My Life and the Beautiful Game

While kicking a ball through the dusty streets of his Brazilian hometown, young Edson Arantes do Nascimento was given the nickname Pelé so casually that no one remembers its meaning. Today, the name is famous worldwide as belonging to history’s greatest soccer player. Here, in Pelé’s own words, is his incredible life story: his five goals in the last two games of the 1958 World Cup at the tender age of 17, his glory years with his Brazilian club FC Santos, his role in four World Cup tournaments, his comeback as a member of the storied New York Cosmos, and his lifelong role as goodwill ambassador for the world’s favorite sport.

Customer Reviews:

Good biography about Edson Arantes do Nascimento

By M. Fonseca "carmarthen" - May 14, 2010

A good book, written with cooperation, about the life of Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, a guy who went for international success in a age when salaries of top professional players where no even a small fraction of today's stars.

Still a relevant figure everywhere in the word, Pelé talks wih his own words (helped by a professional writer)about his humble origins and his rise to international fame, playing for Brazilian soccer team Santos, the Brazilian national squad and, lastly, in the New York Cosmos.

A good read.

A Football Epic

By Ekehutz "Magus With Extraordinary Love" - November 15, 2009

...by one of soccer's greatests or for some even THE greatest, which is to say that if this would be warfare, we would be talking about Alexander of Macedon, or a Napoleon or something. I however, think that in the game, Pele is more like A.V. Suvorov, a great (or even the greatest) Russian fieldmarshall. Known for his "always attack" strategies A.V. caused devastation to the Turkish army to the Swiss, and Polish, and would ve done that to Napoleon has he not passed on.

Pele on the other hand, we could say "beat Napoleon" by winning the World Cup for Brazil three times, which led to a retirement of the Jules Rimet cup. A great accomplishment. Plus he plays a great soccer).