A magnificent piece of writing exploring the history of Dutch football. ( )

ESPN had it right when they said on the back cover of Brilliant Orange, "you like soccer, you don't like soccer, it doesn't matter." It's true. Hate, indifference, like or love. No matter which way, this is an enjoyable read. Winner definitely knows his material and isn't dry in his delivery. He could write about the science of flies on fly paper and I would probably browse it. Be prepared to learn a lot about soccer/football. Be pleasantly surprised by everything else you learn. Among other things, Winner compares soccer to ballet in its artistry. He makes comparisons to politics. He sees similarities with architecture, society, humanity. ( )

A great piece on how Dutch football directly relates to Dutch culture. Tells the story of Dutch football through the good and bad times and reveals how a number of 'Orange' players have influenced culture as much as they were influenced by coinciding cultural events. It is a tale of how important football is to the Dutch, not just because it is a game of delightful sights and outcomes (which it is), but because it is tied to life in the deepest of social perspectives. ( )

In Brilliant Orange, David Winner ties Dutch culture, politics, and the entire society together with football. Winner doesn’t write only about Dutch football, but about “the idea of Dutch football,” which encompasses many things Dutch.

He explores the origins of “total football,” personified by Ajax in the 60s and 70s and developed by Johan Cruyff and coach Rinus Michels, and how Dutch society and football graduated together from stodgy to mod.

Winner attributes the Dutch pre-occupation with space, due to living in a largely man-made country, with their creative use of space on the pitch. In a chapter 14, “Dutch Space is Different,” the artist Jeroen Henneman recalls Ajax in the 70s playing in “beautiful waves of abstract movement.” “Goalscoring was the possibility, but the real aim was the beauty of the football itself.”

Winner addresses the Dutch failure to win a World Cup and the propensity for self-destruction in vital matches. Infighting and even the continuing influence of Johan Cruyff are cited as reasons.

Brilliant Orange is a fascinating look into the Dutch psyche and football. The Netherlands national team is currently ranked fourth in the world by FIFA and may yet be successful in capturing a World Cup. ( )

Good if your a football fan, perhaps not that exciting for the non. Delves into the reasons why Dutch soccer is the way it is. Interesting historical journeys into Dutch teams, Ajax and the national team in particular. ( )