--- product_id: 122240412 title: "Tor! The Story of German Football" price: "¥2800" currency: JPY in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/122240412-tor-the-story-of-german-football store_origin: JP region: Japan --- # Tor! The Story of German Football **Price:** ¥2800 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Tor! The Story of German Football - **How much does it cost?** ¥2800 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/122240412-tor-the-story-of-german-football) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Germany did not have professional players or a national league until the 1960s, yet it became one of the most successful football nations in the world. Tor! (Goal!) traces the extraordinary story of Germany’s club and international football, from the days when it was regarded as a dangerously foreign pastime, through the horrors of the Nazi years to postwar triumphs and the crisis of the new century. Tor! challenges the myth that German football is ‘predictable’ or ‘efficient’ and brings to life the fascinating array of characters who shaped it: the betrayed pioneer Walther Bensemann; the enigmatic genius Sepp Herberger; the all-conquering Franz Beckenbauer; the modern misfit Lothar Matthäus. And even the radio commentator Herbert Zimmermann, whose ecstatic cries of ‘Tor!’ greeted the winning goal in the 1954 World Cup final and helped change a whole nation’s view of itself. "Beautifully crafted... demolishes myths with the cold-blooded efficency of a literary Gerd Muller" – The Times Review: Easy read, informative with right balance of light & serious stuff. - I bought a kindle version, and finished reading it within 3 weeks (quite casual read everyday). For a casual follower of football, the book has the right balance of being entertaining enough and informative on the football history of Germany. It is not too technical, and was written sometimes with a sense of humour, vividly demonstrating the unpredictability of the beautiful game. It also has the right balance of Bundesliga introduction and German national football campaign. All in all, it is a good past-time read, and well suited for people who intend to enhance their knowledge in the game, and how Germany has come to where it is now. The only pity of the book is that it is only until 2003, with a brief touch of 2006 World Cup. A new version would be needed to catch up what happened since then, especially Jurgen Klinsman & Co.'s reign at German football. Strongly recommended! Review: Best book on German football history in English - It is rare to find a good and unbiased source on German football history in English and Uli Hesse's book is indeed a gift for the fans of German football who don't speak the language. This book covers the history of German football right from the very beginning and includes the 2006 World Cup held in Germany (for the revised version). Uli Hesse writes with passion and it helps that he's a football fan so the prose is never dry or dull. He does a wonderful job in narrating the complete history of German football and also kindly takes time to explain some peculiar aspect of it such as the clubs' naming conventions, ownership rules, etc, which is very useful for non-German speaking readers. Hesse also traces the history of Bundesliga as well as the national team's successes and failures. He also covers some of the major personalities of the game - not just players but also coaches and administrators. Even though the scope is wide, he does an admirable job in telling a riveting story. On the flip side, he could have done a better job in telling the story line. His plot revolves around the history of Bundesliga, the national team and some key personalities. Often these story lines are told parallely but he often gets ahead of himself and get the time lines mixed up. Also it would been much better to devote separate chapters on the key personalities and do them justice rather than describe them in passing. There were many interesting characters that deserves a deeper coverage. Also it would have been better to devote chapters to specific clubs such as Gladbach, Dortmund, Bayern, etc to describe their contribution to the German football history and legacy. My verdict - This book is an essential reading for all German football fans. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #1,411,191 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #571 in Soccer (Kindle Store) #893 in Football (Kindle Store) #1,944 in Soccer (Books) | ## Images ![Tor! The Story of German Football - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/7130uaHt1iL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easy read, informative with right balance of light & serious stuff. *by J***G on August 29, 2014* I bought a kindle version, and finished reading it within 3 weeks (quite casual read everyday). For a casual follower of football, the book has the right balance of being entertaining enough and informative on the football history of Germany. It is not too technical, and was written sometimes with a sense of humour, vividly demonstrating the unpredictability of the beautiful game. It also has the right balance of Bundesliga introduction and German national football campaign. All in all, it is a good past-time read, and well suited for people who intend to enhance their knowledge in the game, and how Germany has come to where it is now. The only pity of the book is that it is only until 2003, with a brief touch of 2006 World Cup. A new version would be needed to catch up what happened since then, especially Jurgen Klinsman & Co.'s reign at German football. Strongly recommended! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best book on German football history in English *by R***N on July 29, 2019* It is rare to find a good and unbiased source on German football history in English and Uli Hesse's book is indeed a gift for the fans of German football who don't speak the language. This book covers the history of German football right from the very beginning and includes the 2006 World Cup held in Germany (for the revised version). Uli Hesse writes with passion and it helps that he's a football fan so the prose is never dry or dull. He does a wonderful job in narrating the complete history of German football and also kindly takes time to explain some peculiar aspect of it such as the clubs' naming conventions, ownership rules, etc, which is very useful for non-German speaking readers. Hesse also traces the history of Bundesliga as well as the national team's successes and failures. He also covers some of the major personalities of the game - not just players but also coaches and administrators. Even though the scope is wide, he does an admirable job in telling a riveting story. On the flip side, he could have done a better job in telling the story line. His plot revolves around the history of Bundesliga, the national team and some key personalities. Often these story lines are told parallely but he often gets ahead of himself and get the time lines mixed up. Also it would been much better to devote separate chapters on the key personalities and do them justice rather than describe them in passing. There were many interesting characters that deserves a deeper coverage. Also it would have been better to devote chapters to specific clubs such as Gladbach, Dortmund, Bayern, etc to describe their contribution to the German football history and legacy. My verdict - This book is an essential reading for all German football fans. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tor! *by V***A on May 26, 2014* This book was very informative and easy to read. It show that Hesse knows a lot about German soccer and I really enjoyed reading such interesting things about great German soccer players throughout history. This book is a must read for soccer fans. It also debunks any ideas or biases we may have against German style of play. The only thing I would have liked is that it included a chapter about the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Even if the book is dated, it was still a fun and easy read. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.jp/products/122240412-tor-the-story-of-german-football](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/122240412-tor-the-story-of-german-football) --- *Product available on Desertcart Japan* *Store origin: JP* *Last updated: 2026-09-21*