Fear and Loathing in La Liga cover art

Fear and Loathing in La Liga

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Fear and Loathing in La Liga

By: Sid Lowe
Narrated by: Sid Lowe
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About this listen

It’s Messi vs Ronaldo, it’s Catalonia vs Castilla. It’s the nation against the state, freedom fighters vs Franco’s fascists. It’s majestic goals and mesmerising skills, red cards and bench brawls. It’s the best two teams on the planet going face to face and toe to toe. It’s more than a game. It’s a war. It’s Barcelona vs Real Madrid.... Only, it’s not that simple.

From the wounds left by the civil war to the teams’ recent global domination, historian and expert on Spanish football, Sid Lowe lifts the lid on sport’s greatest rivalry. Lowe has spoken to the biggest names and the forgotten heroes who defined their clubs. Men like Alfredo Di Stéfano and Johan Cruyff as well as the only survivor of the most politically charged game in history, the Barcelona striker who knocked Madrid out of the European Cup for the first time ever, and the president who celebrated his club’s defining moment by taking a midnight dip in the Thames.

By exploring the history, politics, culture, economics, and language, while never forgetting the drama on the pitch, Lowe demonstrates the symbiotic nature of the relationship between these two football giants. In doing so he reveals the human story behind this explosive rivalry.

©2013 Sid Lowe (P)2013 Random House AudioGo
Europe Football (Soccer) Spain Sports War Celebrity Imperialism Game Civil War Socialism Portugal

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All stars
Most relevant
This is one of the best football books I've read. I've learned more about the culture and history of Spain from reading this than I have from reading history books about the country. Brilliant. I was engaged from start to finish

More than a club? More than a book about football

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If you could sum up Fear and Loathing in La Liga in three words, what would they be?

Comprehensive, interesting

What does Sid Lowe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He emphasizes on certain points that may be missing in the book. The fact it is narrated by the author comes across in the way he narrates the book

Any additional comments?

I haven't read the book yet, but since I signed up to audible and had the credits to purchase it I decided to do so. This book is a very interesting, comprehensive history of Real Madrid Vs Barcelona, covering their rivalry and also the history of each club, how they reacted to and dealt with the Spanish Civil War and other off-pitch issues, as well as the common flashpoints on the pitch, like Di Stefano's transfer, Mourinho, Figo and so on.I strongly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in either of these clubs or football generally.

Sid Lowe is a good writer in his various columns on Spanish football, and here he narrates his own book. This helps the audiobook emphasize key points - it feels like the audiobook is better because the author is narrating, rather than a narrator reading someone elses work.

Fear and Loathing in La Liga

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incredibly detailed and intensely facinating tour of the two biggest titans in world football. stunning

wonderous re-telling of football's biggest rivalry

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Really recommend it! I didn't know a lot about the history of the El Classico, just the modern rivalry. This book informed what the precise wisdom is, but then the reality. Like Barca have not also grown Ballon d'ore winner's. And real were not always the big money spenders

Brilliant. Really balanced and interesting

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If you could sum up Fear and Loathing in La Liga in three words, what would they be?

Hate this question

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not really applicable

What does Sid Lowe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I thought he was great and always good hearing author read

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I enjoyed overall and found it very interesting

Very interesting I enjoyed it

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