Glorious, lives up to the title! As one of the best historians and sports writers of the 20th century, Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads. In addition, a section on Muhammad Ali offers some great writing by Dick Schaap, Murray Kempton, Norman Mailer, Jim Murray, and Davis Miller. © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. The Best American Sports Writing of the Century showcases the best sports journalists of the twentieth century, from Jimmy Cannon, Red Smith, William Mack, Gary Smith, and Frank Deford to A. J. Liebling, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter S. Thompson, and includes such classics as "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?" Series editor Glenn Stout has written biographies of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Jackie Robinson. It has room, too, for poets and wits, for sharp-eyed reporters and world-weary wise men, for gifted stylists with a keen sense of the way we lived then and the way we live now. Smashed my highest expectations with definitive pieces that put so much Internet journalism to shame. I admit that I'm a sucker for great sports writing and this collection has some of the best. A really interesting and entertaining read. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Please try again. Guest editor David Halberstam is the author of The Reckoning, The Summer of Forty-Nine, The Breaks of the Game, and The Children. to life. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 May 2013. The selections represent the full spectrum of his athletic and public career, from cocksure Cassius Marcellus Clay (Murray Kempton, "The Champ and the Chump," 1964) to reflective disciple of Islam (Dick Schaap, "Muhammad Ali Then and Now," 1971) to resurrected warrior in Manila (Mark Kram, "Lawdy, Lawdy, He's Great," 1975) & beyond. David Halberstam was an American journalist and historian, known for his work on the Vietnam War, politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and later, sports journalism. Publishers Weekly, "This book...gives a lot of pleasure." Boston Globe, "Making the choices for the annual edition of this series is daunting enough; picking the century's best seems impossible. Boston Magazine, "...an anthology that can be savored like a hole in one." We’d love your help. ", "Make room on your bookshelf for this anthology. Library Journal, "Given the overall vigor and volume of sports writing in America throughout the 20th century, the idea of compiling a single collection dubbed the "best" requires a daring balancing act of boldness and delicacy. Boston Globe. From Lardner to Updike and Deford these pieces all shine like gems illuminating uniquely American literature. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Phenomenal. Library Journal, "Given the overall vigor and volume of sports writing in America throughout the 20th century, the idea of compiling a single collection dubbed the "best" requires a daring balancing act of boldness and delicacy. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. Other highlights include Hunter S. Thompson\'s predictably outrageous take on the Kentucky Derby; an insightful portrait of boxer Billy Conn by Frank Deford; and Jimmy Breslin\'s 1960 profile of jockey Billy Hartack. The piece on Bobby Fischer is a marvelous example of the kind of journalism that seems to have been driven out by Fox News. The Best American Sports Writing of the Century showcases the best sports journalists of the twentieth century, from Jimmy Cannon, Red Smith, William Mack, Gary Smith, and Frank Deford to A. J. Liebling, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter S. Thompson, and includes such classics as "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?" American Way, "All the entries in this oversize volume are choice." Stout has lived in and around Boston for 20 years, and currently lives in Vermont. However, what's here is universally excellent. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Boston Magazine, "...an anthology that can be savored like a hole in one." Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2016. Please try again. Something went wrong. by Richard Ben Cramer, "Louis Knocks Out Schmeling" by Bob Considine, and "The Rocky Road of Pistol Pete" by W. C. Heinz. There's a problem loading this menu at the moment. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. The most memorable pieces of American sports writing can be found in one astonishing collection with over 800 pages of the triumphs and tragedies of the athletic heroes of the 20th century. by Richard Ben Cramer, "Louis Knocks Out Schmeling" by Bob Considine, and "The Rocky Road of Pistol Pete" by W. C. Heinz. The strength of the writing is matched by the brilliance and talent of the figures in the variety of sports that are highlighted. Being a young man, I missed most of these great people/moments in history - but the tales live on and are captured through excellent writing. Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2014. Just fantastic, a must for every sports fan. The Cost of These Dreams: Sports Stories and Other Serious Business, The Sweet Science: Boxing and Boxiana - A Ringside View (Penguin Modern Classics), The Best American Sports Writing 2016 (Best American Series (R)). It's a book I wish didn't have a last page. ©2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He is the author of Young Woman and the Sea and Fenway 1912, and has collaborated with Richard Johnson on Red Sox Century, Yankees Century, The Cubs and The Dodgers. The Best American Sports Writing of the Century showcases the best sports journalists of the twentieth century, from Jimmy Cannon, Red Smith, William Mack, Gary Smith, and Frank Deford to A. J. Liebling, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter S. Thompson, and includes such classics as "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?" I purchased this book both last year and last month. Some stories are not as gripping as others, and this will depend on the reader. Stout has lived in and around Boston for 20 years, and currently lives in Vermont. The Best American Sports Writing of the Century - (Best American Series (R)) by David Halberstam & Glenn Stout (Paperback), undefined out of 5 stars with undefined reviews, Do Not Sell My Personal Information - CA Resident Only. It gets behind the myths and the individuals as they are normally presented to us.