The Book of Arsenal Quotations - Paperback

by Fred Atkins (Author)

The Book of Arsenal Quotations is intended to be the antithesis of one of those "Wit and Wisdom" compilations you'll see cluttering up the counters of provincial book stores. Compiled by Fred Atkins, author of Arsenal: The French Connection, this book includes approximately 750 quotes from every era of the Gunners' history, spanning from the early days under the sinister Sir Henry Norris to the modern era and the increasingly haunted philosophy of Ars ne Wenger. The quotes can be uplifting and inspiring, intentionally and unintentionally hilarious, brazenly hypocritical and just occasionally, as with Alex James' words on his death bed, absolutely heart-breaking. The book is prefaced by an introductory essay: "A brief history of the quote," which looks at the ways managers from Herbert Chapman to Ars ne Wenger have tried (and failed) to control the way their words are manipulated by the media. This book is the ideal gift for an Arsenal fan you love - or a Tottenham fan you hate ...

Author Biography

Fred Atkins was born in Maidstone in 1973. He attended Oakwood Park Grammar School, Sussex University and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Strasbourg. After graduation he drifted into the arena of unemployment and barely noticed a difference. He then spent three years as an English teacher, in his words "teaching foreign students how to swear", before stumbling into journalism with the Maidstone News. He became sports editor of the Kent Messenger and went on to work for the Associated Press, covering the England cricket team for five years, including two Ashes series and the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup. He now works as a copy writer and as the media manager and website editor for the Lashings All-Stars cricket team. Fred is the author of three books. "The Double, the story of Maidstone United's 2001-2002 season", followed by "Tour de Kent" (published by Breedon Books in 2009) and "Arsenal: The French Connection" (published by GCR Books in 2012). He compiled "The Arsenal Quote Book", to be published in autumn 2016. Fred also edited "Stuck In A Moment" by Stewart Taylor, which was longlisted for the 2014 William Hill Award. His first novel, "Welcome to Kent (Sorry about the racists)" will be published during the 2016-17 season. He lives in Allington with his wife Wendy and daughter, Sylvia.