This is a fantastic book, and what's more, it has served as a model and inspiration for the many (many, many) football hooligan books that followed.

I won't really comment on the absolute cliched tripe served up by one reviewer who gave this book one star, but I would point out that he might want to take some time out from an all-knowing banality spouting, error decrying, schedule, and consult a calendar.

Among The Thugs - 1993. Most of the others? 1999 and later, including the 2005(!) Gardner tome. This book, almost alone, spawned a veritable minor industry of Football Hooligan memoirs and reportage. Don't believe me? Head over to amazon.co.uk and check it out all the related items with this book over there.

By the way, I think it was sort of the point of the experiment that an editor of a (very popular in the right circles) literary magazine like Granta went and did what he did, and reported what he saw. And in the Granta tradition, he expounds a bit on What It All Means. That gets a little dull at times, but by no means lessens the overall interest of the book.

Among the Thugs is not meant to be a piece of documentary journalism, oral history, or a PhD thesis. It's a subjective and personal account, and the author makes no bones about that. The author did, objectively, get beaten to a pulp by Italian cops, so there's some credibility right there.

Bill Buford offers an engaging narrative about violent British soccer fans, yet one does begin to suspect some exaggeration and ornamentation. Saying that these fans behave the way they do because they lack a solid home base is reductionist and not helpful at all. Many millions around the world live in conditions that leave a great deal to be desired--indeed far worse than the living conditions of a violent soccer fan--yet they don't engage in what the British call "antisocial behavior."

There is no excuse for hooliganism and bad behavior. To find "causes" for lawbreaking, be it soccer violence in Europe or drug dealing in America, is a step toward tolerating and even forgiving it.

Generations of black Americans have been raised under the impression that racism is an insurmountable problem and that they have to go outside the law to survive. This perception is so strong that Barack Obama's presidential bid was dismissed early on by some of the most seasoned political analysts as well as civil rights leaders in this country. They thought that America was simply too racist to even consider a black president. Obana was jumping the gun, they said, damaging his own chances in a distant future. When those whose words make public opinion are so out of touch with the American reality, what can one expect of a black teenager who is attending an under-funded school? Getting away from the subject? Not really. The world knows American black youth culture largely through hip-hop music and all the fashion, DVDs, games and other paraphernalia it generates. Many teenagers all around the world, in their angst and search for identity, claim victimhood and try to emulate a thug life with various degrees of conviction. The British "antisocilas" are themselves informed by such imported gangsterism. Few understand that for every gangsta or gagsta wannabe there are thousands of black Americans who go to college, fill professional echelons or start legitimate businesses.

Instead of trying to "understand" thugs, of whatever color or stripe, let's concentrate on those who really understand and avoid thug life under any guise for the boring, graceless, destructive existence it is without ever being sullied by it.

There's a lot to hope for in this book, but it fails badly. The author never comes across as even remotely credible. His writing reflects his snobbish background and beliefs. He went to college at Berkeley, then elite Cambridge, and he clearly feels that he is above the subjects of the book in every way. The jacket says he edits a literary magazine, and now he thinks he can ingratiate himself with football thugs? Please. He may be American, but he's apparently been infected with that classic British class thing. His book is full of comments on how stupid and ugly the people he is interviewing are. He talks at length about how he tries to get the "animals" at various pitches to let him interview them. Too bad he was posing the whole time, trying to be "cool" but really manipulating his subjects for his own use. In fact one gets the impression that this was Mr. Well Educated/Snobby Lit Magazine Guy doing his bit of slumming. I'm sure he's drunk many a glass of wine, chuckling with his tweed-wearing Eton buddies, self congratulating on how he survived many nights in those nasty pubs, coaches and terraces with the "idiotic" football supporters. Minor but telling points: he can't even get Bill Gardner's name right (West Ham's top man with the ICF) and lastly, that cover photo is not even of a football thug, it's called "The Smoker" by some random photographer. Can't get Bill Gardner's name right and he's doing a book on football violence? Good Lord, there's an entire book about Bill: "Good Afternoon Gentlemen, The Name's Bill Gardner." There's his name, pal. And we're supposed to believe your book is the real deal? Sorry man--go back to where you belong--editing James Joyce or something--and don't pretend to be what are not. This book is from a poser and not worth a purchase.

