Once upon a time, back in Nazi occupied Ukraine, in the summer of 1942, a football game took place the likes never witnessed either before or since. It was a contest between Dynamo Kiev and their German overseers. One where the prize for victory was no medal or trophy. Just death by firing squad. Yet the Ukrainians of Kiev still played to win? ONCE UPON A TIME IN KIEV is a short novel based on this fascinating, uplifting and sadly tragic tale. When eleven men made the choice of death and honour over capitulation and whom refused to back down in the face of such overwhelming odds. That rare time when football was actually more important than life and death. Where all that mattered was to win, despite then being forced to pay the ultimate price of so much blood on the ball. @johnludds johnludds@gmail.com