The Power and the Glory by Jonathan Wilson

The Power and the Glory by Jonathan Wilson

By Jonathan Wilson (author)

Paperback In Stock £12.99 £11.69

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WINNER OF THE SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2026

The football World Cup is the most watched sporting event on the planet. It has become a global obsession: 211 nations initially entered the 2022 edition. It has been running for almost a century. Yet there has never been a comprehensive history of the World Cup that has considered not only the matches and goals, the players and coaches, the tales of scandal and genius, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, but has also placed the tournaments within a socio-political framework.

The story of the World Cup is also the story of the world; this book tells its definitive history.

'A master at telling football's greatest ever stories... Breathtaking. Wilson's eye for detail and his elegant writing brings the World Cup to life like no other book on the topic I have ever read' ELIS JAMES 'Epic in scope, awesomely rich in detail, and compulsively entertaining' TOM HOLLAND 'So much of what we know of football's history we know thanks to Wilson' SIMON KUPER

Jonathan Wilson is the editor of the Blizzard and a freelance writer for the Guardian , World Soccer and Sports Illustrated . He is the author of eleven books, including Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics, Behind the Curtain: Football in Eastern Europe, Angels with Dirty Faces: The Footballing History of Argentina, The Barcelona Legacy and The Names Heard Long Ago.

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WINNER OF THE SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2026 The football World Cup is the most watched sporting event on the planet. It has become a global obsession: 211 nations initially entered the 2022 edition.

The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Power and the Glory and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old

The Power and the Glory features in the following genres: Featured Books for 13+ readers, Featured Books for Young Adults, Football , Sports, Recommendations, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Ball games and sports, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s, Teenage and Educational

Paperback. £11.69, down from the £12.99 cover price. In Stock.

The Power and the Glory was written by Jonathan Wilson and published by Abacus an imprint of Little, Brown

The Power and the Glory has 608 pages

£11.69, reduced from £12.99. In Stock.

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