Will likely appeal to and attract many sports fans and general readers. Highly recommended for public libraries and collections with a sports emphasis.
As a narrator, Maraniss’s delivery is serviceable but somewhat dry and uninflected. Listeners will likely be absorbed by Thorpe’s remarkable and recommended story, but some might wish for a more engaging guide.
This is an intriguing and insightful look at pro basketball’s critical historical moments and players during the 1970s. It is highly recommended for all collections and should be considered a top purchase.
Wejchert’s personal relationship with the climbers, especially Emmett, make for a compelling, page-turning story. This title is recommended for fans of adventure stories.
A fascinating and thorough history of the fight for women’s rights told through the lens of sports. Will likely appeal to readers interested in sports history and gender studies.
While Buckley’s breezy tone may not be to every reader’s liking, the inclusion of countless unusual facts means even diehard baseball fans will learn something new. An entertaining but optional purchase for most libraries.
This is a very important and easy-to-read work that will shed light on the many previously misrepresented accounts given by the owners and commissioner-controlled public communication. It has the potential to change the business world.
Megale provides a richly detailed account of the U.S. men’s sled hockey program and its obstacles and trials (including some self-inflicted ones); it’s sure to appeal to fans of triumphant sports stories.
Specialists in sports history might lament the book’s lack of citations and sources, but Elder’s insider look at the players and FIFA officials who put the U.S. men’s soccer team on the map will likely still appeal to fans of the game.
An excellent, well-researched biography with insights, firsthand accounts, and an extensive bibliography section. Highly recommended for all interested in sports.
A disarmingly honest view of a storied career in Canadian sports broadcasting. Will likely appeal to hockey fans, particularly those who share Shannon’s feelings for Hockey Night in Canada.
A timely, often humorous account, well-written in the jargon of the pro wrestling industry. A must for wrestling fans and historians, and recommended for all libraries that serve either population.
For basketball fans and those who bleed Duke blue, but Hill’s autobiography is also a worthy addition to any library’s sports collection as Hill, once a role model on the court, is one off it as well.
Readers, especially history and hockey fans, will be mesmerized by this account and will come away with a clearer understanding of the numerous intricate details that are involved in successful diplomacy and how they affect historical events. Highly recommended.
Maraniss’s book is the most comprehensive Thorpe biography to date (being nearly 200 well-cited pages longer than Kate Buford’s 2010 biography Native American Son). Beyond bringing Thorpe to life, Maraniss also delves heavily into issues of race and culture.
Highly recommended for all readers of all ages. Steele’s work shares new insights on activism in American athletics and particularly keys in on the consequences of athletes’ protests.
Elias and Drier have exceptional insight on behind-the-scenes labor fights in the MLB; a fine depiction of capitalist avarice. A must for baseball fans.
The national spotlight will be on Krzyzewski as the basketball season winds down; all public libraries and sports collections will want to showcase O’Connor’s appealing, candid profile of college basketball’s winningest coach.
Nowitzki’s army of fans will devour this well-crafted account of a great player and a decent human being, and other hoops lovers will come away happy to have better made his acquaintance.
A thoughtful and entertaining examination of a top skier’s life and career. Those who enjoy memoirs and sports biographies will want to add this title to their reading list.
A personal account that is especially recommended for readers who want to understand the consequences of addiction and how to overcome it. McDowell’s story will find an audience beyond baseball fans.
Fans of Wade and the NBA will be thrilled by this collection and can spend hours browsing the pictures. This coffee table–style book is especially recommended for school and public libraries where basketball is popular.
With his uncanny knack for being present at many milestone NBA events throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, Oakley has a familiar name and career that’ll make this an attractive choice for sports fans and hoops aficionados. Recommended for public library collections with active sports collections.
A landmark account of Kobe Bryant’s early life, this is an essential purchase for sports collections in all public libraries. Sielski’s biography will stand as the most objective, definitive record of Bryant’s childhood and youth, and invites a sequel that will similarly cover his professional career and personal story beyond the 1996 NBA draft.
Told with clear-eyed honesty, this story of unfaltering purpose will resonate beyond a sports-loving readership. Already optioned for a film treatment, Plaschke’s intense and inspiring account of a town’s loss and will to recover is recommended for all public library collections.
Anderson’s animated, comprehensive history of the Buccaneers’ singularly triumphant season is recommended for sports collections in all public libraries.
This is not a standard sports biography of a rise to fame. Instead, Anthony brings honesty and humility to a reflective account that is well worth the read.
This account brings much-needed attention to the pioneers who integrated football; a must-read for any football fan interested in digging into the sport’s past.
A skilled journalist analyzes the success of the NFL’s premier team over the last two decades, in both its laudable and unsavory aspects; will be of interest to all sports fans.
This all-inclusive, highly engaging history is as compelling as the Big East Conference itself during those over-the-top years and will delight basketball fans of all ages. Recommended for sports collections in public libraries and for specialty collections.
This book is engagingly written but it mostly updates a story that has been told in volumes by local journalists in recent years. Still, it will be of interest to Clemson fans.
