Blog: Ace

What are the best books about Sport?

You could say what makes a great story but you have to nail the subject. For my money it’s got to be documentary in style as there is enough hope and drama, success and failure in most sport stories that you don’t need to invent one.
Boxing is a natural because it is always a rags to riches story with a lot of hard knocks on the way followed by the inevitable sad decline.

Facing Ali was a good one. Just trot round asking all the guys who had fought the greatest athlete of all time what it was like. Divide into chapters and you have yourself 15 chapters and a book.

A good walk spoiled by John Feinstein is meticulously researched and you do feel you are putting each shot. You can feel what it is like trying to get on the tours against terrible odds, knowing that holing a four foot downhill putt could be the difference of earning decent money for the next three years and going back to working in the pro shop giving lessons to middle aged men and trying to shift cross hatch yellow Pringle sweaters

The Punch by John Feinstein was about basketball. Well it was about two guys involved in a terrible incident where one guy was nearly killed by a single punch. There was a background to American Basketball and the rise and fall of each of the individuals – but it was not a gripping story. There did not seem to be any drama – happily the guy lived and did not really forgive his aggressor.

Its not about the bike is written by Lance Armstrong. Already a cycling God having won three successive Tour de France, this book detailed his fight against cancer and through the story his background and upbringing and his extraordinary determination. Probably not a likeable character but you had to admire his guts and strength.

War Baby written by Kevin Mitchell of the Observer was a blow by blow account between McClelland and Nigel Benn. Despite its rubbish title – it also looks at our love of violence and then chronicles a round by round account told from each point of view. Clever, well written but lacked something – maybe scale or personality.

In Black and White written by Donald McRae – another terrific writer -this was about the lives and comparison and prejudice that both Jessie Owens and Joe Louis suffered. The same age, both men performed heroic feats and yet were shunned, ignored and overlooked by the white establishment. Great on detail and history – probably too worthy to make a popular impression.

The Nick Hornby book about Arsenal ( Fever Pitch) struck a chord with every middle class football fan too ashamed to admit that they were fanatical about supporting a team. It took football away from the working classes and gave it to blokes in the city in insurance and to their girlfriends. Nick came across as a loner and a sad individual but as a book it struck the right chord with the mass middle class market.

McEnroe’s book Serious had a huge promotional platform to work from and a great title – but a vast reputation as cache – the name will sell telephone directories.

A lot of Hard Yakka by Simon Hughes was an interesting behind the scenes look at county cricket – Middx. The county won almost everything and had at its helm Mike Brearly – a charismatic leader of not just Middx but also England.

Feet in the Clouds was short listed for the William Hill Sports Book award. It’s a study of fell running and obsession. Why so successful – because it appeals to our own thoughts and dreams of escape from urban life.

That is key to a sports book- a glimpse of freedom – as sense of being heroic – of beating the elements or the odds. Its not about beating opponents it’s about having an opportunity to be free. It’s as if we are testing ourselves to be human for once – it is as Richard Askwith (Author – Feet in the clouds) says – it is his lifeline to sanity.

But seeing as Richard is the Associate Editor of the Independent maybe his take on sanity is not the same as other mortals.

I want to stick in there Learning to Breathe by Andy Cave about a miner who literally climbed out from the depths of a pit in South Yorkshire to the roof of the World

I am sure there are a lot better reads out there.

by Ace on 18:21 on 23rd August 2007