Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork - not the old fashioned, grubby pushing and shoving, but the new, fast football with pointy hats for goalposts and balls that go gloing when you drop them. And now, the wizards of Unseen University must win a football match, without using magic, so they're in the mood for trying everything else. The prospect of the Big Match draws in a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can, a maker of jolly good pies, a dim but beautiful young woman, who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been, and the mysterious Mr Nutt (and no one knows anything much about Mr Nutt, not even Mr Nutt, which worries him, too). As the match approaches, four lives are entangled and changed for ever. Because the thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football. Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!

About the Author

Terry Pratchett is the acclaimed creator of the Discworld series, started in 1983 with The Colour of Magic, and which has now reached 37 novels with Unseen Academicals. Worldwide sales of his books are 60 million, and they have been translated into 37 languages. Terry Pratchett was knighted for services to literature in 2009.

Prizes

The new Discworld novel from mega-selling author Terry Pratchett, destined to be the biggest hardback of 2009.

Reviews

In the magical universe of Discworld, the dithering and very dotty wizards at Unseen University struggle to master the arcane rules of football as they enter a violent street sport competition. The challenges include getting the sedentary and distracted professors to play with some enthusiasm (and without magic), defending themselves against their opponents' unsportsmanlike behavior, and naturally, to win. It's not easy to track the multitude of characters, but Stephen Briggs gives each of them a distinctive voice. Briggs has been adapting Pratchett's novels to the stage since 1991, and the recurring characters are his to command. His performance brings out the best of the satirical humor and Pratchett's really good bad puns. Fans of Discworld will not be disappointed. A Harper hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 31). (Nov.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

The 37th novel (after Making Money) in Pratchett's wildly popular "Discworld" series is set in the bustling metropolis of Ankh-Morpork and boasts the return of the wizards of Unseen University. Lord Vetinari, Ankh-Morpork's patrician, is responsible, as usual, for setting into motion the novel's two main story lines: the assimilation of a member of an ancient, and heretofore shunned race, into the city, and the regulation of "foot-the-ball," a game that leaves the streets littered with bodies of players and spectators alike. Verdict While having more than its fair share of laugh-out-loud lines, this title is far from Pratchett's best. He fails to integrate his great wisdom and fondness for the human condition, and his humorous observations about its absurdity are left hanging. However, it is still a well-written crowd pleaser. For serious fans, but newcomers might prefer to start with one of the earlier titles.-Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.