Soccer in Sun and Shadow [Paperback]

Eduardo H. Galeano (Author), Mark Fried (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1999

The passion and the glory of the beautiful game, captured on the eve of the World Cup. From the origins of soccer to the World Cup played in the US in 1994, one of Latin America's most fluent and widely read commentators captures the enduring appeal of the world's greatest game. Eduardo Galeano seeks out the mystical and the bewitched, the romance and the emotional destitution experienced by players and fans the world round. Here is a story of love and death: of the suicide of Abdon Porte, who shot himself in the center circle of the National Stadium; of the Argentine manager who wouldn't let his team eat chicken because it would bring bad luck; of the Russian goalkeeper who prepared his min and soothed his nerves with a cigarette and a dash of vodka before each game. Published in the run-up to the 1998 World Cup, this is the glory of soccer in all its international hues, with its multilingual cries of despair, victory and passion. No one who has ever played in or cheered on a soccer side will want to miss this book.

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker

Soccer in Sun and Shadow stands out like Pele on a field of second-stringers.

Review

A loving tribute to the game and its culture, and a celebration not only of soccer but of life. -- San Francisco Examiner

As only a radical Latin American writer can, Galeano conjures up images of legendary heroes and earth-shaking goals, with heavy-handed swipes at commercialism and class-politics, real-life racism and fascism. -- Time Out New York, Anderson Tepper, 9 July 1998

Brilliant, lyrical flights of language that, like a player racing down the field in a mad, beautifully executed breakaway, are piercingly and unexpectedly insightful. -- Village Voice Literary Supplement

Each [chapter] is priceless...and keeps the reader turning pages quickly. -- Los Angeles Times, Elliott Teaford, 28 May 1998

Galeano's history of the world cup is poignant and engaging. -- New York Newsday, Mathey Yeomans, 5 July 1998

This effervescent book, illustrated by the author's spry silhouettes, is a lyrical celebration of the Latin character. -- Boston Globe, Robert Taylor, 10 June 1998

Throughout, Galeano's terse yet musical prose captures the tension any thoughtful adult feels when caught in the thralls of a child's game. --

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Verso (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859842305
• ISBN-13: 978-1859842300
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #880,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Thoughtful & Lyrical Reader, June 22, 2000

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Soccer in Sun and Shadow (Paperback)

This is a thoughtful little soccer history reader by a well-known Uruguayan poet and writer. It's written in tiny little topical chunks covering the history of soccer in roughly chronological order. Starting with the pre-history of soccer it unravels leisurely until at the end there is a small denunciation of the big money interests that have corrupted the game which has a grip on the imaginations of little boys (and now girls) around the world. Scattered throughout are lyrical testimonials to individual performers and goals throughout history. As I read, I kept wishing for an accompanying DVD to show these magical goals, but upon reflection, I realized that what Galeano can paint as magic with words might well fade into banality when subjected to the freeze frame. Even though a lot of the players and matches mentioned will mean little to North American soccer fans, the book is still essential reading for its ability to impart the mystical grip the sport has on much of the globe.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic history of the world's game, April 9, 2001

By 

J. Rossi (Downers Grove, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Soccer in Sun and Shadow (Paperback)

Soccer in Sun and Shadow is a superb book covering the very early days of soccer to modern soccer's start in England to the world game that is played today, and all of it is superb. Even if you are not a huge soccer fan, Galeano's passionate writing will draw you into the fold and make you care for at least as long as the book is open.

Galeano recalls his childhood memories of goals scored and saves missed, the beautiful dance his heroes performed with the ball, and his pride in South American soccer. His writing is sublime and metaphoric, and Galeano never stumbles. By the time he examines the new phase of commercial soccer you'll want to cry at the tainting of a game that is (was?) so pure. The commercialization of soccer will help peolpe from the states relate to the rest of the world: after all, it was just a couple of decades ago when our four major sports were ruined by escalating salaries, corporate involvement and worthless expansion. Galeano wears his heart on his sleeve and creates a wonderful read that anyone, sports fan or not, should enjoy.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read for fans of soccer and non-soccer fans, December 18, 2005

By 

Thomas V. Millington "Book Junkie" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soccer in Sun and Shadow, New Edition (Paperback)

Soccer in Sun and Shadow is Eduardo Galeano's lyrical portrayal of the magic, passion and spontaneity of the sport set in a historical context from soccer's beginnings to the arrival of Bralizian dominance and the subsequent mass marketing of the sport via television and various corporations. The book is comprised of many anecdotes relating the feats of some of soccer's mythic heroes such as Friedenreich, Garrincha, Di Stefano, Cruyff, and of course, the inimitable Pelé. This format will probably appeal more to soccer neophytes than long-time fans, but nonetheless, it is still a good read.

I enjoyed reading stories about various aspects of the sports history and the personalities that formed it. I liked learning about the person who invented the bicycle kick and Di Stefano's incredible goal or how Zizinho scored a double goal against Yugoslavia during the 1950 World Cup. Throughout the book, Galeano imbues the narrative with a tone of passionate reverence for soccer, although he is critical of the big-money machine it has become in recent years.

This is a good book for both fans and non-fans of soccer.