Sports Diplomacy Origins, Theory and Practice

'Stuart Murray has succeeded in producing a thoughtful and comprehensive study of the relationships between sport and diplomacy. He ranges from the traditional to the contemporary in a story which he tells with clarity, originality, and good humour. This will be an indispensable title for anyone interested in how the worlds of diplomacy and sport use, and are used by, each other.'--Paul Sharp, University of Minnesota, Duluth, USA

'A persuasive and important challenge to current thinking on sports diplomacy. Stuart Murray's book is path-breaking and draws upon a breadth of interactions with governments, diplomats and the world of sport. For those who question and acknowledge the role of sport in making the politics of the possible, possible this is a significant and timely tour de force. The author is arguably one of the world's leading authorities on sports diplomacy and this recent endeavour is a must read for those working in politics, cultural relations and sport.'--Grant Jarvie, Chair of Sport, University of Edinburgh, UK

'This book provides a lively, engaging and much needed account of the deep and enduring relationship between sport and diplomacy. Stuart Murray provides analytical clarity and insights from the field to highlight the potential and pitfalls of 'sport diplomacy' as a tool for bringing people and communities together. In doing so, he reminds us of the value of innovation in diplomacy, particularly for today's ever- changing world. An important piece of interdisciplinary scholarship, this book will be of great interest to diplomats, scholars and sportspeople alike.'--Caitlin Byrne, Griffith Asia Institute, Australia

'Stuart Murray's ground-breaking book opens another societal dimension to the practice of diplomacy. Sports diplomacy as humanist endeavour provides a universal, unifying and peaceful impact on transnational communities. It adds a vivid tool to the diversity of diplomacy and strengthens the attraction towards its enlarging epistemic community.'--Ambassador (ret.) Wilfried Bolewski, Sciences Po Paris, France

'Stuart Murray's tome is an important, timely and thorough contribution to both the theory and practice of Sports Diplomacy. An impressive example of interdisciplinary scholarship, this book covers most aspects of the fascinating, storied and complex relationships between sport, diplomacy and human societies.'--Simon Rofe, SOAS, University of London, UK

'In his book, Stuart Murray observes repeatedly that politics and sports have belonged together from immemorial times and do so strongly today. Focusing on the role of sports in human relations, he has written a world history of conflict and contact between individuals, groups and states.' -- Kristian Gerner, Dept. of History, Lund University, Sweden

'Sports Diplomacy is an intellectually courageous, passionate, and affirmative work. The term is not simply a book title; it is the herald for a new academic discipline. Prior forays into the field were largely limited to empirical case studies. In contrast, Murray provides a detailed theoretical rationale and agenda for sports diplomacy.'--William M. Simons, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, 15:1 (2021)