What is the author's tone in Among the Thugs by Bill Buford?

Buford uses several tones throughout the course of the novel, which simply adds to the authenticity of the book. In the beginning, his tone is sincerely inquisitive as he seeks to discover the hows and whys of football supporters, and of the violence they appear to be known for. He is ignorantly innocent in the beginning, and is clearly in awe of what he sees around him. As he progresses through his novel, he experiences the violence of the football crown first hand, and his tone becomes excited and more partisan. He begins to understand the youths, or believes he does, and understands their fascination both with the game and with the crowd attraction. His tone toward society, much like that used by his supporter friends, becomes less tolerable and more antisocial.

After several years of this violence, however, Buford's tone changes again to one of boredom. He reports events not with the innocence of his original tone nor with excitement, but with a sense of duty. He begins to write almost scornfully of the group. By the end of the novel, his tone is combative against these same individuals, as he is disgusted and disheartened by what he now feels are simply violent thugs acting out against society.