- Imprint: Penguin
- ISBN: 9781804998090
- Length: 368 pages
- Price: £10.99
Paul Hayward, ObserverThe great book on 1966 that needed writing – and Calvin was the perfect author. England's “only” triumphant day is set in the context of social transformation. A panoramic view of a revolutionary decade with English football's finest moment at the heart of the story.
Jonathan Northcroft, Sunday TimesPanoramic and polemic, Calvin tells it like it was when England won the World Cup. Everyone knows the numerals – 1966 – but this wonderful book brings them to life, as a year and a moment in time.
Miguel Delaney, IndependentEngland’s one World Cup victory needed this book. An absorbing account of what 1966 actually meant, beyond the mere number that has formed the legend, by the writer who has covered more aspects of how the English game actually works than any other. Everyone knows about 1966, but this will tell you so much you didn't realize, while necessarily documenting how it influenced change.
Seb Stafford-Bloor, The AthleticA tremendous accomplishment. Rich, compelling and highly readable; this is an entirely new set of lenses for a year and a tournament that has so often been reduced to being England’s moment of ultimate triumph.
Darren Lewis, Daily MirrorPlunge yourself into a dream summer, detailed with Michael Calvin's trademark forensic attention to detail. With its larger world perspective as well as its enthralling nuance, 1966 will capture your imagination. An education from start to finish.
About Michael Calvin
Michael Calvin is an award-winning writer and Sunday Times bestselling author, whose books have been hailed for their insight and influence. He has collaborated with such celebrated sportsmen as Sir Alastair Cook, Dylan Hartley and Gareth Thomas, and is the only writer to win the British Sports Book of the Year award in successive years. Most recently, and in a wider context, he has collaborated on critically acclaimed autobiographies of Toby Gutteridge, a quadriplegic former Special Forces Soldier, and of Josef Lewkowicz, a Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter.
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All editions
- Hardback 2026
- Paperback 2027
- Ebook 2026
- Audio Download 2026


