Vova is a fifteen year old boy living in Kiev. His first love is playing football, but when the Nazis invade the Ukraine in 1941, priorities change, and Vova and his sister join the partisans, to attempt to fight the enemy. Soon Vova is given the chance to play football again, but in a game with very high stakes - if Vova's team win, they will be shot. Vova and his team have to decide whether to disgrace their country and lose the game, or whether to win - and die. "Match of Death" is based on actual events that took place during the Second World War. James Riordan undertook extensive research, travelling to Kiev to interview the sons of those who took part in the match.

 

There are 160 pages in this book. This book was published 2003 by Oxford University Press .

James Riordan has written many books for children, including many translations of Russian tales. His Peter and the Wolf is published in cloth and paperback by Oxford.