On July 10, 1999, the world of women's sports changed forever as the U.S. defeated China in the Women's World Cup soccer final in front of 90,000 spectators at the Rose Bowl--and millions more watching on television around the world.

In The Girls of Summer, Jere Longman tells the story of the women's team, their rise to world dominance, and their struggle with the United States Soccer Federation (U.S.S.F.) for the support, respect, and salary they deserve. Drawing on extensive personal interviews recorded before, during, and after the World Cup, Longman offers up portraits of all the players on the team--Akers, Hamm, Chastain, Milbrett, Overbeck, and the rest. Longman also addresses some of the issues surrounding the team and the Women's World Cup--how U.S.S.F. and the national media seriously underestimated the level of interest the tournament would generate; the questions of race and sexuality; and the positive role models these women provided to a nation of young girls--showing them that they, too, could achieve their dreams.

Some of Longman's statements ring false--millions of Europeans would be appalled to hear soccer described as a "Third World sport"--but overall, Girls of Summer is a fine tribute to the world champions. --M. Stein


From Publishers Weekly
Soccer fans and even the uninitiated are unlikely to forget last summer's extraordinary game when the U.S. women's team defeated China for the world championship. Who doesn't recall the seemingly endless overtime plays and the victorious Brandi Chastain tearing off her jersey? With the 1999 team etched into sporting history, a reprise of the winning season was inevitable. The stories of the team members are particularly evocative, especially the struggles of individual players to overcome physical hardship. (For example, Longman eloquently describes Michelle Akers's severe chronic fatigue syndrome, which frequently caused her to collapse after games.) But excerpts of fans' conversation and naysayers' commentary appeal less. Longman, a sportswriter for the New York Times, interviewed coaches, players, fans and members of the competition for this detailed account of the championship season. Soccer fans wanting to savor the games and learn of behind-the-scenes events will probably enjoy this book. Yet Longman tries to cover so much groundAfrom the biographies of the players to the political aspect of the game to the fans' perspectiveAthat the work as a whole remains uneven. Photos not seen by PW. (July) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
YA-Longman begins his book on a very hot day in the Rose Bowl at the Women's World Cup finals on July 10, 1999. Although the outcome of the competition, a U.S. win on a penalty kick by Brandi Chastain, made soccer history, he maintains suspense by abandoning a straight report and interspersing related themes. He offers an appraisal of the effect of Title IX, which granted equality for women; an analysis of the rise of women's teams worldwide; insights into the politics of soccer officialdom regarding player and coach financing; and allotment of money for equipment and travel needs. Of greatest interest to young people, however, are Longman's interviews with individual players. Whole chapters are devoted to the careers, philosophies, and doings of Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm, Tiffeny Milbrett, Kristine Lilly, and Briana Scurry. In addition, there is a post-game insight into what fame and endorsement riches have done for and to these "Girls of Summer."-Frances Reiher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Framed around the final game of the 1999 Women's World Cup in the Rose Bowl (in which the United States beat China on penalty kicks after two scoreless hours), this book by New York Times sportswriter Longman ventures off the field to discuss such topics as the rise of women's sports, women's soccer in Muslim countries, and the athletes' sex appeal. Stars such as Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, and goalkeeper Brianna Scurry get a chapter apiece, but, laudably, less-heralded players, such as Christine Lilly, Carla Overbeck, and Sun Wen for China, also get center stage. More a celebration than the saga of "how the team changed the world," the book captures the excitement of soccer and the extreme competitive nature of these women players. Game descriptions are so vivid that readers will feel they are watching the game on video. An excellent purchase for all public libraries. (Photos not seen.)DKathy Ruffle, formerly with Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, BC Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.



"Fascinating.... With enough new behind-the-scenes reporting to satisfy even the most inveterate soccer fan,"



"More than a sports book... Longman tackles complex and controversial issues like race and sex and gender politics..."



"Fascinating.... With enough new behind-the-scenes reporting to satisfy even the most inveterate soccer fan,"


Book Description
Now with a new afterword, The Girls of Summer, by the award- winning New York Times sportswriter Jere Longman, takes a serious, compelling look at the women who won the 1999 World Cup and brings to life the skills and victories of the American team. Longman explores the issues this unprecedented achievement has raised: the importance of the players as role models; the significance of race and class; the sexualization of the team members; and the differences between men and women's sports. Provocative and insightful, this book reminds us that the real struggles are off the field -- and some remain to be won.


About the Author
Jere Longman is a reporter for The New York Times and covered the story of Flight 93 from the ground in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. He is the author of the acclaimed The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
The 1999 U.S. Women's World Cup soccer victory over China was an instant classic. Ninety thousand screaming fans at the Rose Bowl and an additional 40 million TV viewers witnessed the dramatic shootout. In The Girls of Summer, New York Times soccer correspondent Jere Longman offers an in-depth look at the team whose victory was a watershed event for women's sports.

The team was a long time in the making. Mia Hamm was three months old when Title IX was signed into law on June 23, 1972. As Mia grew out of her diapers, high school girls and college women, bolstered by the mandate that women's and men's collegiate sports receive equal financial support, flocked to the soccer fields.

