Good sports books.

bullpost

http://www.amazon.com/Hurling-Revolution-Years-Denis-Walsh/dp/1844880346

Great Hurling read on the counties like Clare who broke through in the 90's using new training methods and attitudes.

The_Kew_Tour

Just finished Born to Run by Christopher Mcdougall

Excellent sports book for anybody interested in running and some interesting questions and answers too

fontanalis

King of the World by David Remmick, good biography of Muhammed Ali (clears up the throwiing away his gold medal nonsense).
The Paul McGrath one is good.

Bodhidharma

I read quite a lot of sports books, so here are my suggestions:

Boxing
Dark Trade: lost in boxing by Donald McCrae
In the red corner by John Duncan

Football
A Season with Verona: Travels Around Italy in Search of Illusions, National Character and Goals by Tim Parks
Keane: The Autobiography by Roy Keane
How They Stole the Game by David Yallop

Cycling
The death of Marco Pantani by Matt Rendell

Mini-golf
Tilting at windmills by Andy Miller

Basketball
A season on the brink by John Feinstein

Mixed Martial Arts
Little evil by Jens Pulver
Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger

DazMarz

El Diego by Diego Maradona

Why England Lose And Other Curious Football Phenomena Explained by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski

Keane: The Autobiography by Roy Keane

siochain

Got Fight?: Forrest Griffin. funny light read.


A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting


It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. Lance Armstrong

lots of rugby bio's, which i enjoyed,

amacachi

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/features/2002/top_sports_books/1/

Probably a few too many US-centric ones, but some are about a lot more than just the sport.

Dura Ace

Just released:

Shay Elliott - The Life and Death of Ireland's First Yellow Jersey

Imhof Tank

As others have said - Rough Ride

Surprisingly no mention of Only a Game by Dunphy yet that i could see skimming through the thread.

Others i would rate would be the Jack Johnson boigraphy Unforgivable Blackness and Paddy Agnews book - all about his integration into italian society against the backdop of serie A reports

padraig_f

Imhof Tank wrote: »

Surprisingly no mention of Only a Game by Dunphy yet that i could see skimming through the thread.

Yes, great book, gives a very good feel for what it means to play professionally. At one point he meets up with Johnny Giles on international duty and a group of them are discussing what is the main motivating factor for a football player. Dunphy thinks it's pride and Giles thinks it's fear.

Initially 'fear' seems a strange thing to say, but as the book goes on, you begin to appreciate, they're playing a very different game to the one we played as kids.

His biography of Matt Busby, A Strange Kind of Glory, is also very good.

Imhof Tank

padraig_f wrote: »

Yes, great book, gives a very good feel for what it means to play professionally. At one point he meets up with Johnny Giles on international duty and a group of them are discussing what is the main motivating factor for a football player. Dunphy thinks it's pride and Giles thinks it's fear.

Initially 'fear' seems a strange thing to say, but as the book goes on, you begin to appreciate, they're playing a very different game to the one we played as kids.

.

I remember his insight into the mindset of substitutes was very interesting - basically that they sit on the bench thinking malicious thoughts, wishing nothing but bad luck and injuries for their team mates, so that they can come in and do better.

castletownman

Dublin v Kerry by Tom Humphries. Best GAA book I've ever read. Fascintating insight into the insatiable desire of both Micko and Heffo to change tactics and to introduce new techniques to the game

micgermar

Not sure if it would be classed as a sports book per se, but 'What I talk about when I talk about running' by Murakami is an excellent read for anyone who is interested in running.

harry21

not bakunin wrote: »

Not massively sporty, and quite out there as sports go (mountaineering), but Joe Simpson's "Touching the Void" is a great book. Edgy.

Great book, movie isnt too bad either.

baconsarnie

I concur with the recommendations for Calcio, Forza Italia and Football against the Enemy. The latter has been copied many times over, but is still far superior to any feeble copycats (avoid "how soccer explains the world" by Franklin Foer- it's dreadful).

Here are some other sport (almost exclusively football, apologies) books that I would wholeheartedly recommend. I tend towards books that use sport to give a broader analysis of history or society- rather than "we hit them on the break, Giggsy scored and that made it 2 nil".

"Soccer in Sun and Shadow” by Eduardo Galeano
"Best and Edwards" by Gordon Burn
“The Lost Babes: Manchester United and the Forgotten Victims of Munich” by Jeff Connor
"Those Feet: A Sensual History of English Football" and "Brillant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football" by David Winner
"The Perfect 10" by Richard Williams
"Garrincha: The Triumph & Tragedy of Brazil's Forgotten Footballing Hero" by Ruy Castro
"My Father and Other Working Class Football Heroes" by Gary Imlach
"Ajax, the Dutch, the War","Simon Kuper","0752842749","Already read"
"Tor!" by Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger
"Barca: A People's Passion" by Jimmy Burns
"Morbo" by Phil ball

and cricket:

"Beyond a Boundary" by CLR James and "Anyone But England: An Outsider Looks at English Cricket", by Mike Marqusee.

Also:

“The Lifelong Season" by Keith Duggan

Sport in general:

"What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States" by Dave Zirin

Gary Imlach's book is one that I feel is often conspicuous by its absence in these lists. It's a fantastic insight into football from a different age and a son's relationship with his father. Genuinely moving.

johnayo

Come What May By Donal Og Cusack. An interesting read.

grohlisagod

Forza Italia as mentioned is a fantastic insight into Italian soccer and Italian life in general. The chapter on Maradona in particular is fascinating.

Armstrong's book is good too.

Carra is interesting also. He's very honest.

Hermy

grohlisagod wrote: »

Armstrong's book is good too.

