Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #121262 in Books
• Published on: 1998-05-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Synopsis
This is a book which searches out the mystical, the bewitched, the romance and the emotional destitution of football. It incorporates stories and events such as the suicide of Abdon Porte, who shot himself in the centre circle of the Nacional Stadium; the rise of Bobby Charlton, spared from the Munich disaster to achieve glory on the world stage; the Argentinian manager who wouldn't feed his team chicken because it would bring bad luck; and the Russian goalkeeper who prepared his mind and his nerves with a cigarette and a dash of spirits before each game.

Customer Reviews

A must football bible.
It's not just the wonderfully interwoven snippets of world history that keep the reader glued to this book, or even the graceful, poignant, and musical prose that mesmerizes and transports you into the fascinating world of Galeano's view of football, it's more the sheer beauty of the facts, the myths, and the rich, short summaries of legends and moments in world football that make this book a must for any lover of sport, and literature.
There's just about everyone in here (from the origins of the game to the mid nineties), organised chronologically in short chapters which are more like articles really. Some are half a page long such as "Greaves" ("...rather than run, he would explode..."), or two to three pages long like "Maradona" ("He played, he won, he peed, he lost.").
The brief stories presented here make this book a perfect read at any time: queues, buses, bed, and naturally, the loo!
I haven't seen the latest version and don't know if it includes contemporary football (after 1995), however, the book is brilliant for what it is (and for what was).

A gem of a book on football by a Latin American author
This is a splendid read. A brief history of football written by an acclaimed author who loves his sport. This book is made up of short sketches that chart football's major moments since its origins. Especially effective are the essays on the World Cup competitions since 1930, which allude to the world's events in other spheres besides sport. This helps place the game into an economic and political perspective with a delightful Latin American slant. Lovers of the game of football support their teams, both local and national, but Galeano is searching for a "pretty move" or "good football" from any player or team that can provide it. Such moments may be few and far between, but they keep us hooked. Anybody remembering Michael Owens goal for England against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup will empathise with Galeano. A gem of a book in which Galeano uses his considerable writing skills to exhibit his passion for football. A must read for fans of the "beautiful game".

Football in Sun and Shadow
This is the most beaustiful book on the beautiful game I have ever read. It is wonderfully translated, making the description of the players sound almost poetic. It is also facinating to read about both club and international football from a south american perspective. I find my self continually re-reading the short stand alone chapters.