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Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football by: Phil ball List Price: £9.99 City Travel Guides Price: £6.99 You Save: £3.00 (30%)Prices subject to change. |
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Binding: Paperback EAN: 9780954013462 ISBN: 0954013468 Label: WSC Books Limited Manufacturer: WSC Books Limited Number Of Pages: 256 Publication Date: December 12, 2003 Publisher: WSC Books Limited Studio: WSC Books Limited Sales Rank: 7684 Related Items:
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Editorial Review: Amazon.co.uk Review: English writer Phil Ball has put the history of Spanish football into the context of the epomymous Morbo. Hard to pin down in translation (though the author manfully spends a chapter trying to explain the term in its fullest sense), "morbo" encapsulates the fierce rivalry across a club scene fragmented by history, language and politics. The bitter feeling between Barcelona and Real Madrid has, of course, been well-documented elsewhere. Here that famous rivalry is only one component of a landscape of antagonism. In particular, the Basque country in the north-west and Seville in the south both provide breeding grounds for a healthy portion of "morbo", and receive Ball's attention accordingly. The narrative captures the essence of that feeling perfectly, without failing to inform on a historical basis. A splendid chapter traces the ancestry of football in Spain back to the labourers in the English-owned copper mines in Huelva, Andalucia. While Spanish club football has always had its stars, from Di Stefano to Cruyff and Butragueno through to Raul and Luis Figo today, Ball shows that there is a greater force running in its lifeblood. Yet still there remains a paradox; he analyses the historical under-achievement of the Spanish national side in major international tournaments. The new millennium has seen excellent books focusing on football culture in Holland and France--namely Brilliant Orange and Le Foot. At a time when the stock of Spanish club football has perhaps not been higher since the heyday of Real Madrid in the late 50s and early 60s, Morbo, a triumph in the same vein, thankfully allows us to add Spain to the list. --Trevor Crowe Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Slightly off the Ball ....1st off - if the stars above had decimal points I'd award `Morbo' 3.5 or possibly 3.75. The work is probably better than the 3 stars I've given it but certainly not worth 4. The reason? That simple word `morbo'. Let me explain. Phil Ball spends 21 pages setting the scene trying to explain exactly what morbo is (mix and match any 4 of the following and you'll have some idea - aggravation, antagonism, hatred, one-upmanship, antipathy, resentment, hostility, political and regional enmity). He then goes on to say that the book will revolve around the concept of morbo and what it means to Spanish football. However, in truth, only 3 of the book's chapters really focus 100% on morbo. These chapters are those on the Basque country, Barcelona ... Read More: Rating:  - Morbo!There really is no shortage of excellent books on football in particular countries -- Brilliant Orange, Futebol, Tor, Calcio -- but Phil Ball's book on Spanish footballing culture is among the best. From its star-studded league to the biggest derby in the world, Spain is not lacking in interesting stories to tell, and,thankfullly,Ball is a great storyteller who has crafted a wonderfully entertaining book. His insightful stories of, not only the Madrid-Barcelona rivalry, but also of the rivalries in Seville and the Basque country are erudite yet enjoyable to read. Brilliant, don't miss it. Rating: - Phil Ball scores with MorboMorbo by Phil Ball is the fascinating story of Spanish football. Erudite yet easy to read, full of the quirky characters which inhabit the Spanish game. This book highlights the contradictions and misconceptions which inhabit the heart of the Spanish game and Spanish society. Essential reading for anyone with even the most remote interest in all and any things Spanish. Rating: - Spanish football is uniqueMore than anywhere, spain and football go hand in hand. Throughout his deep, balanced and entertaining analysis, Phil Ball manages to paint a precise picture of the complex history of spanish football. A true journalist, he seeks information from the locals -taxi drivers, barmen,...-, he visits the cities, the stadiums, the fiestas and manages to deliver a fascinating portrait of iberian life. Definitely a good read, and recommended to all football enthusiasts. Rating: - Decent ReadGood book, quite inciteful. Well written, I don't think there is enough focus on the famous modern Spainish players, but other than that I recommend giving it a read. |
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