The Greatest Show on Earth

The Inside Story of the Legendary 1970 World Cup

Andrew Downie

$39.99

Hardback

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English

Arena Sport
02 September 2021

World Cup

The 1970 World Cup is widely regarded as the greatest ever staged, with more goals scored per game than any tournament since. But more than just the proliferation of goals was the quality of the overall football, as some of the greatest teams ever to represent the likes of Argentina, West Germany, Uruguay and England came together for a tilt at the world title. But at the heart of the tournament were Brazil; led by Carlos Alberto and featuring players such as Pelé, Gérson, Jairzinho, Rivellino and Tostão, the 1970 Seleção are often cited as the greatest-ever World Cup team.

Using brand new interviews alongside painstaking archival research, Andrew Downie charts each stage of the World Cup, telling the remarkable story of the tournament in the players' own words. The result is an immediate, insightful and compelling narrative that paints an utterly unique portrait of an extraordinary few weeks when football hit peaks it has seldom even neared in the years before or since.

By: Andrew Downie
Imprint: Arena Sport
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 563g
ISBN: 9781909715967
ISBN 10: 1909715964
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 02 September 2021
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Andrew Downie is the Brazilian football correspondent for Reuters, and has lived in the country for almost 20 years. He has written on football for GQ, the Economist, the New York Times and the Guardian among others. He translated Garrincha: The Triumph and Tragedy of Brazil's Forgotten Footballing Hero, and is the best-selling author of the critically-acclaimed Doctor Socrates: Footballer, Philosopher and Legend. Now based in London, he still spends much of the year in Brazil.

Reviews for The Greatest Show on Earth: The Inside Story of the Legendary 1970 World Cup

'An account of arguably the best football World Cup, told almost entirely in quotes from the men who played in it' * Financial Times, FT Best Books of the Year * 'the voices in this charming book—each one an aging football star’s—are eloquent to a man' -- Tunku Varadarajan * The Wall Street Journal * 'For any football nurd out there it is fascinating because you don’t only speak about the beautiful final between Brazil and Italy, you go for the first round matches too. It is a really, really interesting read…' * Monocle Daily * 'Phenomenal – a terrific read' -- Grant Wahl