The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America

David Beckham came to the United States with a grand vision of raising the profile of soccer (aka football) in America. He was successful on several levels, and he was a failure on others. The obvious successes included his own personal salary and the increased global awareness of MLS. The obvious failure was success of his team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. There's much more to both sides than just that, however. In this book, Grant Wahl, the author, presents the first 2+ years of the experiment from the perspective of multiple individuals: former Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas, many of Beckham's teammates with the Galaxy, Galaxy coaches, Beckham himself, and his own as a collaborator and journalist. I found the entire book to be fascinating. Beckham and a few of his people have repeatedly referred to this book as "unauthorized" in an effort to discredit it, but Wahl is a journalist and wrote a book about his time covering the team and interviewing many of its members over a span of about two years. He didn't pay Beckham to use his name or his quotes; at times he interviewed Beckham one-on-one and at others simply asked him questions during a press conference. Beckham's management and employees from 19 Entertainment are rarely quoted in the book but are very prominently involved in the goings-on. If you're at all a fan of Goldenballs or simply a fan of sports -- not necessarily even a fan of soccer or MLS -- this is a great read. For Americans it gives an insight into the global world of soccer and elite athletes. For non-Americans it gives a great insight into the lives of soccer players in America. Highly recommended.

This book is obviously hyped as a book about David Beckham, perhaps because the publisher thought that that alone would help it sell more copies (and they're probably right). But while the book does a very thorough and engaging (while not totally unbiased) analysis of Beckham's time in the MLS, I think this book stands apart from others--and for that is exceptional-- because of the keen and caustic look it takes at the MLS as a league. As far as I know, there is no other book out there about the MLS, its idiosyncracies, its uniqueness, its failures and its triumphs; and for that alone this book is a necessary read. Furthermore, I hope the author thinks about writing a book about the MLS itself. A lot has happened in fifteen years. People seldom realize--while often decrying its inferiority--that the MLS is still in its infancy: a baby compared to other leagues. And the "Beckham Experiment" is almost the perfect metaphor for the its growth. I will also say the Grant Wahl is fantastic writer and I hope after this book SI, as one of the leading sources in sports journalism, will show more interest in soccer and give him (and others) more of an opportunity to write about it. Soccer has come a long way in this country.

I am a 20 year old girl who thinks that David Beckham is hot. Don't stop reading here-- I'm just letting you know. I don't follow soccer and don't care for it. I live in Ohio, so I know about the Columbus Crew and even thought about going to a game just to see Beckham play. One day I saw on ESPN that Landon Donovan was criticizing Beckham and I heard of the book as well in a magazine. I thought, "why not?" and added it to my summer reading collection. I am a fan of sports, and thought it would be interesting to learn of this so called "experiment." Like I said, I don't know the sport of soccer. I was afraid that Grant Wahl would throw a bunch of soccer terminology in my way and I'd be fishing the internet to learn the terms. However, he presented the book in a way that I felt as though I'd been watching forever once I was finished. Even for a "dummy" like me, I read through the book with ease and found it VERY interesting of the arrival of Beckham to present day. A lot of insight was brought about from all perspectives-- the players, coaches, and executive personnel with the Galaxy. At first I was thinking that the book would feature all the faults of Beckham and expose him of wanting to be a celebrity over an athlete. Wahl presents it in a way that Beckham is merely juggling the two aspects... which didn't work out. Aside from being a book all about Beckham, I found it interesting to learn about the MLS in general, which Wahl clearly paints a picture of the structure of it versus European clubs. Including the salary cap, the hotels/meals, and just the players salaries in general... was all tidbits I never knew of. In conclusion, this book is a must read for any sports fan. Whether you like soccer or not, that's not the point. Soccer is hardly the main intention of the book, but it rather chronicles the major downs (and a few ups) since Beckham's arrival in the US.

Wonderful book with about David Beckham coming to Major League Soccer. I would definitely recommend this for any sports fans - especially MLS fans!

"Three seasons into Beckham's American adventure, the same question remained: Would it ever be about the soccer?" That was the last sentence of the book, and it easily could have been the first. Amidst great hopes and unrealistic expectations ("Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally." Tim Leiweke, CEO of AEG), the experiment has been a commercial success, and raised the profile of MLS. But as Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary manager of Manchester United, said, "You can't escape the field." It was a theme that the author stressed with regularity, and one that apparently escaped American soccer promoters during their formulation of this grand experiment. Grant Wahl, in a very detailed, entertaining, and enlightening book, threw the gauntlet down, and provides the reader with answers why the experiment has not achieved all of its objectives. The portrait was an extremely balanced analysis that was not dumbed down to sell more books for a non-soccer audience. Mr. Wahl writes about the sport of soccer without derision and/or frequent comparisons to its more accepted mainstream counterparts. He understands international soccer (he has covered 5 World Cups) along with the unique way the game is organized professionally in North America. Like a scientist, the author presented the equation, gathered the evidence from many sources, structured an interesting story, and ultimately demonstrated why the experiment did not work yet where it was needed the most: On the field of play. Although Beckham did not provide exclusive interviews for the book, he is quoted frequently from previous discussions with the author. Despite a painful ankle injury, and promotional realities, Beckham began the experiment in prime time on a July evening at the Home Depot Center. Being the great professional that he is, he soldiered on so that the Galaxy and MLS could maximize a rare window of opportunity in the mainstream American consciousness. But after a few starts and stops, it came to a thundering halt when Beckham suffered another injury and was forced to weeks on the sidelines. The show went on without its protagonist. American fans, many of whom had to pay inflated prices to see the Galaxy and/or buy multiple game packages, began to voice their anger. This book also chronicled the unsung life of the typical American professional soccer player. Many of whom toil in obscurity, and earn a minute fraction of Beckham's salary. They fly coach, stay in modest hotels, and have a $45 per diem. But in true American fashion and spirit, they dealt with a Hollywood reality show replete with Machiavellian behind the scenes maneuvers, and enough twists and turns to unseat the most balanced of people. Alan Gordon, an oft quoted player who earned $30,870 annually during his first three years with the Galaxy, summed it up best: "I'm just trying to make this team, so I don't give a ****. I don't care who is fighting with w