Description
The definitive book about soccer, from the author of The Games: A Global History of the Olympics.
There may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final. In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.
Author: David Goldblatt
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Published: 01/02/2008
Pages: 1008
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 2.05lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 1.70d
ISBN13: 9781594482960
ISBN10: 1594482969
BISAC Categories:
- Sports & Recreation | Soccer
- Sports & Recreation | History
- Sports & Recreation | Cultural & Social Aspects
There may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final. In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.
Author: David Goldblatt
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Published: 01/02/2008
Pages: 1008
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 2.05lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 1.70d
ISBN13: 9781594482960
ISBN10: 1594482969
BISAC Categories:
- Sports & Recreation | Soccer
- Sports & Recreation | History
- Sports & Recreation | Cultural & Social Aspects
About the Author
Among many other things, David Goldblatt is the author of The Games: A Global History of the Olympics, and the writer and compiler of Dorling Kindersley's World Football Yearbook. Born in London in 1965, he now lives in Bristol, England.