Comments on: The Pistol and The Killer

Question: The Pistol and The Killer

jonmc — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:49:39 -0800

Sports Bio Recomendations.

Today, I bought this bio of Pete Maravich and so far it's excellent. I'm also working my way through this bio of Sonny Liston. They're both looks at sports figures who were extremely famous for a brief period and then faded from the public consciousness, yet seemed to define their epoch, since sports, like movies or popular music is a great prism through which to view the zietgeist of an era. Bith books are also extremely well written by professional authors, not hacks. Anybody have any other recommendations in the same vein?

By: teishu

teishu — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:57:24 -0800

not exactly a "bio" but try The Punch

By: ibmcginty

ibmcginty — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:02:46 -0800

I just finished reading "My Losing Season" by Pat Conroy, a memoir of his senior year playing guard for the Citadel, and greatly enjoyed it.

It's more about obscurity, amateur sports, the particular personalities and dramas of that season, and being 22 and in a military academy in 1966, than the stuff you mention about Maravich and Liston, though, so please disregard if it is not what yo're looking for. A terrific read, though.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:04:28 -0800

no, ibmcginty, that sounds interesting as well. I'd expand the question to any sports related books in a similar vien to what I've decribed although biographies are my primary interest.

By: enrevanche

enrevanche — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:13:11 -0800

The Best American Sportswriting of the Century (David Halberstam, ed.) is a must.

Gay Talese's sad, unflinching profile of Joe diMaggio in retirement.

Tom Wolfe's epic piece on NASCAR legend Junior Johnson.

Hunter S. Thompson on the Kentucky Derby.

And an entire *section* on Muhammad Ali.

Some of the best American journalism in the last century was sportswriting, and this is a fair sample.

By: painquale

painquale — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:19:46 -0800

The Blind Side is a great book. It recounts the rise of left tackle Michael Oher, and uses that fabulous story as a vehicle to discuss the way that football has changed over the last hundred years.

By: scody

scody — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:45:11 -0800

As recommended over in MeCha, if you're open to autobiography (and haven't already read it): Jim Bouton's Ball Four.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:46:04 -0800

The best book on boxing I have ever read, and in my top 50 books of all time is The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling. I think you would like it.

By: selton

selton — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:46:35 -0800

Although you may not be especially interested in UK soccer.

Stan Collymore had the talent to be world famous (I'd defend that statement in any bar arguement), but he became more notorious for his various off-field misdemeanors and ended more or less unemployable in his late 20's early 30's

Summary: poor mixed race kid in the UK, talented young footballer, incredibly rich footballer, beat up famous girlfriend in public, got caught 'dogging' by national newspaper, releases pretty honest book.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 19:48:42 -0800

Have you seen this Pistol Pete documentary? It made me cry.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:06:24 -0800

This John Updike essay on attending Ted William's last at bat is a gem.

Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu

(I have heard it referred to as the best piece of sports writing ever. ymmv of course. Roger Angell said that he has had more compliments on this essay than any of his others;)

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:24:36 -0800

they call me coach and any other Wooden books are awesome. Careful though, they will make you want to be a better person. He is like a Mr. Miyagi for your soul.

this YA Tittle bio and On Boxing are about all the rest I can think of right now. The JCO book sounds dry but it is very entertaining and readable.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:29:00 -0800

Seconding Conroy's "My Losing Season".
Truly wonderful.

By: the painkiller

the painkiller — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:01:01 -0800

here's another not-really-a-bio-but-its-still-nonfiction recommendation: The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is a personal favorite. kind of a rags to riches to rags story.

per enrevanche's post, here's a link to HST's "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved".

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:01:08 -0800

I recommend When Pride Still Mattered a biography of Vince Lombardi by Pulitzer Prize winner David Maraniss.

Seconding learning about John Wooden. Great man and a very inspiring man. Consider, My Personal Best written by the Wizard of Westwood himself.

Did not like Conroy's book about playing basketball for the Citadel. It was sort of repetitive. It could have been cut in half and then would have been a decent read. (Just my $0.02)

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:07:33 -0800

Slight derail about John Wooden. He has created many phrases to use in basketball and life such as "Be quick, but don't hurry." Bill Walton, who played for Wooden at UCLA used to write one Wooden quote per day on his son (who now plays in the NBA) lunch bag. I have taken to copying that idea. My kids love it. I add quotes other than Wooden's but if I miss it, they tell me that all their friends are pissed there was no quote that day.

Others:
Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.

Wooden Quotes.

Sorry for the derail.

By: emd3737

emd3737 — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 22:53:20 -0800

I liked "Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics" by Jeremy Schaap, even though it's a tad after school special-y.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 23:18:31 -0800

JohnnyG--
What an excellent idea!
I'm bookmarking that site and filing away your idea for my own little boy!

By: Ironmouth

Ironmouth — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:17:22 -0800

I Play to Win by Stan Mikita.

gotta love that title.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:52:09 -0800

Thanks guys. I'm about a hundred pages into the Maravich book and it's excellent just so you know.