Among the Thugs *(PDF)
They have names like Barmy Bernie, Daft Donald, and Steamin' Sammy. They like lager (in huge quantities), the Queen, football clubs (especially Manchester United), and themselves. Their dislike encompasses the rest of the known universe, and England's soccer thugs express it in ways that range from mere vandalism to riots that terrorize entire cities. Now Bill Buford, editor of the prestigious journal Granta, enters this alternate society and records both its savageries and its sinister allure with the social imagination of a George Orwell and the raw personal engagement of a Hunter Thompson. Read more
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Why Must Read Among the Thugs?
This is definitely a compelling book, although I found about half way through I was getting bored of the same stories over and over. The violence is shocking, and you want to understand WHY these hooligans are behaving like this. And the author seems to set out to try and understand this as well. But we never get a solid answer. We just hear more disturbingly violent stories. I initially wanted to hear these stories, but ultimately I wanted some answers to explain the behavior. Sadly, I still don't know why someone would kill someone else over a soccer game.
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