The Miracle of Castel di Sangro
A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy
by Joe McGinniss
Published By: Crown, 1999
Genre: Nonfiction | Biography & Memoir, Sport
Page Count: 404 (Paperback)
ISBN: 9780767905992
Publisher’s Description
Master storyteller Joe McGinniss travels to Italy to cover the unlikely success of a ragtag minor league soccer team–and delivers a brilliant and utterly unforgettable story of life in an off-the-beaten-track Italian village.
When Joe McGinniss sets out for the remote Italian village of Castel di Sangro one summer, he merely intends to spend a season with the village’s soccer team, which only weeks before had, miraculously, reached the second-highest-ranking professional league in the land. But soon he finds himself embroiled with an absurd yet irresistible cast of characters, including the team’s owner, described by the New York Times as “straight out of a Mario Puzo novel,” and coach Osvaldo Jaconi, whose only English word is the one he uses to describe himself: “bulldozer.”
As the riotous, edge-of-your-seat season unfolds, McGinniss develops a deepening bond with the team, their village and its people, and their country. Traveling with the miracle team, from the isolated mountain region where Castel di Sangro is located to gritty towns as well as grand cities, McGinniss introduces us to an Italy that no tourist guidebook has ever described, and comes away with a “sad, funny, desolating, and inspiring story–everything, in fact, a story should be” (Los Angeles Times).
About the Author
Joe McGinniss (December 9, 1942 – March 10, 2014) was an American author and investigative journalist best known for his immersive works of nonfiction. Born in New York City, McGinniss gained early acclaim with his first book, “The Selling of the President 1968,” a critical exploration of the marketing strategies behind Richard Nixon’s presidential campaign. He later achieved widespread recognition for his controversial book “Fatal Vision,” which delved into the murder case of Jeffrey MacDonald. McGinniss continued his prolific career, exploring a diverse range of subjects, and his immersive style and commitment to investigative journalism earned him a reputation as a compelling storyteller.