Football Against The Enemy

A terrific book: deftly written, fascinating in its sweep as the scene shifts from continent to continent, surprisingly confident in its execution and mature in most of its judgements, yet at the same time fresh in the way that only a young man's work really can be.' * Guardian *
Another great work on football. Why was it undiscovered for so long... effervescent and hilarious. * Independent *
He writes with immense authority... his book is also hysterically funny. This is a wonderful book written under great duress at times and full of the spirit of youthful exuberance and curiosity that runs way beyond the touchline. * Time Out *
Quality football books have mushroomed... but none matches this global examination for originality, breadth and sheer courage. * Mail on Sunday *
If you like football, read it. If you don't like football, read it. -- Simon Barnes * The Times *
Fascinating... Simon Kuper has written a riveting book. * Irish Times *
Perceptive and highly entertaining. * Financial Times *
It's a great idea for a book, so much so that it's surprising no one has thought of it before... There's unlikely to be a better football book published this year. * When Saturday Comes *
Excellent... An entertaining and incisive book that anyone with the slightest interest in football should read. * World Soccer *
A sweeping, panoramic view of the culture surrounding the game, an insight into how often and how profoundly twenty-two men and a ball can become a cipher for ideology, religion and love. A colossal achievement. * Ikon *
Part anthropology, part travelogue, all fascinating... Two decades after the book's publication, saturation football coverage and internet access means that fans are far more cosmopolitan in their outlooks than ever before. However, Football Against The Enemy remains the only book to take a definitive sweep on world football, and explain how political and cultural issues influence the game across the globe. * FourFourTwo *
Seminal. * The 42 *
Picking up this book, you will understand the depth of the game. * Football Paradise *
accomplished and quirky footballing travelogue... remarkably good; arguably the first and the best in the n0w-not-so-new wave of 'literary' football tomes that have followed... We all know football as a global obsession, these fascinating tales show just how far its reach extends. * Esquire *
One of the most deliciously moreish football books... a collection of excellent, energetically compiled essays. -- Barney Ronay * Guardian *