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The Miracle of Castel di Sangro (Paperback)

by Joe McGinniss (Author) "The day before I went back to Italy, I got a fax from a man named Giuseppe ..." (more)
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.99
Price: £7.69 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Sphere; New edition edition (3 Aug 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 075152753X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0751527537
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 91,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #26 in  Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Football > European > European Leagues
    #41 in  Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Football > Leagues

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Product Description

Review
'This wonderful, compelling book seems destined to join the shortlist of football classics' INDEPENDENT 'A gripping and engaging tale' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'The most essential football book other than FEVER PITCH and THE GLORY GAME' FOUR-FOUR-TWO MAGAZINE 'reads like good fiction.' OBSERVER 'the football book of 1999' INDEPENDENT 'the most bizarre, yet enchanting, football story ever to hit the bookshelves.' IRISH INDEPENDENT 'Joe McGinnis has written an extraordinary book.' WORLD SOCCER 'a fascinating read.' SPORT FIRST 'It's part travelogue, part intrigue, part romance, part grim reality, but always calcio. Absorbing.' DAILY TELEGRAPH

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
* 'A gripping and engaging tale'

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
The day before I went back to Italy, I got a fax from a man named Giuseppe. Read the first page
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The Miracle of Castel di Sangro
87% buy the item featured on this page:
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro 4.3 out of 5 stars (47)
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Customer Reviews

47 Reviews
5 star:
 (29)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (8)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (47 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The beautiful game?, 18 Aug 2005
By A Customer
The first season spent in the dizzy heights of Serie B, in their entire history, by Castel Di Sangro is shared by American writer Joe McGinniss in this fascinating book.

McGinniss spends the entire 1996/97 season in the small hamlet of Castel Di Sangro. It's calcio (football to you and me, maybe soccer to the author) club is at the very heart of this remarkable tale of survival. The author gets so close to the team though that the book is about far more than football. Lies, deception, scandal and tragedy all come to the fore whilst the footballing miracle unfolds.

In fact, so much unfolds between September 1996 and May 1997, that you will not want to do anything else but read on. The book, by and large, seems to be written with the American audience in mind, which in actual fact helps the tale have small respites for avid football followers. The season is described chronologically, which again makes the story very readable.

The only negative is that the author, despite by his own admission being new to the sport, seems to consider himself an expert in the game. Frequently he describes how he told the manager to do this or that, and seems genuinely surprised when the experienced Italian coach rebuffs his ideas.

Overall, a fascinating tale of an almost surreal season for Castel Di Sangro. Joe McGinniss is welcomed so much into the heart of the community and club, that we find out a great deal about the activities of a small Italian football club, in this intelligently written story.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Bella!, 30 Oct 2006
By Napolean (Manchester, England) - See all my reviews
This is a fantastic read and literally has you sat on the edge of your seat trying to guess what will happen next. The first season of lowly Castel Di Sangro in Serie B of the Italian football league is a roller coaster ride and ends with a fantastic twist. The reviews of each league game are brilliantly written and really do have you screaming for the final whistle and a win for Castel.

The book goes into slightly too much detail about the basics of football at times but this obviously increases its target audience to those who don't know too much about the game. It really is a great read and a fascinating true story. The only blemish is the author who clearly knows little about European football and the passion which surrounds it. It is almost embarrassing at times to listen to his opinions and points of view as he is very often misguided and uninformed. Saying that, it adds a bit extra to the story as you get sucked into the politics and passion of Italian football.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a football book, 31 Dec 2004
I really enjoyed this book, couldn't put it down. Whilst I agree with some of the criticisms, this does not detract from what is a funny, heartwarming and very interesting book. If you enjoy books about football (or even soccer!) do not hesitate, this is awesome. Similarly, if you love Italy, this is a great insight into rural Italian life.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldnt put it down
What a fantastic book Joe has written. It gives a wonderful insight on football, on Italy and on how football is played in the lower leagues all over the world. Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. Patel

3.0 out of 5 stars great book ruined!
I love books like this. When somebody gets into a football club displays its inner workings and gets to know players, fans and officials. Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Duncan

5.0 out of 5 stars a car boot wonder
I was given this from a car boot travel and little did I think it would be the fantastic read that it turned out to be. Read more
Published 7 months ago by M. French

5.0 out of 5 stars Bellisimo
This is a book for anyone who has lost faith in the ability of football to amaze you. It is a wonderful account of joy, pain, scorn, fear, humiliation, anger, corruption and all... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mr. J. R. P. Bibby

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and shocking
This unique bit of sports journalism follows the fortunes of a tiny Italian town whose heroic football team pull-off a remarkable promotion into Serie B. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Richard Hammond

4.0 out of 5 stars How lucky was that?
Like many of the other reviewers, I found this book a great page-turner. It struck me how lucky McGinniss was to have happened to go to follow Castel di Sangro in what turned out... Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2004 by G. L. Haggett

3.0 out of 5 stars American Soccer
I was bought this book as a Christmas present and it is a very good read. An excellent insight into Italian rural life and their attitues towards football. Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2004 by misterpv

5.0 out of 5 stars Football AND culture. Or is it the other way around?
Subtitle of the book is 'an Italian football fairy tale'. It is not a real fairy tale. It is about the smallest club in Italian history to reach the second professional level. Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2003 by gerbie7

3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea, shame about the American
The idea behind this book is splendid. Too bad, then, that the author is an ego-fixated, arrogant and unwillingly comical American. Read more
Published on 12 Aug 2003 by Trygve Lie

4.0 out of 5 stars The ups and downs of following a football team
For the first 200 pages I though this was one of the best books - let alone football books! - that I had ever read. Read more
Published on 1 April 2003 by frank_brookes

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