A beautiful meditation on the author’s lifelong connections with nature and running, and the inevitable end of those relationships. Readers who enjoyed Heinrich’s other books will find, and welcome, the familiar themes of his extraordinary life.
An insightful book about the wide-reaching effects of Kaepernick’s protests. This book is highly recommended and is necessary reading for all, especially those who want to make a difference in promoting social justice, equity, and inclusion, and end police brutality.
This comprehensive portrait will thrill tennis fans and will also draw in and capture readers unfamiliar with Federer or professional tennis. An essential addition to sports and biography collections.
Though the narrative is occasionally slowed by an overabundance of detail, the depth of Fader's research and the uniqueness of Antetokounmpo's story make this a compelling read. Basketball fans will love it all, especially with Giannis becoming a star player for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fans of Gracie’s fights, practitioners or fans of martial arts, and those interested in the evolution of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu will find excellent insight here.
An absorbing story, richly told by one of the 20th century’s pioneering sports figures and social activists. An essential memoir that will inspire and stay with readers of all ages.
A must-read for its in-depth look at the mental, economic, and political tribulations of NBA players. A good complement to Ben Golliver’s Bubbleball that will give readers a full understanding of the struggles and dynamics of the 2019–20 NBA season.
As surfing will make its Olympic debut in 2021, this book’s eye-catching cover and well-organized history make it an outstanding choice for sports and surfing aficionados. Recommended for public library sports collections, especially in areas where surfing is popular.
FC Barcelona is a way of life for untold millions around the world, and Kuper covers over a century of the beloved team’s history with an insider’s view and a fan’s insights. Followers of “the Beautiful Game” will enjoy this deep dive into one of the world’s most famous and successful franchises.
Branch’s essays depict ordinary people doing extraordinary things at the fringes of the sporting world. This collection can be enjoyed by a wide range of readers and sports fans.
Readers seeking a memoir about Bosh’s life may be disappointed. Although the advice here is not revolutionary, this straightforward book will find an audience with high school athletes hoping to improve their game outside of practice.
Despite a rather abrupt conclusion, this engaging biography is a must-read for basketball fans. Howard-Cooper tells the story of a player who, with luck, pluck, and smarts, has evolved into a top-tier coach and political activist.
Beyond basketball, this book is an important cultural artifact of the impacts of COVID-19 on American life, as well as the interconnection of social justice and sports. An instant classic.
A lovely, ruminative book about a venerable sport; it bears comparison to Adrian Smith’s Monsters of Rivers and Rock. Coggins’s enthusiasm for fly fishing is so infectious that the book will readily hook non-fishers as well.
This memoir will find readers among fans of insider sports accounts, or anyone fascinated by what it takes to become a pro athlete; it’s also a solid choice for young adults.
Historians, sports fans, and any readers interested in American culture will find this a fascinating look at three months with lasting implications. A thought-provoking and recommended choice for all public library collections.
This detailed history of night baseball will enlighten even the most knowledgeable fans and will surely appeal to readers interested in sports history more generally.
At times, Mazorati’s critical tone takes away from the reading experience. Readers might get a fuller picture of Williams’s career by accompanying this book with the HBO series Being Serena, which is told in her own voice.
Soderholm-Difatte’s great strength lies in his examination of the steroid era and the damages it wrought, representation of non-white people in baseball management, and new baseball analytics which look for the most productive players through statistical scrutiny. An engaging overview of the sport.
This book adds much new detail and perspective to the history and development of baseball. It is a must-read for baseball fans, particularly fans of the New York Yankees. It belongs in all public libraries, and libraries with a local connection to the subject.
Complete with a map of her route, the latest from Anderson will make hikers want to reach for their trekking poles and will satisfy armchair travelers looking for adventure.
Parker has a deep collection of stories and he tells them in a way that puts readers right in the thick of it all, from play-by-plays of the biggest playoff games to the brash and freewheeling banter that was always on tap in the Pirates' clubhouse.
This well-written, realistic, and necessary addition to current baseball literature belongs on the shelves of school and public libraries especially, as well as smaller college collections.
Both students and fans of basketball will find this a valuable survey of the last eight decades of the sport, even as it concentrates on the fortunes of Catholic teams.
There’s no other current book that captures the challenges women face in sports media, and DiCaro does this masterfully. Bringing a feminist lens to the world of sports, this book sets itself apart with its reporting and relevancy.
Baseball fans will thoroughly enjoy this captivating look into a side of the sport they might not know about. This heartfelt book, with a foreword by Hank Aaron, is a must-read, and Perron’s personable writing succeeds in giving often overlooked players a voice.
Epplin has given us an entertaining account of this ball club, and we find ourselves rooting for them in the end. An enjoyable read for all sports fans.
All sports fans will recognize in Gordon’s promising debut the dedication, disappointment, and pure elation that come with following their special team. A worthy companion to more comprehensive histories of the franchise, recommended for baseball collections in all public and specialty libraries.