This is a great book, albiet the first one I have read on football hooligans. This is not limited to one single firm though, as some of the many ICF books are. Buford runs with the Man. United firm, has a run in with the National Front, and has the grand finale with English hooligans during the world cup. This is really an eye opener into a section of history and life I never knew about in England, and Buford does an excellent job sharing it. There were a few points where he starts to ramble about unrelated crowd violence elsewhere, but these nuances are insignificant by the close of the book. At just over 300 pages I finished this book in 5 days, it's an engrossing book, funny, disturbing, and horrific at times. An excellent read. I would thouroughly reccomend this to any football fan, fan of Green Street Hooligans, or just about anyone else.

Fantastic book and a page turner. Opened my eyes to hooliganism in the sport of football. This was probably common knowledge to most people outside the U.S. Great story from an unbiased source.

"Among The Thugs" provides an inside view of the inner workings of an English football hooligan firm, and it's members. Told from the outsider's point of view, it is an unblinking and sometimes chilling account of football gang violence and those who purpotrate it. Bufford takes his readers places where most of them would dare not go. The narrative-like accounts are gripping and often disturbing, but always intersting. At some points book slows down just a bit to explain the philosophy of a gang, and that could get a little boring at times, but it is necessary to understanding of the subject. "Among the Thugs" is a great read and I recommend it to those interested in the subject of football violence, and just to football fans in general.

This was a very interesting read. Buford seems to have "embedded" himself in the thugs, nearly becoming one of them himself and certainly being mistaken for one of the thugs (to his detriment). There are harrowing tales of drunken violence, racist chanting and mob scenes in just about every chapter of the book. After a while, the chapters seem to bleed together a little bit. Each new mob scene fairly resembles the last mob scene with only the setting and opponents being variable. Buford even acknowledges that it started becoming monotonous running with these professional soccer hooligans and I think that was part of his point. These thugs have nothing else in their lives that make them truly happy except their congregational violence. It bonds them and makes them closer than they would be without it. I only give it three stars because I can't really make sense of the point of this book other than, "mob violence is bad" which is something I already knew before I picked up the book.

This piece of investigative journalism will open your eyes to the British football (or American soccer) scene. The author takes this harrowing tale and takes time to find the humor in it.

My Scottish football-loving friend insisted tht I read this several years ago. I am not into sports of any type, but took his word tht it was good read. WOW! More like a great read! An LA writer decides to investigate the so-called soccer thugs in Britain and mingles among them and follows a group of them around Europe as they follow their teams and wreak havoc on the locals and rival fans. Such an amazing story has to be read to be believed. The writer decided that he's finally got enough material when riot police drag out from under a car (one that's NOT burning) during a street riot in Sicily or someplace, and club the bejabbers out him! And yes,the book's quite funny.

Bill Buford does go analytical about half way into the book, this is a good, make that a good enough book, 4 stars imho but not a great book and I would take a few things he says with a grain of salt; so in other words, I don't always believe what Bill says but it may be so. It is a candidate for one of those books that spurs on reading more books on the topic to see, "what in the world is going on here" and truly, when other reviewers mention other books to read, that is helpful.

The final chapter concerns England's 1990 World Cup campaign and my gosh, I still can watch the footage of the so-called hooliganism leading up to the Holland-England game covered in the book on older videos. And then, compare the newsreports such as tear gas brown clouds to his stories.

I cna not help but add, I like the author, find much of the behaviour abhorrent and shameful. Thank goodness the times have changed some; he gives grand explanations of the terraces and how pretty much they were locked into these to see games.

Howevere, an H2G2 BBC report on the web has an interesting take on problems starting to begin in 1984 at a Liverpool/AS Roma game. The whole history is tragic; but I'm not sure Buford includes details about this. In some ways, I wonder if the book is not anti-British; but of course, hooliganism was certainly a scourge in the UK for a number of years.

Better yet, this book is a downer; Neal Bascomb has written the perfect mile about when the 4 minute mile barrier was broken by a true amatuer athlete Roger Bannister or watch Chariots of Fire. These, among other examples, very much exemplify a fine sporting culture in England. This book has merit but is a bit dazed and confused.

Bill Buford does go analytical about half way into the book, this is a good book, 4 stars imho but not a great book and I would take a few things he says with a grain of salt; so in other words, I don't always believe what Bill says but it may be so. It is a candidate for one of those books that spurs on reading more books on the topic to see, "what in the world is going on here" and truly, when other reviewers mention other books to read, that is helpful.

The final chapter concerns England's 1990 World Cup campaign and my gosh, I still can watch the footage of the so-called hooliganism leading up to the Holland-England game covered in the book on older videos. And then, compare the newsreports such as tear gas brown clouds to his stories.

I cna not help but add, I like the author, find much of the behaviour abhorrent and shameful. Thank goodness the times have changed some; he gives grand explanations of the terraces and how pretty much they were locked into these to see games.

