All in all, [Insert Name]: My Story often turns out to be an awful read. Indeed, as our host Richard showed in stark terms on this week's Team 33, reading extracts from one of Wayne Rooney's many autobiographies is hardly Ulysses or er, Gone With The Wind.
With Christmas coming up, there might be books you will want to purchase last minute for a loved one, so we chatted about football books we had read that either left a lasting impression on us, or helped our understanding of the game.
Listen in via the podcast player below or download for free via iTunes.
Here are the books Joe, Rich and I chatted about and in some cases, recommend highly:
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro: A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy by Joe McGinniss
Tells the fascinating story of Italian village team Castel Di Sangro and the enormous ups and downs - including the death of two players - of a year spent in Italy's second tier in 1996.
A Life too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke by Ronald Reng
The 2011 William Hill Sports Book of the Year is highly feted for the way it deals with the subject of depression and the suicide of former Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke in 2009. Definitely one to buy both to understand the pressures of playing at the top level and the nature of depression.
I Am The Secret of Footballer
We all agree that the anonymous storyteller of this book is a former Stoke City, Reading and Portsmouth striker with distinctive red hair. It reveals alot about the complexities of squad harmony, relationships with managers and what footballers really get up to.
The Damned United by David Peace
A work of semi-fiction, this is one all three of us are on the fence about (or hate in one case), although we all agree that the film version is likable. While insights into the era of Brian Clough at Leeds are interesting from a distant remove, is the writing style for everyone?
I am Zlatan
As stated earlier, football autobiographies can be akin to marmite. Zlatan Ibrahimovic's is on the brilliant side of the fence as Richie explains.
Honorable mentions
Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson
Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski
Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World by Graham Hunter
Football Against The Enemy by Simon Kuper
When Friday Comes: Football, War and Revolution in the Middle East by James Montague
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football by David Winner
Calcio: A History of Italian Football by John Foot
Andrea Pirlo: I Think Therefore I Play by Andrea Pirlo
