Dreams and Songs to Sing: A People’s History of Liverpool FC from Shankly to Klopp

Historian McDougall (Contested Fields) covers the highs and lows of what he calls “the best club in the world” in this adoring history of Liverpool FC. He traces LFC to its earliest roots, the 1892 construction of its home stadium, Anfield, which accommodated up to 20,000 standing fans. From there, McDougall moves quickly to the modern era, launched under coach Bill Shankly in 1959, who led the team to the prestigious FA Cup in May 1965. Shankly created a successful enterprise that attracted fans across age, class, gender, and national lines. After Shankly’s retirement in 1974, LFC’s fortunes ebbed and flowed. In the 1970s, under coach Bob Paisley, the team soared in international popularity, but the 1980s saw tragedy hit, including when Liverpool fans violently pushed Juventus fans during a match in Belgium and caused a wall to collapse, killing 39 people and injuring 600. Following a dip in performance and popularity in the 1990s, LFC returned to glory under coach Jürgen Klopp, whose charismatic leadership ushered in a new golden age of optimism reminiscent of Shankly’s days. McDougall’s affectionate account is full of passion, and he spares no detail. Fans of the Reds shouldn’t miss it. (Aug.)