Brenda Elsey is Associate Professor of Latin American history at Hofstra University, USA. Her work on politics and popular culture has appeared in the Journal of Social Historyand Radical History Review. She is the author of Citizens and Sportsmen: Fútbol and Politics in Twentieth Century Chileand the forthcoming Futbolera: Women and Sport in Latin America.

Stanislao G. Pugliese is Professor of European history and the Queensboro UNICO Distinguished Professor of Italian and Italian American Studies at Hofstra University, USA. He is the author of Bitter Spring: A Life of Ignazio Silone and is working on a new book, Dancing on a Volcano in Naples: Scenes from the Siren City.

Explores the relationship between history and art criticism, psychology, philosophy, political science, racial/ethnic studies, gender studies, sociology, and journalism

Highlights the ways in which a consideration of popular culture has pushed the traditional boundaries of history

Grounds sport studies in historical context

Preface The Ball is Round Stanislao G. Pugliese.- Introduction Marking the Field Brenda Elsey.-.Art Criticism.- Chapter 1 Drawing the Foul: Diving and Visuality in Contemporary English Football Luke Healey.- Chapter 2 From Galáctico to Head Butt: Globalization, Immigration and the Politics of Identity in Artistic Representations of Zidane Daniel Haxall.- Collective Psychology and Group Identity.- Chapter 3 Soccer in the Shadow of Death: Propaganda and Survival in the Nazi Ghetto-Camp of Terezín Kevin E. Simpson.- Chapter 4 In the Shadow of the State: The National Team and the Politics of National Identity in Spain Jim O'Brien.- Political Science and International Relations.- Chapter 5 Beyond the Unfulfilled Promise of Soviet International Football, 1945-1991 Mauricio Borrero.- Chapter 6Post-Colonial Outcomes: FIFA, Overseas Territory, and National Identity Steve Menary.- Chapter 7 The Hermit Kingdom vs. the World: North Korea in the 2010 World Cup Aaron D. Horton.- Race and Ethnic Studies.- Chapter 8 Fausto dos Santos: The Wonders and Challenges of Blackness in Brazil's "Mulatto Football" Roger Kittleson.- Chapter 9Who Counts As a Real American? Dual Citizenship, Hybridity, and the U.S. Men's National Team Jon D. Bohland.- Sexuality and Gender.- Chapter 10 Social Climbing, Cultural Experimentation and Trailblazing the Metrosexual: Franz Beckenbauer in the 1960s and 1970s Kay Schiller.- Chapter 11Standing on Honeyball's Shoulders: A History of Independent Women's Football Clubs in England Jean Williams.- The State and Civil Society.- Chapter 12 Politics, Power and Soccer in Postwar Italy: The Case of Naples Rosario Forlenza.- Chapter 13The Politics of Football in Post-Colonial Sierra Leone Tamba E. M'bayo.- Chapter 14 The Competitive Party: The Formation and Crisis of Organized Fan Groups in Brazil, 1950-1980 Bernardo Buarquede Hollanda.- Philosophy and Critical Theory.- Chapter 15 "Another World (Cup) is Possible!" Twenty Theses about Modern Football Tim Walters.- Chapter 16On Virtue, Irony and Glory: The Pitch and the People Jason Burke Murphy.