The Miracle of Castel di Sangro

Product Description From Joe McGinniss, one of our greatest storytellers, comes the extraordinary true drama of success against all odds - and the inevitable comedy of human foibles. Castel Di Sangro is a tiny town in the Abruzzo region of Italy, whose soccer team became an international sensation by winning promotion to the highest levels of national competition. For the team from this tiny village to be playing against the teams of Genoa and Venice was more than a dream come true - it was inconceivable. But truth can be stranger than dreams, as Joe McGinniss discovered when he arrived in Castel Di Sangro. A recent convert to soccer, he wanted to experience life in a town turned upside down by the game. What he found was a cavalcade of euphoria, betrayal, grief, and euphoria again - an entire town living in an emotional frenzy unlike anything since the local battle of World War II. McGinniss lost himself totally to the team - a boisterous collection of characters the reader will grow to love - and found a story whose depth and power enthralled him. Like Field of Dreams and Chariots of Fire, this is a masterpiece of storytelling that transcends sports to embrace universal human emotions. From Library Journal McGinniss's obsession with soccer was born during the 1994 World Cup competition hosted by the United States. When travels acquainted him with several Italian fans even more addicted to il calcio (the "game" or the "kick") than he was, a fascination with this behavior motivated him to follow the team from Castel di Sangro, a tiny city in the Abruzzio region, through the season. This is a quirky, wonderful tale that is undoubtedly better in this excellent reading by Dick Hill, who brings characters and Italian phrasing to life, than in the print version. The first miracle was that Castel di Sangro made it to S'erie B through a sudden death shootout ending a playoff game. The second miracle? Can they stay in S'erie B, or will they be relegated back to C1? Surprisingly enough it matters: to the players, their fans, the author, and finally to the listener. This is real-life tragicomedy/adult soap operaAfunny and moving. For an understanding of il calcio, its followers, Italian professional leagues, and life in rural Italy, this is it. Very adult phrasing in two languages. A must for serious sports collections, a delight for any sports devotee. Highly recommended.ACliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. About the Author Joe McGinnis is one of our great storytellers. He is the author of many works, including the bestsellers Blind Faith, Fatal Vision, and Cruel Doubt. From AudioFile McGinniss admits that he's obsessed with soccer. Why else would he go to an Italian mountain village to spend a season getting to know a previously obscure team that made headlines when it advanced to Italy's second-highest soccer league? But Dick Hill's spirited narration and McGinniss's boundless enthusiasm make it seem not that crazy a project. Hill captures the passion the players feel for the game, masters a plausible Italian accent, and gracefully handles the passages in which the conversation runs in Italian with English translation following. Memorable characters crowd the program, with Hill catching their essence, including the likable players; the frustrated author; the bullying, strong-willed coach; and the omnipresent owner and manager, who have other goals for the team besides winning the season. Spirit and passion give this program universal appeal, for it captures the human capacity to be dedicated to a cause. M.A.M. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine