
The World Is a Ball
The Joy, Madness, and Meaning of Soccer
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $22.46
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Chris Kayser
-
By:
-
John Doyle
About this listen
For the past 10 years, leading Canadian journalist and cultural critic John Doyle has been traveling the globe to observe World Cup and other soccer matches played at the highest level. The result is a Bill Bryson-esque narrative full of wit and insight, concluding with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
In between his encounters with the delirious fans, the crazed taxi drivers, the leprechauns and the lederhosen, Doyle examines the evolution of soccer as a global phenomenon. More importantly, he explores in highly entertaining fashion how national character is revealed in both how the teams play the games and how their fans choose to celebrate.
This is a book that will excite and entertain both soccer enthusiasts and the legions of listeners who simply love great storytelling.
©2010 John Doyle (P)2014 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
José Mourinho
- Up Close & Personal
- By: Robert Beasley
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mourinho is both a sumptuous celebration of The Special One's managerial career so far, and an enigmatic insight into his unique brand of football wisdom and philosophy. In the legendary manager's very first audiobook, and in his own images and captions, José Mourinho charts the peaks and troughs of the opening 15 years of what has been a stellar rise to the summit of the global game.
-
-
Poor Quality
- By Sanjay Patel on 04-10-20
By: Robert Beasley
-
The Age of Football
- Soccer and the 21st Century
- By: David Goldblatt
- Narrated by: David Goldblatt
- Length: 24 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With breathtaking scope and unparalleled knowledge of the game, The Age of Football explores soccer's vital role in our social, political, and economic lives: its connections to social discord in the Middle East and political division in Europe; the reasons behind its surprising surge in popularity in China, India, and the United States; and its use (and misuse) in the global advance of equality and human rights. Goldblatt proves that whether you call it football or soccer, you can't make sense of the modern world without understanding its most popular sport.
-
-
Very informative
- By Chad n Emily W. on 06-27-23
By: David Goldblatt
-
The Club
- How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
- By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly 200 countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul.
-
-
Read don't listen
- By JR3 on 01-23-19
By: Joshua Robinson, and others
-
The Ball Is Round
- A Global History of Soccer
- By: David Goldblatt, David Goldblatt - foreword
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 38 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport - now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.
-
-
Dry and Boring
- By Kyle on 05-25-22
By: David Goldblatt, and others
-
The Barcelona Complex
- Lionel Messi and the Making—and Unmaking—of the World's Greatest Soccer Club
- By: Simon Kuper
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
FC Barcelona is not just the world’s highest grossing sports club, it is simply one of the most influential organizations on the planet. At last count, it had approximately 214 million social media followers, more than any other sports club except Real Madrid CF—and by one earlier measure, more than all 32 NFL teams combined. It has more in common with multinational megacompanies like Netflix or small nation-states than it does with most soccer teams. Journalist Simon Kuper tells the story of how FC Barcelona became the most successful club in the world.
-
-
Fantastic book for the serious soccer fan
- By Steve Adams on 04-01-23
By: Simon Kuper
-
The Great Nowitzki
- Basketball and the Meaning of Life
- By: Thomas Pletzinger, Shane Anderson - translator
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion.
-
-
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
- By Anonymous User on 08-22-24
By: Thomas Pletzinger, and others
-
José Mourinho
- Up Close & Personal
- By: Robert Beasley
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mourinho is both a sumptuous celebration of The Special One's managerial career so far, and an enigmatic insight into his unique brand of football wisdom and philosophy. In the legendary manager's very first audiobook, and in his own images and captions, José Mourinho charts the peaks and troughs of the opening 15 years of what has been a stellar rise to the summit of the global game.
-
-
Poor Quality
- By Sanjay Patel on 04-10-20
By: Robert Beasley
-
The Age of Football
- Soccer and the 21st Century
- By: David Goldblatt
- Narrated by: David Goldblatt
- Length: 24 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With breathtaking scope and unparalleled knowledge of the game, The Age of Football explores soccer's vital role in our social, political, and economic lives: its connections to social discord in the Middle East and political division in Europe; the reasons behind its surprising surge in popularity in China, India, and the United States; and its use (and misuse) in the global advance of equality and human rights. Goldblatt proves that whether you call it football or soccer, you can't make sense of the modern world without understanding its most popular sport.
-
-
Very informative
- By Chad n Emily W. on 06-27-23
By: David Goldblatt
-
The Club
- How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
- By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly 200 countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul.
-
-
Read don't listen
- By JR3 on 01-23-19
By: Joshua Robinson, and others
-
The Ball Is Round
- A Global History of Soccer
- By: David Goldblatt, David Goldblatt - foreword
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 38 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport - now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.
-
-
Dry and Boring
- By Kyle on 05-25-22
By: David Goldblatt, and others
-
The Barcelona Complex
- Lionel Messi and the Making—and Unmaking—of the World's Greatest Soccer Club
- By: Simon Kuper
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
FC Barcelona is not just the world’s highest grossing sports club, it is simply one of the most influential organizations on the planet. At last count, it had approximately 214 million social media followers, more than any other sports club except Real Madrid CF—and by one earlier measure, more than all 32 NFL teams combined. It has more in common with multinational megacompanies like Netflix or small nation-states than it does with most soccer teams. Journalist Simon Kuper tells the story of how FC Barcelona became the most successful club in the world.
