We Play On

Name: We Play On
Brand: Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand
SKU: 9781472148070
Price: 39.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fight for Ukraine, Football and Freedom

By Andy Brassell

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Summary

We Play On tells the compelling story of Shakhtar Donetsk, a top Ukrainian football club forced into exile by the 2014 conflict in the Donbas region. It captures the intersection of sport and geopolitics, illustrating how the players and the club continue to embody resilience and hope amid war and invasion. The narrative explores the significance of playing football as an act of defiance and survival, framed by personal experiences such as the tragic death of a youth coach due to shelling.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$39⁹⁹

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We Play On

$39⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in sports stories with a strong social and political dimension, fans of football especially European clubs, and those keen to understand how sport intersects with national identity and conflict.

Description

'The most important (thing) is to play,' Srna said, 'to show the world that we are still alive, that we are fighting, that we are living, that we will have a good future.'

In 2014, the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine began - and top football club Shakhtar Donetsk has since been in exile. This book tells their story; inevitably a story of the conflict and the recent Russian invasion but also a testament to the power of the game and the will of the players.

It is ultimately a footballing story, exploring the experience and meaning of being a Shakhtar player through the lens of a country in the shadow of a huge aggressive neighbour. There are moments of direct impact (such as when a youth coach was killed by Russian shelling earlier in 2022) but also what it means to just go out on the field and play, freely.

Andy Brassell is a European football expert and has followed this story for years; he regards Shakhtar as the Barcelona of Eastern Europe. We Play On celebrates the team and its achievements, while paying tribute to an occupied nation.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A gripping account – Sunday Times

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472148070

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 September 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Robinson

Contributors:

Foreword by Darijo Srna

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 232.0mm

Weight: 400g

Pages: 288

Collections

Andy Brassell Non-Fiction Soccer Sports

About the Author

Andy Brassell is a writer and broadcaster, specialising in European football. He works as a pundit across many forms of media for the likes of Talksport, the BBC, BT Sport, and ESPN as well as newspapers such as the Guardian, The Independent, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Star. Andy has been a long term fan of Ukrainian football, and has visited the country many times.

On the BBC, Brassell regularly contributes to BBC Radio 5 Live Monday Night Club, and the European football show. On talkSPORT he regularly features on Trans Europe Express with Danny Kelly, looking back at the weekend's European football action. For The Football Ramble, Brassell contributes weekly to their 'On The Continent' podcast with James Horncastle. He has featured on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast and The Totally Football Show. He has 80k Twitter followers @andybrassell.