[Kazema]

Has anyone ever read "The Miracle of Castel di Sangro" by Joe McGinnis? I also posted this at the Lazio board, but I'm curious to see how many people have read it. I don't know how many Americans use this forum (I admit I only know of Debs and Steve_in_LA for sure), but Joe McGinnis is an American author who's pretty crazy about football. I think the book was a pretty popular in Britain as well, but I'm not sure. I know it's not sold in Italy, for rather shady reasons.

I don't want to crosspost too much so I think I'll stop spreading this topic here...

 

[Debs]

I've not read it but have been told by many it is a great book. If I can find it cheaply enough, I'll have to break down and get it!

 

[Dae]

It's a great book. It's about football, but also politics and crime. It's the soap opera of football. Even if you only have a passing interest in football it is still worth reading.

 

[Kazema]

Yeah, I recommended it to a couple some non-football fans. After reading it, while not becoming fans themselves, they could at least understand why I was one. And they enjoyed the book very much.
I actually bought the hardcover at Waldens. I think it was $15. Worth every penny, in my opinion. But I think there's a paperback version floating around now, not sure.

 

[Guest]

I read the book recently and loved it. It gave a lot of insight into Italian football and society.

For those who aren’t familiar with it, Castel di Sangro, is a small town in the Abruzzo (a poor region east of Lazio), whose team managed to get promoted into Serie B a few years ago. McGinness, the author, was granted extraordinary access to write a book about CdiS’s first season in B. He lived in the town, took meals with the players and coach, and traveled with them to all their games.

The players and their supporters come across as very likeable. Management’s behavior is alternately comical and appalling. The allegations raised at the end are disturbing; if true, one wonders how widespread such occurrences are. The author seems sincere in his identification with the team, which he admits, at times was overly obsessive (to the point of trying to dictate tactics to the coach!).

Kazema, thanks for posting this topic. Does anyone have suggestions about other good football books? There does not seem to be very much about the Italian game published in English.

 

[De Zerbi]

To Kazema

I live in Canada and the book is very popular in Toronto (my home) due to enormous Italian population. And its a very good book.

 

[Kazema]

I hear Nick Hornby (I think) mentioned a lot. I think he wrote "Fever Pitch" or something? Anyone read any of his stuff?

 

[CarlosMiguel]

Fever Pitch is the best book any football fanatic can read. It sums up your passions. I recommend it to anyone here.

 

[Guest]

Yes, I've read 'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro' and I highly recommend it. It is a great book, very interesting, though it could have been even better if Mr. McGinniss would have been able to behave himself at the end of the book.

Tim