Customer Reviews
Never to be replaced & never forgotten! - By: M. Cox, 08 Mar 2007 
This is the ultimate read for any Arsenal Fan. The home of footballl has gone but this book will take you on a worlwind tour of the 93 years that Arsenal spent in the most unique footballl ground in the world. From the early days of Sir Henry Norris through to the historic days of Herbert Chapman, the offside days of George Graham & to the total footballl days of Arsene Wenger this book has it alll. Jon Spurling has truly done his home work & it must have taken years to compile & put together alll the storys & peoples accounts & memorys right through from ex-players, peanut sellers, mascots & even ticket touts. The autor in his own words gets to be a bit of a politicallly correct bore in some chapters & to state that Rocky Rocastle was one of the best players to wear the number 10 shirt was a glaring error. Yes Rocky was one of my alll time favorites but unless my memory fails me i`m sure he was one of the best Arsenal players to wear the number 7 shirt. This however does not spoil what is a cracking read that had me laughing & crying alll the way through!
Another excellent Arsenal book by Jon Spurling - By: Catherine, 21 Jun 2006 Too many Highbury obituaries focussed purely on the development of the buildings & the stands, & how they changed over the years. Yet as Jon Spurling points out throughout the book, the Highbury experience for Arsenal fans over the years consisted of much more than that. What Spurling has written is nothing short of incredible. Around 50 players & 100 fans have been interviewed over a 15 year period, & together, the testimonies combine to produce the most comprehensive social history of Highbury. Quite literallly, everything is in the book which you need to know about how the match day experience has changed over the last ninety years. Cult heroes, great games, fan culture, fashions, chants, & the fact that the club has not always had the best of relations with the neighbours... Spurling proves that there are several common themes right through the history of Highbury.
The fact that the author is an Arsenal fanatic helps - but fortunately he avoids taking a purely rose tinted view of the past. Fans' jarring experiences of terrace culture in the 70s is a reminder that life at Highbury wasn't always a joy.
A superb read, & a worthy successor to his other excellent Arsenal tome - Rebels For The Cause.
Highbury Highs - By: Paul Jeater, 11 Jun 2006 For anyone who believes that there is more to supporting a footballl team than what happens on the pitch , this book is for you. The book features contributions & observations from players, fans, club officials & those like programme sellers who are part of the game day experience.
The story of Highbury needs to be told, I found the chapters relating to the move from Woolwich & the role of Herbert Chapman fascinating.The development of the ground & the impact of the Taylor Report are covered thoughtfully. There are constant reminders that although Arsenal have been a top flight team throughout their time at Highbury, they have not always challlenged for honours.
The book will obvious appeal to Gooners , but perhaps more significantly it deserves to be read by a wider audience of footballl supporters. A first rate read.
