Tor! The Story of German Football Kindle Edition

It is rare to find a good and unbiased source on German football history in English and Uli Hesse's book is indeed a gift for the fans of German football who don't speak the language.This book covers the history of German football right from the very beginning and includes the 2006 World Cup held in Germany (for the revised version).Uli Hesse writes with passion and it helps that he's a football fan so the prose is never dry or dull. He does a wonderful job in narrating the complete history of German football and also kindly takes time to explain some peculiar aspect of it such as the clubs' naming conventions, ownership rules, etc, which is very useful for non-German speaking readers.Hesse also traces the history of Bundesliga as well as the national team's successes and failures. He also covers some of the major personalities of the game - not just players but also coaches and administrators. Even though the scope is wide, he does an admirable job in telling a riveting story.On the flip side, he could have done a better job in telling the story line. His plot revolves around the history of Bundesliga, the national team and some key personalities. Often these story lines are told parallely but he often gets ahead of himself and get the time lines mixed up.Also it would been much better to devote separate chapters on the key personalities and do them justice rather than describe them in passing. There were many interesting characters that deserves a deeper coverage. Also it would have been better to devote chapters to specific clubs such as Gladbach, Dortmund, Bayern, etc to describe their contribution to the German football history and legacy.My verdict - This book is an essential reading for all German football fans.

Fascinating book about the history of German football, from its start when it arrived from England, to the creation of different city clubs and the creation of the national league. This is a must read for those interested in German football.

I bought a kindle version, and finished reading it within 3 weeks (quite casual read everyday). For a casual follower of football, the book has the right balance of being entertaining enough and informative on the football history of Germany. It is not too technical, and was written sometimes with a sense of humour, vividly demonstrating the unpredictability of the beautiful game. It also has the right balance of Bundesliga introduction and German national football campaign. All in all, it is a good past-time read, and well suited for people who intend to enhance their knowledge in the game, and how Germany has come to where it is now. The only pity of the book is that it is only until 2003, with a brief touch of 2006 World Cup. A new version would be needed to catch up what happened since then, especially Jurgen Klinsman & Co.'s reign at German football. Strongly recommended!

This book was very informative and easy to read. It show that Hesse knows a lot about German soccer and I really enjoyed reading such interesting things about great German soccer players throughout history. This book is a must read for soccer fans. It also debunks any ideas or biases we may have against German style of play. The only thing I would have liked is that it included a chapter about the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Even if the book is dated, it was still a fun and easy read.

If you have any interest in German soccer, you must buy this book. A great read which delves into the details of what happened and why, including how the sport first developed in the country and succeeded over time, sometimes against dramatic opposition. The author does a careful analysis of his own, as opposed to just repeating the thoughts of others, and captures all the high points of the history of the sport in Germany (at least in men's competitions).My only regret is that this book was not quite a bit longer, with more details especially about the pre-WW II era. I would have greatly enjoyed an even fuller treatment of the subject.A++++++++++++++

if you love German soccer...you MUST read this book. gives a great and in-depth history of the game in Germany.

If you love German football then this is the book for you. I grew up watching Soccer Made In Germany and this book offers quite a bit of information from that era. A lot of history here. One of my favorite football books.

I love this book... I'm not even that huge of a soccer fan, but Hesse-Lichtenberger writes in a style that is accessible and entertaining. I learned a lot and enjoyed it as well. I hope that he will update it to reflect the awesome successes of the Bundesliga in the past few years!

This is a brilliant book about German football, the chapter about the naming of German teams is worth the money alone. If only every book about football in other countries (Spain, Italy, Holland, France) was written more like this one then they'd be improved.Tor! takes you from the beginnings of football in Germany to how it was organised, how the clubs came into being, and why it was until the 1960s(!) that Germany had a national league, and it was the 1970s until there was full professionalism and no maximum wage. By comparison, the Football League started up in the 1880s. As a side note, Germany won the 1954 World Cup before they had professional football or a nationwide league, a fact that I found amazing.I've read Tor!, Morbo, Calcio, and Brilliant Orange and I'd rank them as follows:1. Tor!: The Story of German Football2. Calcio: A History of Italian Football3. Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football4: Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch FootballIf you have any interest in Germany, German football, the Bundesliga, you must buy this book by the incomparable Uli Hesse, who writes terrific articles on ESPN as well. It is a fascinating account of the history of football in Germany that does not hold back from examining all periods and is delivered in a well written and informative way.

This is an entertaining, well-written and accessible overview of the history of German football. Although the author is German, which means he writes with authority about the game in his homeland, he also has considerable experience of the English game and is able to provide comparisons for an English reader which help to make sense of some of the differences encountered. With a light touch, Hesse shines a light into diverse subjects such as the complexities of club naming and the reason (West) Germany took so long to develop a professional national league. The focus during the years Germany was divided is on West Germany, but the chapter on East German football is a particularly rewarding one on a bizarre subject. Hesse is clearly a passionate fan, but this does not prevent him from critically analysing his subject or asking penetrating questions. Trying to write a volume which covers domestic and international football in a country whose borders shifted significantly across the period this book covers is ambitious, and it says much for the author's ability that he does this so successfully. This book is highly recommended not just as a volume about German football, but as a quality piece of football writing in general.

Often ghost-written most football books are at best lame and similar. There are exceptions. This one rises well above the usual rather dreary level. It is thoughtful, highly entertaining and extremely informative. As an in-depth introduction to German football it is a must for any genuine football enthusiast's shelves. Highly recommended.

This is a fabulous book. I first read it about 12 years ago and decided to re-read it, now I am working in Germany.Not only is it one of the best football books ever written but it also shows that Germans do have a sense of humour. How else do you describe a nation that gave us Lotthar Matthaus?However it could really do with another update. So much has happened since 2002 that another edition. Is long overdue.Yet this is still worth a read. The story is told honestly and with humour. It is so easy to forget how recent much of German football actually is. The last if the major nations to form a national league and actually become professional.

Midway through this book, there's a reference to a popular view of Udo Lattek, manager of Bayern in the 1970's, that any fool could have lifted silverware with a squad that featured Maier, Beckenbauer and Muller. It made me wonder whether any fool could have written a book about such an enthralling story, which it is; the story of German football is a rip-roaring tale - but that comes to life because of the way the book is written. It reads like a thriller, it's told from different angles and covers so much that is important to a football fan. For example, the history of 1970's football in Germany could be told as quite a pedestrian affair despite the success, but it's told from the position of Bayern's rivalry with Gladbach, from the German public's view of its national team and its players, and from the perspective of the leading personalities. It's far more interesting as a result, even if it does at times feel like an introduction to German football rather than a comprehensive history - which I suppose, at sub-300 pages, is all that can be expected.Nevertheless, the account of the strugle to re-establish German football after WWII is a particular highlight, absolutely fascinating. It really puts the "Miracle of Berne" in 1954 into a perspective I hadn't grasped. For that reason alone, it's five stars. If there is room for improvement, it's the fact that this could have been expanded to be more factually comprehensive, although then it probably wouldn't read as well as it does. I also think that the book ends too abruptly -firstly, in 2002 without a real update save a one and a half page epilogue set in 2006; but also without a final overview of what has been a fascinating ride, and what the future holds. But for what the book is, the story of German football (not the HISTORY of German football), it's a cracking read.