Beautiful History
The Beautiful History charts the fascinating story of Britain through football club badges. From Premier League giants to non-league sides, it features over 100 clubs, with each badge coming alive to reveal the story behind it, whilst also giving events in history an exciting and engaging twist, as it takes you on a footballing journey from the dinosaurs to the digital age. What does Colchester United's eagle tell us about Roman Britain? Why do the badges of three football clubs feature the Mayflower, the ship on which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the New World? Why does the Norwich City canary celebrate 16th-century refugees, and which team honours the Battle of Britain and why? The Beautiful History holds all the answers and links football to key dates like 1066 and 1588, with tales that are often surprising, quirky or laugh-out-loud funny. An engaging, informative and fun book for fans of all ages, it includes activities, places to visit, a football timeline and quiz.
Elspeth Wills is a researcher and writer who has authored 14 non-fiction titles. Martyn Routledge first wrote about football badges for his degree thesis. He runs his own design agency, mr.creative. The authors have collaborated on books and exhibitions for over 20 years, including the award-winning book, The Beautiful Badge. Freelance illustrator Adam Forster brings the stories to life, recreating traditional pen and ink techniques digitally.