Can I ask which one and why you liked it?

grohlisagod

Hermy wrote: »

Can I ask which one and why you liked it?

Sorry, I can't remember which one it is, I got it off a friend. I assume it was the first one. The section on his fight against cancer really is powerful stuff.

Hermy

grohlisagod wrote: »

The section on his fight against cancer really is powerful stuff.

And the rest of it? I'm sorry but I'm no fan of Armstrong despite his battle with cancer. There are too many unanswered questions surrounding his time as a professional cyclist and it casts a long shadow over his charity work.

grohlisagod

Hermy wrote: »

And the rest of it? I'm sorry but I'm no fan of Armstrong despite his battle with cancer. There are too many unanswered questions surrounding his time as a professional cyclist and it casts a long shadow over his charity work.

It's been a few years since I read it so I have only a vague recollection of it. He goes on about corruption in the sport which is interesting, if a little ironic. His early life and the training involved in being a professional cyclist is eye-opening also. I probably wouldn't be your best source for a review to be honest.

Hermy

Not at all - thanks for indulging me. Opinions on Lance can be quite polarised so I'm grateful for your response.

kincsem

Cycling
1. We Were Young And Carefree - Laurent Fignon (287 pages)
2. Wide-Eyed And Legless - Jeff Connor (192 pages)
3. Hell On Two Wheels - Amy Snyder (244 pages)

1. Twice winner of the Tour de France. When he was competing he looked like a bit of a cold fish, but the book is the opposite.
2. Follows the ANC-Halfords team on the 1987 Tour de France (the year Stephen Roche won.) I read this book at one sitting.
3. RAAM 2009 (Race Across America). This books tells the story of the 2009 race, 3000 miles from California to Maryland (non-stop if you can, sleep if you must.) This book was shipped from the US. Cyclists chased by swordsmen on horseback, pandas on the road, tigers leaping at cyclists from the cracks in the tarmac: some of the hallucinations from lack of sleep reported by cyclists. I'm half-way through the book atm.

ruarua

the fight by norman mailer

his account of the fight between ali and foreman in zaire in the '70s. excellent read.

Amirani

I've recently read:

The Beautiful Games of an Ordinary Genius - Carlo Ancelotti
Found it enjoyable. The man is a character and it shows in his book. Lots about Italian football in it.

Through My Eyes - Tim Tebow
Life story of arguably the greatest college football player of all time. Good account of his years in Gator Nation and elsewhere if you can get past his bible bashing.

Home Team: Coaching the Saints and New Orleans Back to Life - Sean Payton
Great story of Sean Payton's coaching career and how he took the Saints from oblivion to their first Superbowl, just a few years after Katrina. Must read for any NFL fan.

Emiko

'The Sweet Science' by A.J. Liebling, and 'Four Kings' by George Kimball, both boxing books, deserve a mention.

theritetocite

Andre Agassi's recent autobiography 'Open' is definitely my top five of all time. It has everything associated with a 20 year career in an intensely demanding sport; a control freak of a father, the trappings of fame, career ascension coupled with numerous disappointments on the big stage, association with a celebrity lifestyle, major glory, fall and second rise to the zenith, relationships with rivals especially a truthful portrayal of Jimmy Connors, life with Stefi Graf and that's only touching the outer rim. It really has everything. I read 330 pages of it on the day of purchase.

My favourite has to be Leo McKinistry's 'Jack and Bobby'. Bought it seven years ago at the age of 16 and have made it an annual affair since then. Excellent biography on the Charlton brothers with the main theme leaning on their fractious relationship. However, with the interesting lives both men lead, the theme rears its head only when necessary. One of those enjoyable books where reading both protagonists on their own is great and it just gets better when their paths cross!

useurename

theritetocite wrote: »

Andre Agassi's recent autobiography 'Open' is definitely my top five of all time. It has everything associated with a 20 year career in an intensely demanding sport; a control freak of a father, the trappings of fame, career ascension coupled with numerous disappointments on the big stage, association with a celebrity lifestyle, major glory, fall and second rise to the zenith, relationships with rivals especially a truthful portrayal of Jimmy Connors, life with Stefi Graf and that's only touching the outer rim. It really has everything. I read 330 pages of it on the day of purchase!

Absolutely brilliant book. Loved it. Read in about 3 days last xmas. Loved the bit where his father and Stefi's father met and nearly killed each other. It's a very Open book alright. He is a very uptight character. I would recommend it to everybody

shefellover93

A Season with Verona - Tim Parks
There's Only One Red Army - Éamonn Sweeney

Both fascinating and very funny books from a fans perspective, detailing some of the mad characters and experiences formed by following their respective teams (Hellas Verona and Sligo Rovers)

marienbad

The Beautiful Game - Searching For the Soul of Football-David Conn-- How the Football League was gutted by the F.A with David Dein as the eminence grise and the monster of The Premier League was created. Brilliant and depressing in equal measure.


The Best Of Enemies- England v Germany. David Downing - excellent read on 100 year rivalry and how it has influenced each nation so differently. All the great matches are here- from the infamous Hitler salute through 1966 , 1970. the 1972 match and right up to 2000.


Get Her Off the Pitch, How Sport Took Over My Life -Lynn Truss. A woman who knows nothing about sport is asked to write a sports column for The Sunday Times, which she does for four years . This is the result and is just a great read and hilarious into the bargain . Can you imagine going to cover the Holyfield/Lewis re-unification bout at Madision Sq. Garden and not knowing who won the Ali/Foreman fight.

On Boxing - Joyce Carol Oates - a short brilliant book about boxing by a writer who was brought to fights by her father. Just such a different perspective on a very problematic sport ( for me anyway)