The Global Game - (Bison Original) by John C Turnbull & Alon Raab & Thom Satterlee (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Includes "The Empty Pleasure" by 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature Winner Mario Vargas Llosa

The world's most popular sport, soccer, is also one of the planet's prevalent cultural expressions, celebrated and debated as an art form, observed with ritual and passion. Thus it has inspired literary efforts of every sort, from every corner of the globe, by women and men. The writings gathered in this volume reflect the universal and infinitely varied ways in which soccer connects with human experience. Poetry and prose from Ted Hughes, Charles Simic, Eduardo Galeano, Günter Grass, Giovanna Pollarolo, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Elvis Costello--to name but a few--take us to a dizzying array of cultures and climes. From a patch of ground in Missoula, Montana, to a clearing in a Kosovo forest, from the stadiums of Burma and Iran to the northern lights over Greenland to remotest Sierra Leone, these writers show us soccer's stars and fans, politics and rituals, as well as the game's power to encourage resistance, inspire faith, and build community.

Review Quotes

"As much social commentary as a compendium of soccer tales and soccer reflections, this delightful collection is essential reading for the soccer fan and those interested in soccer and sport generally in a global environment. . . . Bringing a variety of writings together in one volume is a credit to the editors, who provide an excellent introduction for each entry."--Library Journal

"From locations that span the stadiums of Burma and Iran to the northern lights over Greenland to the remotest areas of Sierra Leone, the writers celebrate the players, fans, rituals, and politics of the world's most popular sport."--Duke Magazine

"I admit a bias. I'm a soccer fan. If you are, too, this is the book for you. And if you aren't, and you give The Global Game a chance, the light may yet shine upon you."--Bill Littlefield, Only A Game

"It is worth every minute of your time to read this collection. You will never see, or experience football (soccer) the same way again."--Marc Jolley, Sports Literature Association-- (12/19/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"The first truly global survey of writing on the global game. . . . The collection gives a powerful reminder to Anglo-Saxon literary cultures that football--the most global cultural phenomenon of all--has a rich, multivocal literary tradition."--David Goldblatt, Times Literary Supplement-- (1/9/2009 12:00:00 AM)

"This anthology's successful use of essays, memoirs, and poetry demonstrates the varied language of soccer."--Gabe Logan, Journal of Sport History

"Those who like or study soccer, and would like to read different perspectives about it, will find much to savor."--Russell Eisenman, MultiCultural Review

About the Author

John Turnbull is a freelance writer on soccer and an editorial consultant. He maintains www.theglobalgame.com, a soccer Web site with an accent on women's soccer, media, and culture. Translator and author Thom Satterlee is associate professor of English at Taylor University. Alon Raab is a lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Davis, and the author of articles, reviews, and interviews. Contributors: Rafael Alberti, Eduard Bass, Nalinaksha Bhattacharya, Hebe de Bonafini, Lawrence Cann, Bridget Carson, Hernán Casciari, Elvis Costello, Edilberto Coutinho, Erik Eggers, Friedrich Christian Delius, György Dragomán, Philippe Dubath, Álvaro Enrigue, Eduardo Galeano, Günter Grass, Einar Már Guðmundsson, William Heyen, Miroslav Holub, Ted Hughes, Ian Jack, Elísabet Jökulsdóttir, Ephraim Kishon, Simon Kuper, Anatoly Kuznetsov, Driton Latifi, Donna J. Gelagotis Lee, Mario Vargas Llosa, Subcomandante Marcos, Javier Marías, Andrew Marshall, Stanley Matthews, Christopher Merrill, Mássimo Moratti, Lady Murasaki, Mark Nuttall, Giovanna Pollarolo, Julio Ramón Ribeyro, Paul Richards, Klaus Rifbjerg, Nelson Rodrigues, María Graciela Rodríguez, Umberto Saba, Matilde Sánchez, Thom Satterlee, Rogelio Ramos Signes, Charles Simic, Antonio Skármeta, Osvaldo Soriano, David Starkey, Gay Talese, Crispin Thomas, Bea Vidacs, Luiz Vilela, Sarah Wardle, Ch'ao Yueh-chih, and Uros Zupan.