Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: A Cultural Analysis of Manchester United

Description

A unique thematic history of Manchester United from the club's creation as humble Newton Heath in 1878 to its status as the world's greatest football brand, this book gets to the essence of the heart and soul of the club. It explores the club's ability to rise from the ashes, its commitment to youth and propensity for an adventurous style of football, along with its glamour, and the growth of commercialization and aggressive marketing. An intelligent and thought-provoking narrative of Manchester United exploring its cultural history within the broader cultural framework of globalization, working class traditions, mythology and the Munich Air Disaster, and pop culture. Soren Frank introduces a football aesthetics that examines and discusses what sets Manchester United apart in regard to football philosophy. It contains analyses of some of the most fascinating matches or moments, as well as original portraits of some of the club's greatest players, all of this peppered with fascinating facts in the club's history.

Soren Frank is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Southern Denmark.

this is a truly original piece work that's unique in comparison to other written accounts of United history. -- carlosartorial * carlosartorial * Highbrowed praise ... Soren Frank's book has a level of ambition that sets a new standard for the genre ... Soren Frank is also capable of placing Manchester United's development into a mythological framework, and this will propably hit most United supporters right in their hearts. * Tipsbladet * Unsurpassed book on football ... Soren Frank's book on Manchester United is the book on football that demanding fans of the sport have always dreamt of reading one day [...] It is with an exquisite sense of history's great events that Soren Frank begins his extraordinary book on Manchester United [... ] The book is not merely a historical account of one of the world's most popular football clubs from 1878 until the present, it is also a journalistic and cultural tour de force that with great erudition and pleasure allows for the contribution of all kinds of literary, philosophical and aesthetic sources to the illumination of what the re-enchanting magic of the green pitch consists of [...] The book addresses itself to that big new audience of enlightened football fans who appreciate that their favorite sport is understood and enjoyed as a civilized phenomenon through sophisticated analysis and linguistic elan. * Politiken * an effortless and enjoyable read -- International Soccer Network * International Soccer Network *