App Store

Google Play

Copy of Device Banner Block 894x1036 3

Descubre un mundo infinito de historias

Escucha y lee

Mickaël Correia

‘Correia takes us around the world to examine how soccer has produced the kind of political energy that can change minds and even topple governments’ Dave Zirin, Sports Editor, The Nation

‘A fascinating journey through the game’s history [as] a vehicle of change’ Shaka Hislop, former player, anti-racist educator and broadcaster

‘An essential read for soccer fans everywhere’ Juliet Jacques, writer, filmmaker and journalist

Soccer is so much more than the billionaire owners and eye-watering signing fees that dominate the headlines. Look beyond the Premier League and the World Cup, the sublime brilliance of Messi and Mbappé, and you’ll find a story unparalleled in the world of sport.

From England, France and Germany to Palestine, South Africa and Brazil, A People’s History of Soccer reveals how the ‘beautiful game’ has been a powerful instrument of emancipation for workers, feminists, anti-colonialist activists, young people and protesters around the world.

Countering the clichés about soccer fans, Mickaël Correia dives into soccer countercultures born after the Second World War, from English hooligans to the ultras who played a central role in the ‘Arab Spring.’ And with chapters on anti-fascism, the women’s game, and the rise in community-owned clubs, Correia reminds us that soccer can be a powerful social and political force—as generous as it is subversive.

Mickaël Correia is a journalist at Mediapart. He is the author of several books. He has written for Le Monde Diplomatique, Le Canard Enchaîné and La Revue du Crieur. His passion for soccer began when he was 4, with kickabouts on the streets of Roubaix.

Pluto Press

People's History

A People's History of Soccer

Fionn Petch

Michael Eaude

At every home game of FC Barcelona, at 17 minutes and 14 seconds of play, the 100,000-capacity Camp Nou stadium is filled by the roar of “IN-DE-PEN-DÈN-CI-A!” Time stops for a second. History lives in the present...

Catalonia's national consciousness has deep roots. There are countries twice the size with histories half as interesting. A People's History of Catalonia tells that history, from below, in all its richness and complexity. The region's struggle for independence has, for centuries, been violently resisted, the Catalan language suppressed and its leaders jailed. But the fight of an oppressed nation for its sovereignty has often dovetailed with that of a militant working class for social justice.

From the peasant revolts of the 15th century and the siege of Barcelona in 1714, to defeat in the Spanish Civil War, and the slow re-emergence of the workers' movement and anti-Francoist resistance in the years that followed, Michael Eaude tells a compelling story whose ending has yet to be written.

A People's History of Catalonia

David Berry

***Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2020***

***Financial Times, Best Sports Books of 2020***

Pristine lawns, tennis whites, strawberries and cream, tennis is synonymous with the upper echelons of society, but scratch beneath the surface and you'll quickly discover a different history, one of untold struggles on and off the courts.

From the birth of modern tennis in Victorian Britain to the present day, we bear witness to struggles around sexuality, gender, race and class that have transformed the nature of tennis and sport itself. A People's History of Tennis is populated by diverse voices, recounting the sport's gay origins, 'Workers' Wimbledon', battles for gender equality and more.

Going beyond centre court, this book reveals the hidden history of the game, providing a rich account of the challenges faced and victories won.

A People's History of Tennis

Mark A. Lause

This is the first comprehensive history of pre-Civil War American radicalism, mapping the journeys of the land reformers, Jacksonian radicals and militant abolitionists on the long road to the failed slave revolt of Harpers Ferry in 1859.

This book contains new and fascinating insights into the cast of characters who created a homegrown American socialist movement through the nineteenth century - from Thomas Paine's revolution to Robert Owen's utopianism, from James Macune Smith, the black founder of organised socialism in the US, to Susan B. Anthony, the often overlooked women’s rights activist. It also considers the persistent pre-capitalist model of the Native American.

Long Road to Harpers Ferry captures the spirit of the times, showing how class solidarity and consciousness became more important to a generation of workers than notions of American citizenship. This is a story that's been hidden from official histories, which must be remembered if we are to harness the latent power of socialism in the United States today.

Long Road to Harpers Ferry: The Rise of the First American Left