The Ball is Round

THE DEFINITIVE, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BOOK ABOUT FOOTBALL

Football conquered the world with its capacity to astonish, and this is its definitive historyThe Independent

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 footballs rise from chaotic folk ritual to the worlds most popular sport.

The Ball Is Round illuminates footballs role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game.
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Goldblattwrites with authority, humour, and passion, not least in the accounts of famous or significant matches scattered throughout the bookTimes Literary Supplement

Since it became a worldwide phenomenon, nobody has attempted to write an overall history of the game. Now David Goldblatts stunning book will be the measure against which all other such volumes are judgedThe Guardian

Goldblatts magnum opus . . . Anyone with a brain and an interest in football will enjoy this bookThe Daily Telegraph (London)