Book Review: There's Only Two David Beckhams by John O'Farrell

There's Only Two David Beckhams

by

John O'Farrell

Football (Soccer) has been a part of my life since I can remember. I am a season ticket holder of the current English Premier League Champions Leicester City and have been for 21 seasons. Yes I know we are not doing so well at all this season but hey ho.... I first heard about this book on Twitter, I had seen a couple of tweets by people saying how funny and great it was. The name of the book stood out for me “There’s Only Two David Beckhams”  David who is English royalty when it comes to sports and whom I have had the pleasure of seeing play football in person on numerous occasions. This is my first John O'Farrell book I have read.

"A laugh out loud, very witty book for all sports fans"

Précis (taken from the cover):

Ever wasted hours debating your ‘All Time England XI’? Well now it’s 2022 and the discussion is finally over, England have eleven players as good as any of them. The unbeatable national team have reached the final of the Qatar World Cup. But one journalist is convinced there is a scandalous secret behind England’s incredible form. His lifetime’s dream is to see the Three Lions win the World Cup. But if he pursues and exposes the shocking truth, his beloved England could be sent home in disgrace.

Suddenly this is much more than England vs Germany; it’s Love vs Duty, it’s Truth vs Happiness. The pressure of the penalty shoot-out is nothing compared to this.There’s Only Two David Beckhams is John O’Farrell’s love-letter to football; part-detective story, part-sports memoir, part-satire on the whole corrupt FIFA circus; it just made the final for the funniest football fiction ever written...

Review:

I really liked how this book was written. You follow through the eyes and thoughts of Alfie Baker a journalist and football fanatic. As the book moves through time heading up to the 2022 World Cup its the stories for me that make it as good as it is. There are so many memories from when you were a kid or even to playing/watching when you get older. I found this book so funny in places that there were times where I had to take my glasses off to wipe my eyes. It was like when you get the giggle fits and you just can’t stop. My wife on a few occasions was laughing so much at just me laughing at this book.

It is a very easy going book as well, so if you fancy something light & funny where you do not need to really concentrate too hard then this is the book for you. Would you need to understand football (soccer) to get this book?? I mean it would help, but there is more than enough for people to enjoy this as a story. However the story itself is a wild dream and could never happen in real life so you would need to go into this with an open mind. I did find the story really clever and enjoyable though which had a few cracking twists at the end. I could go into more about the story but I would not want to ruin too much for you......

The characters are mainly lads and the relationships between lads and football but are very believable. You could walk into any bar in any city in the world on a match day and find these characters in every one.. There is a lack of female characters in this book however which makes it out that women are either not into football or would not understand this. I know so many women who are into football and they, like men do the same. Go in groups, drink, eat and travel the country supporting their team. I am proud to say that my favourite team has one of the best for female to male ratio supporters in the country.

Ever since I was a kid I have always dreamt of England winning the Word Cup. My dad was 18 in 1966 when England won it for the first and only time. So...... Can England win another World Cup??? Well you will have to read to find out...

I scored this book a 5 out of 5. I loved it and would probably say it was one of the funniest books I have ever read. If you are a sports fan especially football then I would give this a go. As previously mentioned this is my first John O'Farrell book that I have read and I will definitely be reading more when I get the chance.

Has anyone else read this book? What did you think? do you agree with me or not? I would love to know.

Speak soon, 

CBailey31