A peerless glimpse into how German soccer has rebooted itself into a global superpower.” Top Drawer Soccer
Brisk and lively
. A fascinating story well-told and a must-read for coaches, players, fans and administrators at every level of the U.S. soccer pyramid.” SoccerWire
There is no question that Raphael Honigstein is the world's top expert on German soccer. It's no accident that his most recent offering, Das Reboot: How German Soccer Reinvented Itself and Conquered the World, is one of the most promising books of the year. It is a definitive text on the modern German game, much like David Winner's Brilliant Orange was for Dutch football.” International Soccer Network
What Michael Lewis did for baseball with his best-selling Moneyball and Cameron Stauth did for basketball in The Franchise, soccer columnist Honigstein does for soccer as he re-creates the dramatic rise of the German game, and that country's path toward becoming World Cup champions in 2014
. The result, like Germany's team, is at the championship level.” Library Journal
[A] tale of unsung innovators as well as national heroes.” The Economist
Masterfully conceived
Das Reboot feels fluid and comprehensive, a thorough survey of German soccer over the last fifty years that's also light on its feet
. If this all sounds too technical for the casual fan, Honigstein's charming, personable voice keeps the book absorbing even for those uninterested in tactics and formations.” The New Republic
Exhaustive and compelling
. Blending copious amounts of historical background with detailed accounts of Germany's 2014 campaign and colorful anecdotes, Raphael Honigstein deftly documents the 'reboot' of German football.” San Francisco Chronicle
As Raphael Honigstein points out in this often mesmerising account of one country's struggle for sporting excellence, last year's World Cup win was seen as a validation of the German way of life
. Honigstein tells the story with panache and exactly the same kind of eye for detail he's writing about. Is it too much to hope that the football authorities over here may read this book and be inspired to try something similar? I think we all know the answer to that one.” The Independent (UK)
Excellent.” The Irish Examiner