After Istanbul a load of books came out as publishers (and just about everyone else) looked to cash in on Liverpool's fifth European Cup win.
To be honest, I couldn't be bothered with most of them because I didn't see what any author could add to our own stories, particularly so soon after the event.
I bought Guillem Balague's A Season On The Brink because I knew it would be a good read given his relationship with many at Anfield, particularly those who arrived from Spain in the last few years.

Balague's book was top notch and after reading it I didn't think I'd bother with any other accounts of the glory of Istanbul.
That was until I decided I needed something to read on my flights to and from Madrid recently and I went out and bought Tony Evans' Far Foreign Land.
Tony is the deputy sports editor of The Times but, more importantly, he is a proper Liverpool supporter who grew up on Scottie Road and who followed his Reds home and away, at home and abroad, before he ever found his way into journalism via a far from typical route.
In Far Foreign Land he tells of his journey to Istanbul - one he undertook on the train from Lime Street, taking in various European countries along the way - and his own personal journey as a Liverpool fan, taking in Rome in 84, Heysel, Hillsborough and Turin along the way.
It is a brilliant book, one of the best I have read about Liverpool FC and what it means to be a Liverpool fan in quite some time.
Tony doesn't pull his punches or shy away from controversial issues. His take on Heysel might be unpalatable for some but his is a viewpoint which demands respect and whether you agree with it or not isn't really the point anyway.
He doesn't even bottle out from having a go at his own employers with an attack on The Sun - the stablemate, don't forget, of The Times - which shows that this is the book he wanted to write and not one which was altered and distorted according to the whims of publishers or concerns of his bosses.
Far Foreign Land is a great read and if you haven't already bought a copy go out and buy one.
I'll be surprised if anyone who has shared Tony's experiences will be disappointed by it.

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