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Renaldo: A Tale of World Cup Soccer, Terrorism and Love
Argentina 1978 . . . A brutal military junta suspends civil liberties for anyone who opposes it. Distraught mothers of “The Disappeared” parade daily in front of the capital building. In retaliation, violent acts of terrorism shatter what is left of normal life. Only one thing can unite all the people. The World Cup of football. Two brothers, Renaldo and Lonfranco De Seta, chart a different course for their futures. While both brothers fall in love with powerful women, Renaldo, a young soccer prodigy, strives to make a place on Argentina’s national team. Lonfranco, angry and disenchanted, is seduced into becoming a Montonero terrorist. From the plains of the Pampas to boardrooms, boudoirs, battlefields, locker rooms, and seething stadiums, Renaldo is a love story unlike any ever written and a novel shockingly relevant to times we live in.
536 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2007
2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
James McCreath
2 booksJames S. McCreath is a Canadian descendant of Italian and Scottish immigrants. This lineage has given him a passion for life, and the fortitude to overcome the tragic events that compelled him to write this novel.
His years in the sports and entertainment industries have afforded him a behind the scenes insight into the story’s major plot lines.
Combining meticulous research and a penchant for historical facts, ‘Renaldo’ is a reflection of the author’s belief in the power of hope.
His years in the sports and entertainment industries have afforded him a behind the scenes insight into the story’s major plot lines.
Combining meticulous research and a penchant for historical facts, ‘Renaldo’ is a reflection of the author’s belief in the power of hope.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 11, 2018
This is a real nail-biting read, even for non-soccer fans. In my opinion, it's more about the family values and the world we live in than the sport.
Really well written and obviously thoroughly researched. I just needed a bunch of breaks to actually gut it.
It's the kind of book that people would buy and read and then store on a shelf to lend to their kids to read when they're old enough. A value book. History of this beautiful sport at its best.
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Really well written and obviously thoroughly researched. I just needed a bunch of breaks to actually gut it.
It's the kind of book that people would buy and read and then store on a shelf to lend to their kids to read when they're old enough. A value book. History of this beautiful sport at its best.
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
February 2, 2015
I picked up this book for one simple reason – I am a soccer crazy American! Soccer has always been my sport: I started playing in 1st grade and continued through graduation from high school, and I continue to watch games every chance I get. I was interested to see what someone might do with a novel where soccer was a major player in the background.
As I mentioned already, I read this novel because of the connection to ‘the beautiful game,’ and on that front I was largely impressed. McCreath knows his soccer, and not just on a superficial level. He gets not only into the basics, but even into detailed strategy and team psychology. Watching the members of the team and their interactions with each other, this portion of the novel was particularly well done, I thought.
McCreath tells a good story. He gets in his own way from time to time, but overall the storyline here is quite good. You feel involved in the lives of decisions of the characters, and once you become invested, you can’t wait to see what is going to happen next.
This novel is primarily the story of the two brothers and their shared family – I would never have used the phrase “love story” to describe it, even though there are a few romantic relationships that change the course of the brothers’ lives. Lonfranco’s story is definitely important, but Renaldo gets more of the time, especially when it comes to his soccer exploits. The beginning of the novel sets up the family history (through the voice of Lonfranco, primarily) – this section of the book was particularly strong and engaging.
Nearer the end of the novel, several new characters (and their backgrounds) are introduced, but I didn’t think this was done very smoothly. It was confusing one time, and just a bit rough a few other times. This ‘roughness’ showed its head several times, and I would say the text needed another good run through by a quality content editor to smooth out the introductions and the sluggish beginning of the novel, and generally to stabilize the overall quality of the book (which, at its best, is pretty good).
The end of this book is awful. I hate saying that, and I rarely do – but it has a terrible ending. As with any novel, there are some loose ends. This reality is fine, common, and not a bad thing. What McCreath does, however, is a bad thing. He basically uses the final chapter of the book to review the final movements of the main characters and then to remind us of all of the loose ends – sort of like a final recap – and then you have ‘The End.’ So the flow and story is broken for an overview, questions brought to mind, and then the novel ends. The final chapter should have been left off, allowing the novel to end naturally.
Other than a few bumps here and there (as mentioned above), this was an engaging and enjoyable book with several bright spots. I wasn’t overly impressed, and it’s not the type of book you’ll find yourself quoting one day, but it is a solid read.
On the more technical side – the Kindle version of this novel had a lot of errors in it, from messed up formatting to missing words and numbers (perhaps those have been fixed by now).
full review online: http://www.matthewejackson.com/book-r...
