[.ca] Forza Italia: A Journey in Search of Italy and Its Football (ISBN 0091905613)

Excellent outsider's look at Italian soccer:
I have long enjoyed Irish journalist Paddy Agnew's commentary of Italian Serie A football matches. Agnew's low-key opinions, sense of humour and extensive knowledge of the game and the country make him the best English-language observer of Calcio around today. As such, I had very high expectations when I bought "Forza Italia". Fortunately, Agnew did not disappoint. This book is part travelogue, part cultural study and part sports journalism. If it is hard to categorise, it certainly is not difficult to review. As an outsider who has lived in Italy for more than 20 years, Agnew is able to report on the country, its people and the Italian game with the knowledge of a local, the passion of a fan and yet still maintain the objectivity of an outsider. The end result is a book that is as entertaining and easy to read as it is informative and eye-opening. Agnew's insights and access to the main players make this as good as any book I have read on Serie A, yet his enthusiasm and humour make it thoroughly enjoyable. This is a book for anyone with an interest in Italian soccer, whether a neophyte with little knowledge of teams, players or history, or a life-long fan who thinks they know it all. I can not recommend it highly enough.