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

From Strand Bookstore

When David Beckham revealed the details of his five-year contract with the American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, sports fans all over the world were shocked. Beckham was up for a challenge: to instill a true love for soccer in America. "The Beckham Experiment" details one man's experiences as a rising sports star and his quest to bring soccer into the spotlight. Author Grant Wahl, a veteran writer for 'Sports Illustrated,' delves into Beckham's life both on and off the field. Wahl's access to one-on-one interviews with Becham and many of his teammates provides much of the insider knowledge Wahl drew on for his book.

Review

Tim Rutten - Los Angeles Times
"Wahl seems at his very best when he allows his love for this game to come through and when he describes Beckham in action on the pitch....Then, the prose soars in a way that reminds you of that synchronous, ineffable joy that binds a gifted athlete and a knowledgeable spectator in the triumphant moment's transcendent communion."

More about the book

There are some things in life which just do not go together well--cats and dogs, polka dots and plaid, gasoline and matches, sedatives and farm equipment, America and soccer. However, enterprising minds continue to try to find a way of combining the world's most popular sport with the world's richest nation. In 2007, the Los Angeles Galaxy signed superstar David Beckham to a multi-million dollar contract, expecting that Beckham's international celebrity status could ignite the dormant soccer passions of American sports fans. Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl shows that this move was carefully calculated by two teams-the Galaxy and Beckham's publicity team, headed by his manager, Simon Fuller. While all the pieces seemed to be in place for a surge in the popularity of American soccer, Wahl shows that the master plan quickly disintegrated due to Beckham having too many goals off the field and not scoring enough goals on the field.