Rating: 
Summary: Author flubs great story...
Review: Too bad that such a remarkable story is told by an author who makes himself the star of the show. McGinniss - who became a soccer fan when the World Cup came to the USA in 1994 - imposes himself into virtually every part of the story. That is a shame because McGinniss comes across as a real oaf, and we hear too much about him at the expense of learning more about the story and the people he is there to cover. 'Oaf' is an unkind description, but imagine an Italian crime reporter who sees his first baseball game on TV at age 50 and becomes so infatuated with the sport he flies to the USA and attaches himself to a minor league baseball team. Now imagine this neophyte Italian reporter following the team manager around saying, 'Heya, whya you not put Miller in centerafielda and make Smitha batta the cleanup?' This is McGinniss soon after his arrival in Castel di Sangro. Throughout the book, McGinniss spends too much time setting up unconvincing scenes intended to make him appear funny and clever. We are also to believe that since 1994 he has become a remarkably astute judge of soccer talent and a tactical genius who can tell a veteran professional Italian coach how to manage his team. (Ugly American Soccer Dad?) The story and characters are fascinating, and in the right hands this would have been a wonderful read. But I found myself gritting my teeth at McGinniss's bloated presence on virtually every page.
Rating: 
Summary: The Miracle o f Castel di Sangro
Review: As a lifelong player and follower of soccer, I must admit that it was difficult to put this book down. In the first chapters, however, I found myself seriously second-guessing the author's professed instantaneous love for the game and certainly his tone of authority-in that regard, I have to agree with reviewers who disliked McGinniss' attempts at advising the manager, Jaconi. (Tactically, for example, I can't imagine any reason why the author would understand the implications of various formation changes). In the end, however, I would *strongly* recommend the book to any soccer fan or player (even younger ones)--I learned a lot about professional soccer in Italy, and the "cameo" appearances of Lalas and Baggio were amusing.
Rating: 
Summary: The World of Miracles
Review: McGinniss is entertaining as he jumps headfirst into -- and quickly becomes a part of -- some aspects of Italian culture that Americans are sure to find interesting: the soccer craze, small-town Abruzzese living, the bonds of family and friends, the patrone of Italian business and mafia, and even the fiesty and periodically outrageous Italian media. As one who has ancestors from Abruzzo and who has spent years living in Italy, Joe McGinnis does a wonderful job of sharing these aspects with the reader within the context of a true and interesting story which keeps one turning the pages.Incidentally, shortly after reading this book during the summer of '99, I decided to make a pilgrimage to Castel di Sangro. McGinnis' descriptions of the place are quite accurate, although I felt the city had a casual and rundown beauty about it (McGinnis characterizes the place as nondescript). The final stop of my trek was at Marcella's pizzeria. While I did not know the name of her establishment, I simply asked people I met on the street "Where is Marcella's pizzeria?" They all knew, and were able to point me in the right direction. I must have been the first person to visit Marcella since the publication of the book: she seemed quite surprised and flattered to see me. At first, she thought I was a friend of McGinnis, and seemed a bit puzzled that someone would come to Castel di Sangro simply on the basis of reading Joe's book. McGinnis had sent her a complimentary copy of the book, but she had never read it since she does not understand English. She politely asked me "So what does Joe say about me in the book?" When I told her that she was his most favorite person, she smiled broadly, pulled out her cell phone and address book, and began dialing McGinnis' phone number. She reached Joe's wife and told her about my visit. Although the pizzeria was closed at the time, Marcella offered me food and drink, which I graciously declined. We had a few laughs about the "miracle", I obtained an autograph for my book, and managed to obtain a few pictures of us near the Castel di Sangro team portrait which still adorns the pizzeria walls. A truly kind and molto gentile woman, who sent me on my way with a big kiss and a hug. Thanks, Joe McGinnis, for sharing an interesting world which most Americans would never otherwise have the benefit of experiencing. Although I was privileged to receive a firsthand glance of this world during my pilgrimage, the reader of "Miracle of Castel di Sangro" can, thanks to this wonderful book, enjoy a similar glance without ever having to make the 2 1/2 hour drive from Rome.
