{"product_id":"more-than-a-shirt-how-football-shirts-explain-global-politics-money-and-power-9781399622820","title":"More Than A Shirt: How Football Shirts Explain Global Politics, Money and Power","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTwenty-Two Football Shirts that explain the world, geopolitics and the biggest stories of our time\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST SPORTS WRITING OF THE YEAR AWARD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA GUARDIAN SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA WATERSTONES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A marvellous football book, although it is much more than that' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003ci\u003eMore Than A Shirt\u003c\/i\u003e shows why geopolitics keeps invading the pitch' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'D'Urso's simple conceit offers a sparklingly fresh snapshot'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e The Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eCompelling and eye-opening, \u003ci\u003eMore Than A Shirt\u003c\/i\u003e? will change the way you think about the beautiful game's most universal symbol. Football shirts are the sport's greatest means of cultural expression, but a seemingly innocuous combination of colours, sponsor logos and materials can all reflect the social values, financial struggles and political ideologies of the day, as geopolitical issues increasingly seep into every aspect of the game.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eInvestigative journalist Joey D'Urso has travelled across the globe, combining on-the-ground reporting with unparalleled analysis to collate a list of the twenty-two football shirts that best explain the modern world.? \u003ci\u003eMore Than A Shirt\u003c\/i\u003e?will take fans on a journey from Birmingham to Belgrade and onto Medellin and Mumbai, outlining how we can see the war in Ukraine in the shirt of Schalke in Germany, China's foreign policy in West Bromwich Albion's and why the French national kit embodies worldwide migration patterns.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781399622820\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 400\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 09 Jun 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Orion Publishing Co\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: London, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 19.6(H)x12.6(L)x2.6(W)304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 304\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eJoey D'Urso is the senior data journalist for \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e. He was previously investigations writer for \u003ci\u003eThe Athletic\u003c\/i\u003e, owned by the\u003ci\u003e New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and before that he reported on politics for BBC News. He was nominated for Football Journalist of the Year in 2022 by the Football Supporters Association and has been twice nominated in the sports journalism category at the British Journalism Awards.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003eThis is a \u003cb\u003emarvellous\u003c\/b\u003e football book, although it is much more than that. -- Roger Alton * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eThere's \u003cb\u003emore to every aspect of football than meets the eye\u003c\/b\u003e, and that's \u003cb\u003ebrilliantly captured\u003c\/b\u003e here. * Adrian Chiles, Writer and Television and Radio Presenter *\u003cbr\u003eJoey D'Urso is\u003cb\u003e a fresh voice and a tireless reporter\u003c\/b\u003e, who takes the reader from China to Colombia via Nottingham. He's\u003cb\u003e the first person to use football shirts to explain the world, and does it convincingly\u003c\/b\u003e. Kudos and respect. * Simon Kuper, Award-Winning Author of Soccernomics and Football Against The Enemy *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eExtensively researched and wonderfully written\u003c\/b\u003e, Joey's book deserves to be read by all. * Martin O’Neill, Football Manager \u0026amp; Former Professional Footballer *\u003cbr\u003eWithout question, Joey is one of the most\u003cb\u003e intelligent and thoughtful\u003c\/b\u003e journalists I've ever worked with. This book encapsulates Joey's brilliance as a journalist: big thinking and relatable - local, global, political, sporting. What does a rectangle-ish of colourful, sweaty polyester tell you about the contemporary world? One heck of a lot, it turns out - about belonging and identity yes, but geopolitics and economics too. \u003cb\u003eThis book is a brilliant idea, brilliantly researched and brilliantly written.