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The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism
£9.50£12.30 (-23%)
The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism uncovers the role that footballers and fans have played in the fight against fascism and the far right. Follow the path of football activism from the turbulent 1920s to the culture wars of the 21st century. What role did footballers play in World War Two? How did a Portuguese Cup Final help bring down Western Europe’s longest-running dictatorship? What impact did the football community have in bringing the atrocities of Latin America’s cruellest dictators to global attention? Football historian and author Chris Lee shines a spotlight on the roles of players, fans, coaches and officials in the fight against the dictatorships of Mussolini, Hitler, Franco, Salazar and authoritarian states in Latin America, bringing us an intriguing cast of rebels, partisans, spies and activists. Featuring interviews with leading authors and academics, fans and progressive football clubs, The Defiant shows that football and politics cannot be separated and asks what the future holds.
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Additional information
| Publisher | First Edition (10 Oct. 2022), Pitch Publishing Ltd |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 256 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1801501858 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1801501859 |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 2.03 x 21.59 cm |
by Charlotte Patterson
A brilliantly written book which encapsulates football, politics and history all in one. Chris documents stories from numerous countries and clubs across the world, talking about how the respective governments used football as propaganda to either sportswash their dictatorships or regimes and how it was used to spark nationalism. However, the book also talks about the heroes, the martyrs and those who stay true to themselves in the face of adversity, fear and potential death. Truly inspiring, remarkable and an insightful read
by Matt Riley
A deeply researched and compelling tale of how our beautiful game is hijacked by dark forces that fail to see the joy the game engenders. A superb read.
by D. Fallen
Surprised that the larger clubs in uk and their activities were not represented. Missed opportunity. Good read nonetheless
by Dr Tony Fort
On the basis of few reviews to date, one which claims that the text is ‘deeply researched’ is questionable. I’m not convinced by such a characterisation of this publication, given previous texts that I have read, for example, ‘Ultras’ by Tobias Jones. Much of the information on the Italy chapter, I have previously read, so it appears to be a recycling of previously published information. The section on Britain contained information on non-league clubs as a total contrast (to Italy), which was very niche, to me at least. I think it depends where you start and your own points of reference in terms of interest, knowledge and lived experience. I’m almost 60 and was a initiate of the English terraces in the early 70s, so have witnessed many incidents that aren’t remotely referenced within the context of a wider scale. A useful contribution to interested parties, but to describe it as ‘deeply researched’ is questionable. Nevertheless, any text which broaches the complex interplay between football and lived politics is commendable. Particularly in these polarised times.
by Steve Kearns
Info.
by Gerry3171
I very much enjoyed Defiant, it deftly does away with the notion that football and politics don’t mix or that such a concept is even possible while also giving a broad overview on activist and anti-fascist football over the last 100 years to the present day, I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Italy and Eastern Europe.