--- product_id: 99046564 title: "Fear and Loathing in La Liga: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and the World's Greatest Sports Rivalry" price: "42.81 DT" currency: TND in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/99046564-fear-and-loathing-in-la-liga-barcelona-real-madrid-worlds store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Fear and Loathing in La Liga: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and the World's Greatest Sports Rivalry **Price:** 42.81 DT **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Fear and Loathing in La Liga: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and the World's Greatest Sports Rivalry - **How much does it cost?** 42.81 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/99046564-fear-and-loathing-in-la-liga-barcelona-real-madrid-worlds) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Fear and Loathing in La Liga is the definitive history of the greatest rivalry in world sport: FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. It's Messi vs. Ronaldo, Guardiola vs. Mourinho, the nation against the state, freedom fighters vs. Franco's fascists, plus majestic goals and mesmerizing skills. It's the best two teams on the planet going head-to-head. It's more than a game. It's a war. It's El Cláco. Only, it's not quite that simple. Spanish soccer expert and historian Sid Lowe covers 100 years of rivalry, athletic beauty, and excellence. Fear and Loathing in La Liga is a nuanced, revisionist, and brilliantly informed history that goes beyond sport. Lowe weaves together this story of the rivalry with the history and culture of Spain, emphasizing that it is "never about just the soccer." With exclusive testimonies and astonishing anecdotes, he takes us inside this epic battle, including the wounds left by the Civil War, Madrid's golden age in the fifties when they won five European cups, Johan Cruyff's Barcelona Dream Team, the doomed Galáico experiment, and LuíFigo's "betrayal." By exploring the history, politics, culture, economics, and language -- while never forgetting the drama on the field -- Lowe demonstrates the relationship between these two soccer giants and reveals the true story behind their explosive rivalry. Review: A history (and soccer) lovers dream - This book comprehensively details the history of the rivalry, from 1902 to present day. Of course you cannot understand the rivalry without understanding the Spanish Civil War and this is where Sid Lowe shines with a ton of detail on those dark days. Personally I thought the best part was the chapter on the Alfredo Di Stefano transfer which I found very similar to the story of how the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees changing both clubs forever. Barca obviously didn't sell Di Stefano but they, like the Red Sox, whiffed on a chance to acquire/keep one of the greatest players of their respective sports. The only flaw of the book I felt was that it felt a little thin when it came to the rivalry present day. It has a detailed overview of Mourinho vs Guardiola but I felt Lowe didn't devote enough pages to Messi vs Ronaldo, ironic considering they are the ones on the cover. Lowe wrote almost nothing on Ronaldo's transfer from Manchester United and little on how Messi ended up at La Masia. But really that's a small nitpick on a otherwise great book. If you want to buy just one book on El Clasico this is the one to buy. Update (10/30/2014): I am changing my rating to 5 from the original 4 stars. When I wrote the review I had read about 50% of it, basically a through scan but now that I've read it more throughly I felt I shortchanged Sid Lowe. What he's written here is a deep rich history of the Real Madrid and Barcelona rivalry that is as much a history book as it is a soccer book. As someone who loves history and soccer this is nirvana. This is no doubt the greatest english language book on the Madrid-Barcelona rivalry and I wonder even if there is a Spanish language book that is better. I stand by my original criticism because I think we all like to read about contemporary stuff because that's the part we've personally experienced but when I read about the Spanish Civil War and how Barcelona and Real Madrid fared and the influence of Francoism on the rivalry (and Spanish society overall) I can't but help admire the totality of Sid Lowe's work. He must've done a enormous amount of research. I'm gushing a bit but I cannot praise this book enough. 5 stars for a book that should be winning literary awards. Review: For the fanatical football fans with an appetite for it's history - A great read for any football enthusiast and a must have for all FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF fans. Sid Lowe narrates with a passionate attention to detail from an unbiased perspective on a heated rivalry dating back generations. