 Left Foot in the Grave By Garry Nelson Published by
CollinsWillow August 1998, available from 1p, ISBN: 9780002187749 [E]veryone wants to be a
footballer. I still do, and I'm 37.
Records must have broken this year as a plethora of Forest books hit the shelves – the postman
serving the LTLF offices is currently taking three months off with a crippled spine from carrying
all the review copies that have dropped through our letterbox in the last few months. But aside
from giving postal workers back problems, what purpose are all these books serving?
There is an argument to be made that Gordon Smith is the forgotten giant of Scottish football.
Although his memory lives on with those lucky enough to have seen him play, recognition for his
exploits as a player and for his unique acheivements seems to have slipped away.
Yet his was a remarkable career: five league championships with Hibs, Hearts and Dundee.
