English Language Ajax Bibliography
For Ajax fans who read Dutch, there can be several shelves
of Ajax books and an attic full of magazines to collect and
enjoy. Alas, Dutch is not the native language of the average
visitor to Ajax USA. But not to worry! You can
still collect your own English language Ajax library,
albeit a very small one. Almost every available English
language book on Ajax is fairly easy to come
by.
Check out Ajax USA's short list of Ajax books in
English. As far as we are aware it is complete, but
perhaps we're mistaken. If you have any valuable additions
please send email to books@ajax-usa.com.
We also invite you to post your own reviews and comments about
these and other books in the discussion at the bottom of this
page.
Ajax, The Dutch, The War. Football in Europe During the Second
World War
By Simon Kuper
Orion House, 2003, 244 pages. ISBN 0752851497
This book, written by Simon Kuper (broadsheet journalist and
author of the bestselling Football Against the
Enemy) is arguably the single most important and
interesting book in English for Ajax fans (and also the only
book in which Ajax USA gets a mention!). It does not attempt to
chronicle the overall history of the Amsterdam club. Instead,
this book complicates a fan's understanding of his club in
very interesting ways. It clarifies the identity of Ajax as a
'Jewish' club, and it debunks some myths about Ajax and the
Dutch in general regarding Jews during and after World War II.
American fans will be especially interested in the
heart-breaking story of Eddy Hamel, originally told by Kuper in
the Dutch-language original of this book, Ajax, de
Joden, Nederland, most of which was exclusively
translated into English by Ajax USA in 2001.
Ajax Barcelona Cruyff. The ABC of an Obstinate
Maestro
By Frits Barend and Henk van Dorp
Bloomsbury, 1998, 264 pages. ISBN 0747543054
This book constitutes a collection of interviews with
Holland's greatest ever player conducted by Dutch journalists
Frits Barend and Henk van Dorp. According to Amazon, "most of
the conversations transcribed here touch on the issues which
followed Cruyff throughout his successful career as player and
coach, both with Ajax and Barcelona". Read this book and you
can hear him talk. 'J.C. Superstar': definite,
inimitable, sometimes priggish and fickle, but always
irresistably sincere and eloquent in his own 'streetwise'
way.
Brilliant Orange. The Neurotic Genius of Dutch
Football.
By 
David Winner
Bloomsbury, 2001, 256 pages. ISBN 0747553106
David Winner's exhilerating and sometimes hilariously funny
Brilliant Orange is about Dutch football in general
and the national team in particular. But a history of Dutch
football is almost automatically a history of the 'Ajax
school'. A history of Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Rinus
Michels and his formula of 'total football'. A history of
Dennis Bergkamp and Louis van Gaal's 'Class of
'95'. In the words of Amazon: "journalist David Winner
explores his personal fascination with the land that gave the
world Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Johan Cruyff, searching for
reasons why such a tiny country has produced some of football's
most intelligent, enigmatic and unfulfilled teams."
Winner has the courage to try and be
a historian, a supporter, a psychologist and an
anthropologist at the same time. And he does a pretty good
job.
You should also read Ajax USA's review of this book, written
by Jim McGough, published on Ajax USA in January 2002. The
review title says it all: 'You Have To Read
This Book!'
Coaching Philosophies Of Louis van Gaal & The
Ajax Coaches
By 
Henny Kormelink and Tjeu
Seeverens
Reedswain, 1997, 112 pages. ISBN 1890946036
Jack Reynolds, Rinus Michels, Johan Cruyff, Louis van Gaal.
Ajax has a long tradition of enigmatic head-coaches with a deep
aversion to 'superstar behaviour', well-defined
ideas about player discipline and tactical
formations, but yet a deeply rooted love for adventurous,
offensive and sassy football by young, high-skilled players.
One of the most striking advocates of the 'Ajax philosophy' was
Louis van Gaal, who was once the director of the Ajax youth
system, but moved on to totally re-structure the club. His firm
belief in his system brought Ajax to two Champions League
finals in a row, in 1995 and 1996. Kormelink and Seeverens
provide interesting insight into this philosophy. There is a
lot you can say about Van Gaal, but one thing his friends
and enemies will have to admit: he did it
his way.
