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Playing as if the World Mattered: An Illustrated History of Activism in Sports
The world of sports is often associated with commercialism, corruption, and reckless competition. Liberals have objected to sport being used for political propaganda, and leftists have decried its role in distracting the masses from the class struggle. Yet, since the beginning of organized sports, athletes, fans, and officials have tried to administer and play it in ways that strengthen, rather than hinder, progressive social change. From the workers' sports movement in the early twentieth century to the civil rights struggle transforming sports in the 1960s to the current global network of grassroots sports clubs, there has been a growing desire to include sports in the struggle for liberation and social justice. It is a struggle that has produced larger-than-life figures like Muhammad Ali and iconic images such as the Black Power salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. It is also a struggle that has seen sport fans in increasing number reclaiming the games they love from undemocratic associations, greedy owners, and corporate interests.
With the help of over a hundred full-color illustrations—from posters and leaflets to paintings and photographs—Playing as if the World Mattered makes this history tangible. Extensive lists of resources, including publications, films, and websites, will allow the reader to explore areas of interest further.
Being the first illustrated history of its kind, Playing as if the World Mattered introduces an understanding of sports beyond chauvinistic jingoism, corporate media chat rooms, and multi-billion-dollar business deals.
With the help of over a hundred full-color illustrations—from posters and leaflets to paintings and photographs—Playing as if the World Mattered makes this history tangible. Extensive lists of resources, including publications, films, and websites, will allow the reader to explore areas of interest further.
Being the first illustrated history of its kind, Playing as if the World Mattered introduces an understanding of sports beyond chauvinistic jingoism, corporate media chat rooms, and multi-billion-dollar business deals.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2015
68 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 10, 2015
Contemporary corporate sport is often seen as predominantly politically conservative, and for many on the left it remains a diversion from the world of ‘real’ politics. Even for those on the left who are fans or supporters (or those of us who recognise its power and worth, while being neither fans nor supporters) are acutely aware of the role it plays in maintaining and enhancing class, gendered, racialised and other forms of oppression. One of the delights of the rediscovery on the left that it is OK to consider sport as something important, not a diversion (the reasons for this are complex and worthy of considerable research in themselves) has been that we’ve begun to revisit and recover stories and histories of sport-related activism.
As a result, there is much in this short, fully colour illustrated book to celebrate. There are, for the most part, sharp very short (usually no more than a couple of hundred words) introductions to a wide range of sport focussed political campaigns, highlighting the worker’s sport movement in the first half of the 20th century, the sport focussed campaigns for civil rights and the right to play, and the resurgence of self-organisation outside the structures of corporate sport. Each of these brief essays has a short list of further reading and several pages of illustrations. The book is good on class issues and race/(anti)imperialist struggles, but problematically weak on women’s and feminist struggles in sport, including the right to play.
When I first saw this advertised, and having cautiously enjoyed Kuhn’s previous book about political activism in and around football (soccer) I had high hopes; alas they were not met. I should have remembered the problems I had with Football Against the State. It is not that this book is wrong, or error strewn – there are refreshingly few – but that it has not lived up to its potential, for three reasons.
The first is the textual content. The ‘essays’ are so short that in many cases they do little more than identify that there was an issue – about the 1936 Workers’ Olympics in Barcelona for instance, of that Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente or Lester Rodney engaged in intensely activist ways as athletes or journalists with the sporting world – but tell us little more. This makes it hard to identify who this book is for – the leftist anti-sport crowd is unlikely to be interested; the leftist interested-in-sport crowd is likely to know most of what is here. The brevity also means that the essays seldom develop the contemporary (as in, of the era) or current (as in, of the now) relevance of these struggles.
The second problem is to do with what is covered: I say this fully aware that if I wanted a different book I should have written it, and that I get grumpy with those who say of my work ‘but MacLean did not deal with x or y’. In keeping his focus on workers’ sport for the period up to the 1940s (I think I understand why, it is a little discussed area) many important civil rights/right to play issues are missed, such as the women’s Olympics/World Games of the early 1920s.
The third problem is most significant: the book’s design lets it down, and in this it is primarily the format. This is a small format (180mmx130mm) not much deeper than a mass market paperback, meaning that anything other than a full page illustration is cluttered and difficult to make sense of, and even those could be better in a different, larger, format. I presume this is a cost question and an effort to keep the volume accessibly priced (I paid £10.99 for it – a small format 160 page title; this is slightly more than I’d expect to pay for a literary paperback novel) but it has come at the expense of the number and usefulness/quality of illustrations. When this is added to the short essays this looks very much like an opportunity missed.
That said, this is a useful and important book that takes what have, for the most part, been fairly exclusive debates in either my academic world or the partisan world of the activist left and turned them into issues that are appealing – short briefing notes-cum-essays and some usually attractive images – in a way that will hopefully encourage readers to look at the ‘further reading’ and to recognise the place and potential of activism based in and around sport settings and contexts. It also has the advantage that each issue is 3-5 pages only, so easy to delve into for casual readers as well as those of us for whom this is an issue of significant interest (or in my case, work).
