David Beckham by Ted Beckham

David Beckham is both a brilliant footballer and a global icon. The slightest story about his life generates huge media coverage. But those truly close to him have never given their side of his incredible journey until now. Ted Beckham's story is the ultimate dream of every father who has kicked a football with his son. A lifelong Manchester United supporter, Ted has seen his son David captain both his beloved Reds and England, as well as becoming an inspiration for a generation along the way. Even David Beckham was once an ordinary kid dreaming of making a living out of football, and in this celebratory book, Ted Beckham lovingly charts what happened from David's birth to his move to Real Madrid. This book is special not just because of Ted's role as the father of a hero, but because Ted has given exclusive access to all the family photo albums and the unparalleled collection of memorabilia he has amassed during David's career. The book features 300 exclusive images to complement the text, giving a side to David that has never been seen before. David Beckham: My Son will delight his fans, giving a fascinating insight into the early life of David, his ambition and determination to succeed, as well as his father's pride and joy as he watched him grow into a great footballer.


Not a romance novel. I know. But what the heck...I just had to reread it after I was done dancing after I saw David Beckham score in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Real Sociedad last Sunday. I had a job orientation Monday but I readied the book early that morning so when I got home that evening, it would be the read of the day.

This was a fantastic read. It was written by Becks' father and it had a certain grassroots' take on it. And with that, I meant that it didn't have the commercialized take that other biographies usually have. If you're looking for the stories behind the ever-changing hairstyles or a discussion on the Beckham brand success, you wouldn't find them here. Sure they were mentioned in passing but when written by a very proud father who's passionate about his son's sport, 95% of the book was football, football, football!

That's why I love this book so much. I got to learn about how Ted Beckham taught young Becks the basics of footy, of how a middle class family made sacrifices to make a boy's dream come true, of the many hours spent practicing the now world famous Beckham free kicks. This book was full of the ups and downs of Becks' career; and that the wonders he can do on the pitch are products of years and years of practice.

And as if the insider stories of the Beckham journey (so far) were not enough, there were tons of photos in the entire book. The best ones were those you can't find anywhere on the Web, those that are part of the Beckham family albums. There were pictures of him as an infant, there were pictures of him and his sisters. There were school pictures of him when he was three, four, six (in this he had a missing front tooth--cute!), and nine that were so adorable and were early testaments of how cute this creature of God can be. There were countless shots of him in football games as a youngster...there was even a shot of his birth certificate.

Wait. So it's not a novel. But when reading 7 chapters and 239 pages of football history that only the David Beckham can have, it's nothing but romantic. Two thumbs up 'cause I'll always love me some Goldenballs!

Final verdict: 9/10. Must read, must have for all Beckhamists.