Rating:
Summary: the selling of a football club
Review: As a literary method, it has been done several times - pick a club, follow it through the season - but never with such intensity (the author swallows valiums before a crucial match!) and luck as Joe McGinnis. It is a great story, a good read, a fine portrait of a country and its passion - and it may even be dragged into court, according to recent rumours from Italy. The author's luck was that incredible things actually happened during the season. It could very easily have been a depressing and eventless drag towards relegation, which would not have saved McGinnis whatever his strengths as an author. The book does stretch the reader's capacity for belief. Were the coach and the manager really that incredibly stupid? Were all the players really that nice? But, in the end, this does not matter: McGinnis has succumbed to the madness of calcio, where rational thoughts and actions are often beside the point. The mad dream IS the story, and it sets the stage for the controversial ending. "Miracle" is close to 5 stars, imho, but the double usage of Italian and English in dialogue all through the book becomes irritating, and the suspicion that McGinnis has cut some corners lingers on.
Rating: 
Summary: appreciation of an italian game
Review: the author has done a masterful job of conveying the true love/hate relationship that weaves its way through italian society with respect to soccer. the development of the personalities involved in the team, as well as the people living in this tiny mountain town, was wonderful and endearing. his frustration with the coach over tactics, his opinions about the players and the men who run the team, and the funny stories about the townspeople are well worth reading. mcginnis actually helped me develop a deeper appreciation of italian soccer. i have always found italian soccer boring and ugly to watch, as i have always been a fan of south american soccer and the "beautiful game" of brazil. but after reading this story of "the miracle" i can now at least appreciate the mentality behind their defensive style of play, and the passion of the italian fans. the author has shown both the brightest and the darkest side of a game i have played, lived for, and followed since 1967. bravo, joe. bravo. if you are a soccer fan, you will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Astounding ... breathtaking
Review: It's sad that this book won't be as popular as it should be because some people will only see McGinness as an "ugly American," yet many Americans won't understand the obsession with soccer! I'd suggest that many of the negative reviews came from readers who didn't finish the book or shrugged off the shocking conclusion. (Heaven help you if you are NOT shocked!) McGinness' conversations with Jaconi are comical -- no different than what many obsessed fans in any sport in any country would do given the access he has. Ultimately, this book has little to do with soccer and everything to do with life. To say you can't put the book down is an understatement. It is a compelling tale of triumph and tragedy stranger than the strangest fiction, and written with brilliant wit. And yes, Joe, we all wish it could have ended differently.
Rating:
Summary: The saga continues...
Review: If you have never been in Joe M.'s shoes, then...Don't criticize. Just read and love this book. Do you think McGinniss didn't realize the coach knew much, much more about soccer than he did? Do you think he really believed all of the rumours about Rezza? about the GM, whose name I can't even remember? The story here is the passion that almost made McGinniss go crazy. A sane man, after all, doesn't take that many valium, ever, period. He adored Baggio like a God, and no wonder, since apparently he got to meet him and they have at least become acquaintances... So sure, to a person with close ties to Baggio, Sacci is Evil incarnate. Think of it this way. If Roberto Baggio sent you a nice letter, and invited you to dinner, you might feel passionate about his playing career.... This book is about passion. At the end, go back and read the forward. Passion, it's a word Italians seem to embody, while we Americans can't get past the technicalities of....everything. I, like Joe McGinniss, have enjoyed the marvelous passion of Latin soccer, having spent a few years in Costa Rica. I would encourage anyone interested in soccer to read this book with an open mind, and to think about the position the author was in. Imagine, how you would feel, if you got to travel with, say DC United for a year. By the way; McGinniss is facing libel charges in Italy from the management of Castel di Sangro FC. This type of thing, though, is also not uncommon in Italy...By the way, if there is a publisher interested in a guide to Costa Rican soccer.....
Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be a tifoso to appreciate this book!
Review: Joe McGiniss has done it again. After a controversial apraisal of Alaska after a one winter visit and a lawsuit with Dr. McDaonald over a murder case, McGiniss has gone up against the Mafiosi of Naples. Long life to you Joe. The book captures the true spirit of the Abruzzese better than any other book I have seen including Luigi Barzini's ITALIANS. Only incidentaly does it capture Italian calcio (soccer).
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary and mistreated
Review: I read no book reviews, saw no interviews, and saw no ads for this book. It's quiet, unassuming cover has little to nothing to do with the content. And yet, when I started reading, I fell in love with this book. I could not put it down. My wife, daughter and I spent several weeks travelling around Italy this summer. I discovered this book upon my return and it immediately made me sick to return to Italy. The book is as much about Italians and their society as it is about soccer. WHY WAS IT NOT MARKETED BETTER? This book shoudl be a best seller.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: I rushed out to get this book by the author of Going To Extremes... and found myself drawn into this world of soccer. Mr. McGinniss is a masterful storyteller.
|
