Arise Sir David Beckham : the biography of Britains's [sic.] greatest footballer

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Title:

Author:

Russell, Gwen.

ISBN:

9781844544165

Personal Author:

Russell, Gwen.

Publication Date:

2007

Publication Information:

London : John Blake, 2007.

Physical Description:

xiii, 274 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. (chiefly col.), ports. (some col.) ; 25 cm.

Abstract:

Famous both on and off the pitch, David Beckham has reached iconic status across the world. In 2003 he was awarded an OBE for his services to football, and now is in a position to receive the ultimate honour - a knighthood from the Queen. This biography traces the incredible accomplishments of this star. From the joyous screams of young girls to the chants of support from gruff-voiced soccer fans everywhere David Beckham goes, it is evident that he is famous both on and off the field, having reached iconic status across the world. Tracing the incredible accomplishments of this kind-hearted and talented star, this biography covers his early years playing for Manchester United's first team at the age of 17, and the point at which he became a household name a few years later with a breathtaking goal against Wimbledon. Now, over a decade later, he is the fifth most-capped English player of all time and the only one to score in three different World Cups. Beckham's achievements extend far beyond the soccer field-included here is his support for UNICEF since his early days at Manchester, his work as a goodwill ambassador for the charity, and the soccer academies he opened in Los Angeles and London. This inspiring story of an extremely talented and devoted man is a complete portrait of how English football's golden boy-and new Major League Soccer Los Angeles Galaxy player-managed to take the world by storm.

Personal Subject:

Beckham, David, 1975-

Subject Term:

Soccer players -- England -- Biography.

Biography.

Biography & non-fiction prose

Biography: sport

Football (Soccer, Association football)

Copies:

Available:*

Library

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Shelf Number

920 BECK

Material Type

Book

Item Barcode

30116014834079

Status

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Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

From the joyous screams of young girls to the chants of support from gruff-voiced soccer fans everywhere David Beckham goes, it is evident that he is famous both on and off the field, having reached iconic status across the world. Tracing the incredible accomplishments of this kind-hearted and talented star, this biography covers his early years playing for Manchester United's first team at the age of 17, and the point at which he became a household name a few years later with a breathtaking goal against Wimbledon. Now, over a decade later, he is the fifth most-capped English player of all time and the only one to score in three different World Cups. Beckham's achievements extend far beyond the soccer field--included here is his support for UNICEF since his early days at Manchester, his work as a goodwill ambassador for the charity, and the soccer academies he opened in Los Angeles and London. This inspiring story of an extremely talented and devoted man is a complete portrait of how English football's golden boy--and new Major League Soccer Los Angeles Galaxy player--managed to take the world by storm.

Author Notes

Gwen Russell is also the author of Arise Sir Tom Jones and Jeremy Clarkson .

Reviews (1)

Kirkus Review

Celebrity biographer Russell (Arise Sir Tom Jones, 2007, etc.) chooses as her latest subject the phenomenally popular soccer star. Beckham isn't merely a very skilled athlete, she suggests, but an icon deserving a knighthood. This is a difficult claim to make since he doesn't come across as unusually culturally or socially active. In chronological fashion, Russell recounts Beckham's already well-known history: childhood soccer prodigy, Manchester United star, romance with wife Victoria (aka Posh Spice), move to Real Madrid and finally a quarter-billion-dollar contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Along the way, the author works hard to demonstrate that Beckham is deeper than the average celebrity. She points out that, although he works in the hyper-macho world of competitive sports, he enjoys fashion and accepts his status as a sex symbol to gay men. (While unusual among athletes, this isn't quite on par with Dennis Rodman wearing drag or Billie Jean King defeating Bobby Riggs.) Russell's effort to paint Beckham as beyond mere celebrity superficialities, however, is undercut by the fact that she goes out of her way to attach a dollar value to just about everything he gets or owns, from salary and cars to homes and jewelry. The biography reads like little more than a puff piece gleaned from dozens of tabloid clippings. It chronicles events familiar to any Beckham fan, including his turbulent relationship with Manchester's old-school manager, Alex Ferguson, the births of his children and the rumors of infidelity that rocked the perception of Beckham as, in Russell's hyperbolic words, "the world's best husband and father." Fawning biography of a not particularly complicated celebrity, containing few surprises and little insight. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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