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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33460.Among_the_Thugs?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Among the Thugs" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1168447738m/33460.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33460.Among_the_Thugs?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Among the Thugs</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2606.Bill_Buford">Bill Buford</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6019313?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars A stunning work of non-fiction, <a href="/search/search?q=Among the Thugs&t=title">Among the Thugs</a> chronicles Buford's attempts to understand the English phenomenon of soccer hooliganism by immersing himself into its characters, events, and lifestyles. He starts as an outsider, an American living in London for many years without ever attending a soccer game. Intrigued by the stories of violence and lawlessness the games ignite in the supporters of the teams, he sets out to understand how and why so many young and working-class people are continuously worked into a fervor attending soccer games.
 
 But the deeper goal of this book, and this is where it gets interesting is: what are the societal factors which have produced this demographic? Buford comes to the conclusion that the problem is that England's former working class, which has a strong sense of cultural pride attached to it, is no longer the working class. Their income now puts them in the middle class, and the awkwardness of this shift has left them disaffected, in need of the jolts of adrenaline that rioting produces. When they riot, they riot against everything and everyone: their dreary suburban lives, as they randomly assault passersby and destroy property; state power, as they provoke, outsmart, and attack police forces which seek to contain them; and even each other, as they reserve their most vicious attacks for the fans of competing soccer teams. They riot to feel on top of the world, even for only a few minutes, in spite of the danger.
 
 <a href="/search/search?q=Bill Buford&t=author">Bill Buford</a> is living the good life. As a highly successful non-fiction author, he puts himself in reality-show-like situations which place him in a lot of potential bodily harm. In Among the Thugs, Buford is often in sketchy situations without a safety net-- in this book he participates in a number of soccer riots, attends a white power party in a pub in England, makes friends with the sketchiest thugs he can find. Basically, he gets your heart pumping from time to time. And not surprisingly, these situations render increasing returns. He gets your attention for when he schools you with the social insights.
 
 In the hands of a lesser writer, this book could've been a lot more annoying. The premise-- studying the soccer hooligans by "becoming one," inasmuch as that is possible-- is a little X-treme for my tastes. But Buford really makes it work, as he seamlessly and realistically combines an interesting, compelling story with his spot-on insights into the English working class.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/125239?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Anders's review
rating:
recommended for: Jacob, to whom I have already lent it

A stunning work of non-fiction, Among the Thugs chronicles Buford's attempts to understand the English phenomenon of soccer hooliganism by immersing himself into its characters, events, and lifestyles. He starts as an outsider, an American living in London for many years without ever attending a soccer game. Intrigued by the stories of violence and lawlessness the games ignite in the supporters of the teams, he sets out to understand how and why so many young and working-class people are continuously worked into a fervor attending soccer games.

But the deeper goal of this book, and this is where it gets interesting is: what are the societal factors which have produced this demographic? Buford comes to the conclusion that the problem is that England's former working class, which has a strong sense of cultural pride attached to it, is no longer the working class. Their income now puts them in the middle class, and the awkwardness ...more A stunning work of non-fiction, Among the Thugs chronicles Buford's attempts to understand the English phenomenon of soccer hooliganism by immersing himself into its characters, events, and lifestyles. He starts as an outsider, an American living in London for many years without ever attending a soccer game. Intrigued by the stories of violence and lawlessness the games ignite in the supporters of the teams, he sets out to understand how and why so many young and working-class people are continuously worked into a fervor attending soccer games.

But the deeper goal of this book, and this is where it gets interesting is: what are the societal factors which have produced this demographic? Buford comes to the conclusion that the problem is that England's former working class, which has a strong sense of cultural pride attached to it, is no longer the working class. Their income now puts them in the middle class, and the awkwardness of this shift has left them disaffected, in need of the jolts of adrenaline that rioting produces. When they riot, they riot against everything and everyone: their dreary suburban lives, as they randomly assault passersby and destroy property; state power, as they provoke, outsmart, and attack police forces which seek to contain them; and even each other, as they reserve their most vicious attacks for the fans of competing soccer teams. They riot to feel on top of the world, even for only a few minutes, in spite of the danger.

Bill Buford is living the good life. As a highly successful non-fiction author, he puts himself in reality-show-like situations which place him in a lot of potential bodily harm. In Among the Thugs, Buford is often in sketchy situations without a safety net-- in this book he participates in a number of soccer riots, attends a white power party in a pub in England, makes friends with the sketchiest thugs he can find. Basically, he gets your heart pumping from time to time. And not surprisingly, these situations render increasing returns. He gets your attention for when he schools you with the social insights.

In the hands of a lesser writer, this book could've been a lot more annoying. The premise-- studying the soccer hooligans by "becoming one," inasmuch as that is possible-- is a little X-treme for my tastes. But Buford really makes it work, as he seamlessly and realistically combines an interesting, compelling story with his spot-on insights into the English working class....less

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message 1: by Paul

12/18/2007 04:15AM

I thought I'd throw in a further observation - Irvine Welsh of "Trainspotting" fame comments that the decline in the 1990s of English football violence was due to the gentrification fo the sport after Hillsborough (all seating stadiums etc) and the onset of rave culture and its attendent drug of choice Ecstacy.