Great read. Very informative. Great for Sports fans. Soccer fans. Really appreciated as a new(er) fan to European Soccer.

Could have been a bit shorter, otherwise this would have been five stars as there is a lot of great information and history on this league. Starting with the decision to award the TV contract to Sky, this book covers practically everything about the business side of the English Premier League. Some interesting points were how now avoiding relegation means just as much, if not more, to the bottom line as winning the championship. The adventures of some of the bigger names such as Manchester United, Chelsea (my favorite part of the whole book was the section on their near-bankruptcy) and Liverpool are discussed. Even on-field success is discussed as well. Overall a fine book on the League, for both the casual and hard core fan.

There is a continuous argument throughout the all soccer (football) world on which league is the best, the most talented, and the most exciting. The English Premier League is in the top three of everyone's list regardless of where they live globally, and this is because two things: talent and exposure. In the last five years even, the EPL is more of a household league because every Saturday there are games broadcast throughout the world. In the US, I know people who get up early, some as early as 4 in the morning, to catch the early games, watch a few matches, then go about their day. My Saturdays right now, at the beginning of March until the end of the season, is EPL from 7 in the morning until 2, then MLS games from the afternoon until midnight some weeks. Since the EPL is seen worldwide, it is on every soccer fan's radar. If it is in the top three of everyone's best, most talented, and most exciting league, it is number one on the most popular.

This was not always the case, and for someone who is newer to the league, does not know the history behind some of the clubs being over one hundred years old, and the league being started in 1992, and does not really know the depth of the drama that has unfolded in the EPL, "The Club" is a great, informative book. Without any team bias, Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg go through the history, the marketing, the fight for transfers, television rights, and the money now being dropped for players by foreign investors is skill and ease. If you think about over 25 years of information with 20 teams each year, there are stories galore, and this could be a convoluted mess. As it is, Robinson and Clegg are able to explain and give examples of the things that have formed the league in a way that is concise, compact, and understandable. For them to take on and explain so many different aspects of the league, in a style that is easy to understand, stakes some skill, and they move from subject to subject with ease. After finishing this book, I thought about how complicated the book could have been and how it wasn't.

This book might not be for everyone. For a fan that has been there since 1992 and has intimate knowledge of the league, he or she might find this to be a little too elementary, but for the rest of us, those that are newer to the league and can use an illustration of the history of transfers, transfer fees, television rights, and league finishes in general, this is a great source of knowledge. For anyone new to the league due to the growing popularity, this is a fantastic resource.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A detailed exploration of how the exclusive and hyper-wealthy came to change English soccer in the 90s by creating the Premier League. However, there is more here than just living history. The authors are able to show just how the entity that became the EPL transformed football and then due to its success was again transformed by the tensions of the new markets it created. Easy to read, enthralling, and unbiased

Everybody knows anything can happen in the Premier League. #Quote

If you are a football (soccer) fan or even if you aren’t, you must be aware of the English Premier League. The Club is the true story of the meteoric rise of the English Premier League from it’s humble beginnings to becoming the richest & the most dominant sporting leagues in the world.

The Club begins before the advent of the Premier League in 1980’s when the game of football in England was in dire straits. The stadiums were crumbling, football hooligans were driving away the genuine fans and the premier league did not even have a proper TV deal. The book tracks how owners of the top clubs in England finally rebelled against this system and formed the league in 1992. From a slow start to the world’s biggest sporting league, this book tracks the entire history of the English Premier League.

This book is divided into 4 sections. First covers the pre league history and the formation of the league. Second section cover the rise of Manchester United, Arsenal, the rise and fall of Blackburn Rovers. Others cover the invasion of foreign billionaires and how their riches transformed club like Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City , remarkable stories about other clubs and some memorable characters. Finally the books covers how the premier league is transforming and how the English and World football is transforming due to the Premier League.

The book is not just plain history but has lot of behind the scenes stories, interview snippets and unknown facts. The history is mostly chronological and covers some fascinating stories about clubs, players, managers and key events in the league’s history. It also covers how business of the league evolved and how the clubs transformed themselves to global business entities.

The research is impeccable and covers dozens of interviews with the men who created the EPL. At times, it may feel that the book focuses more on individuals than the clubs but the topics are mixed well. Great care is taken to avoid making it feel like a history book but rather like a novel. Overall, The Club is unique, informative and entertaining at the same time. If you are a football fan or even mildly curious about the Premier League, you will enjoy this book.

Many Thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and the authors Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg for the ARC.

The Club tells the story of how the English Premier League became the richest and most popular sports product in the world.

Drawing on one hundred exclusive interviews, including the key decision makers at every major English team, The Club is the definitive narrative of how the Premier League took over the world.

I knew that at one time there was a NFL owner than also owned a Premier League team but this book does a good job of tying the connections between the leagues and how the Premier League was inspired by the NFL when it went big.

A rollocking, racy read by two Wall Street Journal writers about the rise and rise of the Premier League.

Predominantly aimed at an American audience the two writers rehash much of what has already been told before elsewhere - mainly it is true to say for the UK market - and manage to repackage it in an interesting and attractive manner.

They have certainly done their homework and have managed to interview most of the main protagonists.

As a football junkie I cannot say that I learned much that was new but this was an entertaining and interesting read that does exactly what it says on the tin.

It fully deserves to be a success.