Among the Thugs
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Among the Thugs
by Authors:
Bill Buford
Released: 01 June, 1993
ISBN: 0679745351
Paperback
Sales Rank: 37,374
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List price:
$15.00
Our price:
$10.50
(You save: $4.5)
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| Book > Among the Thugs > Customer Reviews: |
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Average Customer Rating: 
Among the Thugs >
Customer Review #1:
True to Life
I, like Mr. Buford, lived as a priveleged American in London during the heydey of bootboys and hooligans in the early and mid 70s. I was a teenager and a wannabe-hooligan, too young (early teens) to be a real hooligan. I travelled extensively on the "football specials" to away games, among them a 1973 FA Cup semifinal at Hillsborough (scene of the 1996 disaster that ended standing on the terraces forever), and the danger of violence was expected and palpable. I recall a lovely spring day in Southampton where hooligans in motorcycle helmets roamed the streets smashing milk bottles on heads in a completely random fashion. Unlike some readers, I found his descriptions dead-on accurate. The discussion of crowd theory and when things change right before they "go off" was fascinating, as well as absolutely true. The part of the book I found odd was the change of opinion from wanting to study his topic to throwing up his hands and deciding there was nothing to study. Whats the conclusion, or are there none? I am happy to report that those days are, for the most part, over. Having recently returned from England, the ticket pricing, and all-seater stadiums, have eliminated the hooligan mobs at football matches. the reason the hooligans rampage in continental Europe is because thats all that is left (there are still terraces in much of Europe). Domestically, many of the football venues described by Mr. Buford have been torn down or rebuilt as all-seater stadia.
Among the Thugs >
Customer Review #2:
The Other Football
Bill Buford uses two different ways to tell the tale of the English football supporter. Bufords first method, used in the beginning and end parts of the book, provide a view from the inside as the author documents his the part of his life spent, for lack of an original phrase, "among the thugs," specifically with supporters of Manchester United, one of the top teams in Englands Premier League. Buford paints a harrowing picture as he describes people who are basically degenerates. Much like people used to fight in support of their country (does anyone really do that anymore?), the supporters use violence, much of it simply appaling, as their vehicle for team support.Bufords second technique, employed in the middle section, uses a more scholarly approach as the author relates the supporters behavior to the tenets of modern sociology, especially those that deal with the dynamics of the group or the crowd. Although possessing a thoroughly interesting subject, especially for Americans whose sports are comparitively homoginized in the face of such thuggery, Bufords somewhat schitzophrenic approach takes away from the novel as a whole. When Buford immerses himself in the thug life, the reader immerses himself, too, thus providing for entertaining and slightly voyeuristic literature. Bufords sociology lesson is boring and repetitive, however, and the incompatible narrative methods keep the book from attaining its full depth. In all, Buford presents an flawed yet interesting tale about a subject to which few Americans can relate.
Among the Thugs >
Customer Review #3:
Good Social Commentary
I thought this book would simply be a blow-by-blow recitation of the crimes and violence perpetrated by Britains soccer "hooligans." I was very pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be much, much more. Mr. Buford gives a very nice discussion of the crowd mentality and explains from a first-hand perspective how quickly a large event can turn violent. He also does a nice job of explaining how the social environment in Britain led to the conditions that allowed large number of disaffected young men with few other outlets for their frustrations than Saturday games and riots.
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Among the Thugs >
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