Pride of a Nation: A Celebration of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (an Official U.S. Soccer Book)

The first official history of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, celebrating nearly four decades of the team’s athletic excellence and cultural impact and featuring 250 full-color photographs

Telling the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s story in eye-popping photos and expert prose, Pride of a Nation is a lavish tribute to one of the most beloved teams in sports, revisiting their historic four World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals, as well as unforgettable players across the generations, such as Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Briana Scurry, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, Mallory Pugh, and more. Drawing from full access to U.S. Soccer’s photo and print archives, this beautifully illustrated tribute includes:

• A foreword by Julie Foudy, two-time World Cup and Olympic Champion

• One-of-a-kind action shots and behind-the scenes photos

• Original essays by award-winning writer and documentary filmmaker Gwendolyn Oxenham exploring the evolution of the women’s game and its world-changing impact on the culture at large

• Exclusive player polls ranking the best teams of each decade and the All-Time Best XI

• Excerpts of the best previously published writing and prize-winning reporting about the epic games and greatest players over the past forty years

• Stats, records, illuminating trivia, and more

Honoring the fierce athleticism and unshakeable spirit of the charismatic pioneers who planted the U.S. women’s soccer flag in 1985, and those who have made the rest of the world salute it ever since, this incisive and entertaining book will be a keepsake for soccer lovers everywhere.

Julie Foudy, co-captain of the 1999 World Cup championship team, is a commentator for ESPN. She is also the host of the podcast Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy.

Gwendolyn Oxenham, a former standout player at Duke, is the author of Under the Lights and in the Dark and Finding the Game and has written extensively about the USWNT for The Atlantic, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN.

David Hirshey, a former editor at Esquire and The New Yorker, has been writing about soccer for forty years, and has covered three Women’s World Cups for Deadspin, ESPN, and the Los Angeles Times.

Rob Fleder was executive editor of Sports Illustrated and the editor of SI Books during his twenty years at Time Inc.

Roger Director is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, TV producer, prize-winning journalist, and the author of I Dream in Blue.