‘A tour de force of brilliant writing, historical colour and sporting vignette’ Observer on The Ball is Round No country on earth has bound its national soul to football as completely as Brazil. The yellow shirt, the samba rhythm of play, the extraordinary procession of individual genius from Pelé onwards — all of it has fused sport with art, music, and religious fervour in a way unique to this nation. But David Goldblatt’s Futebol Nation refuses to stop at the beautiful game’s beautiful surface. The same passion that fills stadiums has also provided cover for deep-rooted corruption within football’s governing bodies, and Brazil’s biggest tournaments have been staged against a backdrop of the largest popular protests the country has ever witnessed. Goldblatt — author of the acclaimed global football history The Ball is Round, and a sociology lecturer at Bristol University who also writes on sport for the TLS and Prospect — tells the whole story: the players and the fans, the joy and the scandal, the politics and the passion. Born in London in 1965 and a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur and Bristol Rovers, he brings both affection and clear-eyed rigour to his subject. Readers of I am the Secret Footballer, The Numbers Game, and Why England Lose will find much to savour here.
ISBN 13: 9780241969779
Author: David Goldblatt
