a total masterpiece - (more on crowd mentality)

Well, what can i say? This is the book that started it all. Brilliant. Nothing beats Among the Thugs, & it's not just a book on football, or football violence, though there is plenty of that, trust me, but it's also a book of pure beauty at times - poetic descriptions & prose so crisp & clear, you can actually smell the large quantities of lager & fish n' chips.

Young & American, Bill Buford wraps up some studies in England & becomes a successful editor of a literary magazine, but before he comes back home, he finds himself enamored at the ungodly sight of a packed-to-the-ceiling train of foolish Liverpool fans. Singing boisterously & destroying anything in their path are the supporters' only drunken purpose. Buford's interest was immediately stolen - a spark so direct & bright that it would take him on a raucous ride up & down the country & into Europe as well. Buford's holy grail consisted of a search so pure in thought, so timeless, yet still relevant across the world today: the meaning, cause, point, & purpose of mindless violence, & more importantly, the crowd mentality in direct association with violence. One step further: football associated violence - i.e. hooliganism.

(reader's note/warning: when you romp around England & Europe with violent-disaffected youth looking for violence, i assure you, you will find it)

This is journalism. Buford, for the most part is simply reporting what he sees in his narrative, & soon offers up reflections on the state of violence & the appeal to it. Buford hits his stride when he describes the intensity & feeling one gets when losing themselves & becoming apart of something bigger, it's about the collective, something more powerful than oneself - the crowd mentality.

(For those looking for more on this subject, I found an amazing, undercover documentary on youtube a few years ago. I believe it was produced by the BBC & gives an interesting look at some English fans at the 2006 World Cup held in Germany. It's split up in about 7 or 8 parts consisting of 7 to 9 minute segments. Trust me, it's really good & also informative.) See part 1 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOTGe12Wu0U