Tom Watt

Tom Watt is an English actor, writer and broadcaster. Television, film and stage credits include EastEnders, Patriot Games and Fever Pitch. As well as writing about soccer for every major UK newspaper, Tom is the author of several books about the game: The End, a groundbreaking oral history of Arsenal FC; A Passion For The Game, 90 first-hand accounts of life behind the scenes in English football; The Greatest Stage, the official history of Wembley Stadium; and, most recently, My Side, the best-selling autobiography of David Beckham.

---

American/Pop Culture

A Beautiful Game

The World's Greatest Players and How Soccer Changed Their Lives

Talking Points

Wherever you are on earth, it’s only a matter of time before you come across children playing soccer. Another five minutes and you will probably find yourself having a ball rolled to your feet as an invitation to join in the game. Soccer is a common language and a culture shared: a joy, a passion, an escape and an affirmation of identity understood and celebrated by children - and their parents - in every country around the globe.

With an introduction by David Beckham, and including touching personal stories by the world’s leading soccer stars, this is How Soccer Explains The World in a beautiful illustrated edition.

Description

For this unique and beautiful book, sports writer Tom Watt talked to the world’s top players about growing up and falling in love with the game: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Gilberto Silva; England’s David James and Scotland’s Craig Gordon; Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro, Spain’s Iker Casillas and France’s Frank Ribéry; South Africa’s Benni McCarthy and Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu; the USA’s Landon Donovan and Shunsuke Nakamura from Japan; and the world’s most famous player, David Beckham.

A Beautiful Game tells their stories, in the players’ own words; stories of boys who would grow up to be heroes for a new generation of young players and fans. They look back to their childhoods; to their family homes, to their schoolrooms, to the friends they grew up with and to the places where they first played the game that has made them stars. The players’ words are brought to life with over 130 full-color images which offer rare, emotive and striking insights and celebrate soccer’s ability to touch our hearts wherever the beautiful game is played.

---