Product Description

The book accompanying the BBC TV series, WORLD CUP STORIES comprehensively tells the story of the FIFA World Cup in words and pictures. Stylishly designed, this 288-page book is crammed with pictures and memorabilia from the history of the tournament, and features a complete results breakdown for every World Cup.
Chronicling the history of the competition, tournament by tournament, WORLD CUPS STORIES also examines many of the background themes that have made the competition what it is today: the importance of World Cup success to the country of Brazil, and the creation of the beautiful team of 1970; the impact of British isolation from world football in the first half of the 20th Century and the rise and fall of England’s international ambitions after victory in 1966; the importance of World Cup success to the economic revival of West Germany after World War II; the battles with corruption that have dogged the Italian game since their much-disputed victory at ‘Mussolini’s World Cup’ in 1934. This book proves that there is far more to the telling of the World Cup story than the statistics!
The books also allows the great names of the sport to tell their own personal stories, retelling the World Cup experience in the words of the men who starred in it. The players’ tales are often joyous and sometimes moving, but make this book the definitive retelling of the history of the tournament. WORLD CUP STORIES has interviewed many of the stars of world football, including Bobby Charlton, Rivelino, Raymond Kopa, Gary Lineker, Just Fontaine, Toto Schillaci, Michel Platini, Carlos Alberto, Thierry Henry, Sepp Maier, Jairzinho, Dino Zoff, Bobby Robson, Tostão, Mario Kempes, Tom Finney, Aime Jacquet, Gordon Banks, Antonio Rattin, Nilton Santos, Jack Charlton, Emmanuel Petit, Socrates, Peter Shilton, Didier Deschamps, Jorge Burruchaga, Alain Giresse, Osvaldo Ardiles, and many many more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24697 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-08
• Released on: 2006-03-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Four Four Two Magazine
"The greatest tournament on earth, skilfully brought to life with compelling stories and fantastic photography. A great read."

From the Publisher
The most significant pre-World Cup event is the BBC’s official FIFA television series, WORLD CUP STORIES - the History of the FIFA World Cup. The book, which accompanies this series, tells the history of the biggest sporting event. It is devoted to the behind the scenes intrigue, passion and politics of the tournament, its top players and best teams.
WORLD CUP STORIES has revealing new interviews with an A-Z (Ardilles to Zoff) of World Cup legends - players and managers. The BBC has been given full access to FIFA's archive and sheds new light on famous triumphs and unexpected defeats. The book combines the freshness of the TV series treatment and the richness of the material compiled by the BBC, but anchors it in a comprehensive on the page reference guide to the tournament. It also reveals the World Cup’s importance to the development of nations and cultures in a fascinating slice of 20th century history. It is as much human interest as football reference.

From the Author
The book accompanying the BBC TV series, WORLD CUP STORIES comprehensively tells the story of the FIFA World Cup in words and pictures. Stylishly designed, this 288-page book is crammed with pictures and memorabilia from the history of the tournament, and features a complete results breakdown for every World Cup.
Chronicling the history of the competition, tournament by tournament, WORLD CUPS STORIES also examines many of the background themes that have made the competition what it is today: the importance of World Cup success to the country of Brazil, and the creation of the beautiful team of 1970; the impact of British isolation from world football in the first half of the 20th Century and the rise and fall of England’s international ambitions after victory in 1966; the importance of World Cup success to the economic revival of West Germany after World War II; the battles with corruption that have dogged the Italian game since their much-disputed victory at ‘Mussolini’s World Cup’ in 1934. This book proves that there is far more to the telling of the World Cup story than the statistics!
The books also allows the great names of the sport to tell their own personal stories, retelling the World Cup experience in the words of the men who starred in it. The players’ tales are often joyous and sometimes moving, but make this book the definitive retelling of the history of the tournament. WORLD CUP STORIES has interviewed many of the stars of world football, including Bobby Charlton, Rivelino, Raymond Kopa, Gary Lineker, Just Fontaine, Toto Schillaci, Michel Platini, Carlos Alberto, Thierry Henry, Sepp Maier, Jairzinho, Dino Zoff, Bobby Robson, Tostão, Mario Kempes, Tom Finney, Aime Jacquet, Gordon Banks, Antonio Rattin, Nilton Santos, Jack Charlton, Emmanuel Petit, Socrates, Peter Shilton, Didier Deschamps, Jorge Burruchaga, Alain Giresse, Osvaldo Ardiles, and many many more.

Customer Reviews

THE BEST WORLD CUP BOOK!
This is easily the best book on the World Cup I've seen. Not only does it tell the story of the competition in an entertaining and easy to read way, but it seamlessly works in the personal stories of dozens of World Cup greats, like Carlos Alberto, Just Fontaine, Bobby Charlton, Michel Platini and many more. But sometimes it's the stories of the lesser remembered players that intrigue. Gyula Grosics, goalkeeper of the all-conquering golden generation of Hungarian footballers in the early 1950s tells how defeat to West Germany in the 1954 final (the Miracle of Berne) resulted in a two-year house arrest by the secret police and charges of spying after returning to Hungary. Luque of Argentina recalls the day his brother died in a car crash while driving to see him just hours after one of Argentina's group games at the 1978 finals. All of this is presented in a highly glossy and stylishly designed package, crammed with vintage pictures. The book contains candid dressing room snaps, loads of memorabilia, and so many stories that had me shouting, 'well I never knew that'. I mean, did you know that all-but-one of the Dutch team of 1974 wore the proper national playing kit with its three Adidas stripes on the sleeve, BUT star Johann Cruyff played in a specially made shirt with just two stripes because he was sponsored by a rival sportswear manufacturer. It's those little nuggets in the middle of the fascinating chronological telling of the World Cup's history that makes this book a must. I can't wait for the accompanying BBC TV series!

The best way to warm up for world cup 2006.
This is the ideal book to accompany the world cup, full of fascinating interviews, background knowledge, and brilliant photos, this will be beside my armchair, throughout June and July, I am looking forward to the TV series which accompanies this book.
If you want to get a book to celebrate this world cup, I strongly recommend that you choose this one, it is invaluable, both for now and for future tournaments.

The greatest show on earth
Chronicling the 76-year history of the FIFA World Cup (and just in time for Germany's 2006 adaptation), World Cup Stories, which accompanies the BBC television series, does a couple of things very, very well.
The photography, some of which will doubtless evoke memories of World Cup's gone by, is cleverly presented alongside some not-so-familiar images and, for every iconic picture, such as Banks' save and Maradona's hand, there are curious shots such as the victorious Brazilians parading the Jules Rimet trophy atop a fleet of fire engines in 1970.
Alongside this is the compelling nature of the storytelling - skilfully nurtured by writer and broadcaster Chris Hunt, whose travels around Japan during the last tournament in 2002 were documented in the BBC programme Beckham for Breakfast.
From the first competition in Uruguay 1930 to the present day, World Cup Stories is a great companion and a well-timed piece of retrospective reading.