The fifteenth anniversary edition, fully revised and updated, of Jonathan Wilson's modern classic. In the modern classic, Jonathan Wilson pulls apart the finer details of the world's game, tracing the global history of tactics, from modern pioneers right back to the beginning, when chaos reigned. Along the way, he looks at the lives of great players and thinkers who shaped the sport, and probes why the English, in particular, have proved themselves unwilling to grapple with the abstract. Fully revised and updated, this fifteenth-anniversary edition analyses the evolution of modern international football, including the 2022 World Cup, charting the influence of the great Spanish, German and Portuguese tacticians of the last decade, whilst pondering the effects of football's increased globalisation and commercialisation.

In the last two decades football in Britain has made the transition from a peripheral dying sport to the very centre of our popular culture, from an economic basket-case to a booming entertainment industry. What does it mean when football becomes so central to our private and political lives? Has it enriched us or impoverished us? In this sparkling book David Goldblatt argues that no social phenomenon tracks the momentous economic, social and political changes of the post-Thatcherite era in a more illuminating manner than football, and no cultural practice sheds more light on the aspirations and attitudes of our long boom and now calamitous bust. A must-read for the thinking football fan, The Game of Our Lives will appeal to readers of Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby and Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson. It will also be relished by readers of British social history such as Austerity Britain by David Kynaston.

Alfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistua, Juan Roman Riquelme, Lionel Messi... Argentina has produced some of the greatest footballers of all time. But the rich, volatile history of Argentinian football is made up of both the sublime and the ruthlessly pragmatic. Jonathan Wilson, having lived in Buenos Aires, is ideally placed to chart the sport's development in a country that, perhaps more than any other, lives and breathes football, its theories and its myths. Fully revised and updated, this new edition looks at the contrasting evolution of Argentinian football over the last ten years; from the chaos and violence of the abandoned 2018 Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors to the revitalised national side under manager Lionel Scaloni, which triumphed at the 2019 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup. Angels with Dirty Faces is the definitive history of a great footballing nation and its many paradoxes.

The first history of Italian football to be written in English, ‘Calcio’ is a mix of serious analysis and comic storytelling, with vivid descriptions of games, goals, dives, missed penalties, riots and scandals in the richest and toughest league in the world. ‘Calcio’ tells the story of Italian football from its origins in the 1890’s to the present day. It takes us through a history of great players and teams, of style, passion and success, but also of violence, cynicism, catenaccio tactics and corruption. We meet the personalities that have shaped this history – from the Italian heroes to the foreigners that failed, the model professionals to the mavericks. ‘Calcio’ evokes the triumphs (the 1982 World Cup victory) and the tragedies (Meroni, the 'Italian George Best', killed by his number one fan), set against a backdrop of paranoia and intrigue, in a country where the referee is seen as corrupt until proven otherwise. Calcio is no longer a game. It is sometimes difficult to define it as a sport. It is certainly big business and a fanatical civic religion. There is no moral code here. Winners are always right, losers always wrong. This history of Italian football reveals all about the richest and toughest league in the world.

An absolutely essential book for every modern football fan, about the development of Premier League tactics, published to coincide with 25 years of the competition. Back in 1992, English football was stuck in the dark ages, emerging from a five-year ban from European competition. The game was physical, bruising and attritional, based on strength over speed, aggression over finesse. It was the era of the midfield general, reducers, big men up front and getting it in the mixer; 4-4-2 was the order of the day. Few teams experimented tactically. And then, almost overnight, it all changed. The creation of the Premier League coincided with one of the most seismic rule changes in football history: the abolition of the back-pass. Suddenly defenders had no-get-out-of-jail-free card, goalkeepers had to be able to field and play the ball and the pace of the game quickened immeasurably. Tactics evolved dramatically, helped by an increased foreign influence. The Mixer is the first book to delve deep into the tactical story of the Premier League, and take a long view of how the game has developed over the last quarter century. From Ferguson's directness to Keegan's relentlessly attacking Newcastle outfit, to Mourinho's cagey, reactive Chelsea, all the way to Ranieri's counter-attacking champions, The Mixer is one of the most entertaining, rich and knowledgeable football books ever written.

Discover everything about football - from the laws and tactics to the science and art of the "beautiful game". With profiles of more than 65 of the world's best footballing nations, and the biggest names in club football and other key competitions, this is the ultimate visual guide to the world's greatest sport. Inside the pages of this comprehensive and highly illustrated guide to football, you'll find: - A fresh graphic style that illustrates everything from beach football to block tackles - Stats and fact boxes that profile players, managers, fans, football trivia, national teams, and clubs - Special features that highlight great football matches, stadiums, and football culture - "Top 5" boxes that provide an alternative look at the best and worst of the game It's a GOAL with The Football Book! From the history of football and the story behind the game to the football World Cup and the delayed Euro 2020 championships, this sports book reveals a fascinating story page after page. Keen player, lifelong club supporter, or armchair football manager? It is the perfect book for die-hard football fans - old or new. The book's eye-catching, step-by-step artwork and jargon-free text profiles everything football-related from players' roles, equipment, team formations, strategies, and individual football skills. Even more so, maps, quotes, and statistics give you all the key facts on national teams, famous club sides, and iconic football players, as well as the greatest competitions around the world and of all time.

The perfect guide for any football fan who wants to know everything about the "beautiful game" - from World Cup winners and champions past and present, to football skills and techniques. Ever wondered when and where was football played for the first time? Do you know the history of the first football team? Have you explored the science behind football? Enter the fascinating world of the most popular game in the world with Eyewitness Football. Get in-depth knowledge about everything football from the rules and laws of the game to various skills and tactics. Follow the evolution of the ball itself, from inflated animal bladders to modern synthetic ones. Know what it feels like to walk in the specialized boots worn by the players - from studless ones from the 19th century to the modern ones with changeable screw-in studs. Eyewitness Football is packed with amazing pictures and facts that would interest new and old fans of the game alike. From bite-sized biographies of legendary players and results from all major tournaments to details about different national teams and clubs, this book packs it all in. Also included is a fantastic, full-colour poster to hang on your wall.

Rule #1: Don't watch the ball Yes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it's also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It's about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It's about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It's about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change. Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world's most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple 'rules' for understanding and enjoying the beautiful game-both on and off the pitch. Covering the key concepts, tactics and philosophies that are shaping the sport today, How to Watch Football reveals surprising new perspectives on familiar elements of gameplay, while highlighting lesser-known aspects of the industry and its history. Whether you're a casual fan or a football obsessive, the fifty-two golden rules in this pocket-size guide will deepen your delight in the world's favourite sport.

Football is at the heart of British national identity. Through more than forty fascinating stories, Football Nation reveals the hidden and not-so-hidden history of the game since 1945. From the mass audiences of austerity Britain when footballers were amateurs, through the arrival of the Premiership after the Hillsborough disaster, to the present day when top-flight players command a higher weekly wage than the average spectator earns in a year, Football Nation offers an entirely fresh perspective on the history of the beautiful game in Britain.

Outlining of the history of football through graphic football record sleeves As this fascinating book shows, the football record-which turns out to be a vast subgenre of its own-has more to offer than just music: the sleeves of these seven-inch records outline the history of football in a truly unique way. They tell of promotions, championship titles, finals and ground inaugurations, and document the evolution of equipment (for example, from the heavy brown leather ball to the TV-friendly black-and-white ball); they also show how the typography and imagery changed from one World Cup to another. Each cover is a piece of commercial art and a testament to its time, narrating the history of football in a fun, informative and special fashion. Based on a collection of 930 cases of records from the 1950s to the present, Football Disco! tells the story of clubs such as Botafogo and Boca, Norwich and Nantes, Spartak and Dynamo, and celebrates footballers as pop stars: Pele and Beckenbauer, Muller and Milla, Hoddle and Waddle, Scifo and Sanchez. Texts on football and music in Italy, Argentina, Germany and England situate the collection in a historical, regional and cultural context.

Packed with stunning photography, Eyewitness Football is the perfect guide for any football fan who wants to know everything about the "beautiful game". Become an eyewitness to world cup winners and champions past and present in this picture-led reference guide that will take you on a tour of the beautiful game. Children will love reading about tricky tactics, freshening up on football skills knowledge, and getting to grips with the science and technology behind the game. This fact-packed football guide for children aged 9+ includes bite-sized biographies of well-known players - from Lionel Messi to Zinedine Zidane - to fill you in on those important details needed to impress, as well as club shirts and memorabilia pictured from years gone by and the shining trophies you still see today. Action-packed photographs help you relive moments of glory, while record breakers and national team profiles are listed for quick-fire mastery of famous football history

In this original and vibrant examination of the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II, biographer and novelist A.N. Wilson paints a vivid portrait of ‘Lilibet’ the woman, and of her reign. He also considers the history of the monarchy, drawing a line that stretches from Queen Victoria to the bloody history of Europe in the twentieth century, examining how and why the Royal Family has survived. In part historical overview, but with a keen eye to the future, Wilson writes with his signature warmth, intelligence and humour, celebrating the life of the Queen and her role as figurehead of Britain and the Commonwealth.

This unflinching history of the darkest days of the Second World War covers the entire world stage, from the Battle of the Atlantic to Pearl Harbor. Rooted in the personal accounts of the soldiers themselves, Blood, Tears and Folly is a sweeping, moving account of the political machinations, the strategy and tactics, the weapons and the men on both sides who created a world of devastation.

Who's scored the most goals in the history of football? (and, no, it's not Pele) Who is the dirtiest player in Champions League history? What do Harry Kane and North Korea have in common? And which creature is the most common Premier League mascot? The Match of the Day magazine Footy Facts & Stats book is bursting with thousands - literally thousands - of brilliant facts and amazing stats from the world of football. It contains everything you need to know about the game's biggest legends, the most iconic moments and the greatest tournaments. Get ready for a trivia overload from the Premier League, Champions League, Football League, the biggest and best leagues from around the world, the WSL, the FA Cup, World Cup, European Championships and much, much more. Discover all the fantastic facts about your biggest heroes, the biggest clubs and the biggest icons ever to have played the beautiful game. Dive into the amazing world of football's incredible record-breakers - we're talking big money transfers, net-busting strikers and red-card collecting hardmen. Oh, and learn how to say 'football' in every language! This, from the Match of the Day magazine team, is the ultimate guide to the wonderful - and sometimes wacky - world of football trivia!

A lively and engaging history of "the beautiful game". Tells the story of football, from its beginnings in the Roman Army to the modern day premiership including how both American Football and Rugby were born. Humorously illustrated by Paddy Mounter. Usborne Young Reading has been developed in conjunction with reading experts from Roehampton University.

The history of football is as fascinating and exciting as the game itself. In this Macmillan Reader, Patrick Adams describes football from its humble (and sometimes violent) beginnings in Central and South America, and its emergence on the streets of 19th century England as a recognized game, to the international stadiums, big business and multi-million pound players of today.