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Among the Thugs
 
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Among the Thugs (Paperback)

by Bill Buford (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Mandarin; New edition edition (3 Sep 1992)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0749313285
  • ISBN-13: 978-0749313289
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 59,202 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #12 in  Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Reference > Essays & Sports Journalism
    #18 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Social Issues > Football
    #23 in  Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Football > Football Fans

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Product Description

Review

"Superbly written...darkly exhilarating...a sort of rollercoaster chamber of horrors." - "Guardian
"Compelling, intelligent and fully engaged." - Martin Amis
"[Buford] gatecrashes a social world that most of us have spent some portion of our lives avoiding and brings it to life on the page with a ferocious relish that only someone who was a foreigner to soccer could manage, or stomach." - Jonathan Raban

"From the Trade Paperback edition.



Product Description

For eight years - the years of riots on Channel ferries, street-fighting outside Britain's football grounds, and the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters - Bill Buford, an American, travelled with football hooligans up and down Britain, and to Italy, Turkey, Greece and Germany. He attended a National Front disco and witnessed the robbing of a pub. He saw stabbings and scenes of extreme violence - in one instance, violence that was stopped only when the army sent in a tank. He met people with names like Bone Head, Paraffin Pete and Steamin' Sammy, and befriended others - many of them now in jail - who were pickpockets, safe-crackers, cocaine dealers, traders in "moody" counterfeit money, and one who bit out the eye of a policeman. This book is an account of his experiences.

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
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Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but content & facts poor, 10 April 2005
This review is from: Among the Thugs (Paperback)
It's a well written book; but beware of the contents. He had no content with any of the top faces on the scene (why not read a book by one of them that are available), nor was he ever involved in any major incidents. He talks about people as if he knew them - but he is writing about stories he was told. Likewise he tells a story of a Millwall fan attacking a West Ham fan based on a newspaper account as if he was there (a very poor thing to do in a book).

I was there and this book does not represent what was going on. For excellent alternatives try (Steaming In, Hoolifan, Armed For The Match or Congratulations you just met the ICF).

However it is well writen, and an interesting account from an outsider - just beware of the contents.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Among the Mayhem, 20 May 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Among the Thugs (Hardcover)
This book tells the story of an American journalist who by chance witnesses a football special on the way to game at a train station. Curious about the behaviour of the fans on the train, he decides to find out more. Travelling to games and getting in with the boys he travels around the country and goes to Italia 90. He experiences clashes with other fans and the police. The book is told from an outsiders point of view as the authour is American and hasn't the English "psyche" or biast views. I found the book gripping & compelling. It's a must read and anyone who purchases this will not be dissapointed.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic, compelling read, 18 Sep 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Among the Thugs (Paperback)
I have read dozens of "football hooligan" books, and I have to say this is the best. Because Buford's able to speak as an outsider watching on, there's a sense of reality and truth often lacking elsewhere. A joy to read, with its dark humour and vivid character descriptions - I would recommend it to anybody, even those without an interest in football related violence.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An American in the Firm
If you were expecting a "Green Street" sort of story here, you will be disappointed. I actually read this book back in the early Nineties when it was first released. Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2006 by L. E. Beaumont

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolute tosh
I find it hard to believe anyone still wants to buy this. A fat middle aged American running with the top boys in England?! Read more
Published on 9 Nov 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars classic study of terrace violence and its associated culture
With the exception of "The Football Factory", this has to be the best of the now numerous football-hooligan-and-the-related-culture books. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars A chilling revelation into the hearts and minds of soccer th
This book chronicles the many acts of mindless violence commited by young English soccer thugs.The author, who searches in vain for rational and even scientific answers as to why... Read more
Published on 22 Mar 1999

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