{"title":"Joe Gorman","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJoe Gorman\u003c\/strong\u003e offers insightful explorations into the world of sport, delving beyond the games to reveal their cultural and social impact. His works like \u003cem\u003eHeartland: How Rugby League Explains Queensland\u003c\/em\u003e capture the unique connection between sport and regional identity, blending history with engaging narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect thoughtful analysis and storytelling that illuminate the broader significance of Australian sports. Gorman’s writing invites reflection on how sports shape communities, politics, and national character, making his books essential for enthusiasts and curious minds alike.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"heartland-how-rugby-league-explains-queensland-by-joe-gorman-9780702260421","title":"Heartland: How Rugby League Explains Queensland","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A compelling read which evokes great memories and highlights the importance of rugby league to this state.'\u003c\/em\u003e – Mal Meninga\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor more than 40 years, rugby league has embodied all the hopes and dreams, contradictions and tensions of life in the Sunshine State. The game speaks to Queenslanders' sense of being the underdog and the outsider – a powerful undercurrent that sweeps through politics, business, the arts, and sport. The enduring appeal of State of Origin is that it allows Queensland to balance the scales, at least for 80 minutes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eHeartland\u003c\/em\u003e, journalist Joe Gorman chronicles a tale of loss and rebirth – from the decline of the Brisbane Rugby League competition and North Queensland's Foley Shield to the extraordinary rise of the Broncos and the Cowboys in the NRL. Weaving together stories of diehard supporters and game-changing players, from Arthur Beetson to Johnathan Thurston, this is a revealing account of Queensland's coming of age, both on and off the field.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47362618884332,"sku":"9780702260421","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/248193482438.jpg?v=1772897284"},{"product_id":"the-death-and-life-of-australian-soccer-by-joe-gorman-9780702259685","title":"The Death and Life of Australian Soccer","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Death and Life of Australian Soccer\u003c\/em\u003e, journalist and historian Joe Gorman explores the rise and fall of Australia's first national football competition and shows how soccer came to practise and embody multiculturalism long before it became government policy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on archival research and interviews with players, supporters, and club officials, he tells the incredible and often-unknown stories of Australian soccer. Learn how Charles Perkins rose from the soccer fields of Adelaide to the halls of administrative power, all the while becoming Australia's best-known Indigenous leader. Discover how the Whitlam government embraced the first-ever Australian team to qualify for a FIFA World Cup and how soccer played a role in creating the Australian Institute of Sport.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGorman also takes an unflinching look at the issues in the world game, from globalisation, assimilation, and violence to unionism and privatisation. With rare intimacy and detail, he explains how a long-forgotten journalist and the nation's leading soccer statistician quietly recorded it all over decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Death and Life of Australian Soccer\u003c\/em\u003e is a fascinating and timely account of the first Australian sport to truly galvanise every ethnic, regional, metropolitan, gender, and political group across the country. It examines the myths and legends of Australian sport and offers new ways of understanding the great changes that shaped the nation. This is more than a book about soccer - it is the riveting story of Australia's national identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47428241129708,"sku":"9780702259685","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780702259685.jpg?v=1774766816"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/joe-gorman.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}