Just because it is an opportunity missed does not mean it is not an important and useful text with some really good and useful illustrations that show an impressive international(ist) outlook and reach – I’m just disappointed at the production decisions that mean it is not as good or useful as it could be. Kuhn and PM Press are to be celebrated for the project, but that celebration comes with a ‘could do better’ report card, sadly…… My 3 stars is probably 3 ½, but only just.
As a result, there is much in this short, fully colour illustrated book to celebrate. There are, for the most part, sharp very short (usually no more than a couple of hundred words) introductions to a wide range of sport focussed political campaigns, highlighting the worker’s sport movement in the first half of the 20th century, the sport focussed campaigns for civil rights and the right to play, and the resurgence of self-organisation outside the structures of corporate sport. Each of these brief essays has a short list of further reading and several pages of illustrations. The book is good on class issues and race/(anti)imperialist struggles, but problematically weak on women’s and feminist struggles in sport, including the right to play.
When I first saw this advertised, and having cautiously enjoyed Kuhn’s previous book about political activism in and around football (soccer) I had high hopes; alas they were not met. I should have remembered the problems I had with Football Against the State. It is not that this book is wrong, or error strewn – there are refreshingly few – but that it has not lived up to its potential, for three reasons.
The first is the textual content. The ‘essays’ are so short that in many cases they do little more than identify that there was an issue – about the 1936 Workers’ Olympics in Barcelona for instance, of that Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente or Lester Rodney engaged in intensely activist ways as athletes or journalists with the sporting world – but tell us little more. This makes it hard to identify who this book is for – the leftist anti-sport crowd is unlikely to be interested; the leftist interested-in-sport crowd is likely to know most of what is here. The brevity also means that the essays seldom develop the contemporary (as in, of the era) or current (as in, of the now) relevance of these struggles.
The second problem is to do with what is covered: I say this fully aware that if I wanted a different book I should have written it, and that I get grumpy with those who say of my work ‘but MacLean did not deal with x or y’. In keeping his focus on workers’ sport for the period up to the 1940s (I think I understand why, it is a little discussed area) many important civil rights/right to play issues are missed, such as the women’s Olympics/World Games of the early 1920s.
The third problem is most significant: the book’s design lets it down, and in this it is primarily the format. This is a small format (180mmx130mm) not much deeper than a mass market paperback, meaning that anything other than a full page illustration is cluttered and difficult to make sense of, and even those could be better in a different, larger, format. I presume this is a cost question and an effort to keep the volume accessibly priced (I paid £10.99 for it – a small format 160 page title; this is slightly more than I’d expect to pay for a literary paperback novel) but it has come at the expense of the number and usefulness/quality of illustrations. When this is added to the short essays this looks very much like an opportunity missed.
That said, this is a useful and important book that takes what have, for the most part, been fairly exclusive debates in either my academic world or the partisan world of the activist left and turned them into issues that are appealing – short briefing notes-cum-essays and some usually attractive images – in a way that will hopefully encourage readers to look at the ‘further reading’ and to recognise the place and potential of activism based in and around sport settings and contexts. It also has the advantage that each issue is 3-5 pages only, so easy to delve into for casual readers as well as those of us for whom this is an issue of significant interest (or in my case, work).
Just because it is an opportunity missed does not mean it is not an important and useful text with some really good and useful illustrations that show an impressive international(ist) outlook and reach – I’m just disappointed at the production decisions that mean it is not as good or useful as it could be. Kuhn and PM Press are to be celebrated for the project, but that celebration comes with a ‘could do better’ report card, sadly…… My 3 stars is probably 3 ½, but only just.
November 7, 2017
Este libro ganaría horrores en un formato más grande. La idea es buena, las imágenes sugerentes y los comentarios pertinentes. Aborda un mundo desconocido para muchos y ayuda a comprender el deporte como hecho social y popular. Cierta izquierda que piensa que el deporte es el nuevo opio del pueblo (Eagleton) y se queda únicamente con los antivalores del fútbol moderno, la corrupción de las grandes federaciones y el mercadeo de jugadores debería tomar nota. La única razón por la que no le doy más estrellas es el tamaño, demasiado pequeño para un tema tan amplio e interesante.
January 10, 2019
basically a collection of illustrations with added text. Very worthy, informative too, since it covers a lot of material, would make a nice gift for the leftist sports fan, but only begins to scratch the surface, because of its conciseness
April 17, 2024
Short and sweet, with lots of citations and guidance for further study on each page. Excellent graphics.
August 10, 2015
This is a potted history of activism in pro and amateur sports. At 158 pages, it’s as slim as the end of a snooker cue, and half those pages consist of reprints of old posters, illustrations and photos.
Despite the brevity, it's a great theme, and the essays are well-written. They'll make you question how elite sports are run and what they really stand for.
There are a couple of drawbacks: the book lacks a sense of how the movements and people fit together, and it’s very light on women’s struggles in sports, but overall this is well worth a look.
Full review on https://jjawilson.wordpress.com/
Despite the brevity, it's a great theme, and the essays are well-written. They'll make you question how elite sports are run and what they really stand for.
There are a couple of drawbacks: the book lacks a sense of how the movements and people fit together, and it’s very light on women’s struggles in sports, but overall this is well worth a look.
Full review on https://jjawilson.wordpress.com/
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews