The Grass of Another Country: A Journey Through the World of Soccer

New York: Henry Holt & Co, 1993. Stated First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/fine. While baseball is our national game, soccer is the international game of choice, and climaxes every four years in the World Cup, watched on TV by an estimated billion fans. Merrill, a poet, an editor and a former amateur soccer player who demonstrates an expert's knowledge of the sport, went to Italy for the 1990 World Cup, won by then-West Germany, and here captures the frenzied dedication of the spectators whose teams were in contention, the wild elation when their nations won and the despair when they lost. He also analyzes the style of play of many teams, which he views as reflective of their national character, some conservative and defense-oriented, others aggressive yet almost balletic. The book may have been written as advance publicity for the 1994 World Cup, which will be held in the U.S. for the first time, but it will probably be appreciated only by those already familiar with the nuances of the sport." -- Publishers Weekly "This book offers a really lucid and beautifully crafted discussion of soccer, as seen through the eyes of an American enthusiast, during the excitement of the World Cup and on Italian "grass." The author has a gift for the thoughtfully rendered sentence, so the reader is treated not just to the fun and highlights of the game, but to the pleasure of language. Anyone who appreciates soccer as well as lovely and yet very pointed writing will be thoroughly delighted by this book. It reveals a lot about the passion of people who like to play and/or watch others play soccer, while it reveals so much about the differing cultural attitudes toward the sport. The author writes with such sharp and yet sensitive observation that while the reader is informed of the realities - sometimes ugly and sometimes beautiful- of the world of soccer, the reader is simultaneously touched by the tenderness of the writer's vision. Merrill deserves credit for his insight and for his own passion, that of an athlete and a gifted, thoughtful writer. The time spent reading this book is worth each moment. I hope you can get your hands on a copy and enjoy it!" -- review by Jeanmarie (St. Louis, Missouri). Book and jacket are fine.