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The Language of the Game: How to Understand Soccer Hardcover – March 27, 2018

by Laurent Dubois (Author)

11 customer reviews

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A lively and lyrical guide to appreciating the drama of soccer, perfect for newcomers and passionate fans alike

Soccer is not only the world's most popular sport; it's also one of the most widely shared forms of global culture. The Language of the Game is a passionate and engaging introduction to soccer's history, tactics, and human drama. Profiling soccer's full cast of characters--goalies and position players, referees and managers, commentators and fans--historian and soccer scholar Laurent Dubois describes how the game's low scores, relentless motion, and spectacular individual performances combine to turn each match into a unique and unpredictable story. He also shows how soccer's global reach makes it an unparalleled theater for nationalism, international conflict, and human interconnectedness.

Filled with perceptive insights and stories both legendary and little known, The Language of the Game is a rewarding read for anyone seeking to understand soccer better.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A collection of wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of reading about his beloved sport...If your soccer fandom needs a tuneup before the World Cup, this book will more than suffice. But the real pleasure comes in Dubois's attempt to arrive at a kind of philosophical ideal for each position he describes."―New York Times Book Review

"An impassioned fan's perceptive observations about the sport's history, tactics, and drama."―Christian Science Monitor

"Thoughtful and eye-opening...Fans and neophytes alike will appreciate this eclectic offering and its passionate view of soccer's global influence."―Library Journal

"An enjoyable and thought-provoking read."―Booklist

"When I want to explain the sublime creation that is soccer, I will hand out this gorgeous tome. Laurent Dubois comes to the game by way of politics, history, and true love. His book is eloquent, erudite and delightful company."―Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World

"Laurent Dubois always opens new windows onto the soccer world for me, and here he has done it again, revealing the sport's component parts through a prism of smart perspectives from around the world--including his own. I love this book."―Grant Wahl, Sports Illustrated senior writer and author of Masters of Modern Soccer

"Laurent Dubois is a fluent writer and very smart thinker who loves soccer as a game and understands it as more than just a game. As someone who is at home in many countries, he is the ideal guide to the world's most popular sport."

―Simon Kuper, coauthor of Soccernomics

"Laurent Dubois' The Language of the Game is a primer for beginners, a guide for the engaged, an anthology to please veterans, and a gentle meditation on the game of soccer; critical when necessary, it is, nonetheless, a treat to hear a voice in football that still speaks of awe, wonder, and pleasure."

―David Goldblatt, author of The Ball is Round

"Laurent Dubois weaves together fantastic stories and eloquent insights from the game's poets to form a beautiful, communal love letter to football. The Language of the Game offers fresh awe and understanding for any fan and manages to puts into words just what is so bafflingly magical about the act of kicking a ball."―Gwendolyn Oxenham, author of Under the Lights and in the Dark

About the Author

Laurent Dubois is a professor of romance studies and history at Duke University, where he teaches the popular course Soccer Politics. The prize-winning author of five books, including The Banjo, Haiti, and Soccer Empire, he lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Basic Books (March 27, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0465094481
ISBN-13: 978-0465094486
Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 11 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #211,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #99 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Sociology of Sports
- #169 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Soccer
- #333 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > History of Sports

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Eddie Coyle

Why Is It Called "The Beautiful Game"?

