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On the eve of the 2014 World Cup, New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey offers a personal perspective on the beautiful game.
Blending witty travelogue with action on the field-and shady dealings in back rooms-George Vecsey offers an eye-opening, globetrotting account of the last eight World Cups. He immerses himself in the great national leagues, historic clubs, and devoted fans and provides his up-close impressions of charismatic stars like Sócrates, Maradona, Baggio, and Zidane, while also chronicling the rise of the U.S. men's and women's teams.
Vecsey shows how each host nation has made the World Cup its own, from the all-night street parties in Spain in 1982 to the roar of vuvuzelas in South Africa in 2010, as the game in the stadium is backed up by the game in the street. But, the joy is sometimes undermined by those who style themselves the game's protectors.
With his characteristic sharp reporting and eye for detail, Vecsey brings this global event to vivid life and has written a perfect companion for the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Blending witty travelogue with action on the field-and shady dealings in back rooms-George Vecsey offers an eye-opening, globetrotting account of the last eight World Cups. He immerses himself in the great national leagues, historic clubs, and devoted fans and provides his up-close impressions of charismatic stars like Sócrates, Maradona, Baggio, and Zidane, while also chronicling the rise of the U.S. men's and women's teams.
Vecsey shows how each host nation has made the World Cup its own, from the all-night street parties in Spain in 1982 to the roar of vuvuzelas in South Africa in 2010, as the game in the stadium is backed up by the game in the street. But, the joy is sometimes undermined by those who style themselves the game's protectors.
With his characteristic sharp reporting and eye for detail, Vecsey brings this global event to vivid life and has written a perfect companion for the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
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Reviews
"George Vecsey … writes eloquently and passionately about the sport on a journey from Spain in 1982 to South Africa in 2010."
The New York Times
"Full of humor and insight about sport and culture… Vecsey had me on page 202 of his new book when he characterized Cristiano Ronaldo as 'the most annoying great player in captivity.' Nah, he had me well before that… The pomp, glory, and great entertainment all get their due in Eight World Cups."
The Boston Globe
"No one has ever described sports better than Vecsey and he describes soccer...better than any other sport. Every run to the goal, every great defensive stop, is discussed in this book by details that will remind readers of such descriptive writers as Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, and John Updike… You don't find writing like this these days in novels and poetry, much less sportswriting. Vecsey's book i
Florida Times-Union
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