Soccer ANNOTATION
Traces the history of soccer, from its beginnings, to its first stars and championship games, to the notable players of today.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Traces the history of soccer, from its beginnings, to its first stars and championship games, to the notable players of today.
FROM THE CRITICS
VOYA - Chris Crowe
These two titles are part of a series that includes books on auto racing, baseball, basketball, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, tennis, and wrestling. Each book in the series follows a similar pattern: a highlight on prominent players, a general history of the sport, important players, and the sport's place in modern athletics. All of the books use plenty of photographs to complement the text. Macht's book presents a simple and rather disjointed history of track and field, starting with a chapter on Jesse Owens, "The World's Greatest Athlete," then hopping back a millennium to the origins of track and field and the Olympics in the next chapter, "Running for Their Lives." The lack of general chronology and chapter-level unity bothered this reviewer, but younger readers hungry to learn about this sport surely will not notice these hurdles. Macht should be complimented for including a chapter on notable women in the sport and for acknowledging some of the problems that have dogged modern track and field in the final chapter, "Money and Drugs." Wukovits's book will satisfy soccer players who want to learn the history of their sport. Soccer originated in England as a sometimes violent contest between villages. Despite edicts outlawing the sport, commoners kept soccer alive through the middle ages; in modern times soccer became more refined and organized, and British colonizers spread it around the world. Readers will also learn about some of the world's true sports superstars: Pel�; Sir Stanley Matthews; Maradona; Roberto Baggio; and notable American stars Kyle Rote, Jr., Alexi Lalas, and Michelle Akers. In addition to biographical information, the text also highlights some of these stars' greatest games. Both books could be used as a general introduction to their respective sports and to some of their most important participants. Readers looking for more complete information about the sports or their athletes can use these texts as springboards to more complete books written for an older audience. Index. Photos. Further Reading. Chronology. Note: This review was written and published to address two titles-The Composite Guide to Track and Field and The Composite Guide to Soccer. VOYA Codes: 3Q 3P M (Readable without serious defects, Will appeal with pushing, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8).
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