I'm in the middle of this book and loving it. I'm sure lots of people on the board have read it (it's the story of an obscure little team that has risen through the numerous ranks of Italian soccer, and follows them for a season at their peak in Serie B). My surprise is the mention of a bunch of references to familiar players and games. - The author, Joe McGinness, is from Western Mass., and recounts falling in love with the game at WC94 at Foxboro. Who knows, maybe he's even deigned to come watch the Revs? - Castel Di Sangro (Serie B) plays against Zenga in his 1st stop after years in Serie A/Italian National Team. - Castel brings in Joseph Addo for a tryout, who is loved by the players and fans (and the author), but for mysterious reasons (racism?) is not signed, but instead "blocked" from signing with any other Italian teams. - One of their opponents brings in a new player who turns out to be Zizi Roberts. Heartily recommend the book.
have you gotten to the part yet where the revs could've had their keeper....but, rongen just drops the ball on the whole thing (eventually bringing in zenga) btw, i think that's the wrong joe addo?
I really didn't like that book. To me, McInnis just gets himself too involved in the story. He seems to have a fundamental lack of understanding about the game, especially concerning his major revelation at the end. Omigosh, in Italy? No way!
The fact that the author plays the part of the stereotypical "Ignorant and arrogant American" makes the book that much more fun to read. Butting his nose into stuff when he doesn't have a clue is what makes the book.
i loved the book and loved the fact that the author got so carried away with himself that he thought he knew what he was talking about it made it that much funnier i recommend it to everyone who asks i found a hard cover copy recently at barnes and noble for $3 and bought it just for the pictures every one of the players have MULLETS!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll second Scott's recommendation of a Season with Verona. The "Miracle" was good also. The ending reminded me of the Patriots Super Bowl win. And the Revs getting to the finals last year.
I had been warned about how the author injects himself into the story (and I really cringed when he starts offering suggestions on formations and selections to the coach after only seeing a few games), but I'm enjoying it anyway. Mostly, it seems to be a book about how charming the Italians "can" be, but the inner view on all the little things that go on in the running of a club is really fascinating. McGinniss seems to understand that how foolish he is and doesn't shy away from portraying himself that way in the book. In one chapter, he's talking to the son of one of the players, who he feels is particularly aloof, and the kid says matter-of-factly "my father doesn't talk to you because he thinks you're an idiot"! You've got to appreciate a writer whose skin is thick enough to include stuff like that! Scott, your suggestions sound great - I've "wishlisted" them. As for Galeano's book, Soccer in Sun and Shadow - I agree, a classic not to be missed. One of his gems is reprinted in "Castel ...": Years have gone by and I've finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good soccer. I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: "A pretty move, for the love of God." And when good soccer happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don't give a damn which team or country performs it.
More Praise for Castel Di Sangro I've read and enjoyed both Castel Di Sangro and A Season with Verona, although I did enjoy Castel more, partly because I've also listened to it on tape. Multiple times(!). The writing is well crafted and outrageously funny in spots. "It's all YOUR fault! It's ALL YOUR FAULT!!!" still rings in my ears. Based on a similar premise, the two books are in fact very different. Tim Parks' experiences are almost totally as a fan, drawn from his associations with Verona's notorious ultras, a surprisingly diverse group of people. Joe McGuiness has incredible access to management and the players, who are described in great detail; fans are rarely named. Joe's book is personal- the book is about his descent into Italy and Italian soccer culture as much as anything. Readers complaining about this are no doubt missing his tongue in cheek humor- Joe KNOWS he cannot stop playing the "ugly American" and isn't afraid to admit it. FWIW, I suspect he's a little bit more knowledgeable about the game than he portrays himself. As others have mentioned, the tie-ins with the Revs add special interest (and more humor). The tape, which is great listening during commutes, is available at Amazon.com. It's unabridged, and lists for less than $21.00; $7.50 used. Note that you need a cassette player with good left and right audio separation. In order to keep costs down, the left and right sound tracks are completely different. The tape is good about instructing how to adjust your balance control. There are more expensive abridged and unabridged versions as well. One last warning- the language can be raw at times; beware of playing this in front of children.
Probably the best soccer book of all time is The Soccer Tribe by Desmond Morris. Although a bit out of date, it is an incredible look at soccer from a sociological perspective.
This one is a little different from the others, providing tales, sketches, and impressions that illustrate The Game's history, folklore, and mythos in South America (specifically Uruguay). In one section Galeano's challenges readers to close their eyes during the first 5 minutes of a game, and upon opening them, guess what formation the team is playing. Needless to say, Galeano is not a big fan of the "cult of the manager". Rather than being one of my favorite "soccer" books, this is just one of my favorite books. Not for everyone though...
The Glory Game is the best. No question. Also, both Gary Nelson's books, Left Foot Forward AND Left Foot in the Grave are great.
No Rev content but still of interest...... Miracle was good as was Verona. Allow me to recommend a book to all of you, "The Geezer's Guide to Football: A Lifetime of Lads & Lagers" by Dougie Brimson You can get it from Amazon.com in the UK. It's not a serious book on fans (Verona) or teams (Miracle), but it is a humorous look at the loyal team supporter. It covers everything from what to wear, where to drink, ticket touts and cheers and chants for opposing players and fans. It should be given away to every Center Circle member! For coaches, I'd strongly recommend Anson Dorrance's new book, " Vision of a Champion." What he says in this book isn't just for the girls. Parts of its coaching and psychology can be applied to almost any team.
Nick Hornby Just thought people might want to add Fever Pitch to the list of don't miss soccer books. Not only that, Hornby is writing about rooting for a boring defensive team that never scores. Of course there aren't any teams in MLS like that!
One of the very best books I have ever read is "Sightlines: A Stadium Oddessy" by Simon Inglis. In it he discusses stadia all over the world but the highlights are the chapters on "The City of Stadiums" where he visits every professional soccer stadium in Buenos Aires (there are around 20) in a week. Inglis is a hard-core footie and stadium fan based in London and he has written guides to all the UK stadiums plus all sorts of articles, etc. on the subject. His trip to Argentina manages to capture a great deal of the amazing passion that exists there for the sport and how deeply it cuts across the culture. I absolutely loved "A Season with Verona" and greatly enjoyed the "Miracle" as well. JIM DOW
I second that nomination. The book covers a lot of other sports, ranging from a cricket stadium in India where club members can have tea on the field, to a rugby stadium in New Zealand, and how the neighbors deal with crowd control. The neighborhood managed to prevent them from putting up lights, but still must deal with sometimes unruly fans in their neighborhood. There are also chapters about more familiar US stadiums like Wrigley Field and the Astrodome. He suggests treating the Astrodome like ancient ruins, leaving it exactly as it is now, and letting it fall apart on it's own. In 300 years it will be a tourist attraction like the Roman Coliseum. Tom