January book reviews, part 3

A continuation of my book reviews on (mostly sports) books I've been reading lately.

Today: The Beckham Experiment by Grant Wahl.

When you want a good sports book, get a sportswriter to write it.

Wahl writes for Sports Illustrated and is on the national soccer beat, and you can see that he knows what he's doing in The Beckham Experiment, a comprehensive, well-researched, entertaining take on David Beckham's attempt to change American soccer.

Wahl employs a perfect blend of telling (explaining everything from the basics of the Beckham sports legend all the way to the intricacies of the Major League Soccer system) and showing, with well-detailed examples that clearly paint his points.

Readers are treated to a thought-out narrative that weaves well-told stories with all their background information to show why each step of this "experiment" is so interesting after all. From the pomp surrounding Beckham's first day stateside to his sullen quietness as the Los Angeles Galaxy sunk deeper and deeper, Wahl captures what MLS soccer is today, and how Beckham and the mighty machinery behind one of the most popular men on earth planned to take over the minor league of soccer...only to slink away at the end.

(It should be noted that Wahl does no such editorializing; his story speaks for itself. But the extent of his interviews, with everyone from management to the lowest paid players on the team, shows that he researched the entire situation. He was at it for two years, too, meaning he was able to study it from the first glaring light to the last shanked goal.)

Wahl offers revealing insights on the difference in journalism practices between the United States and Great Britain, brought to a head by Beckham's handlers; the mighty AEG and 19 Entertainment, two huge promotional companies pulling strings behind Beckham; the Galaxy's divergent team, from $12,900-a-year guys to the frustrated Landon Donovan; and Beckham, of course, the English juggernaut who has mastered fashion and football, fit the L.A. celebrity mold the best anyone could, been seen as a savior to the world, and ultimately became a decent soccer player frustrated with the bush league that is MLS.

Wahl details the horrible hotels, the immense celebrity and power, the constant injuries with which Beckham played. He details the painful interviews, and shows how nice and decent Beckham is, yet how uncapable he seemed to be of leading a team in a country where everything was so different.

Wahl is a great storyteller: You don't just read a sentence saying Beckham was bigger than life to the soccer players he played with; you see scenes where you can imagine them standing with their jaws down, and you read quotes from a slew of teammates explaining just what it was like to play with the man.

Beckham is the epicenter of the story, of course, but Wahl's well-done work also does a really good job of encapsulating MLS for those of us who don't really know what the league is all about. His effortless pictures of the league's dysfunctionality, the plight of its players, and the epic highs and lows of a basic season show why the Beckham experiment was such an experiment...and whether MLS will ever go anywhere. (You decide.)

Altogether, the book was a fabulous read on many levels, and I highly recommend it for any soccer or Beckham (or American sports or journalism) fan. Wahl makes it all interesting, and it's only more compelling after the most recent twists (with Donovan getting the captaincy back yet missing a penalty kick in what could have been the Galaxy's first championship with Beckham). (Wahl's take is at the end of the 2008 season, which leaves you scrambling for the Internet once you flip the last page.)

I never want to read a book by a non-sportswriter again; this was close to flawless. Even if the topic isn't of utmost interest, the storytelling takes you inside the world and lets you glimpse it all for a moment. And that's all you want in a book.



Some related links:
An interview with Grant Wahl after the book came out
The Sports Illustrated article after the book came out
The original Sports Illustrated article
Beckham in wax, and with Posh in wax