Team Building. The Road to Success
By Rinus Michels
Reedswain, 2002, 298 pages. ISBN 1890946737
Football is played since the 1860s, but no-one
was interested in the Dutch approach of the game until
roughly one century later, as the world of football was
taken by surprise by a 'Dutch revolution' for which one man was
largely responsible. His name: Rinus Michels. 'Total
football' and 'team building' were the mystical keywords in his
philosophy. Michels took the game of football by the
hand and led it into its second century of
existence. Michels, nicknamed The General, 'built'
two of the best, most attractive and enigmatic football
teams in the history of the game: the 'Golden Ajax' that won
three consecutive European Champions Cups between 1971 and
1973 - and subsequently the Oranje team that somehow
did not win the World Cup in 1974. This trauma was
finally washed away in 1988, as Holland won Euro '88. And
guess who 'built' the Holland class of '88? Of course: The
General. Want to know his secret? Then read this
book!
Johan Cruyff: Superstar
By Jacques
Thibert and Max Urbini
Pelham Books, 1975, 96 pages. ISBN 0720707870. Out of
print.
The oldest English language book on Ajax (or, more
precisely, on the achievements of the club's greatest ever
scion) is currently out of print, but - luckily - not
extremely hard to find. Used copies are offered (for
varying, but mostly reasonable prices) on some of the
internet's best sites for used books, such as AntiQbook.com and AbeBooks.com. Published just
after he had left Ajax for FC
Barcelona, the book describes the Ajax and
Oranje career of Johan Cruyff from his Ajax-1 debut in
1964 until his departure to FC Barcelona in 1973
and Holland's legendary, but traumatic World Cup
quest in 1974.
In de catacomben: Over Ajax-liefde & jongensdromen
By Yvonne
Witte
Uitgeverij I.J. Veen, 2001, 80 pages. ISBN 90 204 2071 2.
Out of print.
It's not in English, but in this case this doesn't
matter. In de catacomben is primarily a
collection of Ajax photographs by Yvonne Witte. There is
some text in Dutch, by several guest authors including
David Endt, Henk Spaan and Theun de Winter. But this book is
all about the photographs, taken in Ajax's last seasons at De
Meer and the first years at the ArenA. The contrast between the
two seems to be the theme of the book. If you can get
your hands on a copy, don't pass it up.
Hungry for more...?
We totally understand. But we're afraid this is about
it. Of course there are magazines about Ajax, such as
Ajax Magazine (the official club
magazine) and Ajax
Life (magazine of the Official Ajax
Fanclub). And there are independent fanzines, such as
De Ajacied (general fanzine) and
Dapp're Strijders ('Brave Fighters',
for fanatical/hardcore supporters). All of these magazines,
however, are written in Dutch and have no English versions
or sections.
If you really want to possess everything that was
ever printed about Ajax in English, you can start a collection
of official match programmes and/or season guides!
The official match programme for Ajax home games is named
Kick Off. It is written in Dutch
only for domestic league and cup games,
but regularly features English language articles,
pages or sections for European fixtures. And, of course,
there are countless match programmes of European away
games. Plenty of programmes are offered on auction
sites such as eBay.com, or - even better - its
British and Dutch versions, eBay.co.uk and eBay.nl.
The best Ajax publication for English speaking supporters
nowadays is probably the handy-sized, totally bilingual (Dutch
and English) Ajax Season Guide. This
annual 250+ page booklet was published for the first time
prior to the 2002-2003 season. It sums up
all information on Ajax and the upcoming season you
can possibly think of. It is handed out for free in the ArenA
prior to the first home game of the season and is also for sale
from late August and throughout September as part
of a special gift set, which also includes the larger
(but Dutch-only) Ajax Presentatiegids
and a giant size team poster.
If you still want more reading all we can advise
you to do is to get your daily dose of Ajax news on the
English version of Ajax.nl and - of course - Ajax USA. There is a
lot of material for you to read on both websites and every
new feature is announced on their respective homepages. So
check both of these homepages once a day and you won't miss a
thing...
