Apex to Zulu [Paperback]

i have read two contrasting reviews then read the book what was my opinion well this guy david george has obviously followed the scene and gained some inner depth the book isn't quite the Holy Bible Nor is it ' to kill a mocking bird' but what it does is show you how things were and the changes in this ever growing culture well worth a read just don't expect to be cumming over all the pages this guy has put effort into this as you read through its witty and surreal yet factual good on ya squire look forward to the next onde

well what can i say having read the plonkers comments about this book i needed to ask myself what is he talking about i have been a guy who has followed the team referred to in the book a number of yrs and had running battle here and abroad and loved every moment of it and this book is full of humour, laughs and to me its a very good read, it makes a change to read about the style we wore the music we like and the battles we fought but it seems to me that when you comment about a book unless you were there you need to shut up because i was and still am there doing it week in and week out you wont see me in the pages because unlike the plonker who wrote his review im not ready to go public as i love it to much and im still getting the buzz, to me the first book zulu sounded more like one mans court case in which it was hand bags at fifty paces i was there to and i can say a recent battle in the same area with the young zulus had a much better result rather than reading one mans court case notes how boring and his court case took up much of the book, but hey who im i to moan if people want to spend money reading about a court case, yes there were a few mistakes in the book but when looking through most of the books you will find they all make mistakes but content was very good picture plenty of and showing how we were, and i for one think that the person who wrote the book talked to quite a few of the lads to get the info he got so fair play to him because if i had the chance i would have wrote some thing like that to although mine would have been banned for being to blood thirsty and violent lol

but yes a great read when the next one out hopefully in time for euro 2008

annon

Usual book on a football firm written by on of the lads who was with them, this case being the Birmingham Zulus (Hence the name Apex to Zulu)

I suppose you could say the two big differences between this book and others of its genre is that 1. He has quite obviously had no help from a ghost writer or anyone else in putting this together judging by the quality of its contents and 2. That it is written by a black lad and most hooligans and hooligan firms are predominantly white I suppose would be of interest (If you really care)

The book covers a little more than Black White and Blue mostly because its more of a personal account where the author charters his own experiences (and those of some of his close friends) with the Birmingham Zulus from their origins until the near present day. The author does mention a few occasions where they have been turned over (Spurs being one that springs to mind) and there includes an interview with 'Black Danny' one of the main faces of Aston Villas C Crew. There are also accounts of clashes with some of the Zulus main rivals including Millwall, Spurs, Arsenal, Cardiff (And a number of other Welsh firms) Liverpool, Everton and a number of other smaller clubs lower down the leagues (Strange though, he fails to mention them attacking Celtic fans along side far right firms, must have been a little too embarrassing for a black lad to mention that especially with all his talk throughout the book of the Zulus being made up of "Black and Irish")

Downsides of the book are 1. His never ending obsession with brand names (Like we have never heard of them) He even provides us with a history of each brand name (Like we care) 2. His ridiculous attempts at providing us with history lesson on everything from Adidas, the history of Birmingham (right from when it was a bloody village to present day to the far right. Starting a chapter on Millwall telling us about Mosley's Blackshirts and the history of the far right in Britain? Please! 3. His embarrassing poems, daft stories, 'comical' little stories which are just not funny. 3. His endless contradicting himself on his skin colour. He goes on about being a 'black lad who can stand up for himself' How everyone from the police to rival firms cant handle a 'black and white firm' goes on about how they attacked a black gang in Birmingham stabbing a few of them on the grounds that they wont allow themselves to be divided on 'racial lines' then when his black mate gets attacked by a rival firm in a town centre and the local black lads stand back and watch criticise them for not helping a 'brother' (Er sorry mate thought you didn't go for all that? Make up your mind)

While there are some interesting parts to this book he really should have got some help in writing it as half the time he just rambles on about nothing. George and every other writer of hoolifan books needs to just get over the fact that nobody followed them in fashion (Mate just look at your own pictures in the book, you really think everyone walked around in burberry cloth caps, suit jackets with t-shirts and grandad jumpers? Face facts, you were not the leaders of fashion)

Could be a good book but really needed to be edited, remove the nonsense and just stick to what you know.