Books
by Simon Kuper
|
Football Against the Enemy |
Football's cultural pervasiveness makes it an obvious, though ultimately unpredictable, weapon. This book is an exploration of football as a political force, sometimes emerging spontaneously as when the Dutch beat Germany and sometimes as a cynical tool used by Cold War Soviets or Argentina of the military junta. It explores football's relationship to crime, oppression and even religious intolerance but it also looks at football's redemptive powers as a means of resistance and self expression.
*The enemy it seems is whoever you disagree with . . .
(Clive Yelf - bwl 57 Summer 2010) |
|
|
The Football Men: Up Close With The Giants Of The Game |
Those involved in football are used to mouthing platitudes rather than engaging in discussion, but when you can slip under that shield, even for a brief interview, the results can be illuminating. Being multilingual gave the author the edge when tracking down both players and managers and the short profiles all seek to throw a light on what it is that makes these individuals tick. Lively and very engaging even, I suspect, for non-football lovers!
(Clive Yelf - bwl 78 Autumn 2015) |
|
|
|
