The Big Book of Football by MUNDIAL

By Author / Illustrator

MUNDIAL, Damien Weighill

Genre

Non Fiction

Age range(s)

Publisher

Wide Eyed Editions

ISBN

9780711258204

Format

Hardback

Published

05-05-2020

Synopsis

Dive into the world of football with this mega book of everything to do with the beautiful game. Learn all the lingo; meet the greatest players, managers and teams from both the men's and women's games; take masterclasses with the pros; wander through the haircut hall of fame; learn the most iconic goal celebrations and more. Written by the team at MUNDIAL, the celebrated football lifestyle magazine, and filled with fun, colourful illustrations, The Big Book of Football by Mundial covers it all. This great big book is your essential guide to the wonderful world of football!

The basics and the lingo that will have you talking like a football expert in no time:
- History of football, including how we got from playing with a ball made of feathers to using high-tech footballs, the greatest teams of all time and the evolution of football boots.
- The great players, including Paolo Maldini, Lev Yashin, Joy Fawcett, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Michelle Akers, Sir Stanley Matthews and Marta Vieira da Silva.
- Legendary managers and how they did it - learn the favourite killer formations of greats like Rinus Michels and Sir Alex Ferguson.
- The big cups, with their histories and greatest players.
- The world's most amazing stadiums, including Wembley, Melbourne Cricket Ground and San Siro.
- Kits hall of fame, from the USSR's (now Russia) classic red sweatshirt with 'CCCP' written across the front to - Mexico's green home shirt with Aztec patterns and the giant face of the Aztec god of death.
- How to take the perfect shot like Ji So-yun, take the perfect set piece like David Beckham, take penalties like Matt Le Tissier, beat the offside trap like Fernando Torres, do the perfect attacking header like Didier Drogba and more.
- Weird and wonderful, from the way we describe things that happen in the game (a fox in the box) to the way we celebrate a goal (by pretending to be a robot) or do our hair (shaving it all off except for a triangle at the front).
- The culture and people surrounding the game, from traditional pre-game food to the referee, commentator and all-important crowd.

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Reviews

Kyle

In The Big Book of Football, Mundial have compiled a book that truly allows you to dive into football. This expertly written text introduces readers to every aspect of the beautiful game, from the basic rules to unknown facts and everything possible in between.

Mundial themselves are a magazine agency who remind people why they love football through their sharp, stylish and witty take on the sport. In this text, they pair their sense of humour with bright, vibrant and child friendly illustrations which allow this book to be accessible to even the youngest of football fans. As a big football fan myself, I found myself engaged with his book from the very start and it even allowed me to learn some new things about the game. Thanks to Mundial's collaboration with major brands, we are able to see the best of sports kits and players as well as the recognised competitions.

The format and style of the book is eye catching and full of information. I found my eyes flicking all over the page to retrieve facts and detail as well as admiring the illustrations. Rather than a read from cover to cover in one sitting, I found myself flicking through this to pages of interest on several different sittings and each time I came away with something new.

Adults will love this text due to the nostalgic nature of some of the content but it also works well to introduce younger readers and players of football to the history of the support. I am looking forward to being able to share this with my son and share impart new football knowledge to him through the content of the book. A real must have for any football fan....old or young.

112 pages / Ages 6-adult / Reviewed by Kyle Matravers, teacher