<p>"a well-written, extensive, rich and history-wise ethnography" -- <em>Stephen van Wolputte, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven</em></p><p>"an alternative guide book [to Malta], not least for its excellent historical section on the country's overall development."-- <em>Torbjorn Anderson, Department of Sport Sciences, Malmo University.</em> </p><p>"Their national teams' records are abysmal in international competition, but the citizens of Malta are nevertheless amongst the most devoted fans of football (soccer). Armstrong (sociology, Brunel U.) and Mitchell (social anthropology, U. of Sussex) examine this phenomenon and how it relates to the dynamics of contemporary football and the powerful forces behind the game. They examine Maltese football and its place within the nation's particular politics, culture and identity, as well as the place of Malta within European sport and its corruption and ethics, its commercial politics, and its explanation of what it is to be a national and European citizen. They explain team selection, the process of producing difference between teams (nations), the patronage and party systems, the elements of faith and ritual, the economics of the sport, migration of players, foreign fan clubs, and the ethics of it all." -- <em>Book News Inc., August 2008</em></p>