Better yet, this book is a downer; Neal Bascomb has written he perfect mile about when the 4 minute mile barrier was broken by a true amatuer athlete Roger Bannister or watch Chariots of Fire. These, among other examples, very much exemplify a fine sporting culture in England. This book has merit but is a bit dazed and confused.

Whether you are a fan of soccer or not, Among the Thugs is a very interesting insight into the minds and motivations of hooligans. An American now residing in England for years, Bill Buford recounts time spent in an attempt to understand the culture of violence that attracts so many young fans. Less about the game, and more about a seedy and fascinating sub-culture of the more belligerent fans of the sport. An excellent read.

Interesting read. I grew up watching the games in England in the 80's and was unaware of quite the extent of violence that went on. This would be an ideal book for someone studying about crowd violence or football thugs. I did however find that the book was difficult to read in parts and did it not seem to flow. I thought some of the detailed analysis of crowds was un-necessary and would have preferred more detail on the thugs and violence.

I really enjoyed this book and tore through it in three days. It really does capture how the working class of Britain has degenerated even as its standard of living has reached levels of comfort that would seem unimaginable a few decades back. There is something about the game of football that tends to drive working class males crazy in almost every country, from Argentina to China. The author does however lose steam in the middle of the book when he attempts to psychoanlayzie crowd behavior. Overall very good read

I enjoy reading about psychotic drunken sportsfans misbehaving in foreign countries. They weren't getting violent over politics or religion but SPORTS! It almost made me want to join in their fun!

The old saying of "don't judge a book by its cover" does not apply here. I saw this book, its cover and title, read the back and bought it. It did not dissapoint.

If anybody is looking for insight into soccer hooliganism, then this is the book for you. Buford, an American ex-pat, infiltrates the Manchester United hooligans. At first he attempts to share their perspective in his book, but as the story unravels, he becomes one of the hooligans. This gives readers a first hand account of their lives.

The scenes are ultra violent. This book is truly a modern day Clockwork Orange and the Man U fans are so crazy and violent that they make the Raider Nation look like a Girl Scout Troop.

GREAT BOOK!!

When my friend recommended this book, I was skeptical. I didn't believe an American journalist could successfully infiltrate a gang of European football hooligans. I was introduced to the notoriety of hooligans when I attended a match in Turkey. There I witnessed 200 soldiers armed with assault rifles and riot gear, lined up behind the goalie. This severity made me believe what I'd heard about fans ending up trampled, stabbed, beaten, and killed in the aftermath of a match.

Starting with a few lukewarm leads, Bill Buford, a true journalist, is relentless. He transports the reader to England, Germany, and Italy as he tries to understand what fuels hooligans. You experience the helplessness of being caught in a body-crushing crowd, being ambushed by the brutal mobs after the match, and riding the fan-crammed trains. His characterizations are so vivid, you can almost smell the charged atmosphere in the streets and in the stadiums.

This book is about violence. The descriptions are fierce and don't let up. The history behind the European football fury is discussed. Even if you aren't a fan of football (better known to Americans as soccer), this book is an excellent read on the sociology of mob mentality. You become aware of what propels crowd violence and its devastating effects on the victim, whose only blunder might be unfortunate proximity and timing.

I was there and this book is not accurate and does not represent what was going on in English Football at the time. For excellent alternatives try Steaming-In, Hoolifan, 'Armed For The Match' or 'Congratulations you just met the ICF'.

It's a well written book, but as is documented in other books on the subject, he never had any contact with any of the top faces on the scene (why not read a book by one of them that are available), nor was he ever involved in any major incidents. In the book he talks about people as if he knew them, but is relaying stories he was told by wannabes. Likewise he tells a story of a Millwall fan attacking a West Ham fan based on a newspaper account as if he was there (a very poor thing to do in a book like this).

However it is well writen, and an interesting account from an outsider - just beware of the taking contents as fact.

Buford's book is the definitive work on football crowd violence. He ran with the right firms (Chelsea, West Ham, ManU) and described a truely horrifying period in English football history.
As an American I loved the fact that Buford even took time out to acknowledge our own football in a very brief, but hilarious chapter.
The chapter on Hillsborough stands out overall. Buford's description of the disaster is equal to that of Nick Hornby's in Fever Pitch. The scenes in Turin are also of note. The passages read like Orwell's Homage to Catalonia.

In the series of narratives contained in Among The Thugs, Bill Buford provides a stimulating first-hand account of English football hooliganism in late 80's. If you're are interested in learning about the various subcultures that rose out of England/Europe during the second half of the 20th century, this is a book you should definitely read. No question about it.

