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Review Essay: Tackling a Nation's Football History

Recent years have seen an explosion of football-themed history books, ranging from the relatively mainstream (e.g. stadiums; programmes; album stickers) to the more quirky (e.g. tactics; boots; fans’ clothing). [1] The movement of players around the world and the opportunity to watch, via satellite, the Primera Ligua, Serie A and the Bundesliga has stimulated the interest of football fans and has led to the emergence of a number of popular books that focus on a nation’s (or region’s) footballing history. Exploring the relationship between football and national culture, these accounts identify how footballing heroes, myths and stereotypes have become rooted in a nation’s consciousness. This review discusses the content of these football histories, which cover both established and emerging footballing nations, and considers their relevance for the sports historian.