What are some of your favorites? I'm using a loose definition of "sports" -- it can be a fictional sport, or racing, or chess, or whatever. The only rule is that the central theme has to be about said sport. (Aka, Miracle in the Andes is about a Rugby Team, but it's not a sports book). I'm also purposely leaving off biographies and autobiographies, though I'm sure there are some really good ones. Finally, the book should be narrative, meaning, any book intended to make you better at said sport probably doesn't apply here. I haven't read too many but some of my favorites are: One Shot at Forever Stephen Florida Barbarian Days Born to Run Fever Pitch Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer Here's a list of sports books, that I haven't read, but have been recommended: Art of Fielding (2011) The Cactus League (2020) Everybody's All American (1981) Friday Night Lights (2004) Money Ball (2003) Meat Market (2007) Facing Ali (2002) The Impossible Climb (2018) A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches (2019) Dream Team (2012) Twelve Mighty Orphans (2007) *This one looks really good What Made Maddy Run (2017) *Maybe more of a mental health than sports book? A Sense of Where You Are: Bill Bradley at Princeton (1999) Ball Four: 20th Anniversary edition (1990) The Boys of Winter (2005) *Book the movie Miracle, is based off Paper Lion: Confessions of a last string Quarterback (1966) The Boys of Summer (1973) The Boys in the Boat (2013) The Last Best League: One Summer, One Season, One Dream (2005) A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers (1989) Play their Hearts Out (2010)
Also, there's a hooligan book called Among the Thugs that I really want to read, but since it's more about hooliganism than soccer I didn't think I should have it in the OP.
A Good Walk Spoiled (golf, old but interesting) The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King (poker, really great) Into Thin Air (climbing Everest) Now I Can Die in Peace (Bill Simmons' book about the Red Sox, culminating in the '04 series win) The Book of Basketball (also Bill Simmons) I know I've read others but those are the ones that come to mind
Bought 4 books last week: The Glory of Their Times by Larry Writter (Finished and loved it, but you'd probably have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this one) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/461749.The_Glory_of_Their_Times The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kleger (Excellent book, I think everyone, including non sports fans would like this one. Read the reviews below) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113773.Last_Days_of_Summer The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137787.The_Boys_of_Summer Ball Four by Jim Bouton https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/762563.Ball_Four Next up when I finish these is a book written before 1910 about Baseball.... The Shortstop by Zane Grey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18904270-the-shortstop
It’s different than most mentioned here but sports adjacent is Relentless by Tim Grover. He’s been the mental coach for guys like Kobe and goes into the psyche of those types of great individuals.
I'll definitely grab a Halberstam book after Ball Four (currently reading), Boys of Summer, and The Shortstop - all of their goodreads pages are linked above.