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Football Against The Enemy
- Author
- Simon Kuper
- Narrator
- Mark Meadows
- Publisher
- Orion
- Publish Date
- 30 April 2026
- Run Time
- 11 hours 49 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
'TERRIFIC' Guardian
'WONDERFUL' Time Out
'QUALITY' Mail on Sunday
'DEFINITIVE' FourFourTwo
Winner of the William Hill Sports Book Award
Featured in FourFourTwo's list of 'The 10 Best Football Books Ever'
Featured in Esquire's 'Best Sports Books Ever Written'
Throughout the world, football is a potent force in the lives of billions of people. Whether national, political or cultural identities, football is the medium through which the world's hopes and fears, passions and hatreds are expressed.
Simon Kuper travelled to twenty-two countries from South Africa and Italy to Russia and the USA to examine the way football has shaped them. At the same time, he tried to find out what lies behind each nation's distinctive style of play, from the carefree self-expression of the Brazilians to the anxious calculation of the Italians. During his journeys he met an extraordinary range of players, politicians and - of course - the fans themselves, all of whom revealed in their different ways the unique place football has in the life of the planet.
Critics Review
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If you like football, read it. If you don't like football, read it
The Times
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This is a wonderful book written under great duress at times and full of the spirit of youthful exuberance and curiosity that runs way beyond the touchline
Time Out
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Quality soccer books have mushroomed ... but none matches this global examination for originality, breadth and sheer courage
Mail on Sunday
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Another great work on soccer ... effervescent and hilarious
Independent
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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A terrific book
Guardian
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Simon Kuper
- Narrator
- Mark Meadows
- Duration
- 11 hours 49 minutes
- Release Date
- 30 April 2026
- ISBN
- 9781399633123
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Orion
- Genre
- Association football (Soccer), Sporting events and management, Travel writing
Synopsis
'GREAT' Independent'TERRIFIC' Guardian'WONDERFUL' Time Out'QUALITY' Mail on Sunday'DEFINITIVE' FourFourTwoWinner of the William Hill Sports Book AwardFeatured in FourFourTwo's list of 'The 10 Best Football Books Ever'Featured in Esquire's 'Best Sports Books Ever Written'Throughout the world, football is a potent force in the lives of billions of people. Whether national, political or cultural identities, football is the medium through which the world's hopes and fears, passions and hatreds are expressed. Simon Kuper travelled to twenty-two countries from South Africa and Italy to Russia and the USA to examine the way football has shaped them. At the same time, he tried to find out what lies behind each nation's distinctive style of play, from the carefree self-expression of the Brazilians to the anxious calculation of the Italians. During his journeys he met an extraordinary range of players, politicians and - of course - the fans themselves, all of whom revealed in their different ways the unique place football has in the life of the planet.
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