The Language of the Game

May 15, 2018

Instead of a history or a guide to the rules of soccer, Dubois (romance studies, history, Duke Univ.; Soccer Empire) shares his musings on the sport and human nature. With chapters on each position as well as fans and referees, the author examines the sports' past and influence on national identity. The thoughtful and eye-opening narrative looks at the simple game that can be played with minimal equipment and has universal appeal, bringing together players and fans from around the globe. The game may be dominated by men, but weaved into this account is the long history of women in the sport, specifically how they are marginalized. After World War I, English women's teams played before tens of thousands of fans, until soccer officials banned women's teams from stadiums. The debate about pay equity for players and whether women should be allowed to wear burkas on the field brings currency to the text. This may be the only book that examines how philosopher Albert Camus's years as a goalkeeper contributed to existentialism. VERDICT Fans and neophytes alike will appreciate this eclectic offering and its passionate view of soccer's global influence.--Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2018
Dubois, a historian who teaches a course called Soccer Politics at Duke University, offers the latest reader's guide to the world's most popular sportexpect even more of these in the run-up to this summer's World Cup in Russia. In seven chapters ( The Goalkeeper, The Defender, The Midfielder, The Forward, The Manager, The Referee, and The Fan ), he blends explanations of each role with its history and development, offering profiles of legendary exemplars and touching on cultural and political considerations. (A passage on past efforts to diminish the women's game when it threatened attendance at male leagues is fascinating.) Some readers may wish this skewed a bit more contemporary, although Dubois does discuss the modern transfer market and the controversy over hijabs. More accessible than Ruud Gullit's How to Watch Soccer (2017), less poetic than Eduardo Galeano's Soccer in Sun and Shadow (1995)though it draws heavily on these and many other worksthis is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read with some delightful nuggets of info. Did you know Nabokov and Camus were goalkeepers?(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)