Rate this book

Stillness And Speed: My Story (2013)

by Dennis Bergkamp(Favorite Author)

4.17 of 5 Votes: 7

ISBN

1471129519 (ISBN13: 9781471129513)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Simon & Schuster Ltd

review 1: There are two things that everyone should be aware of before reading this.Firstly, no matter how it is packaged and sold, this is NOT an autobiography by Dennis Bergkamp. This is a BIOGRAPHY by David Winner ON Dennis Bergkamp.Secondly, the book feels like a work of fiction.Everywhere you go, this is sold as an autobiography, and Simon & Schuster and David Winner should be ashamed of themselves for this. It couldn't be further from an autobiography unless it was fiction (which I'm quite sure a large portion of it is).As you read on, you discover that this is a series of questions by David Winner and answers by Dennis Bergkamp. Almost. There seems to be far more interviews with other people than with Bergkamp himself. This is even less of a biography of Dennis Bergkamp than ... moreit may even see. As I've previously said there are more interviews with other people than with Bergkamp himself. It feels like one of those cheap biographies where the author has interviewed everyone the person may have been acquainted with just not the person who is the topic.The books largely centres around David Winners unhealthy obsession with Dutch football and Ajax and in large parts is actually purely about Johan Cruyff. This book should be sold as a book that deals with the factors AROUND Bergkamp rather than about Bergkamp himself.Winner has a tendency to wander off on tangents. He often starts a thought and never ends up finishing it. There are occasions where quotations are started and never finish, and where a quotation is finished and yet never started. There are also poorly thought out paragraphs, one springs to mind where he tries to create the possibilities of a parallel universe where Bruce Rioch never got fired, yet rather than finishing his thought, he ends up turning it in to a work of fact where Ian Wright got shipped off to Chelsea and Arsenal bought Alan Shearer to replace him. It actually had me doubting for a minute whether I knew anything about football at all.The worst part of the book however does revolve, yet again, around the interviews. Which for the large part, feel like a work of fiction. In one example, Bergkamp is quoted as having used the word 'hubris'. No matter how long he has lived here, I can't imagine Bergkamp saying 'hubris'. In other interviews from Arsene Wenger, who as any football fan will know is a very well spoken and eloquent man, uses pigeon English and can't seem to string a sentence together in a coherent manner. Wenger is again the subject of yet another interview that feels a work of fiction, where he credits himself with the transformation of Arsenal and it's players by saying he made them the players they became. Again, any football fan will know that Wenger is the last person to credit himself with such a thing.The only reason I gave the book two stars was because of the pictures and the incredible football that Bergkamp was. Unfortunately David Winner and his obsession with Ajax and Dutch Football got in the way, and he ended up trying to write a sequel to 'Brilliant Orange'. In large, it felt as though Winner had spoken to Bergkamp over the phone for less than 10 minutes, asked a couple of key questions, the made the rest of the interviews up by just pulling key words out of his mind and jotting them down on a bit of paper.If you're obsessed with Dutch Football, or loved Bergkamp and the Arsenal team he played in, then give this a read, but be prepared to be underwhelmed. If you're a casual football fan like myself, I'd give it a miss too be honest. Which is such a shame, because even as a fan of Manchester United, I could appreciate a player like Dennis Bergkamp. However, nobody will appreciate the book written by someone else, on him.
review 2: An enjoyable book that covers the career of Denis Bergkamp. The book is not written in the classic biography sense, instead it is a series of interview style discussions from the author to Bergkamp and other players and managers that worked with Bergkamp throughout his illustrious career. At first this type of writing style was a little off-putting, but after a while it became acceptable. The book allowed a brief glimpse into the mind of Bergkamp and the wonderful footballer that he was. Overall a recommended read for any sporting or football enthusiast. less

Download links for: Stillness and Speed: My Story

Advertising