Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano is a literary journey into the beautiful game. It explores the good, the bad, and the ugly of the world’s favorite pastime.
It is a comprehensive and enjoyable history of the sport, dating back to the days when soccer wasn’t called soccer and it didn’t even look like the modern game. This updated version includes several new chapters and revisions, including a discussion of the 2010 World Cup.
The book has an incredible flow, moving from short story to short story, each an episode in the history of the beautiful game. I particularly enjoyed hearing Galeano’s thoughts on Maradona and Pelé.
I have to wonder what this author thinks of the World Cup going to Russia and Qatar, something that is constantly in the news.
The author doesn’t shy away from controversy or unpleasantries from soccer’s long history. This honest historical perspective is a welcomed one in a game that has been victimized by corruption, match-fixing, and terrible tragedy.
It’s hard to argue buying a book that Sports Illustrated called one of the “Top 100 Sports Books of All Time”.
