English is the language of modern sports. The influence of British and American athletics around the world is indisputable--nowhere are traditional sports as popular as games like basketball, baseball, and soccer. Could this be another form of cultural imperialism? In his latest work, Allen Guttmann explores the ways in which popular modern sports have spread from their western roots to all corners of the globe. He discusses how less powerful peoples go on to adapt thes esports into their own regional variants. In addition, Guttmann points out the possibilty and reality of resistance to the diffusion of modern Western sports. Entertaining and original, demonstrating both theoretical rigor and an impressive command of foreign languages and cultures,Games and Empires makes a major contribution to the field of sport history.