Hand of God: The Life of Diego Maradona, Soccer's Fallen Star (Paperback)

~ (Author) "October 1995. Mid-spring in Buenos Aires. Amid the sweet scent of the jacaranda, heavy drum beats and frenetic flag waving, thousands of football fans are..." (more)
Key Phrases: barras bravas, footballing history, dope test, World Cup, Buenos Aires, Diego Maradona (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The playing fields of the '80s and '90s are sadly littered with the unfulfilled promises of athletic greatness deterred by self-destruction. Soccer star Diego Maradona rose from the slums of Buenos Aires to teenage fame and a career that blazed its way across Europe before reaching apotheosis in the 1986 World Cup. That World Cup performance, in which Maradona raised his already magnificent game an impossible notch or two, elevated him to a sporting pantheon reached only by a supernatural handful: think Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, and Pelé. But, as biographer Jimmy Burns painfully details, the charismatic and stormy Maradona quickly lost everything to drugs, scandal, and corruption. Maradona's is a cautionary tale, and Burns relates it with charisma. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Burns, a correspondent with the English Financial Times, has written a compelling unauthorized biography of soccer's Diego Maradona. Unequivocally, Maradona's prowess on the field has thrilled millions; 50 years from now this Argentine sensation will be remembered as one of the game's greatest players. However, he is also known for his off-field antics and drug use; in a country where soccer heros are immortalized, Maradona believed himself to be infallible, and he still refuses to be held accountable for his actions. Burns succeeded in providing a detailed description of Maradona's life, from the penury of growing up in Lanus to the glory of winning the World Cup and his ultimate fall from grace. With few books on the subject, Burns's insightful study is welcome. Recommended for purchase where demand warrants. (Illustrations not seen.)?Larry Robert Little, Penticton P.L., B.C.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585742422
• ISBN-13: 978-1585742424
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #620,624 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must read for any soccer fan., July 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hand of God: The Life of Diego Maradona (Hardcover)

Jimmy Burns has written a book that speaks to the trials and tribulations of being the world's best player in the world's most popular sport. The book traces Maradona's history as well as the man's impact on the game and the people for whom and with whom he played. Anyone who has had the chance to see the genius of Maradona on the field must take the opportunity to find out the social, cultural, psychological, physical, and mental context within which he played. Readers will gain greater insight into what it means to be an icon for the entire world.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, a little hard on Maradona, January 6, 2004

By	"luisknows" (San Juan, PR United States) - See all my reviews

I really enjoyed this book, it was very insightful in a historical sense as to Maradona's life. I felt it was a little too hard on Maradona. While I don't doubt the excess and lunacy that surrounded Maradona, I feel that he was an unfortunate guniea pig for what global soccer has become. I only wish that more could have been said about Maradona's fantastic play and his human side. Good book overall but temper it with one that paints Maradona in a better light.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maradona , without question the greatest yet seen, July 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hand of God: The Life of Diego Maradona (Hardcover)

People become attached to a player and don't want to admit that it is possible that someone greater must come along. When Pele played the game it was slower and there was nowhere near the sophistication in the defenses that you see today( look at France 98!). If you simply watch film of Pele and then watch film of Maradonna you will see who is the true God of soccer. This book captures the life of the Greatest soccer player the world has yet to see.