Book Review – I Am Sam – James Durose-Rayner
Feb 18th, 2015 by 'holic
As a young boy I wrote to one of my favourite players of the time asking for some tips and didn’t in all honesty expect a reply. I certainly didn’t expect four pages of Basildon Bond to come through the letter box shortly afterwards. Handwritten tips and advice from a stylish midfielder with an explosive shot. Not surprisingly he remains a favourite to this day.
In recent months Twitter has been alive with news of an upcoming novel which is woven around the story of Jon Sammels, and not surprisingly it is a read I have been looking forward to immensely. The author made it clear from the off that this would be a work of fiction, but grounded in fact, and he has succeeded in handling a difficult concept with no small amount of skill.
The main character is one Mr Arsenal, a high-flying sports media mogul with a fast and loose lifestyle. He is a flawed character. In the opening couple of pages we are aware of his wife and a string of girlfriends and yet, although most will be looking for the Arsenal-related material to kick in, the developing story of what befalls the central fictional character in 2013/14 holds the attention.
Mr Arsenal and his partner land a deal to produce a documentary ahead of the 2014 World Cup. They are looking for an angle and when viewing footage from the 1970 World Cup find a spat between Malcolm Allison and Alan Mullery referring to a player called only ‘Sammy’, a player who was ‘left behind’ when England traveled to Mexico.
So we are set on a course that encompasses three threads, The ongoing domestic travails of the fictional lead, Arsenal in their first trophy winning campaign in nine years, and the pursuit of the story that surrounded the playing career of ‘Sammy’.
Over thirty-two chapters, totalling 485 pages, this is a light, but not a quick read. However it was most definitely a worthwhile study for this old boy with some vivid recollections of the late sixties and seventies. Matches, goals, players from the era evoked misty memories, and shone a light on some of the goings on of the time.
Relive the goals of Jon Sammels, videos of which have by and large vanished without trace. Get a very well recounted and sympathetic view of a player who could, nay should, have been trusted to achieve more. Relive the great European nights and the Swindon frustration all over again. It’s all there.
There being more than one storyline we actually get a mixture of happy and somewhat sad endings. That is quite something to achieve. If I’m honest I think the novel and the autobiographical elements would have worked in their own right, and possibly have had an appeal to different audiences, but this tome will hopefully attract both. If you want to purchase it from Amazon you will find the link in the sidebar.
A well-crafted book, but more importantly to this still-a-fan, a welcome look back at a player who gave so much pleasure to many, and yet ultimately frustrated a vociferous few.
39 Responses to “Book Review – I Am Sam – James Durose-Rayner”
Arsenal News 24/7
Top drawer.
Nice preview. Another to join the long list of books to read. Hopefully I will get to it sooner rather than later.
top corner, i should think, martin 🙂
holic, you have the gift for prose. will have to put it on the list, and read it while listening to the soundtrack from the movie…
Martin, good evening, and thank you.
Might I meet you next Wednesday or the following Sunday?
Well done, maestro.
I was one who sometimes felt sorry for Jon Sammels, other times just plain disappointed. He never fulfilled his promise.
During his career when his name was announced the surrounding fans on the terraces all shared the same puzzled reaction. We raised our eyebrows, shrugged our shoulders but muttered optimistically ” Maybe today’s the day”
He always looked the part, sometimes even played the part , but a poor finisher, noticeably when alone bearing down on goal 15 yards out with just the goalie to beat.
Merely guessing, he was insecure about his playing skills. Appeared to me to have a quiet personality and to be a nice bloke on and off the pitch.
Great review, deffo made me want to have a read. Thanks H
Hello Jonathan and thank you very much for the review, it is much appreciated.
Flawed character, you say? Fast and Loose?
Where’s my Brief? 😎
I don’t know if Allison and Mullery ever did discuss “Sammy” for real, but Allison did say Mullery was less than fantastic and old Mullers did not appreciate it one bit 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTGWnDLNiRw
Oooh… full length. Watching now 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrLOJtD6Zd4
I don’t mind a redirection/reinterpretation of my comments @118 previous. It’s one of the reasons, at my age, I don’t post often because I respect others and what they have to say. Just to clarify, Kane may have worn an Arsenal shirt as a youth but he’ll never be a Gunner! In days gone by, to make an implication as you have to one of us …. the problem was the quotes otherwise I would have let it go!
Pierre @ 6
Not sure which Jon Sammels you remember who couldn’t finish from 15 yards.
Go paste this and think again :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF8fKZdJgp4
” I’d walk a million miles …………..”
UTA
It was just a joke BGBOA, not meant to cause any ill feeling or to take the mickey.
Sounds an interesting read, Holic. It’s on my Must Read List.
Always liked the fella.
Dammit, Holic !
I still have an unopened copy of “Invincibles” to read and, with your warning of a 485 page tome to come, had decided this was not going to be for me.
Well, I hope you’re on commission ‘cos I’ve now been forced to change my mind, having thought at least twice at the mention of Swindon Town.
I was at an age, when watching Jon Sammels, where it didn’t matter to me that he was as likely to hit the crowd as the back of the net. There was always the chance of one of those rocket powered specials, and that was excitement enough.
Always loved the song too –
“I’d walk a million miles …….. “
BGBOA – i just checked back in the last bar @118 and was about to presume to say, on Cynic’s behalf, what he has said for himself @14.
I certainly didn’t read it as any sort of criticism – he’s not that kind of Cynic. 😉
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed your post.
If I’d wanted to have a go I would have used this
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/Br8rZByCEAQkwk5.png
Or this
http://www.thearsenalcollective.com/storage/mersongascoigne.jpg
🙂
Who are they then ? 😉
here’s one for the “too big for his britches” file:
http://www.espnfc.us/blog/the-toe-poke/65/post/2306473/ex-arsenal-and-spurs-winger-david-bentley-scores-on-gaelic-football-debut
Maestro thanks for the book review and I’ll put it on my list. The historical fiction genre is one that appeals to me for the chance of gathering a sense of history’s impact on individuals that many histories don’t even attempt to convey, so I am interested.
Amy Lawrence article on Monday night football at the FA Cup and the inability of traveling fans to get home.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/feb/19/arsenal-manchester-united-fa-cup-sixth-round-monday-travel-tv-deal
Anybody taking a banner to confront the cameras with the plight of the traveling fans? Not that the cameras would be allowed to show the banner of course. Maybe a newspaper (or a “meek” solitary individual) could take a picture though and the image would be circulated on the web. One picture worth a thousand words, and all that.
For the traveling fans
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150219/special-travel-plan-for-united-cup-tie
Hopefully the journey back for everyone would be made all the more pleasant by the memories of how we utterly pulverize the shit united on the field …
It would be at Monday 2:45 PM for me here in snow-covered Boston…hard with a series of meetings but feasible.
I have a feeling it would be one of those games that we would remember for a long time for the right reasons.
We have been in touch with him for an interview in the Gooner which is published next Wednesday. Lovely chap and what a great mod haircut that I tried to emu.ate in the mid sixties.
I have turned up in Toronto for a family wedding on Saturday. Are there any Holics who know a good Arsenal bar there where I might watch the game on Saturday? If so a negotiation with Mrs TTG will be required but that will be a walk in the park. Perhaps she could go for a walk in the park while the game is on? Though it’s – 15 as I write
Pierre
He did win us the Fairs Cup with a handy finish and scored in the semi and quarter final and the round before that I think. And he had an incredible shot. Saw him get some great goals. Man United in 1969 comes to mind. He was close to the England team at one stage but fell short of the standard. He had a tough job following George Eastham
Tty. Any indoor parks in Toronto? 😉
To be truthful about it, weather like that could drive me to drink. Or even the current weather here in St. Paul where it is a mighty one degree above zero, fahrenheitically speaking.
Tty. This is second hand information, i.e. the source is Google. But arsenalcanada.ca has a list of places to view the matches including one in Toronto. Info is copied below:
Fox and Fiddle
1535 Yonge Street
tw: @FoxOnYonge
fb: Fox on Yonge
http://foxandfiddle.com/1535-yonge-st
Open for ALL competitive matches
Holic’ whatever you do don’t look at the cricket score when you wake up!
@TTG
Google comes up with this;
http://foxandfiddle.com/1535-yonge-st
I’ll be at Selhurst Park with the nipper. Cant wait.
Also please pardon my complete inability to read what other folk had already written!
Christ on a pony (Shetland)
I went to sleep late after watching some cricket, knew we were struggling for runs, woke up at about 6.45 to watch the end and it was all over.
Sky’s verdict programme will be short tonight. “What did you make of that Bob?” – “Useless cunts” – “Join us next time on The Verdict…” *credits roll*
Those days were a mix of some very good ones and some very bad ones, ‘Holic, as I am sure you will recall — perhaps a mirror of Sammels himself.
And don’t you just know this would be the case:
http://metro.co.uk/2015/02/19/chelsea-fans-most-racist-in-the-premier-league-according-to-home-office-statistics-5069068/?ito=v-b
Nice one ‘holic.
Not much of book person myself, I’ll wait for the film. 😉
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150220/-you-must-be-severe-with-any-racism-
——–
Probably starts from young.. or in the case of the chavs.. inherent inbred-ness!
On another note.. Wilshere should be back! Let’s see if he can integrate quickly after the recovery…!
😀
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2960444/Alexis-Sanchez-best-signing-summer-insists-Arsenal-team-mate-Santi-Cazorla.html
‘Alexis is as intense and annoying in training as he is on the pitch,’ Cazorla notes with a smile. ‘He’s so into football that he doesn’t want training to finish.
😀
@ Cynic
Target reached with 226 deliveries to spare.
And they have to play a BIG team next. 😉
Esso, Bt8B.
Thanks Fellas. As it happens that’s just down the road so I will start my seductive pre game moves
Archway Sheet Metal Works lost their appeal, so the Scummers will get their ground. If just one penny of public money is given to them, there should be a full inquiry.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
[…] there for the Book signing event of author James Durose-Rayner and his new book I am Sam (reviewed here and here). I had been speaking to James for some months about the book on twitter and via email and […]