Rating: 
Summary: Arrogant author ruins fascinating subject matter
Review: As a former Castel di Sangro resident (all previous generations of my family were raised there) I looked forward with great anticipation to this book. Having spent part of the season that McGiniss describes and attending four games added to that. The Miracle of Castel di Sangro could have been an excellent book. Unfortunately for the reader, Mr. McGinniss' unbelievable arrogance ruin the book. While constantly criticizing Mister Jaconi and berating him for not employing tactics to his liking, McGiniss undermines the compelling stories involving the team. Also, the inclusion of more details about some of the fans would have definitely improved the book. McGinnis at times seems to be the only fan in the stadium. His attacks on Jaconi and Arrigo Sacchi are ludicrous. His personal attacks on Sacchi especially are unfair, as the reader who knows nothing about Sacchi comes away with the impression that he is some sort of troll hellbent on destroying Roberto Baggio. While I am a Baggio fan and did not approve of his treatment of Sacchi who has won scudettos, cups, and a second place in the '94 World Cup, while coaching A.C. Milan, Parma, and the Italian National Team, among others. But for some reason, McGinniss seems to feel that only he is qualified to lead a soccer team, despite following the game for less than four years. The book should have been retitled "Hello, I am Joe McGinniss and I Know Everything about Soccer." Jaconi, while abrasive, does get results and without him, the team would certainly not have accomplished what it did. The few bright spots are the author's willingness to confront team officials and present the Bari episode without fear (although the personal attacks on Gravina, who is without a doubt a jack-ass, have no place in the book). The book is also surprisingly funny in spots. Forza Castello e Roccacinquemiglia Ciao a tutti Corrado Salvatore
Rating: 
Summary: A bittersweet journey for author and reader
Review: What a deliciously captivating idea! An American moves to Italy to follow and hopefully befriend a soccer team through its full upstart season. Mr. McGinniss enthusiastically begins with all the innocence and excitement one would hope, and the reader is quickly immersed in the author's exhilaration and joy as the book unfolds. Unfortunately as Mr. McGinniss' envelopment in the team and town of Castel di Sangro deepens, so does his acrimony and contention. One can appreciate that what he is trying to convey to the readers is his own gradual emotional transformation here, as he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the apparent dirt behind this magnificent team and its "miracle." What Mr. McGinniss ends up doing however is gradually imposing his own opinions and judgements both on the people in this fine town and in the end on the poor reader himself. As he gradually alienates himself from players, manager and owner, so too does he gradually alienate himself from the readers. In the end Mr. McGinniss can only see Italy and it's complex culture of "football" through the eyes of an ugly, vindictive American, and one is left only with distaste for the author. Nevertheless this bittersweet journey of Mr. McGinniss has many warm, evocative and beautifully insightful moments and at times can be marvelously enjoyable
Rating:
Summary: Italy, not soccer, is the subject
Review: This book is an engaging look at a small town in Italy and their passion for soccer with an overachieving minor league team. The story is well written, but McGiniss often misses the point and conveys a self righteous American view of his beloved team. I would recommend this book to anyone fascinated with European life. It reminded me of my own experieces in Europe some time ago.
Rating:
Summary: Great story, almost spoiled..........
Review: By virtue of the daring undertaking he made in pursuing this story, we would certainly have assumed the author to be an dynamic, culturally sensitive and intelligent man... had he not gone to such trouble to suggest the opposite in many of the recorded episodes. The moral indictments of others and the apparent need to make himself a significant part of the story really stole the magic out of the story for me. McGuinness is great at describing events and people - for the short time he spent there, he did well in capturing the character of the town and it's people. But in his judgement of the players and citizens of Castel he naively assumes a position of self-righteous objectivity that is embarrassingly shallow. By the way, I just saw that Jaconi has led another C team into Serie B (somehow without Joe's help)......
Rating: 
Summary: brilliant
Review: like any brilliant book, few rather than many words can describe it...it has that simple elegant approach to human beings living out a sporting career in a small town in s.italy...it has something for all of us..football fans, italophiles, dreamers....
Rating:
Summary: Top-drawer Journalism
Review: As a non-fiction author and former sportswriter, I was totally wiped out by this latest example of Joe McGinniss's writing, research and -- above all -- his passion. I'm now reading the book for the second time and enjoying it even more. The charm is that McGinniss refuses to just narrate -- he throws himself into the story and becomes the most fascinating character in his book. He exposes evildoers,cusses in two languages, plunges ahead, retreats pell-mell, issues challenges, apologizes, fights, knees his opponent, hugs his opponent, gets so personally involved with the rascals of his beloved Castel Di Sangro football team that he might as well be one of the players. I hesitate to say that this is one of the great sports books of all time, because it's really a human-being book, a perception book, an explication book. On any level, it is a truly great work of non-fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: A tale worth spinning, and McGuiness does it well until ...
Review: I found this book very entertaining, but the ending just leaves you hanging. McGinniss seems to be a bit presumptious in his "new found love," for soccer, Italian style, and seems to be trapped by his own naivete. There are two tales here; one is about a small town and its soccer team, the other is about the author falling in love with being a fan of a country and most of its people. The first tale works well, the other does not
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, compelling, informative and moving
Review: This is an amazing, compelling story, and McGinniss brings the reader fully into his remarkable year in the life of an American in Italy, obsessed with the national game and in love with both il calcio and Italia. I think it's unfortunate that the first review on this site is -- though only in part -- negative, because there was nothing, nothing, I could find to fault. I loved this book, and if I could, I'd air-drop it across the planet, so that every il calcio, football, and soccer fan would have the chance to read this love story. It reads as if Neruda had written a book on the sport.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting look into the world of il calcio.
Review: McGinnis writes in such a way to draw the reader right into the story. You feel every emotion he felt. In looking at il calcio from the Serie B in Italy, he goes beyond just the aspect of the team and their coach, and gets involved, perhaps too involved, with the story behind the story. McGinniss falls in love with the village, the people, and the players. He struggles with the manager and the president. And then of course there is the godfather like figure of Signor Rezza. There is quite a bit of profanity, and adult situations in the book that some readers might want to be made aware of for kids. This is very much a book that involves more than just a game, it involves all types of worldly vices, hopes, dreams, and nightmares. While the salvezza might seem like wonderful desert, it will leave one with heartburn.
Rating:
Summary: Joe don't know calcio . . .
Review: Like previous posters, I found myself engaged by the moving, funny and emotional story that McG tells. I found, however, McG's self-righteousness to be unbearable and a distraction to the great story that he tells. His "suggestions" to the alenatore were unbelievable given that he studied the sport for less than four years, and his inclusion of his told-you-so opinions made his book much, much worse than it could have been. I also think it's amusing that Joe references a Lazio farm player as a "romanista," which means a fan of Roma, instead of a "romano," resident of Roma. That may sound too nit-picky, but Joe clearly acts as if he knows the game well -- and nobody who is a serious Serie A fan would ever make that mistake. Still, criticisms aside, the story was AMAZING. It's worth reading because of Joe's access to players and an incredible town. If only he had shown a little less hubris . . .
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