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More Than a Game: When Sport and History Collide
More Than a Game When Sport and History Collide Author:Jan Stradling Sporting events are battles...but not always just between competitors. They are sometimes part of something much bigger: a war that may involve not only the players on the field but also their nationality, race, faith, sex or religious beliefs. Throughout history, sport has provided a snapshot of the social and political climate of the times. Th... more »is book looks at the fascinating stories behind some of the world's greatest sporting battles, including: African-American athlete Jesse Owens' triumph at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, making a mockery of Hitler's white supremacy doctrine; Argentinian soccer player Diego Maradona hitting back at the UK, his country's enemy in the Falklands War, with his 'hand of God' goal; the Cold War defeat of the 'unbeatable' USSR ice hockey team by a bunch of inexperienced US college students; and the infamous 'Bodyline' cricket series between imperial power and dominion, England and Australia, in 1932-3.« less