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The Shortest History of Soccer
A whirlwind history of soccer’s improbable rise—from ancient traditions to worldwide cultural focus
How did a simple kicking game conquer the world? In this concise yet comprehensive history, sports historian Brian D. Bunk traces soccer’s unlikely, meteoric rise, showing how a pastime humbly rooted in English schoolyard contests grew to become the planet’s most popular sport. Today, soccer is a cultural and economic juggernaut: The World Cup, the sport’s crown jewel, is now our most-watched sporting event, and one of soccer’s biggest stars, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the world’s most-followed person on social media. Soccer even has the power, as Bunk’s surprising history recounts, to sway elections and topple governments. Drawing on key historical and contemporary events both on and off the field, from famous victories to the dark money and backroom deals that now power the game at its highest levels, Bunk shows us the many ways that a single soccer goal today may not only electrify a sold-out stadium but reverberate around the world.
The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.
How did a simple kicking game conquer the world? In this concise yet comprehensive history, sports historian Brian D. Bunk traces soccer’s unlikely, meteoric rise, showing how a pastime humbly rooted in English schoolyard contests grew to become the planet’s most popular sport. Today, soccer is a cultural and economic juggernaut: The World Cup, the sport’s crown jewel, is now our most-watched sporting event, and one of soccer’s biggest stars, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the world’s most-followed person on social media. Soccer even has the power, as Bunk’s surprising history recounts, to sway elections and topple governments. Drawing on key historical and contemporary events both on and off the field, from famous victories to the dark money and backroom deals that now power the game at its highest levels, Bunk shows us the many ways that a single soccer goal today may not only electrify a sold-out stadium but reverberate around the world.
The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 23, 2026
Felt appropriate ⚽️🌎
July 8, 2026
Got a bit boring listing dates of historic "firsts", which can be a danger for any broad history book.
Turned around in the end, and was a good overall picture of the evolution of the sport.
Turned around in the end, and was a good overall picture of the evolution of the sport.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews