Klopp: My Liverpool Romance

by Anthony Quinn

In early March 2020 Liverpool were two wins away from an extraordinary achievement, on course for their first league title win in 30 years – since the heads days of Kenny Dalglish – and likely to seal it in the Merseyside derby against their great rivals Everton. And all this an incredible two months before the season was due to end. Then, as we all know, the season was postponed…

The architect of the club’s great resurgence – including their 2019 UEFA Champions League win - has been Jürgen Klopp. In his personal love-letter to the man, Anthony Quinn, journalist, novelist and life-long Liverpool fan, has written an inspiring and affectionate portrait of the incredible German manager, who came to Liverpool in late 2015, with a growing reputation from his successes at Borussia Dortmund.

Closely following the three month break, as well as the club's title-clinching return, Quinn offers a uniquely revealing and personal take on this long-awaited triumph.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Football, Sports

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 7, 2021

About the author

Anthony Quinn was born in Liverpool in 1964. Since 1998 he has been the film critic of the Independent. His debut novel The Rescue Man won the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award. His second novel Half of the Human Race was released in spring 2011.

Reviews

[Христо Блажев · Rating 4 out of 5]

Само за фенове на “Ливърпул” #ynwa: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...

“Клоп. Обяснение в любов от един фен на „Ливърпул“” беше книгата, която исках, защото да, кариерата на Клоп преди момента, в който се снима за пръв път пред емблемата на ливърпулския отбор, е важна, но за нас, феновете на “мърсисайдци”, не чак толкова. Антъни Куин знае много добре това, затова и книгата не се води точно биография, тя е повече обяснение в любов. Основно към Клоп, но не по-малко към самия клуб и към града на “Бийтълс”. Авторът описва с много обич какво е да растеш в онези славни времена на Бил Шанкли и Боб Пейсли, когато доминацията на червените е почти абсолютна. С много паралели между онези времена и настоящите, но с акцент на последните два изключително успешни сезона, резултирали в титли от Шампионската лига и чаканата 30 години от Висшата лига, Куин пресъздава емоцията, която всички преживяхме по един или друг начин.

CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Random crap thrown together. Some of which is about Klopp

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Нито Клопо присъства достатъчно, нито Ливърпул, нито симбиозата им. По-скоро текстът е обяснение в любов на автора към себе си и смес от спомените му, спортната част от автобиографията му, украсени с някакви ретроспекции за Клопо и Ливърпул, от които изобщо не личи мащабът и величието им (дори когато си много наясно с тях и ги следиш постоянно!).
Книгата нито извиква възторг, умиление и гордост за феновете им, нито би предизвикала интерес у безпристрастни такива и да ги накара да ги заобичат.
Разочарование е твърде меко обяснение за послевкуса от този текст.

[Seamus May · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an avid Liverpool fan, I of course enjoyed the content of this book — but it is undermined by its author: prone to referencing his own books, occasional juvenile language and bizarre choices of form, I think used to add spice to an otherwise quite formulaic text. My heart sunk when I realised, yes, Quinn really is going to write an entire “A-Z of ShanKlopp”. A sketch scene is another low point. Klopp is a compelling figure, truly worthy of great biographies / “romances”, but this ain’t one.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immensely fun book to read. I started following the PL from across the pond the same year Klopp was hired at Liverpool. I took one of those internet quizzes titled something like “What PL team should you root for?” with Liverpool being the winner. Since then Liverpool FC has become a pillar in my life. As I fell in love with this team, it’s history, the likes of players such as Salah, Mané, Origi,VVD, and more, I also became enthralled with the man coaching them from the sideline and his brilliant interviews, both in victory and defeat. Perhaps it’s not fair to come into this fandom when I did, but Anthony Quinn perfectly encapsulates not only what makes Klopp an excellent coach, but also a world class person. A must read for any Liverpool fan. YNWA

[Georgi Yanakiev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Много разочароващо четиво. Автора постоянно прави препратки с личния си живот и детствто си вместо да говори по същество за връзката между Клоп и Ливърпул.

[Damian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Książka sama w sobie jest miła dla oka i fajnie się ją czyta, nie jest to jednakże odpowiedni tytuł. Patrząc na okładkę powinniśmy usunąć z niej nazwisko oraz wizerunek Jurgena, a następnie wstawić w to miejsce autora. Fan LFC nie znajdzie w tej książce niczego nowego, natomiast nie uważam żeby była to pozycja dla kogoś innego, no może za wyjątkiem rodziny i znajomych autora.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Nie miałam wymagań co do tej książki sięgnęłam po nią z powodu mojej fascynacji Kloppem jako trenerem. Niestety czytając tą książkę nie dowiedziałam się nic nowego i myśle, że każdy kibic piłki nożnej, który trochę bardziej siedzi w temacie wszystkie te rzeczy będzie wiedział. Sama książka nie jest tez o samym Kloppie jak myślałam przez pryzmat jej tytułu spodziewałam się faktycznie historii Kloppa w Liverpoolu, a książka owszem jest romansem z liverpoolem, ale jest to romans autora tej książki, który kocha LFC i Kloppa. Na ogół podobała mi się ta książka i z przyjemnością ją czytałam, ale spodziewałam się czegoś innego. (zaznaczam,że nie jestem i nigdy nie byłam kibicem LFC i BVB, wręcz kibicuje ich przeciwnym drużynom)

[Will Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely warm look through the life of our Jurgen and why the author Anthony Quinn (and all of us who follow Liverpool) love the man. And I do love the man: I find it impossible to watch anything he does or says with anything other than a smile. He's made Liverpool great once more, but in a way that everyone seems to love which is no mean feat. This book encapsulates this really nicely and if you support Liverpool you should definitely read it, it will make you smile and laugh along throughout.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t the book that I wanted it to be. It wasn’t until I was about halfway through that I realised that what I actually wanted was a more in depth biography about Klopp.

However, by the time I finished the book I was very glad I read it. I really liked the authors style of writing and how real he felt. He really evoked emotion from me, especially in the parts about games I remember vividly (4-0 Barca).

Was a very good intro. I would like to read a Shankly and Klopp biography in the future

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit like someone shouting COME LISTEN TO JURGEN! Then sit you down at a small table in a cafe, tell you how they once heard Klopp say something to a newsagent, then spend the next two hours telling you about their day. They know what they did.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed overall. When it's focused on Klopp and Liverpool it's really enjoyable. Slightly too much not Klopp/Liverpool parts for me personally but still written well.

[David Lowther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Quinn is one of my favourite novelists and I've devoured, with relish, all of his fiction titles. Quinn hails from Liverpool, the setting for his first novel, The Rescue Man (top class!) and it therefore follows that he is either a bluebelly (Everton supporter) or a redleg (follower of Liverpool). After a brief flirtation with green and white hooped Celtic as a boy, he opted for the Reds, family tradition ruling the roost.

In Klopp: My Liverpool Romance, he sketches a portrait of the man who brought the Premier League title back to Liverpool after thirty years in the doldrums. It is not a biography of Klopp, though reference is frequently made to key moments in the great German manager's life and career. Instead he emphasises, and illustrates, those key qualities that helped Klopp to become the greatly admired leader that he is. The story of revival Quinn tells is like two bookends of failure. In the late 1950s the Reds were languishing in the Second Division until Bill Shankley took over and turned them into Champions and FA Cup winners. At the other end Klopp takes them from relative anonymity (nothing like the 1950s) to become World, European and English Champions. In between times, Quinn plays tribute to other great Liverpool managers like Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish and superb players such as Dalglish (again), Kevin Keegan and Steven Gerrard.

A fitting tribute to a football icon.

David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.

[Chris Bayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immensely enjoyable and readable book in which Liverpool fan Anthony Quinn outlines his love and affection for Jürgen Klopp, the man who has transformed Liverpool from perennial nearly men to European, World Club and finally English champions, in the process ending a thirty year wait for the title.

As Quinn himself outlines, the book is no way, shape or form a conventional football biography, largely because "he is not a conventional football manager". In my opinion, the book is much the better for this as it flip flops between outlining how the author fell in love with Liverpool FC as a young boy (following an initial flirtation with Celtic), detailing Klopp's early life, footballing career and forays into management with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, before providing comparisons between Klopp and the man who previously galvanised Liverpool FC, Bill Shankly. Given Quinn's standing as a writer of several novels and previous career as a film critic for The Independent, the book is littered with cultural references and is thus a light and breezy read.

Really enjoyed this book, which captures both the essence of supporting Liverpool and of Jürgen as a man and manager. Written against the backdrop of Liverpool's historic 19th title delivered in front of no fans due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this is a masterclass of a book. Highly recommended.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Bei meiner Ausgabe des Buchs handelt es sich um ein unbezahltes Vorabexemplar. Meine Wertung und Rezension wird davon nicht beeinflusst.)

Der Schreibstil von Anthony Quinn ist unterhaltsam, sympathisch und liest sich schnell weg - leider fehlt dem Inhalt des Buchs aber der rote Faden. Während es im ersten Drittel tatsächlich um Jürgen Klopp geht und man als Non-Fußball-Fan einiges an Neuem erfährt, schwindet der Fokus zunehmend zugunsten mäandernder Ausführungen über William Shankly, die Kindheit des Autors, und und und... dafür, dass das Buch 'Klopp' heißt, ist zu wenig Klopp darin vorhanden. Liverpool- und Klopp-Fans lernen vermutlich wenig Neues, Einsteiger bekommen einen bunten Topf an Info zu allerlei Themen, für die sie das Buch wahrscheinlich nicht in die Hand genommen haben. Schade.

[Stephen Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book in a mobile library in 2023 and thought it was worth taking away with me. After all, I am a Liverpool supporter. Later, when Jurgen Klopp announced out of the blue that he was to leave the club at the end of the 2023-24 season, I was overcome by a strange mixture of emotions that I have rarely felt in relation to a football manager before.

