The Age of Football: Soccer and the 21st Century

Written by David Goldblatt

Narrated by David Goldblatt

A monumental exploration of soccer and society in our time-by its preeminent historian.

In the twenty-first century, soccer commands the allegiance, interest, and engagement of more people in more places than any other phenomenon in the world. David Goldblatt-author of the acclaimed, bestselling The Ball Is Round-charts the sport's global cultural ascent, economic transformation, and deep politicization.

With breathtaking scope and unparalleled knowledge of the game, The Age of Football explores soccer's vital role in our social, political, and economic lives: its connections to social discord in the Middle East and political division in Europe; the reasons behind its surprising surge in popularity in China, India, and the United States; and its use (and misuse) in the global advance of equality and human rights. Goldblatt proves that whether you call it football or soccer, you can't make sense of the modern world without understanding its most popular sport.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Feb 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781541430075

David Goldblatt

David Goldblatt was born in 1965 and inherited, for his sins, Tottenham Hotspurs from his father. He has published highly acclaimed books of football: The Ball is Round, an astonishingly ambitious global history of the game, Futebol Nation, a footballing history of Brazil, and The Game of Our Lives about the meaning and making of English football. He also edited the World Football Yearbook, made sporting documentaries for BBC Radio, reviewed sports books for the TLS and the Guardian and taught the sociology of sport at Bristol University, De Montfort University, Leicester and Pitzer College, Los Angeles.

Reviews for The Age of Football

[alexrichman_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Exhaustive, fascinating but deeply depressing!! A country-by-country breakdown of how politicians, businessmen and terrorists have exploited the beautiful game for their own ends. A great geopolitical primer - and great for anyone who hates football.