Amazon Says

Reviews from Amazon.com for Offside: Soccer and American Exceptionalism

"Fascinating study" December 3, 2002
Reviewer: Beau Dure from Fairfax, Virginia, USA

If you're not enamored of academic language, consider this fair warning: It's loaded with it. But this book is one of those rare cases in which wading through the jargon is worth it. The two scholars involved use the tools of the academy to great effect here, explaining the role of sports in creating an American identity. American football and baseball weren't blatant attempts at nation-building (unlike, say, Irish football and hurling), but they served that purpose quite well.

This is indeed a powerful read for non-soccer fans as well. Ivory tower-dwellers drawn by the "American Exceptionalism" part of the title will get an eye-opening look at sports and American life.

Oh -- and soccer fans will consider it a good read as well, especially if you're curious about the game's history in the U.S.

Please also visit Andy Markovits' official University of Michigan website.