The Power and the Glory by Jonathan Wilson

The Power and the Glory by Jonathan Wilson

A definitive new history of the world's most watched sporting event--just in time for the 2026 tournament​

 

"Wilson is the game's pre-eminent popular historian."--Observer (UK)



An Irish Times Best Sports Book of the Year



Since 1930, the World Cup has become a truly global obsession. It is the most watched sporting event on the planet, and 211 teams competed to make it into the 2022 tournament. From its inception, it has also been a vehicle for far more than soccer. A tool for self-mythologizing and influence-peddling, The World Cup has played a crucial role in nation-building, and continues to, as countries negotiate their positions in a globalized world. 

 

The Power and the Glory is a comprehensive history of the matches and goals, the tales of scandal and triumph, the haggling and skulduggery of the bidding process, and the political and cultural tides behind every tournament. Jonathan Wilson details not merely what happened but why, based on fresh interviews and meticulous research. The book is as much about the legends of the sport, from Pelé to Messi, as it is about the nations that made them, from Mussolini's Italy to partitioned Germany to controversy-ridden Qatar. 

 

Brimming with politics, heart, and drama, on and off the pitch, The Power and the Glory is the definitive story of the greatest cultural event of our time.

Jonathan Wilson was born in London in 1950 and went to Essex, Oxford, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for his education. Since 1976, he has lived in the United States, with a four-year stint in Jerusalem. He has already published two works of fiction, The Hidden Room and Schoom. His stories, articles, essays, and reviews have appeared in a variety of publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, and The Best American Short Stories. In 1994, he received a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in Fiction. He is the chair of Tufts University's English Department and resides in Newton, Massachusetts, with his wife and two sons.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781645030409
ISBN 10	1645030407
Title	The Power and the Glory
Author	Jonathan Wilson
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Bold Type Books
Year published	2025-10-28
Number of pages	576
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.