Books

On the trail of failure

Author: Charlie Connelly
Title: Stamping Grounds
Subtitle: Liechtenstein's Quest for the World Cup
Publisher: Little, Brown
Price: £9.99

In a nutshell: A bizarre footballing travelogue. Bored English author visits second-hand bookshop. Buys book about Liechtenstein. Decides to follow the country's (very unsuccessful) football team around Europe in their hopeless quest for World Cup qualification. Lots of interesting fun follows.

Strengths: Well written. Unglamorous subject made very glamorous. Funny, oddball, a book about REAL football and footballers. Connelly really enthuses about Liechtenstein soccer because it's so bad. He interviews the 'top' players in the Principality, the key administrators and lots of ordinary Liechtensteiners (who he comes to adore). It's a book about failure rather than success - and is all the more refreshing for that.

Weaknesses: Over-eggs the pudding in places.

General verdict: Excellent.

Peter Davies