El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Football's Greatest Rivalry

This was a very good book, In fact I can say that this is the first book in many years that I actually read cover to cover without skimming through some of the content due to lack of interest. I'm an avid football fan and in a recent master's program I focused my studies on analyzing the effects of football on European nationalism. The deeper I dug into the topic, the more mesmerized I was to find out to what extreme the sport is imbedded in European culture. In fact, I was able interviews with some of the same people Richard Fitzpatrick interviewed for his book, which I thought was kind of cool. With that in mind, I was really looking forward to reading this book and for the most part it did not disappoint. However, there are sections of the book which feel like you're picking up a newspaper the day after a big match and you're reading the play by play from the day before. I guess if you're not familiar with the sport or the matches being recounted then it's something that may be appealing. However, if you're familiar with this rivalry then reading almost entire chapters on the play by play of a match gets you a little side tracked. But I guess this is done to put things into context for those not familiar with those events.Pros: Easy read, unbiased for the most part and good for either the avid fan or someone trying to learn about the rivalry and its history.Cons: Just a bit too much of play by play recount. Would have liked see more of the analytical implications of the rivalry in the current political/economic climate in Spain. Also, there are sections of the book that appear to be catering strictly to Real Madrid fans.

Its really well written book with recent and past insight of spanish football.All the aspects including Political, social or regional are mentioned with good reference.In a nutshell very nice one to have.

I didn't really follow Spanish football so I was not sure if this would be of interest to me, but picked it up in a book store and read a page or two and thought I would get it for my Kindle.The book had me hooked from the start, it gets into the scandal, uproar, controversies and folklore of the clubs. This history is brilliantly weaved together into a soap opera of a book. If you ever thought about a trip to the Camp Nou or Bernabeu for a game you need to read this first. It gets you into the mindset of their fans and explains the different self image of the two clubs and their sets of fans

The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid is famous round the world. Super star players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Leonel Messi inspire the fans and fuel the rivalry. And while this book does a fine job of exploring the present day rivalry, it doesn't go into great length about the origins of this rivalry. Perhaps it is too wrapped up in the fractured history of the Spanish nation state. Barca v. Madrid goes back long before modern times, and revolves around the long forgotten Wilfred the Hairy (really). Perhaps a better book would be LA ROJA by Jimmy Burns. It's not that there is that much wrong. It just that there is more to the story but I didn't find it in this book.

I would recommend this to just about any and all football fans. It is very well written and sums up the rivalry and history of both teams spectacularly, going over key moments and historical figures, how they influenced and shaped the teams and their destinies. All the time, the entire picture is put in the context of the modern rivalry of Mourinho vs Guardiola, Ronaldo vs Messi and so forth. A must read for all football fans the world over.

This is a wonderful read from start to finish. It is the perfect read for anything with an interest in sport of any type. What really makes this book stand out from other football books I have read is the coverage of the social history of Spainand Spanish football. This book is a great read for anyone interested in Spanish culture in the 20th Century. A must read.

It is one of the best books I've ever read till date. I would definitely buy other books from this author.

Clearly a biased book about Los Cules. This is a book written by an emotional Barca fan, and expect to hear the same old plain stories. Sorry, only one star.

A wonderful book, a must read for football fans.

This books covers every inch of ground in the rivalry between Réal Madrid and FC Barcelona - leaving no stone unturned. From the inception of the clubs to the current day, from Franco to Mourinho - it's all there. Whether you are a football lover or not the book is a riveting read - covering historical matters, club, players. managers with entertaining intensity. The author covers the ground with insight and perception while communicating his clear passion for the game. Well worth a read.

Lots of books about Spanish football out recently, but very much enjoyed this - wasn't too much overlap with others I read.

If you know nothing about why these two clubs hate eachother other than being the best two clubs and you are interested in Spanish football and/or politics I recommend reading.Essentially if you're interested in the subject great book, if you're not you'll probably get a bit bored

This book for my grandson who is a Barcelona fan and I am a Madrid fan,living in Spain. He is very pleased with his book, although just a little old for him at present. It arrived promptly and in good condition. Thanks