July 22, 2018

Verified Purchase

As a sports fan relatively unfamiliar with soccer, I want to say that this book helped deepen my knowledge and appreciation of the game, and I’m grateful to the author for opening up for me a new sports experience. I liked the way he organized the book according to positions on the field and then focused on the manager (my favorite chapter), the referee, and the fan. I only had two issues with the book which have nothing to do with its coverage, grasp of the subject, or its presentation. First, the author makes it seem throughout that to truly appreciate and understand the game one needs to have a Socialist/Marxist perspective on life. I found too often political cant got in the way of explication, though what’s a professor at an elite university expected to do? My other issue is more significant: The author’s continual emphasis on the “beauty” of the game might have been substantiated by more precise description and analysis. The author too often describes the game’s much cited “beauty” with merely a fan’s enthusiasm and --what struck me as odd for a Marxist-leaning author--with a heavy reliance on mystical, spiritual, or religious language that in my opinion doesn’t take us far. I wish the author had examined the idea of “beauty” with a little more rigor and philosophical insight. I’m not capable of experiencing it yet, but I’m sure there is a kinetic aesthetics that accompanies the sport--one that is more or less equivalent to classical ballet and modern dance. I think this book doesn’t strive sufficiently to articulate that aesthetics. Still, thanks to this book, I now know what to look for!

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DennyOR

Didn't work for me

August 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

I don't have an interest in soccer -- I only watch it occasionally on TV when it happens to be on some place -- so I bought this book because I read a positive review of it and I hoped that it would help me develop some knowledge and interest in the sport. It hasn't worked out that way for me. I got to about page 100 and started thinking about giving up on it, but I hate to not finish a book that I paid good money for, so I slogged ahead to page 145, but I can't go any further. The book is filled with anecdotes that because I haven't ever followed the game I just don't find interesting, and it's nearly devoid of technical description that would allow me to understand the basic skills inherent in the game, which I thought could have given me a bridge into the sport. I didn't give it one star because maybe this book is targeted at people who are already soccer fans, and for all I know those readers might enjoy it. Also, it's filled with progressive virtue signalling if you like that sort of thing. I'll probably read the last chapter on "The Fan" to see if there's anything in that one for me.

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Maven

Title is misleading

July 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

The book is interesting, but it's mostly historical stories and anecdotes. I was looking for much more about tactics and formation. Those are mentioned mainly in passing to support a story, and in little detail.

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

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James Moore

Lucid introduction to soccer scores a big G-o-o-o-o-o-o-a-l!

August 9, 2018

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"The Language of the Game" illuminates the simplicity and complexity of the game of soccer better than anything I have read. The author's style reflects an intimacy with the game and a sense of language that will appeal to experienced players or someone new to the game. I appreciated the structure - approaching the game by breaking it down to the role of the various positions - including the referee. The explanation of the "Off side" rule and its practical application is an example of clarification for one of the most misunderstood rules of soccer. Anyone interested in an initial or deeper understanding of the game of soccer will enjoy this book.

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RadioDAP

Some good stories, but generally not what I expected

August 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

Overall, I enjoyed this, but it really lost steam in the latter third. On the positive side, he's a solid writer, his enthusiasm for the game comes through, and I learned a lot about the game's past. On the down side, the book often felt like I was being lectured to by a liberal arts professor (which he is) who can't resist bringing up immigration, gender inequality, and any number of other pet liberal issues at every opportunity. Given that I'm quite liberal and a former sociology prof, it says something that this bothered me. I'm surrounded by politics at every turn -- here, I really just wanted to learn more about soccer.

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

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A. Tackett

Love the structure of book - content not quite what I expected

August 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

Pros: Author goes through each position - starting at the back and moving forward. Stories of individual great performances at each position - some good, some eh. Bought for iPad - good hyperlinks to outside references.

Cons: Thought there would be more strategy.

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MountainBear

Tedious political screed crossdressing as a way to understand soccer.

July 22, 2018

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Political screed, with a smattering of soccer history, followed by gender bewailings, a few quotes from soccer stars, some neoMarxist claptrap, a smidge of soccer history, and slathered over by gushy assurances that soccer is such a universal and profound experience that surely the world religions suffer in comparison. Read 40 pages, sent it back.

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Soccer lover

A wonderful meditation on soccer

April 5, 2018

A wonderful meditation on soccer. This book reads like poetry. The sentences are beautifully crafted and the author's love for this game shines through from the first page to the very last.

6 people found this helpful7 people found this helpful

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