In 1986 North Carolina head coach Anson Dorrance took over the fledgling U.S. Women's National team. He added the 15-year-old Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Carla Overbeck, and Brandi Chastain to a roster that included the indomitable Michelle Akers. With his core players assembled, Dorrance instilled the winning attitude the team would become famous for: "When you cross the line of the field, I'm going to cut you in half to get that ball. Off the field, we take care of each other as family. If you are carrying three bags from the bus terminal to the airport, I'm going to grab two bags off your shoulders and carry them myself, even though that welt in back of your thigh is my cleat mark."

To little fanfare and with little financial backing, the team won the inaugural women's World Cup, held in China in 1991. Tony DiCicco replaced Dorrance as coach of the National Team in '94. In the '95 World Cup in Sweden, the women suffered a disappointing 1–0 loss to Norway, a loss that turned humiliating when the Norwegians choo-chooed around midfield on their hands and knees in celebration after the game.

By the mid-'90s women's sports had reached "a critical mass of public and corporate interest." Most support for the women's soccer team, though, came from the grassroots level. Only after the women repeatedly sold out large stadiums across the United States did corporate sponsors and the media take the event seriously.

As the 1999 World Cup approached, the women shouldered the expectations of winning at home and of elevating the status of the game. In addition, the U.S. women faced potentially divisive internal issues. One such issue was Debbie Keller's sexual harassment lawsuit against Dorrance and her subsequent exclusion from training camp. Another was the role of sexuality in general. Teammates disagreed about whether attention on the team's physical attractiveness was patronizing or complimentary. The team steadfastly downplayed their differences, though, to focus on the goal at hand: winning the World Cup.

And win they did! The Girls of Summer recaptures the action of the tournament with descriptions of the games and the players that are both imaginative and insightful. During the final, China's defenders converged on the ball "like white blood cells fighting off infection." Comparing Joy Fawcett to Michelle Akers, Coach Tony DiCicco said, "Joy picks your pocket while Akers hits you so everything falls out of your pocket." A stirring subplot to the drama is the story of the Chinese women, whose love for soccer made them rebellious youths rather than high school heroes.

In The Girls of Summer Longman compares the 1999 World Cup victory with the USA men's hockey team triumph in the 1980 Olympics, and with France's World Cup victory in 1998. Wrote Ann Killion of the San Jose Mercury News, "No one can ever say again that nobody cares about women's sports." (Brenn Jones)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A mere few years ago, women soccer players were lucky to attract the attention of baggage handlers at the airport. It would have been hard to imagine then that on July 10, 1999, more than 90,000 spectators, including President Clinton, and another 40 million Americans watching on television would witness the exhilarating champoinship match of the Women's World Cup. What was once the lonely obsession of the women on the U.S. team has now exploded into a cultural phenomenon signaling a generational shift. The little girls of the '70s and '80s have grown up to kick serious butt. In The Girls of Summer award-winning New York Times sportswriter Jere Longman gives the reader an astonishingly intimate view of a team on a historic mission. With especially revealing profiles of such marquee players as Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Brandi Chastain, and Brianna Scurry, Longman explores the larger issues generated by their success—the media's sexualization of the team, their newfound status as role models, the players grappling with the issue of race, and the battle to establish an enduring legacy of female dominance in sport, The Girls of Summer is the enthralling story of a wholesome, fun-loving bunch of women who dribbled their way into the hearts of a nation.

FROM THE CRITICS

Sports Illustrated

Fascinating.... With enough new behind-the-scenes reporting to satisfy even the most inveterate soccer fan,.

Boston Globe

More than a sports book... Longman tackles complex and controversial issues like race and sex and gender politics on a global scale.

Library Journal

Framed around the final game of the 1999 Women's World Cup in the Rose Bowl (in which the United States beat China on penalty kicks after two scoreless hours), this book by New York Times sportswriter Longman ventures off the field to discuss such topics as the rise of women's sports, women's soccer in Muslim countries, and the athletes' sex appeal. Stars such as Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, and goalkeeper Brianna Scurry get a chapter apiece, but, laudably, less-heralded players, such as Christine Lilly, Carla Overbeck, and Sun Wen for China, also get center stage. More a celebration than the saga of "how the team changed the world," the book captures the excitement of soccer and the extreme competitive nature of these women players. Game descriptions are so vivid that readers will feel they are watching the game on video. An excellent purchase for all public libraries. (Photos not seen.)--Kathy Ruffle, formerly with Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, BC Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

School Library Journal

YA-Longman begins his book on a very hot day in the Rose Bowl at the Women's World Cup finals on July 10, 1999. Although the outcome of the competition, a U.S. win on a penalty kick by Brandi Chastain, made soccer history, he maintains suspense by abandoning a straight report and interspersing related themes. He offers an appraisal of the effect of Title IX, which granted equality for women; an analysis of the rise of women's teams worldwide; insights into the politics of soccer officialdom regarding player and coach financing; and allotment of money for equipment and travel needs. Of greatest interest to young people, however, are Longman's interviews with individual players. Whole chapters are devoted to the careers, philosophies, and doings of Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm, Tiffeny Milbrett, Kristine Lilly, and Briana Scurry. In addition, there is a post-game insight into what fame and endorsement riches have done for and to these "Girls of Summer."-Frances Reiher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

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