1966 And All That: The Story of North Korea’s Greatest Football Team

1966 And All That: The Story of North Korea’s Greatest Football Team is a captivating and meticulously researched exploration of one of football’s most unexpected and legendary World Cup stories. In this unique work, Kenneth Knight brings to life the incredible rise of the North Korean team that stunned the world in 1966, not merely as a sports narrative, but as a compelling historical and cultural journey.

Knight’s open and affable writing style immediately draws the reader in. His preface sets the tone with vivid insight and a well-structured foundation, promising an enlightening read that more than delivers. What follows is a carefully woven tapestry of political context, athletic ambition, and human perseverance.

Drawing from rare archival materials, including Korean newspapers, Eastern European football sources, and specialist North Korean databases, Knight unearths stories long buried by time and politics. The manuscript’s strength lies in its factual accuracy paired with a storyteller’s instinct, offering fresh detail to seasoned football historians while remaining approachable to general readers.

From the roots of football in Korea in the late 1800s through colonization, division, and war, to the DPRK’s extraordinary moment on the world stage, this book is both a tribute and an original contribution to the history of the game. The inclusion of rare pre-1960 photographs, many team line-ups, tournament winners in those pre-National League days and anecdotes on players from the various eras make the publication visually engaging as it is intellectually rich.

1966 And All That is a must-read for football enthusiasts, historians, and anyone drawn to stories of unexpected triumph in the face of adversity.