Listen free for 30 days
-
Inverting the Pyramid
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $37.16
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
Zonal Marking
- From Ajax to Zidane, the Making of Modern Soccer
- Written by: Michael W. Cox
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A mazy dribble through the recent history of European soccer, showing how shifting styles and influence have shaped the game. In the early 1990s, the Dutch footballing philosophy was worshiped across the continent. Then the baton passed to the Italians, who clearly boasted Europe's strongest league. But when France started winning everything at international level its national academy became the template for others, until suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Europe's most revered player and manager both hailed from Portugal.
-
-
What an amazing book
- By Ahmed on 2021-01-29
Written by: Michael W. Cox
-
Soccer iQ (2 Book Series)
- Written by: Dan Blank
- Narrated by: Don Bratschie
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amazon's top two soccer-coaching books have been combined to create one amazing audiobook! Soccer iQ Vol. 1 is an Amazon best seller and an NSCAA Soccer Journal Top 5 Book of the Year! Football.com rated these books number one and number two in its list of the Top 14 Soccer Books for Players and Coaches!
Written by: Dan Blank
-
Pep Guardiola
- The Evolution
- Written by: Marti Perarnau
- Narrated by: Thomas Judd
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For three extraordinary seasons at Bayern Munich, Marti Perarnau was given total access around the German super club - to its players, its backroom staff, its board members and, above all, its manager, Pep Guardiola. In the follow-up to his critically acclaimed account of Guardiola's first full season at Bayern, Pep Confidential, Perarnau now lifts the lid on the Catalan's whole tenure in Bavaria.
Written by: Marti Perarnau
-
Alex Ferguson
- My Autobiography
- Written by: Alex Ferguson
- Narrated by: James Macpherson, Alex Ferguson
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Revised and updated with new material from the paperback edition. Includes a prelude read by Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex Ferguson's compelling story is always honest and revealing he reflects on his managerial career that embraced unprecedented European success for Aberdeen and 26 triumphant seasons with Manchester United.
-
-
Fergie!
- By Sharon Francis on 2019-06-22
Written by: Alex Ferguson
-
Quiet Leadership
- Winning Hearts, Minds and Matches
- Written by: Carlo Ancelotti
- Narrated by: Richard Lumsden
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers of all time, with five Champions League titles to his name. Yet his approach could not be further from the aggressive theatricals favoured by many of his rivals. His understated style has earned him the fierce loyalty of players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo.
-
-
Legendary Man
- By Anonymous User on 2022-02-03
Written by: Carlo Ancelotti
-
Soccernomics
- Written by: Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why does England lose? Why does Scotland suck? Why doesn't America play the sport internationally... and why do the Germans play with such an efficient but robotic style? Using insights and analogies from economics, statistics, psychology and business to cast a new and entertaining light on how the game works, Soccernomics reveals the often surprisingly counterintuitive truths about soccer.
Written by: Simon Kuper, and others
-
Zonal Marking
- From Ajax to Zidane, the Making of Modern Soccer
- Written by: Michael W. Cox
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A mazy dribble through the recent history of European soccer, showing how shifting styles and influence have shaped the game. In the early 1990s, the Dutch footballing philosophy was worshiped across the continent. Then the baton passed to the Italians, who clearly boasted Europe's strongest league. But when France started winning everything at international level its national academy became the template for others, until suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Europe's most revered player and manager both hailed from Portugal.
-
-
What an amazing book
- By Ahmed on 2021-01-29
Written by: Michael W. Cox
-
Soccer iQ (2 Book Series)
- Written by: Dan Blank
- Narrated by: Don Bratschie
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amazon's top two soccer-coaching books have been combined to create one amazing audiobook! Soccer iQ Vol. 1 is an Amazon best seller and an NSCAA Soccer Journal Top 5 Book of the Year! Football.com rated these books number one and number two in its list of the Top 14 Soccer Books for Players and Coaches!
Written by: Dan Blank
-
Pep Guardiola
- The Evolution
- Written by: Marti Perarnau
- Narrated by: Thomas Judd
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For three extraordinary seasons at Bayern Munich, Marti Perarnau was given total access around the German super club - to its players, its backroom staff, its board members and, above all, its manager, Pep Guardiola. In the follow-up to his critically acclaimed account of Guardiola's first full season at Bayern, Pep Confidential, Perarnau now lifts the lid on the Catalan's whole tenure in Bavaria.
Written by: Marti Perarnau
-
Alex Ferguson
- My Autobiography
- Written by: Alex Ferguson
- Narrated by: James Macpherson, Alex Ferguson
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Revised and updated with new material from the paperback edition. Includes a prelude read by Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex Ferguson's compelling story is always honest and revealing he reflects on his managerial career that embraced unprecedented European success for Aberdeen and 26 triumphant seasons with Manchester United.
