DK Biography: Pele
This amply illustrated title in the DK Biographies series introduces Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to the world as soccer legend Pelé. The chapters stretch from Pelé's Brazilian youth, when he honed his soccer skills with homemade balls, through his astonishing career and his current retirement. Buckley's awe for his subject results in heavy superlatives—Pelé's legacy is "unmatched in sports," for example—but his knowledge of the player and his sport creates thrilling play-by-play accounts of key matches and puts Pelé's extraordinary career into context. Buckley grounds his enthusiasm with well-integrated facts and quotes, many of which are drawn from Pelé's autobiography. Crisply reproduced photographs appear on every page, pulling readers into the inviting design, while fact boxes introduce other international soccer figures and define specific terms, such as bicycle kick. An illustrated time line and short bibliography close this well-rounded title for young researchers or soccer fans seeking a deeper understanding of their beloved sport. Engberg, Gillian