When Football Came Home: England, the English and Euro 96

When Football Came Home is the story of the 1996 European Championship played out in England, the centerpiece of a momentous and unforgettable summer, Britain's second summer of love.

In the space of a month the England team went from staggering out of a Hong Kong nightclub in disgrace to within a stud's width of reaching the final at Wembley.

It was a summer that nobody really wanted to end-and certainly not as it did, losing against Germany on penalties.

With a spirit of togetherness, Terry Venables and his players captured the hearts of the nation in a way not seen since Italia 90-but Euro 96 had an extra edge.

Played on home soil, it took place at an extraordinary time in British history.

New Labour were poised to end a generation of Tory rule and Cool Britannia was on the rise, as a comatose culture had been revived and Britpop provided the soundtrack to it all.

That communal spirit of June 1996 is recaptured in these pages.

It wasn't all euphoria-during that month there were riots on the streets of the UK, accusations of spying, race fights, and even a terrorist attack during the tournament.

Every single aspect is brought back to life for the first time here-the fraught and often controversial build-up, the tournament in full, and the lasting impact it had on English soccer and the nation.