Rediscovering soccer's long history in the U.S.Across North America, native peoples and colonists alike played a variety of kicking games long before soccer's emergence in the late 1800s. Brian D. Bunk examines the development and social impact of these sports through the rise of professional soccer after World War I. As he shows, the various games called football gave women an outlet as athletes and encouraged men to form social bonds based on educational experien...

From ancient kicking games to the world’s most popular sportHumans have enjoyed kicking balls around for thousands of years, whether in Ancient China or sixteenth-century North America. Football as we know it today was born from two vastly different British traditions: rough-and-tumble folk football and the games played in elite boarding schools. So how did it go from a local pastime to the pinnacle of global sport?Brian D. Bunk traces the incredible histor...

Played by both migrants and native-born Americans, soccer created communities across the United States. Brian D. Bunk ranges from Pawtucket to Honolulu as he illuminates the deep and diverse origins of the American sport.Soccer took root as immigration, urbanization, and industrialization triggered immense changes across society. Matches built local pride as teams battled rival neighborhoods and towns. Teammates and supporters shared meals, raised money for fallen players, and atte...

The question of what caused the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) is the central focus of modern Spanish historiography. In Ghosts of Passion, Brian D. Bunk argues that propaganda related to the revolution of October 1934 triggered the broader conflict by accentuating existing social tensions surrounding religion and gender. Through careful analysis of the images produced in books, newspapers, posters, rallies, and meetings, Bunk contends that Spain’s civil war was not inevitable. Comme...

The classic bestseller that changed how the world thinks about football'Quite magnificent – a sort of Freakanomics of football.' Jonathan Wilson, Guardian**'If you're a football fan, I'll save you some time: read this book' Daily Telegraph__________Football truly is the world’s favourite game, followed in over 200 countries by hundreds of millions of people pourin...

This country and its people are made of the same hardy stuff that makes our game and our league. The Grey Cup has helped unite our country for 100 years now. And it has revealed us, built our pride and our sense of Canadianness in annual tributes to effort, sweat and toil. But what does 100 years of history and cultural relevance add up to? When we Canadians look at the Grey Cup, we see far more than a gleaming football trophy; we see a reflection of ourselves. After its first years as an ...

For readers of The Boys in the Boat and Against All OddsJoin a ragtag group of misfits from Dawson City as they scrap to become the 1905 Stanley Cup champions and cement hockey as Canada’s national pastimeAn underdog hockey team traveled for three and a half weeks from Dawson City to Ottawa to play for the Stanley Cup in 1905. The Klondikers’ eagerness to make the journey, and the public’s enthusiastic response, revealed j...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST SPORTS WRITING OF THE YEAR AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDA GUARDIAN SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEARA WATERSTONES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR'A marvellous football book, although it is much more than that' The Times'More Than A Shirt shows why geopolitics keeps invading the pitch' The Economist

A National Bestseller!A new collection of the best Canadian trivia in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday.Just in time for Canada’s 150th birthday comes this collection of the best in Canadian questions and answers, covering history, famous Canadians, sports, word origins, geography, and everything in between. In these pages, you’ll learn the answers to questions like:Where did the word Canuck come from?How did an aristocratic ...

In 1928 two extraordinary Englishmen competed in an unprecedented event - a transcontinental road race across America that required them to run an average of 40 miles for 80 consecutive days.Despite being separated by class, education and age, Peter Gavuzzi and Arthur Newton became close friends and formed a successful business partnership as endurance athletes. They raced in 500-mile relays, in 24-hour events, in snowshoes and against horses; and they became the stars of a craze f...

Whether you want to impress friends and colleagues with new-found football wisdom, brush up on details you're unsure about (the offside rule, anyone?) or improve your practical skills, this is the book for you! Covering all the basics of the game, rules and tactics, as well as giving an in-depth history of the sport and how it has evolved to the present day, this indispensable guide will get you up to speed on the most popular game in the world in no time. With dream team formations, tips ...

Mitchell Symons has stats and stories to entertain and amaze you!Did the Olympians really compete in the buff?Which striker's shorts fell down when he was taking a penalty?Which sport consists of running while juggling?Which football team's fanzine is called Linesman, You're Rubbish?