-
-
Fergie!
- By Sharon Francis on 2019-06-22
Written by: Alex Ferguson
-
Quiet Leadership
- Winning Hearts, Minds and Matches
- Written by: Carlo Ancelotti
- Narrated by: Richard Lumsden
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers of all time, with five Champions League titles to his name. Yet his approach could not be further from the aggressive theatricals favoured by many of his rivals. His understated style has earned him the fierce loyalty of players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo.
-
-
Legendary Man
- By Anonymous User on 2022-02-03
Written by: Carlo Ancelotti
-
Soccernomics
- Written by: Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why does England lose? Why does Scotland suck? Why doesn't America play the sport internationally... and why do the Germans play with such an efficient but robotic style? Using insights and analogies from economics, statistics, psychology and business to cast a new and entertaining light on how the game works, Soccernomics reveals the often surprisingly counterintuitive truths about soccer.
Written by: Simon Kuper, and others
-
The Barcelona Inheritance
- The Evolution of Winning Soccer Tactics from Cruyff to Guardiola
- Written by: Jonathan Wilson
- Narrated by: Charlie Anson
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barcelona's style of play—pressing and possessing—is the single biggest influence on modern soccer. In The Barcelona Inheritance, Jonathan Wilson reveals how and why this came to pass, offering an analysis of the evolution of soccer tactics and style. In the late 1990s, Johan Cruyff's Dream Team was disintegrating and the revolutionary manager had departed, but his style birthed to a new generation of thinkers, including Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho. Today, their teams top the Premier League, marking the latest installment in a rivalry that can be traced back 25 years.
Written by: Jonathan Wilson
-
The Barcelona Complex
- Lionel Messi and the Making—and Unmaking—of the World's Greatest Soccer Club
- Written by: Simon Kuper
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
FC Barcelona is not just the world’s highest grossing sports club, it is simply one of the most influential organizations on the planet. At last count, it had approximately 214 million social media followers, more than any other sports club except Real Madrid CF—and by one earlier measure, more than all 32 NFL teams combined. It has more in common with multinational megacompanies like Netflix or small nation-states than it does with most soccer teams. Journalist Simon Kuper tells the story of how FC Barcelona became the most successful club in the world.
-
-
A really good look back at the famous club
- By Marko Dj on 2022-03-06
Written by: Simon Kuper
-
Cristiano Ronaldo
- The Biography
- Written by: Guillem Balague
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, a dream he pursued from the age of just 12 when he left his humble origins on Madeira behind. It wasn't long before he had the biggest clubs in Europe knocking on his door, but it was Manchester United who won the race for his signature. Under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo developed into the complete footballer and athlete, winning three league titles and a Champions League along the way. He then became the biggest galáctico of them all when he transferred to Real Madrid for a record-breaking fee.
Written by: Guillem Balague
-
Pep Confidential
- Inside Guardiola's First Season at Bayern Munich
- Written by: Marti Perarnau
- Narrated by: Thomas Judd
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Martí Perarnau was given total access to Bayern Munich during season 2013-14. This audiobook represents the first time in the modern era that a writer has got this close to one of the elite teams of world football. At the invitation of Pep Guardiola, he shadowed the Catalan, his staff and his superstar players during training and on matchdays. Bayern smashed domestic records on their way to the double, but were humiliated by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.
Written by: Marti Perarnau
-
Red on Red
- Liverpool, Manchester United and the Fiercest Rivalry in World Football
- Written by: Phil McNulty, Jim White
- Narrated by: Luke Francis
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Liverpool and Manchester. Two gloriously independent-minded, eclectic, culturally vibrant places—two cities, both alike in dignity. Yet the inhabitants dislike each other with a passion that is visceral. It is a divide that spans generations, across class and ethnicity. It is a divide that has grown over the years, largely driven by one thing: football. The dark, malignant loathing shared by the followers of Liverpool and Manchester United has seeped into every aspect of life in the two cities.
-
-
Great for the fans
- By Aaron Gage-Cole on 2022-11-30
Written by: Phil McNulty, and others
-
My Turn: The Autobiography
- Written by: Johan Cruyff
- Narrated by: William Brand
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Johan Cruyff is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history. Throughout his playing career, he was synonymous with Total Football, a style of play in which every player could play in any position on the pitch. Today his philosophy lives on in teams across Europe, from Barcelona to Bayern Munich, and players from Lionel Messi to Cesc Fabrecas.
-
-
Good Read
- By Haider A. on 2020-01-05
Written by: Johan Cruyff
Publisher's Summary
"An outstanding work...the [soccer] book of the decade." (Sunday Business Post)
Inverting the Pyramid is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of the itinerant coaching geniuses who have spread their distinctive styles across the globe.
