Death Or Glory: The Dark History Of The World Cup

by Jon Spurling

In 1974 Zaire's football team were summoned into a room in their West German hotel and told that if they lost to Brazil by more than three goals the following day they would never see their families again. In this astonishing book Jon Spurling has travelled the world to scratch beneath the glossy, confetti-strewn surface of the world's biggest sporting event to uncover its dark secrets.In this astonishing book Jon Spurling has travelled the world to scratch beneath the glossy, confetti-strewn surface of the world's biggest sporting event to uncover its dark secrets. What lengths did Argentina's right-wing military junta really go to in order to ensure their national team won the World Cup at home in 1978? Why did Idi Amin instruct Uganda's footballers to "break the teeth" of their Tanzanian counterparts in a World Cup qualifier? What really happened during the infamous 'Soccer War' between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969? Which country's players were sent to work in a...

Genres: Sports, Football, History

510 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Mahlon]

A fun and fast read that still treats it's subject very seriously. John Spurling travels the world in search of the dark side of Football's biggest tournament. Each chapter focuses on a World Cup in which a dictator was involved, usually with heartbreaking results.

[Derek Bell]

Treads a familar path but has some insight. Some of the interviewees seem strange choices - just random fans, and some of the stories seem little more than rumour and heresay.

[Gary K]

Bit of a slog . Struggled to finish it.