As I mentioned already, I read this novel because of the connection to ‘the beautiful game,’ and on that front I was largely impressed. McCreath knows his soccer, and not just on a superficial level. He gets not only into the basics, but even into detailed strategy and team psychology. Watching the members of the team and their interactions with each other, this portion of the novel was particularly well done, I thought.
McCreath tells a good story. He gets in his own way from time to time, but overall the storyline here is quite good. You feel involved in the lives of decisions of the characters, and once you become invested, you can’t wait to see what is going to happen next.
This novel is primarily the story of the two brothers and their shared family – I would never have used the phrase “love story” to describe it, even though there are a few romantic relationships that change the course of the brothers’ lives. Lonfranco’s story is definitely important, but Renaldo gets more of the time, especially when it comes to his soccer exploits. The beginning of the novel sets up the family history (through the voice of Lonfranco, primarily) – this section of the book was particularly strong and engaging.
Nearer the end of the novel, several new characters (and their backgrounds) are introduced, but I didn’t think this was done very smoothly. It was confusing one time, and just a bit rough a few other times. This ‘roughness’ showed its head several times, and I would say the text needed another good run through by a quality content editor to smooth out the introductions and the sluggish beginning of the novel, and generally to stabilize the overall quality of the book (which, at its best, is pretty good).
The end of this book is awful. I hate saying that, and I rarely do – but it has a terrible ending. As with any novel, there are some loose ends. This reality is fine, common, and not a bad thing. What McCreath does, however, is a bad thing. He basically uses the final chapter of the book to review the final movements of the main characters and then to remind us of all of the loose ends – sort of like a final recap – and then you have ‘The End.’ So the flow and story is broken for an overview, questions brought to mind, and then the novel ends. The final chapter should have been left off, allowing the novel to end naturally.
Other than a few bumps here and there (as mentioned above), this was an engaging and enjoyable book with several bright spots. I wasn’t overly impressed, and it’s not the type of book you’ll find yourself quoting one day, but it is a solid read.
On the more technical side – the Kindle version of this novel had a lot of errors in it, from messed up formatting to missing words and numbers (perhaps those have been fixed by now).
full review online: http://www.matthewejackson.com/book-r...
March 23, 2018
First I must say thank you for author, James S. McCreath, who made this wonderful book. I got this book via NetGalley because I promised make very honest review for this book. A couple first pages were harder read because there were words which were writing together. It seems like grammatical errors to me even thought it wasn't reason why it was hard to read. To me, who is quite young, it was harder book to read, because I have only learn somethings about Argentina's history and junta, but I'm not born before the late 1980s. And it also make harder to read, because there were some words what I didn't know or person who might be know if you are older or know more than me history of Argentina.
The book left me speechless, because this was full of action, which is good thing to me. Characters like Renaldo and Lonfranco were interesting and show in this book, how different two brothers can be but at the same time how similars. Maybe this is familiar if you have sisters or brothers or even childrens. War, love, drama and football, or some calls it soccer to me like many European it is football, were words what I got my mind when I read this book, Also some parts of football history were interesting even thought more interesting part of this book were characters and how they lived their life country where junta was almost only which were any powers and life was very hard. I also like this cover, because after reading this book, which I hope get some day in Finland in English or translated in Finnish, I might understand more people and how hard it must be live country like Argentina in 1970s. To me it was also one of the best way learn more about Argentina's football and also how different but also how similar life can be even thought there was some very dark aspects. Even if you don't like football/soccer, I need say that you might get a big surprise when you read this book. It might takes some time to get inside of the book, but after that, you will loved it like I did. This was book, what I cannot put down before I had read the last word. After I started, I spend wonderful day and part of night to read this book. Maybe some day reading it again if not like e-book then like my own a paperback.
The book left me speechless, because this was full of action, which is good thing to me. Characters like Renaldo and Lonfranco were interesting and show in this book, how different two brothers can be but at the same time how similars. Maybe this is familiar if you have sisters or brothers or even childrens. War, love, drama and football, or some calls it soccer to me like many European it is football, were words what I got my mind when I read this book, Also some parts of football history were interesting even thought more interesting part of this book were characters and how they lived their life country where junta was almost only which were any powers and life was very hard. I also like this cover, because after reading this book, which I hope get some day in Finland in English or translated in Finnish, I might understand more people and how hard it must be live country like Argentina in 1970s. To me it was also one of the best way learn more about Argentina's football and also how different but also how similar life can be even thought there was some very dark aspects. Even if you don't like football/soccer, I need say that you might get a big surprise when you read this book. It might takes some time to get inside of the book, but after that, you will loved it like I did. This was book, what I cannot put down before I had read the last word. After I started, I spend wonderful day and part of night to read this book. Maybe some day reading it again if not like e-book then like my own a paperback.
August 15, 2015
This book will leave the reader with many emotions - happy, sad, triumphant and deflated. It covers so many areas for a story - war, sports, romance and drama just to name a few. While at times the pace of the story seemed slow, and I did have to put it down a few times, in the end I am glad I finished this book because it is one that all readers of any genre should pick up. Don't try to read it all in one sitting - but frankly, after the opening scenes, you will want to make sure you find a way to finish it.
I wish to thank NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I wish to thank NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2016
I enjoyed this book as I am a big football fan this book appealed to me. I wasn't dissapointed it was enjoyable and realistic . A well written story that I would recommend
July 27, 2015
“Renaldo” is an intriguing book in which the author, James McCreath, has jammed a lot of stuff, and I don’t mean ‘stuff’ in a demeaning manner. He has literally packed his book with seemingly disparate events, i.e. romance, terrorism, global soccer, politics, and history. It all seems overwhelming until you begin reading and the carefully researched topics all fall into place, becoming important to the overall story.
The storyline itself is simple. A talented, affluent Argentian teenager, Renaldo De Seta, saves the life of a wealthy lawyer, Astor Gordero, who wields tremendous influence in all aspects of soccer and politics in Argentina. As a reward, Renaldo is given a chance to try out for Argentina’s World Cup soccer team. Renaldo becomes an idol after getting involved in rough-and-tumble team hazing and proving his worth in preliminary matches. His older brother, Lonfranco De Seta, himself a talented and affable person, slowly descends into a world of dissatisfaction with the government and gets involved with terrorism and murder.
And then there are the women, and a delectable bunch they are. Symca, the most popular singing sexpot in Argentina, and fantasy object of every man, turns Renaldo from a shy and virginal boy into a lustful time bomb. She is replaced by Englishwoman Mallory, who wants Renaldo on her soccer team and in her bed. And there’s Celeste, a violent terrorist who knows how to manipulate Lonfranco into her personal instrument of radicalism; a dangerous liaison if there ever was one.
It’s a very good story, if somewhat overwritten in spots. McCreath writes riveting soccer action scenes. At times his dialogue vacillates from flowery to overblown but is very well done in most instances. I believe he should try to be more consistent in his verbal exchanges. The ending is somewhat vanilla as compared to the rest of the story.
Soccer, unlike some American sports, has staggering international appeal that continues to grow. Over 240 million players are registered with FIFA worldwide and billions of fans are maniacal in their support. Its website is recording over 2 billion viewers worldwide, far outdistancing any other sports website.
Despite the popular uproar about the sport, very little worthwhile adult soccer fiction has been written. This becomes an interesting read because McCreath has done the research necessary to bring realism and timeliness to his story. I found it enjoyable and very informative.
August 28, 2015
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This presents itself as a novel about the beautiful game and is the main reason why it caught my eye. However, it is a story about much more than football; it's one of loss, betrayal, love, family ties and politics in an ever-changing and increasingly volatile country and is a truly compelling read.
The first part of the book switches between the present day with the reader's introduction to Renaldo and his family before delving back into his family history and the reason he comes to be living in Argentina. This was probably my favourite part of the book as I found the twists and turns that happened to the different generations fascinating.
The remainder of the book focuses on Renaldo's fledgling introduction to the national football team and we witness his rise to stardom in stark contrast to the fortunes of his older brother Lonfranco, who finds himself under the spell of a woman who belongs to a dissident terrorist group, intent on causing havoc ahead of the impending World Cup by any means necessary.
My only reason for not giving five stars is this is a really long book, which at times, begins to feel a little over written in places. Similarly, while the descriptions of the World Cup games are an integral part of the storyline, the language used in the description can become repetitive and over-embellished. For example, I tired towards the end of reading the phrase 'powder white and blue' to describe the team kit and wished the author simply referred to the ball, rather than the 'orb' or 'sphere'. The ending, after such a long storyline, was also a little abrupt for my liking.
That said, it was a book I found myself continually wanting to pick up to find out what would happen next and overall, it is a book I would highly recommend.
This presents itself as a novel about the beautiful game and is the main reason why it caught my eye. However, it is a story about much more than football; it's one of loss, betrayal, love, family ties and politics in an ever-changing and increasingly volatile country and is a truly compelling read.
The first part of the book switches between the present day with the reader's introduction to Renaldo and his family before delving back into his family history and the reason he comes to be living in Argentina. This was probably my favourite part of the book as I found the twists and turns that happened to the different generations fascinating.
