Book: The Age of Football: Soccer and the 21st Century
Author: David Goldblatt
Review by: Kirk Bowman, Rise Up & Care Professor of Global Development and Identity, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Tech; Founder and Director, Rise Up & Care
David Goldblatt is the greatest historian ever of the “beautiful game” as author of the classic works The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer and The Game of Our Lives.
His recent work, The Age of Football, is a masterpiece for using soccer as a prism to understand populism, racism, corruption, religion, culture, inequality, gender, celebrity, dictatorship, international relations, power and much more. Coming in at 560 detailed pages, this is not reading for a day at the beach. Rich in theory, insight and details, Goldblatt takes the reader on an exhilarating journey to every region of the world.
The first six chapters each cover a different continent. Chapter 7 provides a superb explanation of the emergence of FIFA as a global power rise and fall of Sepp Blatter, the scandal-plagued former president of soccer’s global governing body. The final chapter ties all the pieces together at the global Potemkin Village at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The writing is superb, but it demands real engagement and a basic knowledge of global affairs.
As a political scientist who has taught a course on “Soccer and Global Politics” and is working on two books about the intersection of soccer and politics, The Age of Football is invigorating, inspiring and intimidating. It is a challenging read, but the rewards are profound for those who persevere.
Read previous reviews by Kirk Bowman:
Books 2020: How to Understand Global Populism
Books 2019: Colonialism or Philanthropy? Blurred Lines in King Leopold’s Congo
Books 2018: The Underdog Empire of the Portuguese
Books 2017: Paradoxes of Brazil’s Soccer Socrates
Books 2016: Colombia’s Bottom-Up Peace Process Comes From Weariness of Violence
Books 2015: Jeffrey Sachs’ Failed Model for Eliminating Poverty
Books 2014: Istanbul: Memories and the City
Books 2013: A Dreamy Portrayal of Portugal
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