David Winner (born 5 December 1956) is an English author and journalist. He lives in

Kilburn, London Kilburn is an area of north west London, England, which spans the boundary of three London Boroughs: London Borough of Camden, Camden to the east, City of Westminster, London Borough of Brent, Brent to the west. There is also an area in the City ...

. His best-known books are ''Those Feet: An Intimate History of English Football'' (2005), and '' Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football'' (2000). ''Brilliant Orange'' was shortlisted for the

William Hill Sports Book of the Year The William Hill Sports Book of the Year is an annual British sports literary award sponsored by bookmaker William Hill. The award is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports writing. It was first awarded in 1989, and was devised by Graham ...

in 2000. The book explains why the football players of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

play beautifully but lose their most important matches. Winner connects football to other elements of Dutch life and culture, such as their flat flooding-prone land, unusual taste in art, and their experiences in World War 2. ''Around the World in 90 Minutes (plus extra time and penalties)'' (2007) was based on his journey to 13 countries during the four weeks of the 2006 World Cup. His quirky travel book ''Al Dente: Madness, Beauty & the Food of Rome'' (2012) was described by Pen Vogler in The Observer, unday 11 March 2012as being "like a fusion of Coleridge's Table Talk and Marinetti's The Futurist Cookbook, peopled with eccentric film-makers, anorexic saints and wafer-making nuns". He recently wrote a biography of footballer Dennis Bergkamp, co-written with Jaap Visser, and based on interviews with Bergkamp. The English edition, "Dennis Bergkamp, Stillness and Speed", was long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2013. The Dutch edition, published by Uitgeverij Carrera, is entitled "Dennis Bergkamp: de biografie". He most recently was the

ghostwriter A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often ...

Rio Ferdinand Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for BT Sport. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and w ...

's 2014 autobiography #2Sides. Winner also co-wrote ''The Coming of The Greens'' (1988) (with

Jonathon Porritt Sir Jonathon Espie Porritt, 2nd Baronet, CBE (born 6 July 1950) is a British environmentalist and writer. He is known for his advocacy of the Green Party of England and Wales. Porritt frequently contributes to magazines, newspapers and books ...

), a study of

environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and biographies for children of Archbishop Desmond Tutu,

Raoul Wallenberg Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg (4 August 1912 – disappeared 17 January 1945)He is presumed to have died in 1947, although the circumstances of his death are not clear and this date has been disputed. Some reports claim he was alive years later. 31 J ...

Peter Benenson Peter Benenson (born Peter James Henry Solomon; 31 July 1921 – 25 February 2005) was a British barrister, human rights activist and the founder of the human rights group Amnesty International (AI). He refused all honours for most of his life ...

(founder of Amnesty International) and

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

. Together with Lex van Dam he translated a book about

Johan Cruyff Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (, internationally known as Johan Cruyff; 25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and manager. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Cruyff was a ...

, The Netherlands best-ever footballer titled ''Ajax, Barcelona, Cruyff, The ABC of an Obstinate Maestro'' by

Frits Barend Frits Barend (born 17 February 1947) is a Dutch journalist, radio presenter and television presenter. He is known for presenting the late night television talk show '' Barend & Van Dorp'' with Henk van Dorp. Barend became nationally known for h ...

and

Henk van Dorp Henk is a Dutch male given name, originally a short form of Hendrik. It influenced "Hank" which is used in English-speaking countries (mainly in the US) as a form of "Henry". People named "Henk" include: Academics *Henk Aertsen (born 1943), Dutc ...

. Winner supports

Arsenal football club Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (incl ...

References

1956 births Living people English sportswriters British Jews People from Kilburn, London Johan Cruyff {{england-writer-stub