Product Description

A famous account of growing up to be a fanatical football supporter. Told through a series of match reports, FEVER PITCH has enjoyed enormous critical and commercial success since it was first published in 1992. It has helped to create a new kind ofsports writing, and established Hornby as one of the finest writers of his generation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #182821 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
Nick Hornby was born in 1957 and worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. His books are FEVER PITCH (1992), HIGH FIDELITY (1995) and ABOUT A BOY (1998). In 1999 he won an E. M. Forster award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in north London.

Customer Reviews

A must read
I received this book from a friend as a birthday present, who chose it because of its subject knowing I was a big football fan. Perhaps this was a rather misguided choice, though, as although Fever Pitch is based around Hornby's childhood (and early manhood) experiences of football, it is so much more than a run-of-the-mill football book. Its beautifully crafted life experience stories are, admittedly, set around key Arsenal matches in the 1980s, but if this were to put of non-football fans it would truly be a shame. Unlike many authors, especially in this genre, Hornby has a gift of true communication - throughout the book one gets the feeling of being with him as he searches for the purpose of his life, and the position of his hobby-come-obsession within that.
Although for non-football fans the match descriptions may seem dull and unappealing, they make up only a small percentage of the book and are included in such a way as to be intrinsic to the storyline rather than as an added extra to appeal to the terraces. It is in crafting this into his personal life that Hornby achieves his real success, and creates what many believe to be the best football book ever.
But don't forget, this book isn't just about Arsenal, or even football, but about how a young Londoner grows up, and learns to live his own life. A heart-warming tale, not to be overlooked.

Amazing
I am a woman, not british and not a big football fan, but I do watch a match every now and then. I came upon this book by accident and I was very reluctant to start reading, as I guessed I was not the intended audience. I have watched a couple of times Arsenal games on tv, I can identify a hadfull of the most important british players and I have a vague idea where Highbury is, but I imagined it would take more than this to enjoy the book. I was pleasantly surprised to discover some authors can really capture any audience. This book is brilliant. You can completely relate to the writer and feel his passion, his anticipation for the next game, his disappointments and his happy moments. A great read, highly entertaining, and not just for hardcore Arsenal fans (ok, I will not recommend it to people who have never watched a football game in their life).

A great text on obsession and football
Fever Pitch is the first Hornsby book I ever read, and I enjoyed lots of it even though a bit more of it was bleak. I enjoyed all the obsessiveness of the main characters and how they got all together with their footy team and the whole statistical thing. It will help women to understand their men and their passions and why they're so shut off from the rest of the world. English soccer captures so many people, but these people according to Hornsby have empty lives. It is to his credit that he gives them a vestige or normality and humanity, especially at the end. A good book for everyone, especially Arsenal fans (I barrack for Manchester United)!