Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
By turns tragic and uplifting, the history of Israel and Palestine through the lens of the world's most popular sport--soccer.
Soccer has never been apolitical. This is especially true for Israel and Palestine. The sport was introduced originally through the church, and then encouraged by the British Army, with Jews and Arabs playing on the same team.
After the creation of Israel in 1948, teams split down Jewish and Arab lines and tensions grew. For Palestine, soccer continues primarily abroad, where the top four teams in Jordan are refugee teams; while Israel has a thriving domestic league. But some of Israel's best players are of Palestinian descent--creating a rare occurrence in which a Palestinian is heralded and praised by Israelis. In recent years, efforts are being made to bridge the divide between Israelis and Palestinians with mixed youth leagues. This is a vibrant and often shocking story filled with driven, even ferocious people who are inspired by nationalism as much as a love of the game. There are many sacrifices, as brilliant teams are scattered by wars, sidelined through boycotts, and stories of players arrested, expelled, driven to hunger strikes, and beaten or shot. It is a story not simply of Jewish-Arab rivalry, but also deep and often violent animosities within both communities.
In this unusual history of the world's most intractable conflict, Nicholas Blincoe sets out to answer questions such as: it hopelessly romantic to think of soccer as a fourth field, beyond farmlands, graveyards and battlefields? Or will it always be just another space to be fought over and polluted?
Synopsis
A new lens into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, revealing how soccer has influenced politics--and how politics has shaped the beautiful game. Soccer has never been apolitical. This is especially true for Israel and Palestine. Its history in the region is longer than the conflict itself. Almost all of the earliest teams were formed by political leaders, and the sport always came with national aspirations attached. The game played a direct role in shaping the politics of both countries, and the view from the stands or the pitch shine a light on key moments in region's volatile history.
Award-winning author Nicholas Blincoe weaves a dramatic narrative filled with driven people who are inspired as much by nationalism as a love of the game. Brilliant teams are scattered by wars or sidelined through boycotts; players are arrested, expelled, driven to hunger strikes, or beaten or shot.
By turns tragic and hopeful, More Noble Than War offers the soccer field as a potential catalyst for resolution.
Synopsis
By turns tragic and hopeful, the history of Israel and Palestine through the lens of the world's most popular sport
Soccer has never been apolitical. This is especially true for Israel and Palestine. The game played a direct role in shaping the politics of both countries, and the view from the stands or the pitch shines a light on key moments in the region's volatile history.
In More Noble Than War, Nicholas Blincoe weaves a dramatic narrative filled with driven players and coaches who are inspired as much by nationalism as a love of the game. Blincoe traces the history from the sport's introduction through church leagues, he rising tensions after the creation of Israel, and the decades of violence, war, and hunger strikes that have decimated teams.
More Noble Than War is a must-read for soccer fans and anyone seeking a new understanding of the world's most intractable conflict.