-
-
Fantastic book for the serious soccer fan
- By Steve Adams on 04-01-23
By: Simon Kuper
-
The Great Nowitzki
- Basketball and the Meaning of Life
- By: Thomas Pletzinger, Shane Anderson - translator
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion.
-
-
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
- By Anonymous User on 08-22-24
By: Thomas Pletzinger, and others
-
The Vision of a Champion
- Advice and Inspiration from the World's Most Successful Women's Soccer Coach (Latest Edition)
- By: Anson Dorrance, Gloria Averbuch
- Narrated by: Anson Dorrace
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anson Dorrance has one of the most successful coaching records in the history of athletics. Under Dorrance’s leadership at the University of North Carolina (UNC), the Tar Heels women’s soccer teams have won 22 of the 37 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships with a .881 winning percentage over 40 seasons. He has led his team to a 101-game unbeaten streak, and his players have won 20 National Player of the Year awards.
-
-
Must read (but some issues)
- By J Parker Adair on 05-20-22
By: Anson Dorrance, and others
-
The Barcelona Inheritance
- The Evolution of Winning Soccer Tactics from Cruyff to Guardiola
- By: Jonathan Wilson
- Narrated by: Charlie Anson
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barcelona's style of play—pressing and possessing—is the single biggest influence on modern soccer. In The Barcelona Inheritance, Jonathan Wilson reveals how and why this came to pass, offering an analysis of the evolution of soccer tactics and style. In the late 1990s, Johan Cruyff's Dream Team was disintegrating and the revolutionary manager had departed, but his style birthed to a new generation of thinkers, including Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho. Today, their teams top the Premier League, marking the latest installment in a rivalry that can be traced back 25 years.
-
-
Too much about the “Special One”
- By Bob Seavers on 06-30-21
By: Jonathan Wilson
-
Zonal Marking
- From Ajax to Zidane, the Making of Modern Soccer
- By: Michael W. Cox
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A mazy dribble through the recent history of European soccer, showing how shifting styles and influence have shaped the game. In the early 1990s, the Dutch footballing philosophy was worshiped across the continent. Then the baton passed to the Italians, who clearly boasted Europe's strongest league. But when France started winning everything at international level its national academy became the template for others, until suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Europe's most revered player and manager both hailed from Portugal.
-
-
Historical perspective not tactical
- By Jon on 02-11-20
By: Michael W. Cox
-
Soccernomics
- By: Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why does England lose? Why does Scotland suck? Why doesn't America play the sport internationally... and why do the Germans play with such an efficient but robotic style? Using insights and analogies from economics, statistics, psychology and business to cast a new and entertaining light on how the game works, Soccernomics reveals the often surprisingly counterintuitive truths about soccer.
-
-
Interesting but older version of the book
- By Hansi on 05-08-13
By: Simon Kuper, and others
-
Wenger
- My Life and Lessons in Red & White
- By: Arsène Wenger
- Narrated by: Arsène Wenger
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Wenger: My Life and Lessons in Red and White, world-renowned and revolutionary soccer coach Arsène Wenger finally tells his own story for the very first time. Wenger opens up about his life, sharing principles for success on and off the field with lessons on leadership, personal development, and management.
-
-
Nostalgic but not overly compelling
- By Scott Shepherd on 11-25-20
By: Arsène Wenger
-
Pep Guardiola
- The Evolution
- By: Marti Perarnau
- Narrated by: Thomas Judd
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For three extraordinary seasons at Bayern Munich, Marti Perarnau was given total access around the German super club - to its players, its backroom staff, its board members and, above all, its manager, Pep Guardiola. In the follow-up to his critically acclaimed account of Guardiola's first full season at Bayern, Pep Confidential, Perarnau now lifts the lid on the Catalan's whole tenure in Bavaria.
-
-
Total story. Total football. Total Pep.
- By Michal Kuczek on 08-01-17
By: Marti Perarnau
-
Playing for Pizza
- A Novel
- By: John Grisham
- Narrated by: Christopher Evan Welch
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In a championship game, to the surprise and dismay of everyone, Rick actually got into the game and then provided what was arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he became a national laughingstock and, of course, was immediately cut by the Browns and shunned by all other teams. But against enormous odds, Arnie finally locates another team that will have him: the mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy.
-
-
Give Him A Break!
- By Patricia B Tripoli on 07-10-08
By: John Grisham
-
A Life Too Short
- The Tragedy of Robert Enke
- By: Ronald Reng
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why does an international footballer with the World at his feet decide to take his own life? On November 10, 2009, the German national goalkeeper Robert Enke stepped in front of a passing train. He was 32 years old. Viewed from the outside, Enke had it all. Here was a professional goalkeeper who had played for a string of Europe's top clubs, including Jose Mourinho's Benfica and Louis Van Gaal's Barcelona. Enke was destined to be his country's first choice for years. But beneath the veneer of success lay a darker story.
