Winning at All Costs: A Scandalous History of Italian Soccer [Paperback]

John Foot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2007

The 2006 World Cup final between Italy and France was a down-and-dirty game, marred by French superstar Zidane's head-butting of Italian defender Materazzi. But viewers were also exposed to the poetry, force, and excellence of the Italian game; as operatic as Verdi and as cunning as Machiavelli, it seemed to open a window into the Italian soul. John Foot's epic history shows what makes Italian soccer so unique. Mixing serious analysis and comic storytelling, Foot describes its humble origins in northern Italy in the 1890s to its present day incarnation where soccer is the national civic religion. A story that is reminiscent of Gangs of New York and A Clockwork Orange, Foot shows how the Italian game — like its political culture — has been overshadowed by big business, violence, conspiracy, and tragedy, how demagogues like Benito Mussolini and Silvio Berlusconi have used the game to further their own political ambitions. But Winning at All Costs also celebrates the sweet moments — the four World Cup victories, the success of Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, the role soccer played in the resistance to Nazism, and the great managers and players who show that Italian soccer is as irresistible as Italy itself.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Shows how football and Italian society are inextricably interwined, and is full of fascinating vignettes."

About the Author

John Foot teaches modern Italian history at University College London. He writes for the Guardian, the London Review of Books, and the TLS and is the author of books on Milan and modern Italian history.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 16 and up
  
• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books; First Trade Paper Edition edition (August 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568583680
• ISBN-13: 978-1568583686
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Soccer Book I've Ever Read, March 27, 2008

By 

Anna Baldacchino "Luke Baldacchino" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Winning at All Costs: A Scandalous History of Italian Soccer (Paperback)

It's hard to explain how good this book is. When I was searching for a soccer book, I wanted one that was not only stats and the usual stuff, I wanted one that was written in a fun way and had stuff in it that I had never heard off. This book fits the bill. If you like Soccer and want to read about Italy's soccer traditions, scandal, Money, media, World Cup and a lot lot more, this book will be a hit with you. This book is totally amazing! Buy it!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent history of Italien football, November 13, 2009

By 

Elmar Sauerwein - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Winning at All Costs: A Scandalous History of Italian Soccer (Paperback)

This is the most comprehensive history of Italian football spanning from the very beginnings until today I have seen so far. It incorporates even the 2006 scandals and Worldcup 2006. Excellent read.
In case you are a Tifoso of Italian football this is a must for your library.It rate it even higher than Birgit Schönau: Calcio: Die Italiener und ihr Fußball (The Italiens and their football) written in German.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Comprehensive and Informative, October 28, 2010

By 

Samuel B. Petite "Sam Petite" (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Winning at All Costs: A Scandalous History of Italian Soccer (Paperback)

This book was a very comprehensive description of Italian Soccer. It was a long book but written in a way that it was easy to read, stayed entertaining and flowed well.
My criticism is that it would be nice if the book was not so focused on the dark side of Italian soccer. This is the third book on Italian soccer and they all emphasize the negativity of the game in Italy.
As this book well describes, Italy is a wonderful country and a has beautiful Calcio culture. I would like to see the negative side of the game explained as more of a side note as opposed to the main theme used to describe Italian Soccer.
This being said, Winning at All Costs is probably the most complete book I have ever read on soccer. If you read this book from cover to cover, you will truly understand much about Italian soccer and the game in general.