Well, let me tell ya ’bout this Black Arsenal book. It’s a real somethin’, this book is. Got pictures, lots of ’em. They say “stunning photography,” fancy words for real nice pictures, ya know? And old ones too, “rare archival images” they call ’em. Pictures from back in the day, I reckon.
This book, it ain’t just ’bout football, no sir. It’s ’bout more than that. It’s ’bout them black fellas who played for Arsenal, that football team. Tells their stories, I guess. Important stories, they say. About life and football and… well, everything, seems like.
Now, I ain’t no fancy reader, mind ya. But I looked at the pictures. Seen them fellas, strong and proud. Seen ’em playin’ football, runnin’ and kickin’ and whatnot. And I seen the other pictures, the ones from a long time ago. Life was different then, I tell ya.
- They talk about legends in this book, fellas like Ian Wright and Paul Davis. Good players, they was.
- And some smart folks writin’ in it too, names I can’t even pronounce. Paul Gilroy, Gail Lewis, Clive Chijioke Nwonka. Big thinkers, I reckon.
- Then there’s folks like Clive Palmer, Ezra Collective, Amy Lawrence. They tell their stories too, personal stuff. Makes ya think, it does.
This Black Arsenal, it ain’t just a team, it’s a family, seems like. A family of players and fans and folks who care. And this book, it tells their story. The good times and the bad, the wins and the losses. It’s all in there.
I seen it online, this book. Target’s sellin’ it, they say. And eBay too. Hardcover, that means it’s a good book, sturdy like. Not one of them flimsy paperbacks that fall apart after ya read ’em once.
They talk about “moments” in this book. Big moments, important moments. Moments that changed things. Moments that made people think. Moments that made history, even. And these moments, they ain’t just ’bout football, like I said. They’re ’bout life.
This Clive Chijioke Nwonka fella, he seems real important to this book. And Matthew Harle too. They put this book together, I think. Worked hard on it, I bet. Spent a lot of time talkin’ to folks and lookin’ at pictures and writin’ things down.
And it ain’t cheap, this book. But good things ain’t never cheap, ya know? You gotta pay for quality. And this book, it seems like quality to me. Worth every penny, I’d say. If you like football, or if you like stories, or if you just like learnin’ ’bout people, this book is for you.
So, if you’re lookin’ for a good read, somethin’ that’ll make ya think and feel and maybe even cry a little, then get yourself this Black Arsenal book. You won’t be disappointed, I reckon. It’s a keeper, this one. Somethin’ you can put on your shelf and show off to your grandkids one day. Tell ’em, “See this? This is history. This is important.” And they’ll look at the pictures and read the stories and they’ll understand. They’ll understand what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself. They’ll understand what it means to be Black Arsenal.
And that, I think, is a mighty fine thing indeed.
They put a lot into this book, you can tell. It’s more than just kicking a ball around a field. It’s life, it’s history, it’s family. That’s what I get from it, anyway. And that’s enough for me.
