false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178286602m/779889.jpg 779889 10 We already knew Joe McGinniss could chill our blood (<I>Fatal Vision</I>) and arouse both our pity and distaste for the Kennedys (<I>The Last Brother</I>), but who knew he could be so funny? (Well, maybe readers who remember <I>The Selling of the President</I> back in 1968.) Even those who have no interest in soccer--the majority of Americans, he ruefully admits--will relish the author's vivid account of a team from Castel di Sangro, a tiny town in Italy's poorest region, that against all expectations made it to the national competition. Whether he's chronicling his ordeal at possibly the least-inviting hotel in Italy (the heat doesn't come on until October, no matter the temperature; he is assigned to a room up four flights of stairs though there are no other guests), or sketching a colorful cast of characters that includes the team's sinister owner and an utterly unflappable translator, McGinniss prompts roars of laughter as he reveals an Italy tourists never see. He also saddens readers with a shocking final scene in which he confronts the nation's casual corruption, which taints men he's come to respect and even love. Although not a conventional memoir, this stirring book reveals as much about the author's passionate character as about the nation and the players who win his heart, then break it. <I>--Wendy Smith</I> 894620 1999 The Miracle of Castel di Sangro: A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy total:232|5:84|4:104|3:35|2:7|1:2| 232 957 302 39 5 0 false false Thu Jul 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 23 17:24:36 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 23 17:50:21 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1999 Mon Jul 30 09:46:00 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 07 11:13:20 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Apr 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 11 17:27:22 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 22 15:31:33 -0700 2008
Italian football shows us the worst side of our blind enthusiasm and human nature.

The book is well written and contains many interesting stories and characters...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Dec 31 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Thu Mar 26 20:12:32 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 26 20:17:28 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 05 20:23:59 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 05 20:26:30 -0700 2009 I enjoyed it. Though th...more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Tue Jun 09 11:12:21 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 11:17:14 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Aug 25 13:24:59 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 14 11:26:55 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Dec 21 11:14:05 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 21 11:54:38 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sun Mar 22 18:09:34 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 22 18:10:41 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Jul 19 14:01:12 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 14:02:16 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Jul 27 18:08:55 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 27 18:19:16 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Jan 27 01:08:26 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 01 04:46:52 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Sep 21 10:33:57 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 10:35:06 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Jul 15 21:19:20 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 21:20:06 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Mar 22 10:32:47 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 22 10:32:47 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Aug 31 09:19:41 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 31 09:23:09 -0700 2007
It gives great insight into ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Fri Feb 08 14:23:05 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 08 14:32:15 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Thu Feb 21 08:45:00 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 21 08:49:37 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 21 11:46:16 -0700 2007 Thu Sep 27 16:19:24 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Apr 28 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 13 07:03:37 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 28 18:35:56 -0700 2008 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=779889