Through Jonathan Wilson's brilliant historical detective work, we learn how the South Americans shrugged off the British colonial order to add their own finesse to the game; how the Europeans harnessed individual technique and built it into a team structure; how the game once featured five forwards up front, while now a lone striker is not uncommon.
Inverting the Pyramid provides a definitive understanding of the tactical genius of modern-day Barcelona, for the first time showing how their style of play developed from Dutch "Total Football", which itself was an evolution of the Scottish passing game invented by Queens Park in the 1870s and taken on by Tottenham Hotspur in the 1930s. Inverting the Pyramid has been called the "Big Daddy" (Zonal Marking) of soccer tactics books; it is essential for any coach, fan, player, or fantasy manager of the beautiful game.
Featured Article: The Best Soccer Audiobooks for Avid and Prospective Fans
Whether you’re a casual player, a follower of the Champions League, a football fan, or just interested in learning more about the football world, our list of the best football or soccer books captures what makes “the beautiful game” such a sensation and a way of life for many. Playing and watching the sport is a breathtaking experience, but listening to audiobooks about soccer offers a whole new experience that is as entertaining as it is educational. Here’s our list of the best football books for you to hit play on in audio form, brought to you by your favourite sportswriters and international soccer superstars.
More from the same
What listeners say about Inverting the Pyramid
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-01-16
Amazing
Very good book, tons of historical insights into formations and tactics.
A good introduction to the history of the beautiful game and tactical breakdown of many great managers.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael Williams
- 2019-01-04
Mind Changing
I picked this up as a time killer and was awestruck at the amount of information laid out. This game wasn't played in my neighborhood and was never fully introduced to me until now. The depth and delivery are second to none.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Elizabeth
- 2022-04-03
Lots of information poorly organized
For an author so informative about organization and tactics on the pitch, it was disappointing that the book had no discernible structure of its own. Lots of detail sometimes presented in terms of formations, coaching lineages, historical periods, geographic trends, club traditions, and national styles, all sometimes mixed in the same chapter!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Edward Quigley
- 2022-03-31
outstanding but very much a history book
Great detail, enriching historical context. But, as with many audio history books hard to keep up with the various actors throughout the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- FC Bayern
- 2021-11-05
Top of the Pyramid
I have read a lot of books relating to football - some good, some terrible. This historical assembly by Jonathan Wilson is by far the most impressive book I have read. I have listened, and read this book at least 15 times. Each time, there is something new to be gained. After completing it, I always have the same reaction - "Damn, it's done. I wish there was more." I find myself googling some of the early foundation-laying coaches it references to learn more about them; in particular Jimmy Hogan (the modern-day equivalent of a Football-Influencer). Listen, if you even remotely like football tactics and/or history you need to get this book imprinted on to your grey matter! Masterclass.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- James Hodgkins
- 2023-06-27
A must for anyone who loves this game
Mind blowingly helpful. Well written, spoken and beyond informative. An absolute must for people who love this game, coaches, couch managers, and lovers of the worlds most beautiful game.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Lindsey Cuneo
- 2022-11-02
Excellent overview of tactical history
It's a really dense subject. Lots of names. Lots of maneuvering up and back on the timeline in order to stitch together global evolutions in as much context with one another as possible.
All of this could have bogged down the book. Probably should have, really. The biggest compliment I can pay to Jonathan Wilson is that... the book isn't bogged down at all. It's an easy listen and an enlightening follow.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Phillip Goodwin
- 2022-11-01
A lot of detail and history for the enthusiast
This book won't be for every football enthusiast. The topic is the evolution of football formations and tactics over 150 years. It includes incredible detail of teams, coaches and matches. The football enthusiast over the past 50 years will probanly only be vaguely aware of the historical context and "big picture" developments in tactics and formations discussed here.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- CIG
- 2021-06-28
Database of tactics
Packed with quality information and observations of tactics for those profoundly interested in the modern game.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- markofu
- 2021-01-07
Bets football book I’ve read
I’ve always been impressed by Jonathan Wilson when reading his articles in the Guardian or listening to him on their football podcast, as he’s so knowledge about both football and its history.
This is a superb book on football and the evolution of football tactics, with stories from throughout the last 100+ years on:
- how the game has evolved, changed, grown and at times receded
- many details and stories about the key influencers, coaches and managers
- descriptions of some of best teams in history, including how they played and evolved
One of the best sports books I’ve ever read, definitely the best football book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Brian Colyer
- 2020-07-13
Great Book
Soooooo much information though! Can take away from the storyline at times, but still excellent!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!