The remainder of the book focuses on Renaldo's fledgling introduction to the national football team and we witness his rise to stardom in stark contrast to the fortunes of his older brother Lonfranco, who finds himself under the spell of a woman who belongs to a dissident terrorist group, intent on causing havoc ahead of the impending World Cup by any means necessary.
My only reason for not giving five stars is this is a really long book, which at times, begins to feel a little over written in places. Similarly, while the descriptions of the World Cup games are an integral part of the storyline, the language used in the description can become repetitive and over-embellished. For example, I tired towards the end of reading the phrase 'powder white and blue' to describe the team kit and wished the author simply referred to the ball, rather than the 'orb' or 'sphere'. The ending, after such a long storyline, was also a little abrupt for my liking.
That said, it was a book I found myself continually wanting to pick up to find out what would happen next and overall, it is a book I would highly recommend.
July 1, 2015
For Full and Detailed review, read http://cynthology.blogspot.com/2015/0...
Author James McCreath has effectively captured the fervor of the beautiful game in his book, Renaldo. The book is a football lover’s delight. It is like soaking up the passion, elegance and beauty of a live football match in all its raucous, colourful glory.
Renaldo defies classification. The novel is epic in its approach, dealing as it does with three generations of the de Setas and of the tumultuous periods of Argentine history in which their lives played out. It is a story about football, written in a biographical vein, resembling non-fiction more than the fiction it is.
Reading the book gives you an understanding of the author’s knowledge of football, particularly of the intricacies. The descriptions of the football play, almost minute by minute, are poetry in motion. Besides football, Argentina too comes alive in his capable hands, with the wide sweep of the pampas, and the beauty of the country leaving a definite impression on our minds.
Much as I liked this book, the indefinite conclusion left me feeling disappointed.
Author James McCreath has effectively captured the fervor of the beautiful game in his book, Renaldo. The book is a football lover’s delight. It is like soaking up the passion, elegance and beauty of a live football match in all its raucous, colourful glory.
Renaldo defies classification. The novel is epic in its approach, dealing as it does with three generations of the de Setas and of the tumultuous periods of Argentine history in which their lives played out. It is a story about football, written in a biographical vein, resembling non-fiction more than the fiction it is.
Reading the book gives you an understanding of the author’s knowledge of football, particularly of the intricacies. The descriptions of the football play, almost minute by minute, are poetry in motion. Besides football, Argentina too comes alive in his capable hands, with the wide sweep of the pampas, and the beauty of the country leaving a definite impression on our minds.
Much as I liked this book, the indefinite conclusion left me feeling disappointed.
September 7, 2015
I was in two minds whether to read and review this novel when I was offered it by the publisher via NetGalley originally.
To me the cover seemed flippant and appealing to the lowest common denominator.
Here in the U.K. football (or soccer if you must) is everywhere, talkshows, newspaper headlines, you name it football features somewhere.
Now the new season has started it gets worse!
Plus I don't rate the Portuguese Renaldo at all.
So against my better judgement I began reading and soon changed my mind.
The threadf running through the story is one of despair and fear, with the description of the mothers of the "Disappeared" really hitting home the every day plight of the Argentinians.
The lives of the two brothers bring everything into sharp focus, one a gangster and the other an aspiring footballer.
The author has done some meticulous research into the troubled history of the country and has given the story some hope that things will get better some day.
To me the cover seemed flippant and appealing to the lowest common denominator.
Here in the U.K. football (or soccer if you must) is everywhere, talkshows, newspaper headlines, you name it football features somewhere.
Now the new season has started it gets worse!
Plus I don't rate the Portuguese Renaldo at all.
So against my better judgement I began reading and soon changed my mind.
The threadf running through the story is one of despair and fear, with the description of the mothers of the "Disappeared" really hitting home the every day plight of the Argentinians.
The lives of the two brothers bring everything into sharp focus, one a gangster and the other an aspiring footballer.
The author has done some meticulous research into the troubled history of the country and has given the story some hope that things will get better some day.
March 26, 2015
I was attracted to this book because of the time period and the fact that it followed to brothers with lives that followed very different paths. The things I loved about this book is a felt it was well written and real, not a love story yet people loved, strong characters that that fought for the life they wanted or found it. I learned a lot more than I thought I would about soccer and that was okay but the end could have been cleaner. I was so involved I wanted perfection. Netgalley did provide me with a free copy of this book for an honest review.
May 27, 2015
I sincerely hope that those who pick this one up are not hoping for a quick read. Though lengthy, this one worth a read- especially for hardcore soccer fans.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews