LIFESTYLE
The Dragon Roars Again by Jamie Thomas Red Dragons – The Story of Welsh Football by Phil Stead
Since Wales has finally qualified for an international football tournament, now is a good time to have a recap. Courtesy of Y Lolfa, we have two books to check out. One, by Jamie Thomas, focuses more on Wales’ run-in to Euro 16 and the other, by Phil Stead, charts the entire history of the beautiful game in Wales, originally published in 2011 and now updated to include recent campaigns.
Both are clearly well researched and well written by authors who know the ins and outs of the Welsh game. The level of detail, their command of it and their ability to make sense and draw conclusions are worthy of great respect and I dare any fan of Welsh football not to come away enlightened.
Tellingly, the authors' ages are apparent through both the scope of their books and also their writing style. Jamie, is a wee nipper at only 22 so it’s no surprise that his subject matter is more or less limited to the period he’s been following Wales and the momentous events culminating in qualification. Nor is it any surprise that he writes with the enthusiasm and energy you’d expect of a 22-year-old. Phil, being older and we assume sage-like, adopts a more authoritative, scholarly approach to a much wider brief – footie in Wales since 1876. Still a very enjoyable read, it’s the definitive reference work on the history of the game in Wales. In this year, of all years, they’re both must-haves.
The Dragon Roars Again, Y Lolfa, £9.99
Red Dragons – The Story of Welsh Football, Y Lolfa, £9.99