Fear and Loathing in La Liga

A history of modern Spain told through one of world football's most intense rivalries Independent Sports Book of the Year Sunday Times Its Messi vs Ronaldo, its Catalonia vs Castilla. Its the nation against the state, freedom fighters vs Francos fascists. Its majestic goals and mesmerising skills, red cards and bench brawls. Its the best two teams on the planet going face to face and toe to toe. Its more than a game. Its a war. Its Barcelona vs Real Madrid. Only, its 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 sports greatest rivalry. Lowe has spoken to the biggest names and the forgotten heroes who defined their clubs. Men like Alfredo Di Stfano 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 clubs 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.