Customer Reviews

Futebol: Soccer: The Brazilian Way

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Alex Bellos, a British journalist for the Observer and Guardian, does an excellent job with this tremendously researched book. He takes the reader across the sprawling expanse of continental Brazil, and we are left with a very candid view about "futebol," along with its history, traditions, innovations, humorous characters, corruption, but above all, that it is underlying glue uniting a very diverse nation. One can argue that soccer is the common religion of Brazil. Perhaps more apt would be to say that Brazil is the temple for those who worship world soccer. We have found our Holy Book in this work by Mr. Bellos.

Mr. Bellos paints an interesting portrait, and interviewed hundreds of people for this book. Famous players, priests, soothsayers, a superfan, presidents of local teams, coaches, and everyday Brazilians whose lives are defined by soccer. He even ventured to the obscure Faroe Islands of the frigid North Atlantic to meet with a few of the "Brazilian Foreign Legion" that plys their trade in far off lands. His recounting of the story of Mane' Garrincha, a tragic Brazilian legend, was captivating. As was his interview with Socrates, a famous player and social activist from the great 1982 Brazilian National Team. Of course, no book about Brazilian football could exempt a story about Pele'. His descriptions and historical context about the Amazon region were very intriguing, along with the "Big Zero" marker between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Mr. Bellos is a reporter who is not afraid to get his feet wet. Both figuratively and literally. :-)

This book contains more than the theme of soccer. Mr. Bellos describes the social inequalities of Brazil, its unique culture, governmental apparatus, and many local vignettes that make this a very educational read. If you have a passion for futebol brasileiro, you will enjoy this book. Even if you are not a soccer fan, this book will educate you about a country that is defined by its national sport, but has much more to offer to the world.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this excellent book.

As a self-confessed football fanatic (soccer for all you American and Australian readers), shamefully my knowledge of Brazilian football was rather lacking. Knowing that I would be spending eight months living in Rio, this past Christmas I went out and bought a copy of this book hoping to learn a little more about the game as it is played in Brazil. While the book did somewhat of a good job meeting my goals, this book is much more than just a guide to Brazilian football. Rather it is an in depth investigation into the strong role that football plays in Brazilian society.

The book of course has the pre-requisite chapters on the two Brazilian greats Pele and Garrincha, in addition to an investigation into Ronaldo and his fateful day during the 1998 World Cup Final in Paris. But the best chapters of the books are the ones that dig deeper into the sociological role that football plays in Brazilian life, from the rich and powerful, right down to the hardcore fans who live in the country's dangerous favelas (slums). Bellos obviously spent an enormous amount of time and money traveling this great country to get all kinds of different perspectives, and the novel is that much better for it. I suppose if I had something negative to say about this book it's that certain chapters (such as Frogs and Miracles) drag on a little too much for my liking. However, do not let this put you off for Futebol is truly worth reading.

Anyone with any interest in football needs to pick this book up to understand what it is that makes the Brazilian game so beautiful. Anyone who plans to live in Brazil, whether they like football or not, needs to read this book if only to understand why football plays such a strong role in the country's culture. While you don't have to adore football to enjoy your life in Brazil (I have met a fair few who wouldn't even give a football fan the time of day), you do need to understand its immense importance and Bellos does a great job of explaining it.

'Futebol' by Alex Bellos, is an amazing book detailing the nature of brazilian fooball, and it's effect upon the entire nation, a world full of passion and corruption. Bellos shows the passion for football which Brazilians have, their love of 'jogo bonito'. Chronicling events such as Brazil's fateful 1950 world cup loss to Uruguay and the rise of players such as Garincha,who managed to win the hearts of all, more loved than Pele.
This is a must for anyone interested in the passion which football can produce, and anyone who has ever been enchanted by the beauty which the Brazilians used to produce (pre '82). Plus the cover artwork makes the book worth the purchase.

Easily the best book written on soccer ever. If you want to learn the why and wherefores of Brazilian soccer, buy this now! There really are no words to explain how insightful and fun the writing style is and the research here is beyond amazing. You think you know all about Brazilian soccer from watching Ronaldo et al in the World Cup, then think again. It's more than samba style and goals galore. It's Brazil itself in all its glory from sun, sex and sand to completely corrupt political dealings to bizarre religious soccer rituals.

This is an outstanding book about the Brazilian soccer and culture. As Brazilian and top soccer fan, I can say that the book is rich in details and realistic information that few Brazilians know. It is clear that Alex did extensive, diligent, and almost Herculean researches all over this continental size country. The author clearly described the history of Brazilian soccer, our passion for soccer, idols, martyrs, the bad-guys, the culture behind soccer, memorable moments, episodes we are ashamed, the corruption, and justice in this sport. The superior English sense of humor makes this book a very relaxing and entertaining reading.
This book should be translated to Portuguese. It is top reference in any Brazilian soccer fan library. It really worth the reading.

An absolutely fantastic book. I haven't finished reading the entire book yet but I'm facinated by the stories, details and importance of futebol in the brazilian culture. A great book for anyone interested in understanding why brazilians are so fanatic about soccer. It tells stories of a country so rich in culture and embraced by the magic of the Beautiful Game.

This is an entertaining and well-researched book, although at over 400 pages it could do with a bit of editing. It's not so much a book about Brazilian football, but one about the Brazilian obsession with football. As such, it's more about Brazilian history, culture, society, politics and national identity, and the relationship of football with Brazil's other obsession - sex. This is not a book about the technicalities of football itself. Pelé, Garrincha, Tostão, Ronaldo, Rivelino, Zico, Carlos Alberto, Roberto Carlos and Romário all feature (though surprisingly not Rivaldo), with interesting insights and information presented (not always of a footballing nature). However, the real stars of the book are those eccentric characters who have extended Brazil's love of football to autoball (football involving cars!), button ball (table football), beach soccer and ball juggling (especially by women, including Ronaldo's wife). The names of Brazilian footballers are deciphered, emphasising the Brazilian preference for nicknames and the names of famous film stars and singers. Bellos discusses at some length the deep trough that Brazilian football sunk into after the defeat in the 1998 World Cup final, in particular the controversy around Ronaldo. The extent of corruption in Brazilian football that was uncovered at the time is also exposed. In a fascinating interview, Socrates explains his reasons for Brazil's failings in the couple of years before the 2002 World Cup. It's only a pity that the book was published before Brazil's subsequent success. Such a dramatic turnaround in fortunes, both for Brazil and Ronaldo, cried out for further explanation. Bellos states more than once that Brazilians view football as "a game in which prodigious individual skills outshine team tactics, where dribbles and flicks are preferred over physical challenges and long distance passes". The Brazilian team of 2002 showed that a combination of these attributes can be both successful and highly entertaining.

The author has superbly combined sports journalism with anthropological analysis and written a splendid book. If you like soccer, or want to know why Brazil has won the World Cup five times, this book will explain it. If you want to understand the nuances of Brazilian culture, this book explains it through Soccer.
I especially enjoyed the chapters on Garrincha and the 'Pelada' in Manaus. In addition, the sense of humor that the author has is funny, and provides great insight into Brazilian life.
In short, highly recommended.

When I purchased this book I believed that it would be more about the tactics of the "Brasilian" game. Instead this book explored the cultural aspect the game has on Brasilian society and vice - versa. Don't expect this book to go into the science behind "jogo bonito" (beautiful game), instead appreciate it for digging deep to understand the global obsession with the Brasilian game and those yellow jerseys.

This book was beautifully written and would be excellent for anyone who wants to learn about Brazil, whether they like soccer or not.