Brian Dawes @Gooner48 (the review that is!)
Right then: so like me you got a Kindle for Christmas and now you're looking for books to download. Well one particular recommendation I can make is the 'Best XI Arsenal' now available from Kindle at a mere £3.04.
The essence as you might suspect is in the title and it's a game we've all played in pubs or on long away trips. Four fans arguing about their favourite players in each position, discussing the formation to be played and debating as to whether you can you pick players who played before your time. The difference between the pub/car journey game you've played and this volume is that each of the eleven players chosen here is honoured with their own chapter and each is written by one of four fine authors. Namely: Luke Nicoli and Damian Hall (both Arsenal supporting journalists), Kevin Whitcher (editor of The Gooner) and Andrew Mangan (known universally as Arseblogger). Each player's chapter is preceded by a list of their honours, why he's in the team, a quote and their greatest moment. But for me the main pleasure of this book is that each chapter is a beautifully crafted piece written with both care and passion by people who really understand.
Their chosen best ever XI provides us with a total of 4 Englishmen, 3 Frenchmen, 2 Scots, a Dutchman and an Irishman. So almost immediately you've worked out who the Dutchman is because as it says in the text 'If you have a player nicknamed ‘God’, you pick him'. For the Irishman you might possibly be speculating about a certain classic keeper or maybe the only player to have represented our Club over 700 times and whom is currently on the tip of your tongue. But it's more probable you picked a genius with a left peg to die for, someone who at one time might even have answered to the name of Chippy. Of the English players picked, one had a ponytail, one is now quite statuesque and two of them came as a pair and played in the Battle of Highbury. One of the Scots was famous for both his skill and his shorts, the other for his inspirational captaincy and the best night ever witnessed at Highbury. As it happens I'd let one of the Englishmen and one of the Scots fight it out for captaincy as I certainly wouldn't want to tell either that they were not being given the armband.
So which three Frenchmen were chosen? Well the greatest ever Premiership striker who also happens to strike a fine pose in front of Tiny Totts is a no brainer I'd have thought. A midfield powerhouse would also get pretty well everyone's vote and someone skilful and dreamy to make up the numbers would do it.
Unusually for most all time Arsenal XI's this one nominates three players from the fabulous 30's. Quite justifiably so given how massively important this era was to the Club. So now you know who they all are. Or if you haven't quite worked it out you might require an Arsenal history lesson. But let's assume you've figured the specific contents, what you'll want to know now is whether you should read them. Well my answer would be a resounding yes because each chapter is beautifully crafted by quality Arsenal supporting writers for the worthy Arsenal supporting fan I presume you to be.
I have to agree that this particular best Arsenal eleven would certainly be a bit special even though they wouldn't all be in my chosen team. But then again I doubt if more than one in a hundred Gooners will ever agree on a best ever XI. What they will agree about should they read this title however is that it's a very fine read for Gooners everywhere.
Competition
To win one of five free copies of the book on kindle, we are holding a competition. To enter, answer the following question…
How many league titles did Arsenal win while Herbert Chapman was their manager?
Entries by email, by midnight on Sunday (22nd January) to [email protected]. We will announce the winners at the bottom of Monday’s online editorial following the Man Utd game. Good luck
