Pelé: His Life and Times - Revised & Updated

by Harry Harris

A bestseller in both the UK and the USA on its first publication, this book was the first fully authorised life of world's greatest living footballer.With exclusive access to Pelé, award-winning sports writer Harry Harris charts his meteoric rise from humble beginnings in Brazil to his first international at the age of sixteen. Superb athleticism, speed of thought and execution, and astonishing ball control helped him become the only player to have appeared in three World Cup-winning sides, and to have scored more than 1,200 goals in his senior career, a feat that is now unlikely ever to be equalled, let alone surpassed.Pelé remains the best footballer of all time, despite the extraordinary exploits of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, and legends such as Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff. Now revised and updated to bring the story completely up to date, this is a tribute to a world-class sporting hero, a great sportsman and, to this day, an inspiration to millions.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 10, 2018

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Reviews

[Gok · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did Pele invent football? Maybe not, but he set so many records, some of which still stand, and showed the skills of what you can do with a football. The most complete player. Ever!!!

I enjoyed this book, mostly Pele’s early years and during the World Cup tournaments. It shows how much football has changed today in that the top players don’t stay with the same team or even play in the same country anymore. Also the fact that contracts, agents and sponsors monies have so much say in football today.

Also in a time when players weren’t as protected as today, some of the defenders back then would’ve ended up in trouble on an assault charge for some of the tackles flying in. So for Pele to play on and score as many goals as he did is an amazing achievement!

A good read and I would definitely recommend a read for any football fan. Rest in peace Pele, the greatest!

[Quốc Anh Đào · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuộc đời Pele - nhà vua của bóng đã thế giới được Henry Harris dẫn dắt một cách tự nhiên qua hơn 230 trang đầu của cuốn sách. Từ một Dico sinh ra ở một gia đình có bố là cầu thủ, tới một Pele nổi tiếng toàn thế giới, là một quá trình không dễ dàng, nhưng Nhà vua đã nắm bắt được những cơ hội (tới khá sớm) và toả sáng rực rỡ từ năm 17 tuổi. Đến khi giải nghệ, ông vẫn để lại dấu ấn với vai trò đại sứ các nhãn hàng, hay một chính trị gia độc lập.

Tuy nhiên, hơn 60 trang sách cuối (được cập nhật gần đây) có vẻ không liên kết với phần trên. Những gì liên quan tới Pele giai đoạn này phần lớn được thuật lại, và tác giả cũng nhắc lại khá nhiều điều được đề cập từ các chương trước. Riêng tôi không đánh giá cao các chương này.

[David Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

My copy of the book concludes with a chapter on the 2002 World Cup. The world cups Pele played in is probably the best of the book. It drags post career with the author mainly sticking with other world cups. I would have liked more information on the cosmos era etc!!

The Brazil of the 1950s had a psychiatrist. Everybody was from the slums and he would check them out! Sad to report he said Pele wasn’t ready in 1958. The coach decided the other way. Pele scored in the final as a 17 year old in 1958!

Peles and Cruyff comments on the problems in football still ring true today in 2023. The problem of foreigners in the British game has never been worse than today!!

[Nguyễn Tuấn Aanh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuốn sách có khởi đầu hay, hấp dẫn. Nhưng càng về sau đọc càng nản, nhất là chương gần cuối - khi câu chuyện không còn liên quan quá nhiều tới bóng đá và cách kể chuyện không còn tuyến tính, hấp dẫn như mấy chương đầu. Dù sao đây vẫn là một tác phẩm đáng đọc để hiểu hơn về cuộc đời, sự nghiệp của “Vua bóng đá”

[Evan Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books is wonderful, but once you get about 2/3 of the way through things are too repetitive. He continues on and on about Pele winning the world cup three times every page and although it is accurate, it's rather sloppy. A great work of investigative journalism overall but it's overinflated.