\u003c\/b\u003e * Chris Mason, Political Editor of BBC News *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSmart, warm and original\u003c\/b\u003e... it will make politics nerds think differently about football, and football fans think differently about the world. * Matt Chorley, Broadcaster at BBC Radio 5 Live *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of the most original and innovative football books in some time, a \"Parts Unknown\" for the game\u003c\/b\u003e, as well as football business and football culture. Joey's unique writing is perfect for that Bourdain role. You might be familiar with some of the shirts, but some of the stories from the brilliant on-the-ground reporting within will astound you. \u003cb\u003eA book that will both enthral and seriously educate\u003c\/b\u003e. * Miguel Delaney, Bestselling Author of States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football \u0026amp; Chief Football Writer at The Independent *\u003cbr\u003eOligarchs, petro-states, narcotrafficantes, are just a few of the characters running football these days. Starting with football kits, \u003cb\u003eJoey D'Urso brilliantly maps the political and economic interest that have come to colonise their iconography and the game as a whole.\u003c\/b\u003e After you have read this book, \"playing for the shirt\" will never sound the same again. * David Goldblatt, the award-winning author of The Ball is Round *\u003cbr\u003eA day at the football is usually an escape from politics - but Joey D'Urso's revealing reporting reminds us that it's never quite so simple. \u003cb\u003eThis colourful book is a treat for anyone interested in both\u003c\/b\u003e... or neither. * Patrick Maguire, Bestselling co-Author of Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer \u0026amp; Chief Political Commentator at The Times *\u003cbr\u003eAfter reading this \u003cb\u003ethoroughly resourceful and revealing\u003c\/b\u003e book, you will never look at football shirts in the same way again. -- Jon Spurling * FourFourTwo *\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003emeticulously researched\u003c\/b\u003e book that reveals plenty about football and even more about the modern world. * Adam Crafton, Football Writer at The Athletic *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of the best books on football I have ever read\u003c\/b\u003e. * Dame Tracey Crouch, Former Sports Minister and MP *\u003cbr\u003eWhether you binge it or snack on it, if you like football, football shirts, history or politics, you'll find lots to love in this \u003cb\u003eeye-opening and insightful \u003c\/b\u003ebook, and you'll feel smarter for having read it.\u003cb\u003e Fascinatingly detailed and painstakingly researched\u003c\/b\u003e, with a real passion for the beautiful game - especially watching matches of all levels at stadia across the globe - that shines through. * David Arrowsmith, author of Narcoball: Love, Death and Football in Escobar's Colombia *\u003cbr\u003eAn\u003cb\u003e engaging, original, insightful and introspective \u003c\/b\u003eexamination of football's relationship with politics and power. Joey helps us understand how football and the world operate. * Colin Millar, The Athletic *\u003cbr\u003eEvery page brings the reader at least a few 'well, I never knew that' bits . . . \u003cb\u003escrupulously researched\u003c\/b\u003e -- Darragh McManus * Irish Independent *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMore Than a Shirt\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003ereframes the narrative about football's place in the modern world \u003c\/b\u003eby scrutinizing part of its literal fabric -- Jude Horspool * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMore Than A Shirt\u003c\/i\u003e shows why geopolitics keeps invading the pitch * THE ECONOMIST *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEngaging and original\u003c\/b\u003e, D'Urso's blend of sport and geopolitics reveals the messages and subtexts of twenty-two modern football shirts from West Bromwich Albion to Schalke and beyond. * Mark Skinner, Waterstones' Best Entertainment \u0026amp; Sports Books of 2025 *\u003cbr\u003eD'Urso has chosen 22 kits that tell a compelling story about the tangled, complicated relationship they and football itself has with an increasingly fraught geopolitical landscape... The result is \u003cb\u003ean outstanding book... This is an ambitious book and its scope is enormous\u003c\/b\u003e, but the talented D'Urso takes each chapter in his stride. * When Saturday Comes *\u003cbr\u003eOnce a cultural heirloom and piece of shared heritage, the football shirt is now a commercial opportunity, a political platform, a place for crypto sponsors and state actors to run riot. Football and politics is a genre that has been done to death in recent years, but there D'Urso's simple conceit - examining the soiled modern game through the prism of the shirt - offers \u003cb\u003ea sparklingly fresh snapshot as well as a powerful reminder of the incredible global scope of the sport\u003c\/b\u003e -- Jonathan Liew * The Guardian 'Best Sports Books of 2025' *","brand":"Joey D'Urso","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48997125751001,"sku":"9781399622820","price":24.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781399622820.jpg?v=1784734474","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/more-than-a-shirt-how-football-shirts-explain-global-politics-money-and-power-9781399622820","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}