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.
- ISBN10 1594482969
- ISBN13 9781594482960
- Publish Date 2 January 2008 (first published 28 September 2006)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc
- Imprint Riverhead Books,U.S.
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 1008
- Language English
- URL https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781594482960