Spring/Summer reading

By: timmyg | April 27th, 2009

Ah, spring in Baltimore.

Days are longer, people outside on their stoops and in the streets, the warmth pleasant but not the oppressive summer humidity. Orioles magic just beginning. Countless festivals in the wings: Twelve different, albeit mostly Eastern European, ethnic festivals, Honfest, Filmfest, Fells Point Funfest, Artscape and the hipster spinoff Whartscape, State Fair, Hampdenfest, etc etc. And soon enough, Crabs.

And also time to begin my summer reading! Funny, you’d think I’d read more in the winter when there’s nothing else to do. But instead I find myself at bars or any other location besides my apartment to escape the cabin fever.

I haven’t put much thought into a summer reading list for for me this year yet. But there’s two books that I recommend to any footy fan that, oddly, I never hear or see recommended to other fans.

Among the Thugs. Honestly, I’ve met more Poli-Sci students who’ve read this than football fans. I guess that makes sense because its more sociology that sport, but to me its integral reading to put today’s hyper-commercialized and “prawn sandwich” crowds into perspective. Sure, there’s been other ex-hooligan memoirs to the extent that some silly movie with Frodo was made. But none are as written, composed, or cover the extent the dysfunction of the game’s milieu as well as Bill Buford did with this opus.

The Ball is Round. I’ve been reading this (on and off) since January. That’s because of my lazy reading habits, but also because is over 900 pages long — and worth the read. There seems to be two different types of football books: memoirs, and historical chronicles. Both are good, but eventually get dry. This book covers so much, so in depth without ever getting bogged down (I’m currently on page 500 or so and Africa until the 1970s just got covered). I wouldn’t go as far to describe it as a “social history”, but the way David Goldblatt weaves history, politics, and culture with football is magnificent. Like Joyce’s Ulysses, its seems only a few dare read the whole thing. But those that do are greatly rewarded.

Happy reading!