-
-
Depression is real, this story brings it home.
- By Bob Seavers on 12-13-19
By: Ronald Reng
-
Bloody Confused!
- A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer
- By: Chuck Culpepper
- Narrated by: Alex Hyde-White
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After covering the American sports scene for 15 years, Chuck Culpepper suffered from a profound case of Common Sportswriter Malaise. He was fed up with self-righteous proclamations, steroid scandals, and the deluge of in-your-face PR that saturated the NFL, the NBA, and MLB. Then in 2006, he moved to London and discovered a new and baffling world - the renowned Premiership soccer league. Culpepper pledged his loyalty to Portsmouth, a gutsy, small-market team at the bottom of the standings. As he puts it, “It was like childhood, with beer.”
-
-
Not for americans
- By Bernie Sepponan on 09-12-14
By: Chuck Culpepper
-
The Keeper - Young Readers' Edition
- The Unguarded Story of Tim Howard
- By: Tim Howard
- Narrated by: William Harper
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this heartwarming and candid memoir, Tim Howard does something he would never do on a soccer field: he drops his guard. As fiercely protective about his privacy as he is guarding the goal for the US national team and for Everton in the English Premier League, Howard opens up for the first time about how a hyperactive kid from New Jersey with Tourette's syndrome defied the odds to become one of the world’s premier goalkeepers.
-
-
Don't judge a book by it's cover.
- By Anonymous User on 08-17-17
By: Tim Howard
-
Sevens Heaven
- The Beautiful Chaos of Fiji's Olympic Dream
- By: Ben Ryan
- Narrated by: Ben Ryan
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is late summer 2013. Ben Ryan, a red-haired, 40-something, spectacle-wearing Englishman, is given 20 minutes to decide whether he wants to coach Fiji's rugby sevens team, with the aim of taking them to the nation's first-ever Olympic medal. He has never been to Fiji. There has been no discussion of contracts or salary. But he knows that no one plays rugby like the men from these isolated Pacific islands, just as no one plays football like the kids from the Brazilian favelas, or no one runs as fast as the boys and girls from Jamaica's boondocks.
-
-
Brilliant
- By Karissa Townes on 06-13-23
By: Ben Ryan
-
Showtime
- Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling sportswriter Jeff Pearlman draws from almost 300 interviews to take the first full measure of the Lakers’ epic Showtime era. A dazzling account of one of America’s greatest sports sagas, Showtime is packed with indelible characters, vicious rivalries, and jaw-dropping, behind-the-scenes stories of the players’ decadent Hollywood lifestyles. From the Showtime era’s remarkable rise to its tragic end - marked by Magic Johnson’s 1991 announcement that he had contracted HIV - Showtime is a gripping narrative of sports, celebrity, and 1980s-style excess.
-
-
Offended at the style used to voice black characters.
- By NP on 01-15-22
By: Jeff Pearlman
Featured Article: The Best Soccer Audiobooks for Avid and Prospective Fans
Soccer definitely has game. It’s played by more than 200 million people around the world, and it's the world's most-viewed sporting event. If you're in America, Canada, Ireland, or Australia, you probably call it soccer, and if you live in most other parts of the world, you call it football. Whether you're a casual player, a serious fan, or just interested in learning more about the game and its staying power, these audiobooks capture what makes soccer such a sensation.
What listeners say about The World Is a Ball
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hooked on AMZN
- 03-02-16
solid story, good humor
great insight and perspective from a journalist and fan! good anecdotes from soccer maniacs across the globe.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jason Lewis
- 05-21-15
Some great stories but best for a true soccer fan
This is a fascinating chronology of major events in soccer from a unique perspective. However, although the writer attempts to simplify certain terms and examples, it takes a certain amount of preexisting knowledge to understand it all.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sean Downey
- 01-15-19
A fantastic story
A must listen, of a unique and passionate persective on the world's most important sport.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- bbchompski
- 04-20-20
Really enjoyable
Great quarantine book. I attended many of the same World Cups and Euros as discussed and was fun to hear his take on them.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Danny
- 07-13-16
Enjoyable
Listening to the journey of various World Cups, various Euro competitions, it's a great listen. Lots of history and lots of fun
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 08-20-17
Fantastic story, solid but flawed narration.
The story was magnificent, the narration solid, but too many mispronounced/overpronounced names that occasionally broke the immersion of the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KLam
- 05-21-14
Mostly very enjoyable BUT....
How did the narrator detract from the book?
SOOOO many poor pronunciations...UEFA, Ajax, Scholes, Ibrahimovic, Feyenoord, Arjen Robben...all it takes is a little research. I suspect the author would be disappointed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jonathan
- 05-26-16
A must read for north American soccer fans!
The emotional aspect of the game becomes clear as the narrator delivers a strong performance to capture those aspects of the Beautiful Game that are blaringly absent from traditional North American sports. We'll written and a joy to listen to! RCTID!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful