- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Ebury Press; illustrated edition edition (4 May 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0091905613
- ISBN-13: 978-0091905613
- Product Dimensions: 21 x 13.6 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 657,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Four Four Two
"splendid...it occasionally makes for pretty disturbing reading...an enlightened and compelling study"
The Independent, Sports Book of the Week
"excellent...a superb background guide"
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Having touched down in Rome in 1985, and having no prior experience of Italy and not a hint of the language, Irish journalist Paddy Agnew spent 20 long years searching for the heart of Italian football - although, as he consciously points out, this is probably not what his girlfriend Dindy had in mind.
The end product is the riveting Forza Italia - a tale of a fervent nation with an unquenchable thirst for anything and everything relating to the round ball game. And at a time when the domestic game in Italy is facing one of its most testing eras, thanks to some unsavoury revelations concerning some of Serie A's biggest clubs, Agnew's words could hardly be more relevant.
From their seemingly jinxed national team - a myth that may well be dispelled if the Azzuri win the World Cup, to the troublesome fascist elements that continue to pollute stadiums throughout Italy, Agnew expertly skewers what it is to be in at the deep end of Italian football.
The end product is the riveting Forza Italia - a tale of a fervent nation with an unquenchable thirst for anything and everything relating to the round ball game. And at a time when the domestic game in Italy is facing one of its most testing eras, thanks to some unsavoury revelations concerning some of Serie A's biggest clubs, Agnew's words could hardly be more relevant.
From their seemingly jinxed national team - a myth that may well be dispelled if the Azzuri win the World Cup, to the troublesome fascist elements that continue to pollute stadiums throughout Italy, Agnew expertly skewers what it is to be in at the deep end of Italian football.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Agnew is the World's only football and Vatican correspondent!As a regular reader of Agnew's column on the Italian football scene in the Irish Times, I anticipated a good read. I got it! He recalls fascinating encounters with all the key movers and shakers in 'calcio' of the last 20 years, and binds them into a very readable volume. He also links the football world with his experience of Italian life. Not just for footie fans!
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Having read a number of books about European and World football in recent years and being an avid follower of Serie football for the last 11 or so years I was very excited when I saw the release of two books on the Italian game; this and Calcio. I've not read Calcio, but it must be better than Forza Italia.
The major downfalls of this book are the subject areas it discusses. None of the chapters really delve into the unknown world of the Italian game, apart from one or two stand out chapters. There is a little bit about the beginnings of the game in Italy way back in the days of British industrialist in Genoa and a brief discussion of Mussolini's involvement in the game. Then we jump to the mid 80's and Maradonna. The rest of the book covers the period from the mid 80's to pre Germany '06.
The cover of the book claims that it is a 'journey in search of Italy and its football', yet the actual content appears to lack any sort of journey. If you wish to be bored stupid about accounts of Sven Goran Eriksson and Silvio Berlusconi then you may actually enjoy this book. I was hoping for something a little quirkier and anecdotal with original analysis, such as that which you find in `A Season with Verona' by Tim Parkes and `Brilliant Orange'.
I thought that the final chapter may in fact be its saving grace, it is titled 'fans'. I've heard many story of eccentric Italian fans and their strong links to the far left and right of the political spectrum, such as the Brescia v Atalanta derby game. To cut a long story short, I can't even remember any of this chapters' content that shows how much of impression it left on me.
I feel as though the book was scrapping the barrel of Italian football, even though there was no need for this. It's like an internet release of the tracks that couldn't even make it onto a three disc album.
The major downfalls of this book are the subject areas it discusses. None of the chapters really delve into the unknown world of the Italian game, apart from one or two stand out chapters. There is a little bit about the beginnings of the game in Italy way back in the days of British industrialist in Genoa and a brief discussion of Mussolini's involvement in the game. Then we jump to the mid 80's and Maradonna. The rest of the book covers the period from the mid 80's to pre Germany '06.
The cover of the book claims that it is a 'journey in search of Italy and its football', yet the actual content appears to lack any sort of journey. If you wish to be bored stupid about accounts of Sven Goran Eriksson and Silvio Berlusconi then you may actually enjoy this book. I was hoping for something a little quirkier and anecdotal with original analysis, such as that which you find in `A Season with Verona' by Tim Parkes and `Brilliant Orange'.
I thought that the final chapter may in fact be its saving grace, it is titled 'fans'. I've heard many story of eccentric Italian fans and their strong links to the far left and right of the political spectrum, such as the Brescia v Atalanta derby game. To cut a long story short, I can't even remember any of this chapters' content that shows how much of impression it left on me.
I feel as though the book was scrapping the barrel of Italian football, even though there was no need for this. It's like an internet release of the tracks that couldn't even make it onto a three disc album.
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