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it drags on in the first few chapters describing the politics of Spain at the time of the civil war and he barely addresses the the current rivalry of the two sides, which are more bitter than ever! The chapters are arranged based on the different era's of the rivalry, so feel free to jump to whatever chapter interests you more. Overall, I enjoyed the read and being a fanatical Barca fan myself this book was an education in the club's history and many of those who represented it. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #246,369 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #33 in Sociology of Sports (Kindle Store) #34 in Soccer (Kindle Store) #49 in History eBooks of Spain & Portugal | ## Images ![Fear and Loathing in La Liga: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and the World's Greatest Sports Rivalry - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/913319mlo6L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A history (and soccer) lovers dream *by U***I on April 18, 2014* This book comprehensively details the history of the rivalry, from 1902 to present day. Of course you cannot understand the rivalry without understanding the Spanish Civil War and this is where Sid Lowe shines with a ton of detail on those dark days. Personally I thought the best part was the chapter on the Alfredo Di Stefano transfer which I found very similar to the story of how the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees changing both clubs forever. Barca obviously didn't sell Di Stefano but they, like the Red Sox, whiffed on a chance to acquire/keep one of the greatest players of their respective sports. The only flaw of the book I felt was that it felt a little thin when it came to the rivalry present day. It has a detailed overview of Mourinho vs Guardiola but I felt Lowe didn't devote enough pages to Messi vs Ronaldo, ironic considering they are the ones on the cover. Lowe wrote almost nothing on Ronaldo's transfer from Manchester United and little on how Messi ended up at La Masia. But really that's a small nitpick on a otherwise great book. If you want to buy just one book on El Clasico this is the one to buy. Update (10/30/2014): I am changing my rating to 5 from the original 4 stars. When I wrote the review I had read about 50% of it, basically a through scan but now that I've read it more throughly I felt I shortchanged Sid Lowe. What he's written here is a deep rich history of the Real Madrid and Barcelona rivalry that is as much a history book as it is a soccer book. As someone who loves history and soccer this is nirvana. This is no doubt the greatest english language book on the Madrid-Barcelona rivalry and I wonder even if there is a Spanish language book that is better. I stand by my original criticism because I think we all like to read about contemporary stuff because that's the part we've personally experienced but when I read about the Spanish Civil War and how Barcelona and Real Madrid fared and the influence of Francoism on the rivalry (and Spanish society overall) I can't but help admire the totality of Sid Lowe's work. He must've done a enormous amount of research. I'm gushing a bit but I cannot praise this book enough. 5 stars for a book that should be winning literary awards. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ For the fanatical football fans with an appetite for it's history *by A***T on November 10, 2014* A great read for any football enthusiast and a must have for all FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF fans. Sid Lowe narrates with a passionate attention to detail from an unbiased perspective on a heated rivalry dating back generations. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it drags on in the first few chapters describing the politics of Spain at the time of the civil war and he barely addresses the the current rivalry of the two sides, which are more bitter than ever! The chapters are arranged based on the different era's of the rivalry, so feel free to jump to whatever chapter interests you more. Overall, I enjoyed the read and being a fanatical Barca fan myself this book was an education in the club's history and many of those who represented it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Best Football Writer in the Game Produces a Clasico *by D***L on September 7, 2024* This book has politics, revolution, intrigue, a severed pigs head, and just about everything else a footy fan would want from an extensively researched and written book on the two biggest clubs in Spain. Sid Lowe documents this dichotomy, this relationship, this interdependence of two sporting entities that find themselves as often on opposing sides of the pitch as they do on opposing sides of a civil war (hyperbole). Lowe's prose guides us through the histories of these two titanic teams as they battle for supremacy in Spain and Europe, having Salomonic tussles over player signatures, courting the favor of dictators and royals alike. Such a delightful and enjoyable read. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/99046564-fear-and-loathing-in-la-liga-barcelona-real-madrid-worlds](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/99046564-fear-and-loathing-in-la-liga-barcelona-real-madrid-worlds) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-11-01*