1966
A Moment in Time
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Transworld Publishers Ltd
Publishing:27th May '27
£11.99
This title is due to be published on 27th May, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£22.00(9780857508638)
'A PANORAMIC VIEW OF A REVOLUTIONARY DECADE' PAUL HAYWOOD, THE OBSERVER
1966. As London is declared ‘a swinging city’ and John Lennon proclaims the Beatles ‘more popular than Jesus’, Martin Luther King’s Civil Rights Movement acts as a beacon of hope and possibility. Yet Cold War tensions, the escalation of the Vietnam War, and the space race between America and the Soviet Union project a different image. Meanwhile, China’s Cultural Revolution begins, and talks are initiated to reunify Germany, whilst Lyndon B. Johnson sits in the White House following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy.
As tensions build between East and West and the great powers wrestle with the pull of social change, the year’s football World Cup has the potential to unite old rivals, whilst giving nations the opportunity to demonstrate their prowess amongst an international community standing at an inflection point, emerging from the long shadow of the Second World War and hurtling towards the future.
Through the prism of the extraordinary tournament and the eight teams that reached the quarter finals – England, West Germany, Uruguay, Argentina, Portugal, Soviet Union, North Korea and Hungary – Michael Calvin provides a vivid portrait of a critical moment in world history. Examining the sporting, social and cultural significance of the competition and its backdrop, this hugely entertaining book brings to life a world and a sport caught in a tide of change, and shows how this critical year would change both forever.
The great book on 1966 that needed writing – and Calvin was the perfect author. England's “only” triumphant day is set in the context of social transformation. A panoramic view of a revolutionary decade with English football's finest moment at the heart of the story. -- Paul Hayward * Observer *
Panoramic and polemic, Calvin tells it like it was when England won the World Cup. Everyone knows the numerals – 1966 – but this wonderful book brings them to life, as a year and a moment in time. -- Jonathan Northcroft * Sunday Times *
England’s one World Cup victory needed this book. An absorbing account of what 1966 actually meant, beyond the mere number that has formed the legend, by the writer who has covered more aspects of how the English game actually works than any other. Everyone knows about 1966, but this will tell you so much you didn't realize, while necessarily documenting how it influenced change. -- Miguel Delaney * Independent *
A tremendous accomplishment. Rich, compelling and highly readable; this is an entirely new set of lenses for a year and a tournament that has so often been reduced to being England’s moment of ultimate triumph. -- Seb Stafford-Bloor * The Athletic *
Plunge yourself into a dream summer, detailed with Michael Calvin's trademark forensic attention to detail. With its larger world perspective as well as its enthralling nuance, 1966 will capture your imagination. An education from start to finish. -- Darren Lewis * Daily Mirror *
ISBN: 9781804998090
Dimensions: 198mm x 127mm x 35mm
Weight: 500g
288 pages