Bill Buford's rejection of or distancing from violence in the latter part of this fine piece of journalism--a safari into the world of British soccer hooligans--is unconvincing. "Among The Thugs" is weakened by Buford's unwillingness to face his attraction to violence. He gets sort of halfway there & it's as though he's just unwilling to go further & frantically backpedals. That he joins in does not come as a surprise, & it's to Buford's credit that he's at least willing to acknowledge it.
At the same time that Buford seems unwilling to fully explore his attraction, it is a definite shortcoming of the book that he doesn't show that much concern for the random victims, who are not humanized. It would have been sobering--& very worthwhile--to have found a victim & painted a strong portrait in the same way he paints strong portraits of the thugs. It would have been a good balance.

The book is sometimes unexpectedly anti British. It's a complex society. Buford sometimes paints it with an overly broad negative brush (I write this as a Brit by birth).
Buford inserts his (drinking--is this an excuse?) self into his reportage but then is unwilling to fully explore what he finds.
Buford also strives too hard to explain violence. This may be a red herring--maybe it defies rational explanation.
"Among The Thugs" is an important contribution to the topic, alongside others as diverse as "On Killing," "Fight Club," "In Cold Blood," "Clockwork Orange" & "Hitler's Willing Executioners," all of which shed light in different ways on different aspects of the same thing (in fact, they add up to a curriculum on violence). At its deepest level, it comes down to questions about why we are ever good & why we are ever evil & the nature of the struggle between the two. Also, the struggle between civilization & barbarism or between order & chaos.
I'm not at all sure that social issues are an explanation (or an excuse?) for what Buford documents here. Plenty of other places in the world have logarithmically worse social problems that don't result in similar behavior (but, then again, maybe the crowd behavior in Mogadishu is just further out on the same spectrum? See "Blackhawk Down.")
As a journalist, I have no problem beliving Buford attained the access he said he did. It's an art, but there's no doubt it can be done.
Buford's description of a National Front disco is one of the highlights of the book unmentioned by other reviewers. Its got a dark humor to it, too. Surprisingly, I laughed aloud several times during the book, to Buford's credit.
Well-written, excellent reporting, important topic, significant contribution to subject. A worthwhile read.
Do not read this if you find violence & anti-social behavior offensive subjects or if you are offended by graphic descriptions of same. This is not a pleasant read, but it is worthwhile. A brave and original book.

I thought this book would simply be a blow-by-blow recitation of the crimes and violence perpetrated by Britain's soccer "hooligans." I was very pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be much, much more. Mr. Buford gives a very nice discussion of the crowd mentality and explains from a first-hand perspective how quickly a large event can turn violent. He also does a nice job of explaining how the social environment in Britain led to the conditions that allowed large number of disaffected young men with few other outlets for their frustrations than Saturday games and riots.

Very interesting, if a little unfocused, book. I recall the 1980s when English fans seem to be the rampage when ever they leave the country. One of the benfits of football becoming more upmarket is that most of this violence is now just history.
The book starts great, but towards the end it becomes repetive and I had less and less interest in the characters.
While not the sociological explanation for the fan violence, it does at times give us a sense of atmosphere in the bars and stadioms, and especially in the streets.

It seems to happen every year. We are presented with stories of violence from across the Atlantic as large groups of football "supporters" clash with each other on game day, ferociously fighting each other in an apparent attempt to proclaim their team superior. But aside from what we are shown on television - young men, rioting, destroying property, beating each other senseless - we know very little about what makes it all happen.
Bill Buford has attempted to answer this question in "Among the Thugs."
What he has produced is an excellent account of what takes place on the weekends during football season. Buford has gone to great lengths to make this book as informative, detailed, and objective as possible. He touches on everything, from the semi-organized structure of each group of "supporters," to the rituals they partake in prior to the beginning of the game, and even the famed terraces of the football ground. Included among the accounts of the violence are Bill Bufords own analysis of the "lads" he encounters, the dynamic of large groups, and what causes groups to become violent in the first place. Coupled with great narration and sarcastic humor, this book makes for a great read.
There is, however, one drawback. Mr. Buford does not spend much time on why exactly these "supporters" engage in violence. He offers a few suggestions - social protest, dangerous nationalism, among others - but eventually concludes that it is simply due to boredom, a conclusion that leaves one with a sense that they haven't been told everything.
It is this reason alone that I suggest that this book as an excellent primer for those interested in football violence. It's certainly not an exploration of generalized crowd violence, but I do not think that it is meant to be. Overall, this is a good book.