Soccer Against the Enemy: How the World's Most Popular Sport Starts and Fuels Revolutions and Keeps Dictators in Power

Simon Kuper's first book "Soccer Against the Enemy" is one of the best books about football/soccer I've ever read. It's hard to believe Kuper was only 22/23 when he wrote it. But then again perhaps you'd have to be that young to travel to all the obscure corners of the globe he did. Kuper interviews football heroes in Africa, gangsters in Russia, East German fans, Brazilian coaches and just about everyone else in the spectrum of world football. What emerges is to us Americans, something of a secret history. The game is hugely important to the rest of the world, at times a matter of life and death. Kuper's book captures that importance, that excitement and that love of the great game that only now is again making some waves here in the U.S. If you love football or if your merely curious, this is a good book for you. Take it on a plane or a train and it will put you in a nice international mindset to travel in.

I read dozens of books a year and cannot remember laughing out load so many tmes while reading a book. Kuper manages to write both a very interesting history of international soccer and also infuse it with some unbelievably funny dry humor. Other than getting a little dense in the Spain section, the book was awesome. The chapter on Afica is unforgettable. I wish he would write a follow-up.

The first football book of its kind. Ground breaking. The foundation stone for all of the other great football books to come. Well written by Kuper and adventurously researched: travelling the world to see how deeply football was embedded in politics and culture. Truly a must read for all "thinking" football fans. Number one on many Best-of lists.

Finally available in the U.S., this is essentially the same book as Football Against the Enemy, which was originally published in England in 1994, with an additional chapter touching on the connection between soccer, terrorism, and the Middle East. According to FourFourTwo magazine, this is the number one football/soccer book ever. The author travels to Croatia, Russia, the Ukraine, Argentina, South Africa, and many other venues famous and obscure, talks to the people that matter, and focuses on telling stories about the beautiful game and the people who play it, own it, use it, and live it, while including great insights on the cultural and political issues that surround this truly international sport. Much better than "How Soccer Explains the World," the people, places, and stories in this book remain as vivid and relevant as ever. As you read how an East Berlin fan of "Western" teams was stalked for years by the East German secret police, you realize that international soccer is much more than a sport. Not just for soccer fans, this is also highly recommended to anyone interested in politics or travel.

One of the greatest football (soccer) books ever written. Kuper's insights into the cultural and political aspects of the game are quite interesting. He gives you the flavor of the game as it is played in Africa, Scotland, Argentina, Europe, etc. A wonderful book. Can't wait for future writings by the young Mr. Kuper.