Brought to you by Penguin.

1966. As London is declared ‘a swinging city’ and John Lennon proclaims the Beatles ‘more popular than Jesus’, Martin Luther King’s Civil Rights Movement acts as a beacon of hope and possibility. Yet Cold War tensions, the escalation of the Vietnam War, and the space race between America and the Soviet Union project a different image. Meanwhile, China’s Cultural Revolution begins, and talks are initiated to reunify Germany, whilst Lyndon B. Johnson sits in the White House following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy.

As tensions build between East and West and the great powers wrestle with the pull of social change, the year’s football World Cup has the potential to unite old rivals, whilst giving nations the opportunity to demonstrate their prowess amongst an international community standing at an inflection point, emerging from the long shadow of the Second World War and hurtling towards the future.

Through the prism of the extraordinary tournament and the eight teams that reached the quarter finals – England, West Germany, Uruguay, Argentina, Portugal, Soviet Union, North Korea and Hungary – Michael Calvin provides a vivid portrait of a critical moment in world history. Examining the sporting, social and cultural significance of the competition and its backdrop, this hugely entertaining book brings to life a world and a sport caught in a tide of change, and shows how this critical year would change both forever.

© Michael Calvin 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026