Thursday, November 14, 2024

50 books to build your Arsenal library

It’s the Interlull, it’s quiet, perhaps you fancy picking up a book?

We’ve compiled a list of 50+ Arsenal-related tomes that might be worth a peruse if you’re looking to brush up on the club’s history, players, managers and more.

It’s not an exhaustive list, they just happen to be ones that have caught our eye over the years.

We think they’ll keep you ticking over until Monsieur Wenger writes his…it’s about time, he’s been teasing us with the prospect for an age.

Title Theme Authors Published date
Fever Pitch Fandom Nick Hornby 1992
So Paddy Got Up Fandom, History Various, edited by Andrew Mangan 2011
Arsenal: The Complete Record History, Statistics Josh James, Andy Kelly, Mark Andrews 2018
Arsenal, 125 Years in the Making: The official illustrated history 1886–2011 History Phil Soar, Martin Tyler 2011
Arsenal: The Making of a Modern Superclub History Kevin Whitcher & Alex Fynn 2016
Red Letter Days: Fourteen Dramatic Events That Shook Arsenal History Jon Spurling 2014
Woolwich Arsenal – The Club That Changed Football History Tony Attwood, Andy Kelly, Mark Andrews 2012
Royal Arsenal: Champions of the South History Tim Stillman, Andy Kelly, Mark Andrews 2018
The Miracle of Copenhagen: Arsenal’s Unbelievable European Cup Winners Cup Run and Triumph History Layth Yousif 2016
Almost Invincible: Arsenal: The Class of 1991 History Dan Betts 2018
Heroes And Villains: The Inside Story of the 1990-91 Season at Arsenal And Tottenham Hotspur History Alex Fynn, Lynton Guest 1991
Invincible: Insider Arsenal’s Unbeaten 2003-2004 season History Amy Lawrence 2015
Together: The Story of Arsenal’s Unbeaten Season History Andrew Mangan, Andrew Allen 2014
The End, The: 80 Years of Life on Arsenal’s North Bank History, Highbury Tom Watt 1995
Highbury: The Story of Arsenal In N5 History, Highbury Jon Spurling 2014
Rebels for the Cause: The Alternative History of Arsenal Football Club History, Highbury Jon Spurling 2004
The Arsenal Shirt: The History of the Iconic Gunners Jersey Told Through an Extraordinary Collection of Match Worn Shirts
History, Kits James Elkin & Simon Shakeshaft 2019
The Life and Times of Herbert Chapman: The Story of One of Football’s Most Influential Figures History, Manager Patrick Barclay 2015
On Football Manager, 20s, 30s Herbert Chapman 2010
Tom Whittaker’s Arsenal Story Manager, Player, 40s, 50s Tom Whittaker 1957
Bertie Mee: Arsenal’s Officer and Gentleman Manager, 70s David Tossell 2005
The Glory and the Grief: The Life of George Graham Manager, Player, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s George Graham 1996
Arsene Wenger: The Inside Story of Arsenal Under Wenger Managers, Arsene Wenger John Cross 2018
The Wenger Revolution: The Club Of My Life Managers, Arsene Wenger Amy Lawrence, Stuart MacFarlane 2018
Arsene Wenger: Fifty Defining Fixtures Manager, Arsene Wenger Layth Yousif 2014
Arsene Wenger: The Biography Managers, Arsene Wenger Xavier Rivoire 2008
Unai Emery: El Maestro Manager Romain Molina 2018
Football Ambassador Player, 30s Eddie Hapgood 2010
Cliff Bastin Remembers: The Autobiography of Arsenal’s Greatest Outside-left Player, 30s Cliff Bastin, Brian Glanville 2010
Forward, Arsenal! Player, 30s, 40s Bernard Joy 1952
Behind the Network: My Autobiography Player, 60s, 70s Bob Wilson 2003
Charlie George: My Story Player, 60s, 70s Charlie George 2005
Life in the Beautiful Game Player, 60s, 70s Bob Wilson 2009
Geordie Armstrong On The Wing
Player, 60s, 70s Dave Seager (in collaboration with Jill Armstrong) 2014
True Storey: My Life and Crimes as a Football Hatchet Man Player, 70s Peter Storey 2011
Alan Ball: The Man In White Boots Player, 70s David Tossell 2018
Stuck in a Moment: The Ballad of Paul Vaessen Player, 70s, 80s Stewart Taylor 2018
Viv Anderson: First Among Unequals Player, 80s Viv Anderson, Lynton Guest 2010
Rock Bottom Player, 80s, 90s Paul Merson 1996
How Not to Be a Professional Footballer Player, 80s, 90s Paul Merson 2012
We All Live in a Perry Groves World Player, 80s, 90s Perry Groves & John McShane 2007
Addicted Player, 80s, 90s, 00s Tony Adams, Ian Ridley 1999
Sober Player, 80s, 90s, 00s Tony Adams, Ian Ridley 2018
Alan Smith: Heads Up Player, 80s, 90s Alan Smith 2018
A Life in Football: Ian Wright: My Autobiography Player, 90s Ian Wright 2017
The Romford Pele: It’s Only Ray Parlour’s Autobiography Player, 90s, 00s Ray Parlour 2017
Thierry Henry Player, 90s, 00s Philippe Auclair 2013
Vieira: My Autobiography Player, 90s, 00s Patrick Vieira 2006
Stillness and Speed: My Story Player, 90s, 00s Dennis Bergkamp & David Winner 2014
Safe Hands: My Autobiography Player, 90s, 00s David Seaman 2000
Footballeur Player, 00s Robert Pires 2003
Footballer: My Story Player, 00s Kelly Smith
Sol Campbell – The Authorised Biography
Player, 00s Simon Astaire 2014
Jens Lehmann: The Madness is on the Pitch Player, 00s Jens Lehmann 2017
Mesut Ozil: Gunning for Greatness Player, 00s Mesut Ozil 2018
Theo Walcott: Growing Up Fast Player, 00s Theo Walcott 2011

 

Just a quick note on the published date, that’s for the version to which we’ve hyperlinked.

If you’re looking for even more Arsenal book suggestions, there’s an even longer list by @N5Librarian on TheArsenalHistory.com

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Harish P

I tweeted you about this last week and you shared a great article from 2016.

Just want to share and extra big thank you for this, Andrew. Really appreciate this.

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

Looks like I’ll be adding a couple books to the amazon basket, thanks for the list Blogs.
Particularly intrigued by the rather saucy sounding Together: The Story of Arsenal’s Unbeaten Season, not normally a romance fan but it’s written by two chaps and this is the 21st century, so it’s probably the kick up the arse I need to ‘get with the times’! ?

Hantal

Recently read Perry Groves book. Pretty decent

Kwame Ampadu Down

The Paul Vaessen book is a hard read, just really sad.

Footballer’s autobiographies I generally find pretty dull but Tony’s & Dennis’ are a step above the usual.

Edubs

The OFFICAL illustrated history of Arsenal by Phil Soar and Martin Tyler is also excellent read!

Jarghs

I don’t often read football books, and generally don’t wander too far from fiction, but really loved Amy Lawrence’s book. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

AaWee

Agreed. Arsene’s interview at the end of the book was quite an emotional reading experience, it pretty much sums up everything I love about the man.

Darren

I would get rid of well over half of these as they are tosh

No particular order and lost would make a top 10 all time

Arsenal, Arsenal !
Bernard Joy – Forward Arsenal
Bob Wall – Arsenal from the Heart
Allison Calling
Charlie Buchan – A lifetime in Football
Brian Gallanville – Chapman to Wenger
Layth Yousef – Miracle or Copenhagen

That’s for starters !!

Make Arsenal Great Again

I already have some of these, I’ll be adding a few more. I want to add one each month

Andre

As always, Theo Walcott succeeds in sneaking in there. Just about.

pharquhar

A great list. My only quibble would Merson’s book, on account of his snide bitterness towards AFC since Wenger got shot of him.

henry

Wonderful. Thank you!

FAXE

The Last Game: Love, Death and Football by Jason Cowley is a must. Simultaneously the story of that Liverpool Arsenal game, of English football’s change after Hillsborough and of the author’s relationship to his father.

Marvin L Gray

Ian Wright’s autobiography and Arsenal All 4-1 are good reads along with Danny Karbssiyoon’s The Arsenal Yankee which gives great insight into how injuries can wreck a career.

Martin dobbing

I have some not on the list which are quite good
Allison inside story of football
Wall arsenal from the heart
Knighton scenes in big football
Hapgood football ambassador

Knighton especially interesting giving a take on arsenal under Norris before chapman. Not a happy bunny.

Martin

Sorry hapgood in missed that

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