Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Top ten sports books

John Gaustad started Sportspages, the UK's first bookshop devoted solely to sports books in 1985, and subsequently co-founded the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award, now in its 25th year.

At the Guardian, Gustad named his top ten sports books. One title on the list:
Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life by Nick Hornby

A blindingly obvious choice perhaps, but it was a hugely significant, ground-breaking book, and it's also sublimely written, telling more about what sport means to fans than almost any other. We now see it as an established classic, but at the time it was a brave piece of publishing. I remember the publishers consulting me about it – they were not at all convinced there was really a market for an "intelligent" football book. I assured them there was, and once I'd read the manuscript, and been utterly bowled over, urged them to get it out as soon as they could.
Read about the other books on the list.

Fever Pitch is one of Mihir Bose's top ten soccer books.

--Marshal Zeringue