More Than Just a Game: Soccer vs. Apartheid: The Most Important Soccer Story Ever Told [Hardcover]

Chuck Korr (Author), Marvin Close (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2010

Timed perfectly for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the true story of how political prisoners under apartheid found hope and dignity through soccer

In the hell that was Robben Island, inmates united courageously in an act of protest. Beginning in 1964, they requested the right to play soccer during their exercise periods. Denied repeatedly, they risked beatings and food deprivation by repeating their request for three years. Finally granted this right, the prisoners banded together to form a multi-tiered, pro-level league that ran for more than two decades and served as an impassioned symbol of resistance against apartheid. Former Robben Island inmate Nelson Mandela noted in the documentary FIFA: 90 Minutes for Mandela, “Soccer is more than just a game…. The energy, passion, and dedication this game created made us feel alive and triumphant despite the situation we found ourselves in.”

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

More Than Just a Game tells the little-known story of how soccer transformed the lives of political prisoners on Robben Island, an isolated hell-on-earth off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa that housed black inmates during the apartheid era. Beginning in 1964, prisoners subjected to routine beatings and starvation united in an extreme act of courage, demanding the right to play soccer during exercise periods. The prisoners were eventually allowed to form a multi-tiered, pro-level league that operated for more than two decades. Academic historian Korr and scriptwriter Close resurrect this overlooked history with a vivid narrative no doubt aided by the 2007 docudrama of the same name. Brutal depictions of prison life make for compelling, at times uncomfortable reading, and the challenges faced by the players' association are presented in great detail, thanks to meticulous records kept by prisoners (Robben Island's most famous inmate, Nelson Mandela, barely plays a role). Akin to a DVD's bonus feature, a final chapter titled "The Story Behind More Than Just A Game" explains how Korr came upon what he rightly calls "the most important soccer story ever told." Photos.
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From Booklist

This is a fascinating footnote to the struggle against apartheid. Condemned in the 1960s to Robben Island, a harsh prison off the coast of South Africa, the young political prisoners fought for and won the right to play soccer. The sport became popular, giving participants and spectators alike a much-needed sense of self-esteem while offering diversion from an otherwise monotonous existence. In a Hollywood version of this story, prisoners and guards would learn to respect one another despite their differences—and some of that happened, but the authors don’t stop there. Drawing on first-person accounts and an archive of prisoners’ writings, they detail the infighting that later racked the astonishingly well-organized league. Sports can be uplifting and they can cause pettiness, too. If there’s a flaw with the book, it’s the way, after the first chapters, soccer madness allows us to forget too often the brutality of prison conditions. But it’s well worth reading, even by those who don’t know a thing about soccer. And, given that South Africa is hosting this year’s World Cup, the authors’ timing couldn’t be better. --Keir Graff

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1 edition (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312596170
• ISBN-13: 978-0312596170
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > History > Africa > South Africa
  • #55 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Soccer

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The subtitle is no exaggeration, June 1, 2010

By 

wrappedupinbooks (new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Than Just a Game: Soccer vs. Apartheid: The Most Important Soccer Story Ever Told (Hardcover)

This is the greatest hidden story you're bound to come across in sports. The authors did a great thing in discovering it and sharing it with the rest of the world.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OLE!, May 19, 2010

By 

Donna M. Ferrier - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: More Than Just a Game: Soccer vs. Apartheid: The Most Important Soccer Story Ever Told (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my son(age 18) who is an excellent student, but has never been a reader- maybe because he spends so much free time on the soccer field! He actually loves this book....says it is very interesting and well written. And I'm thrilled to see him enjoying it so much.