For as this book demonstrates, Klopp is an extraordinary personality who is almost impossible not to take to your heart. He shines with charisma and he is someone that you just cannot help but love - the number of opposition supporters who say words to this extent is testament to that. As his final games in charge approached in May, I felt it was the perfect time to read this, and a lot of what Quinn says in the book chimed with me.

[Clive Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read.
Anthony Quinn’s love letter to the maestro that is Juergen Norbert Klopp.

I saw Quinn talking about writing in football at a literary festival recently(alongside an impressive Pat Nevin), and I enjoyed the Rescue Man, and alongside our common desire, I had to read this.

Not particularly ordered, but it did not have to be. Shankly reflections, Klopp biographical detail, a journal of a memorable season, all well put together.

My favourite parts are the reference to a childhood knowing and loving LFC though. This resonates with me, as do every insight into Klopp

A good, not conventional , football book for a Red.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice stroll down memory lane for any Liverpool fan but - even at only 200 pages - a little too much fluff and filler and despite what the jacket quotes say, nothing really of interest to any non-Liverpool fans. Could do with another proof read - when the author reminds us that one season "city had 100 points, we had 75, and my maths tells me we needed to improve by 25% to compete" I wasn't sure if this was a joke. Nice memories though but on more than one occasion we are presented with a five page anecdote from the authors early life to illuminate a two page piece about Klopp. Decent read but not mandatory.

[Seán Upton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ideally, I would rank it 3.5 stars. A warm novel, part biography of the author and part fond-analysis of Klopps emergence as a human deity on Merseyside. The primary focus of the novel serves as a point of attention around which the author adds his insights on current issues, human nature and character. Klopps immense personality and capacity to encapsulate the full breadth of the human experience makes him a suitable muse for such a piece of writing. Readable and light, as it was intended to be and a nice way to wean myself into my years reading challenge of 2 books a month.

[Mike Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a conventional biography, but an interweaving of a number of stories - Klopp (obviously), the author, Shankly and LFC, mainly. It tells of how Jürgen Klopp cake to be Liverpool Head Coach and how his time at the club led up to the club's Premier League win in 2020.
There are loads of interesting facts, some pointers to YouTube and a slightly biased, but amusing commentary of events.
All on all, a good book that does more than just cover what happened on the pitch.

[Gerard Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong Liverpool fan it was inevitable that Anthony Quinn's book would be on my list.
Short and too the point - not a biography but a witty outline of the character and impact of Jurgen Klopp -- the similarities to Bill Shankley - the focus on the wider sense of humanity - the wit - sense of care for others and inner drive.
Fascinating and very well written

[aleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

z tych wszystkich postaci, o których było obszerniej wspomniane - shankly, klopp, autor - najmniej jest tu tego tytułowego. gdybym chciała poznać historię shankly'ego albo przeczytać autobiografię autora, to nigdy nie wpadłabym na pomysł kupowania książki docelowo napisanej o kloppie, ale ktoś chyba miał inny plan.

[Галин Петков · Rating 4 out of 5]

...в тази епоха на отчаяние и смут търсим някого, който притежава не само авторитет, но и здрав разум, благоприличие, желание да почете дарения му живот и остроумието да му се наслади. Юрген Клоп не е само за "Ливърпул". Не е само за обожаващите го фенове и вечно гладните за цитати спортни медии. Той е тук за всички нас.

[Zena Elms · Rating 5 out of 5]

very insightful and interesting take on Jurgen Kloppd career

I enjoyed this book a lot, with its humorous but at the same time, serious look at Klopps rise from fairly average player to almost God-like status as Liverpool manager. Very well written and not too heavy or serious, like the man himself, by all accounts

[Richard Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think we're all a bit in love with Juergen Klopp, and this extended love letter to the man who has brought honesty, fun, realism, and context back to English football is a great read. Of course, Klopp's story at Liverpool is not yet finished; I personally hope he builds a real dynasty there.

[Valerie Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neutral here who just admires this club and their manager. A football fan and follower of another club but enjoyed this very readable book. Made me reflect on my own club and the experience of quite a few managers.

[Izeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wbrew pozorom książka nie skupia się tylko na Jurgenie Kloppie, to ciekawa podróż po historii Liverpoolu mówiąca zarówno o początkach klubu jak i jego dalszych burzliwych losach, napisana z przymrużeniem oka i dużą dozą humoru. Zdecydowanie obowiązkowa pozycja dla każdego fana The Reds!

[Olly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book very hard to get into especially at the start of the book it picks up a bit during the middle of the book but again lost interest during the end of it.As a fellow Liverpool fan I was left disappointed

[Shahiron Sahari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent personal view of Jurgen Klopp and his impact on Liverpool and on modern life in general. Witty and cleverly written book that even non-Liverpool fans can appreciate.

[Kenny Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished in a day. A wonderful book!